Our Philosophy
If you partner with PULSE-MDC, know that we believe in your cause.
We don't take on clients just to build our business.
Our passion for your cause is genuine. Together, we infuse our collaboration
with a sense of exploration and opportunity. We learn all we can learn about your mission, your operations, your goals
and the possible obstacles that stand in your way of achieving those goals.
We believe that every client, mission and program is different and will work
with each differently to achieve the best possible outcome. We care about your successes and work to overcome the obstacles
that stand in their way.
PULSE-MDC, as your partner, focuses on the programs and processes that have
best possible opportunity to deliver success and put our full resources behind the work that will help your achieve
it.
Our Reason
Delivering breakthrough thinking and breakout results by getting
to the heart of the matter is NOT simply a catchy marketing tagline. It is our mission -- our vision and our
reason for being in this industry.
And we get to the heart of the matter by linking cause and effect, obstacle
and opportunity, donor and changing lives. We think of our work as tossing a pebble into a still lake, causing a
ripple effect of change -- a PULSE, if you will.
Our History
Founded by Joe Ferraro in 1996, PULSE has evolved from a part-time practice
to a comprehensive direct response fundraising agency -- connecting clients' missions with appropriate partners to execute
integrated marketing and fundraising campaigns.
With an emphasis in health, human services, child, animal and environmental
welfare, religious, education and advocacy sectors, PULSE works closely with clients to create dynamic and productive
campaigns that deliver breakthrough thinking and breakout results by getting to the heart of the matter.
Our Founder
Joseph A. Ferraro, CFRE
Founder
PULSE Marketing, Development & Communications
Joseph
A. Ferraro, CFRE, founder of PULSE-MDC helps nonprofit organizations by creating
comprehensive donor-focused and relationship-centric integrated marketing/fundraising programs that deliver breakthrough thinking
and breakout results.
In addition to his current consulting work, Joe spent over 10 years on the client side. Most
recently at Manhattan College, Joe consistently increased
income -- raising millions of dollars annually through a combination of direct response, special event and personal cultivation
techniques
Prior
to Manhattan College, Joe was the President
and National Director of the U.S. office of the Aid to the Church in Need – an international Catholic relief agency under the Vatican.
He
served as the Director of Annual Programs at the American Bible Society creating
and leading the team responsible for increasing the donor file by over 300% -- from 190,000 to 600,000 in three years and
surpassing income goals each fiscal year -- over $20 million annually. While
at the American Bible Society, Joe launched many ground-breaking programs such as the Crusade
of Light that generated breakthrough results and garnered numerous industry awards.
Throughout his career, Joe
has raised over $250 million and built new fundraising entities. He got his start
in fundraising on the agency-side with Walter Karl Fund Raising in the 1980s and
built the fundraising division for Uni-Mail List Corp. in the 1990s. Over the years has provided comprehensive fundraising services to over a hundred nonprofit organizations
including many of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations, including the American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish
Foundation of America, St. Joseph’s Indian School, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, American Lung Association, American
Red Cross among others.
Joe, a current board member of the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association, earned his CFRE credential in 1994 and
his Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from the New
School in 1995. He has been
a frequent speaker at industry events and has had articles published in periodicals such as the Non Profit Times and DM News.
