About Paperless Choice
Paperless Choice is a project of Catalog Choice with funding from The Overbrook Foundation. Our goal with this project is to discover, recognize and reward efforts to move nonprofit fundraising efforts in a paperless direction. In addition to the Paperless Choice Challenge, we aim to be a resource and a forum for information regarding digital fundraising.
The Catalog Choice Story
Catalog Choice was founded in 2006 with the mission to reduce the number of repeat and unwanted catalog mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices. Consumer reaction was swift and positive, and soon we were receiving requests to expand the mail preference service beyond catalogs. With our service, consumers can indicate their mail preferences and sign up for Email news, and businesses can receive the lists in a secure manner so that they can efficiently honor the requests.
The Project Team
Chuck Teller, Catalog Choice
Starting in 2006, Chuck developed the plans for Catalog Choice in association with his funding partners. Under Chuck’s guidance, Catalog Choice has grown from an idea to its current state with over one million consumer members and hundreds of business members. Chuck works closely with his team to steadily improve the service for both consumers and companies. In addition to all the day-to-day stuff, Chuck focuses on developing new ways to use technology to encourage more sustainable business practices.
Chuck’s background is in business software, economics and entrepreneurship. From 1997 to 2000, he ran the analytic software company, Advance Planning Solutions. From 2000 to 2004, he ran the analytics product line at PeopleSoft, a leading business software company. Prior to his software career, Chuck spent 10 years as a real estate economist helping public and private clients develop livable urban environments. Chuck also runs Realius.com, a prediction market service designed for real estate and Wordcountjournal.com, an online journal writing service. Chuck holds a B.S. from University of California and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from University of North Carolina.
April Smith, Catalog Choice
April joined the Catalog Choice team prior to the service’s public launch in 2007. April’s primary focus is developing a strong working relationship with the catalog merchant community to ensure widespread adoption and improvement of the service. April also works closely with the trade and consumer press to inform the public and merchants alike about Catalog Choice and its benefits.
April has more than twenty years experience with project management, strategic planning, communications, and nonprofit organizational development. Prior to joining Catalog Choice, April worked for the National Wildlife Federation and as a project manager for ICF International, a management-consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Over the years, April has provided services for a diversity of projects, including corporate environmental stewardship, green building, climate change education, renewable energy, and natural resources conservation. She holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy from UCLA. April is known as one of the founders of the campus greening movement and is the author of the book Campus Ecology: A Guide to Assessing Environmental Quality and Creating Strategies for Change.
Jill McCleary, Catalog Choice
Jill joined Catalog Choice after being an avid consumer member. She works with the team on product development, design and communications.
While she once planned to be an archaeologist, her actual experience includes working as a Product Manager at Morningstar, Inc. where she managed software products for financial professionals and running her own freelance illustration business. Jill holds a B.A. in Art History and French from University of Pennsylvania.
Michael Stein, Senior Account Executive, Donordigital
Michael has more than 20 years of experience providing Internet consulting for nonprofits, foundations, labor unions, technology service providers and social enterprises. He is Senior Account Executive at Donordigital in Berkeley, CA. Michael is an expert in online marketing, fundraising and advocacy, email newsletters, website content, blogs and Internet vendor selection. He is the author of three books and numerous articles about the Internet, including The eNonprofit: A Guide to ASPs, Internet Services and Online Software (with John Kenyon) and Fundraising on the Internet: Recruiting and Renewing Donors Online, (with Nick Allen and Mal Warwick). Clients include Planned Parenthood Federation of America, American Lung Association of California, United Nations Food Programme, SEIU, TechSoup.org, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Network for Good, Groundspring.org, Carnegie Corporation of New York, California Labor Federation, and Children Now.
