How has your organization used print and direct mail?

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County has a robust Marketing Department that actively uses print media as a primary source of information. Our organization utilizes print media to promote arts education, circulate information about our grant-making processes, and keep our constituents informed about our special events. The Arts Council also uses print media to assure that artists and nonprofit organizations receive timely notice about regular opportunities for funding that is made available by our agency.

How does your nonprofit plan to use print and direct mail?

The Arts Council will always use print media as part of its marketing strategies. Our organization knows the benefits of print publications. For our grant programs, print media is more tangible than digital marketing. For outreach efforts to our artists, print median allows us to be more personal than an online ad. For our community outreach efforts for information about our special events, we find that print media is less likely to be considered ‘spam’.

Several times each year, the Arts Council reaches out directly to several thousand individual artists and nonprofit organizations in a five-county region through a postcard mailer.  For both artists and nonprofits, this mailer provides useful information about grants made available by the Arts Council. Future outreach for these grant-making efforts could be conducted through direct mail.

Direct mail could also be an outreach strategy that the Arts Council uses to promote its special events. At least three times each year, the Arts Council produces events that draw thousands of community members to Downtown Fayetteville.

The Black Culture Experience is a centerpiece for the celebration of Black History Month. This series of smaller events includes spoken word gatherings, a podcast focusing on Black spirituals, and a virtual concert by a local prominent Black vocalist. The capstone of the Black Culture Series is the BlackLIT book fair that brings together authors of color to lift up and celebrate Black literature. The Arts Council’s International Folk Festival draws almost 10,000 individuals to a celebration of the cultures that make up Cumberland County. This two-day event is known for vibrant cultural performances, authentic international food, and a ‘Parade of Nations’ that highlights the diversity of our region. The Dicken’s Holiday takes place the day after Thanksgiving and draws at least 5,000 people to Downtown Fayetteville as a kick-off to the holiday season. With such large-scale gatherings, the Arts Council direct mail could play a part in all of these special events.

How has print and direct mail helped to promote the valuable message and great things that your organization does?

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization based in Fayetteville, NC that supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development, and lifelong learning through the ARTS. Founded in 1973, the ACFCC has served as a link between artists, arts and cultural organizations, and the greater community by administering programs in partnership with a variety of local agencies to stimulate economic growth, reinforce child education through the arts, and enhance the cultural identity of the arts and entertainment district.

Print media is a HUGE part of telling the story for the Arts Council. From banners, to post cards, to flyers, to posters – no part of our organization is untouched by print media. Each year, the Arts Council prints thousands of print collateral items to distribute. These print pieces contain information about grants, programs for artists, special events, or invitations to community activities in our gallery. In the year 2020-21, the ACFCC distributed $1.1 million in grant funds and allocations to Cumberland County arts and culture non-profit organizations, artists, and municipalities. These funds were awarded because the Arts Council used printed materials to distribute information about its grant and allocation programs. Without print materials, our community would not benefit from the literally MILLIONS of dollars in resources that the Arts Council brokers for Cumberland County.