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At the Department of Parks and Recreation in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, nd (population 13,000) invested some 50 hours of in-house effort, plus some all promotional time, into its "Gifts for Recreation Catalog," and has received ow over $10,000 in contributions. yes One note of caution. For a gifts catalog to be effective, it must be done 9 right. Adequate staff time must be committed both in preparation and sub- sequent management to insure a product that will interest, convince and assist prospective donors. )r * Can Attract Broad -Based Giving 1e Through a catalog, appeals can be made to a large diverse audience. A cata- log allows the entire community to become involved in delivering recreation. +olv- Everyone can give a gift. A large oil company headquartered in your city it could donate a new gymnasium costing $3 million. A class of 5th graders ties. could contribute $17.50 toward the purchase of a new bike rack. A retired 'ts senior citizen could volunteer to maintain the flower garden at a local his- :ance. toric site. The idea is to put something for everyone in the gifts catalog. hich ,e Irs * More Specific Than Simply Paying Taxes f ind-� luny taxpayers are frustrated that they can't see the direct benefits of ne their taxes. They don't know precisely where their tax dollars are spent h's and often wish they could direct their payments to projects they support. Donors to some charities often feel the same frustration. stance The gifts catalog allows a person to earmark where the donation goes and Point with pride to something he or she helped provide for the community. That's the beauty of the park gifts catalog -- it provides an avenue for the direct expression of public support, pride and spirit. The results are tangible. It's like directing your taxes; and, of course, gifts ais- catalog giving is tax deductible. n * Increased Public Involvement A greater sense of involvement in the public park system or heritage organi- :al + zation can only mean higher participation and interest in your programs. The gifts catalog approach can foster an understanding of the problems and costs of providing leisure services by communicating these realities direct- ly to the public. Also, since donors pay directly for the project or pro- isive gram they select out of the gifts catalog, they will have a direct invest- :tri- ment in their park system. People tend to follow their investments closely. Through a catalog marketing campaign, your constituency of leisure service supporters can be greatly expanded. 4 0