Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism was established by NFL quarterback Doug Flutie and his wife, Laurie in 1998, in honor of their son, Doug, Jr., who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The Foundation was created to financially aid disadvantaged families who need assistance in caring for their children with autism, fund research and education into the causes and consequences of childhood autism, and serve as a clearinghouse and communications center for new programs and services developed for children with autism.

In 2006 the Foundation was preparing for the retirement from the NFL of Mr. Flutie. They were coordinating a benefit at Symphony Hall in Boston, and wanted to find a way to not only commemorate the occasion, and honor Doug, but also to try to find a way to create a limited edition item that could help raise funds for the organization, in addition to the proceeds of the event.

The Foundation worked with ChemArt to create an ornament with Doug’s football number and the organization’s logo, to tie the two events together. They inserted a numbered card into the ornament’s box, which not only talked about Doug’s football highlights, but also spoke to the organization’s cause and his leadership in making it a success.

The Foundation was very clever in its marketing. The limited edition ornaments were available at the event, and for an additional donation to the Foundation, you could purchase one of the signed ornaments. These limited editions sold through at lightning speed.

Lisa Borges, Executive Director of The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, was very pleased with the process. “The Foundation and the Boston area are Doug’s community. The ornament tied into his work both on the field and with the Foundation and his help with the families it has touched.”

But there is more to the story. The Foundation had done a previous ornament program with not so successful results. Lisa Borges remarked, “The people at ChemArt took the time to listen. They were persistent in their message that an ornament program can indeed be successful. ChemArt understood our needs and were able to champion not only the design of the ornament, but the timing and strategy to make it a success for us. I appreciate their passion for their products and the individualized service to help us fill our needs and meet our goals”. ChemArt is working with the Foundation to market their previous ornament to their community to continue to raise funds and awareness for the Foundation.

For information on the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, please visit their website at http://www.dougflutiejrfoundation.org/

 Download a PDF of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism case study