Nonprofit Marketers' Summit to Bring Together Leading Marketing Professionals

CHICAGO, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF) is bringing together 18 of the brightest and most experienced marketing minds in the nonprofit sector on October 10th in Chicago to release marketing best practices specially designed for a challenged but important industry.

"The enormous changes occurring in the economy, government, media and technology are redefining the world of nonprofits," said A. Dawn Lesh, chairperson of AMAF.  "Nonprofits must evaluate and refine what it takes to sustain their missions, and the AMAF is committed to providing marketing recommendations for surviving and thriving in these uncertain times.  This is especially important as sixty (60) percent of nonprofits have less than three months' cash in the bank; time is of the essence to create marketing approaches and recommendations that can help the sector regain its footing."

The leaders participating in the Senior Nonprofit Markets' Summit this October in Chicago will recommend the definitions, structures, approaches, and talent required for nonprofits to achieve the best outcomes.  The CMOs' insights will be captured in a thought-leadership paper released at the Summit on October 10, 2010.  

The Summit dialog, which began in the fall of 2009, and the paper development are being led by Cynthia Currence, CEO of Currence & Associates and a member of the AMAF Board of Trustees.

Summit thought leaders include representatives from major nonprofit entities representing a cross-section of organizations, including:

• Emilio Pardo, EVP and brand Officer for AARP
• Kathy Compton, Chief Marketing Officer for AFP International
• Angela Geiger, Chief Strategy Officer for Alzheimer's Association and member of the AMAF Board of Directors
• Vickie Peters, Director for Strategic Planning for American Heart Association
• Reji Puthenveetil, Chief Marketing Advisor for the American Lung Association and President of Group Newhouse
• Peggy Dyer, Chief Marketing Officer for American Red Cross
• Debra Neuman, Chief External Relations Officer for Arthritis Foundation
• Kay Keenan, former VP Marketing and Communications for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• Evan McElroy, SVP Marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Wendy MacGregor, Chief Marketing Officer for Feeding America
• Alan Andreasen, Author, Researcher and Professor, Georgetown University, and member of the AMAF Board of Trustees
• Andy Ferrin, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for the National 4-H Council
• Candace Hanau,  Chief Marketing Officer for Save the Children
• Jay Aldous, Chief Strategist for Social Capital Partnerships
• Kirsten Seckler, VP Branding and Communications for Special Olympics International
• Cynthia Round, EVP Brand for United Way Worldwide
• Meme Drumwright, Author, Researcher and Professor, University of Texas, and member of the AMAF Board of Trustees.

"A new age of nonprofit marketing is emerging, and the AMAF, along with the AMA, is proud to be leading the charge for this very important industry, which is responsible for 2% of this country's gross domestic product," noted Dennis Dunlap, CEO of the AMA.

Sponsors of the AMAF Senior Nonprofit Marketing Summit include: Blackbaud, Inc. (www.blackbaud.com), Grizzard (www.grizzard.com ), the PlowShare Group, Inc. (www.plowsharegroup.com), and Xerox Corporation (http://www.freecolorprinters.xerox.com/).

About the American Marketing Association Foundation

The mission of the AMAF is to maximize marketing for the betterment of society. This is accomplished through programs and activities that focus on investing in the growth and use of nonprofit and social marketing knowledge; supporting appropriate community outreach efforts; and acknowledging academic and practitioner marketing excellence through over 15 awards, grants, and scholarships.  The AMAF works in partnership with the AMA, AMA chapters, marketing practitioners and academics, and corporations to accomplish their goals.

For more information on the American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF), please visit www.themarketingfoundation.org.

About the American Marketing Association

The American Marketing Association (AMA) is the largest marketing association in North America.  It is a professional association for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide.  It is also the source that marketers turn to every day for information/resources, education/training and professional networking.  AMA members are connected to a network of experienced marketers over 30,000 strong and include leading marketing academics, researchers and practitioners from every industry.  The AMA also is the source for the field's top magazines and journals, including Marketing News, Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Marketing Research.

For more information on the American Marketing Association please visit www.MarketingPower.com.

SOURCE American Marketing Association Foundation