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Lulu Provides 'Lifeline' to Environmental Conservancy

Lulu Provides ‘Lifeline’ to Environmental Conservancy 

New directory and calendar developed with leader

 in open publishing boost conservancy’s fundraising revenue 

Raleigh, N.C., June 3, 2010 —The nonprofit Bald Head Island Conservancy on one of North Carolina’s fragile barrier islands faced a gaping budget deficit last year that threatened its mission of protecting and preserving an ecosystem of maritime forest, sand dunes and sea turtles. Gift shop sales plummeted amid the weak economy, long-time sponsors cut contributions and demand for an island directory — one of the conservancy’s most important fundraisers — dwindled.

Suzanne Dorsey, the conservancy’s executive director, set out to find a better fundraising solution to avoid a repeat of the financial hardships. 

She turned to Lulu, the leader in enabling a new publishing model called open publishing. Working with the company, Dorsey developed a directory with more information and better color at lower cost. She created a separate calendar with additional opportunities for advertisers and more appeal for buyers. 

The result: Fundraising revenue is expected to rise 67% this year.

“We credit the upgraded directory with providing the conservancy with a lifeline in a challenging economy,” Dorsey said. “We are grateful to Lulu for saving a revenue source that had been decreasing and probably would have completely collapsed.”

“We hear stories like this all the time, and we never tire of them,” said Bob Young, Lulu’s Founder and Chief Executive. “We started Lulu to help authors, educators, publishers, businesses and nonprofits earn more from their remarkable works. It’s rewarding to know that our products contribute to the mission of organizations like the conservancy that help make the world a better place.”

Lulu offers an array of products including photo books, mini books and calendars with customizable date cells that provide a range of unique fundraising possibilities. To learn more or get started, visit www.lulu.com/publish.

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About Lulu: Lulu (www.lulu.com) is the leader in open publishing, empowering creators of all kinds — individuals, publishers, educators and enterprises — to publish and sell while enabling buyers to discover new knowledge. Powered by an Internet retail site, global distribution system and social content discovery engine, Lulu helps creators make and monetize content in a variety of formats, including physical books and eBooks. It connects them to buyers on Lulu.com and in third-party channels, including Amazon.com and Apple’s iBookstore.

About Bald Head Island Conservancy: The Bald Head Island Conservancy is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 whose mission is to protect, preserve and promote the natural environment of the Smith Island complex near the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina.