SD&A EFFORTS SUPPORT UKRAINE RELIEF

When news of Russia’s egregious attacks on Ukraine broke, Caroline Mendez’s response was quick. Caroline is vice president of client services for the National Call Center, a separate division of SD&A. While news of the invasion was still fresh, outbound fundraising calls had already started for two of our humanitarian relief clients, USA for UNHCR and UNICEF.

USA for UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) offers the most basic necessities of life to those displaced by wars, political and religious oppression, famine and plague. UNHCR offers a better quality of life to those experiencing the unimaginable.

UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) was created in 1946 to provide humanitarian relief to mothers and children in the aftermath of World War II. That work continues today: “Every day, UNICEF workers brave war zones, treacherous terrain, disasters, and disease to make the world safe for kids. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.” (UNICEFUSA.org)

Both organizations are actively working to support the people of Ukraine with humanitarian and medical aid during this time of senseless war, displacement, and suffering. SD&A is honored to be raising money to help support these vital organizations.

“We are continuously impressed by the funds our National Call Center raises for humanitarian causes,” said Elizabeth McClain, vice president and general manager of SD&A’s Performing Arts Account Services division. Many of us are donors to the same organizations we partner with here at SD&A. Caroline Mendez, Zach Siegel (VP of NCC Operations) and the work of their teams inspire us with their tireless drive and passion to bring in funds for nonprofits providing quality of life to the defenseless.”

To make a secure donation in support of Ukraine Refugee Relief, please visit:
UNICEF
USA for UNHCR

SAFETY. FLEXIBILITY. FAIR WAGES.

With the pandemic came a greater focus on the needs and wellbeing of employees in workplaces across the nation. The heart and soul of SD&A has always been about people, so in the context of our society’s recent discussions about, and reevaluations of, the nature of work, SD&A has prioritized and promoted a company-wide focus on the following areas over the past year and a half:

SAFETY AND FLEXIBILITY

The implementation of our new cloud-based calling platform was a gamechanger for SD&A and its frontline calling agents. With the ability to run telemarketing and telefundraising campaigns from practically anywhere, we were able to give our callers the option of working from home during the recent omicron surge.

Happy Staffers from SD&A’s Center Theatre Group campaign: Star caller Linda Kreis with assistant campaign manager Mark Kanga attend a performance of “To Grandmother’s House We Go”, a play directed by Kreis for The Group Rep in Los Angeles.

And there have been other benefits as well. Being able to work from home has given our calling agents greater flexibility in building their weekly, and even daily, work schedules. Working from home has also provided them with savings on transportation, parking, and meals, as well as the time they would have otherwise spent commuting to and from the office.

When calling from home, our agents use only SD&A-supplied, PCI-compliant hardware and software, with stringent security protocols in place to ensure the highest level of protection for our clients’ data and their patrons’ credit card information. Here are some of the other operational advantages of at-home calling with SD&A:

• Even though our campaign managers are not in the same room as our callers, they can still listen to all our agents’ conversations with your patrons to ensure quality
• Company-issued, PCI-compliant laptops prevent agents from accessing any other programs other than the dialing software
• SD&A’s support team is constantly spot-checking agent work environments and sales to ensure we are conducting business in a secure way
• All calls are recorded and can be used for training purposes
• Agents train with our compliance officer

TEAMBUILDING, UNITY AND BELONGING

Our calling agents and staff members live and work in different cities across the country. To keep us connected, and to build a stronger SD&A community, we have instituted:

• Weekly, company-wide agent meetings with games and prizes to boost morale
• Agent newsletters and updates
• Additional trainings to help callers build and sharpen their skills
• More open doors to our home office so that we can receive feedback and disperse goals, information, and guidance directly from SD&A senior leadership
• A stronger focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, guided by a statement of principles
• And, of course, more frequent Zoom meetings with you, our clients

FAIR COMPENSATION

SD&A is committed to fair pay above the minimum wage. As calling agents returned to work throughout the pandemic, we made sure to offer wages that were higher than the subsidized unemployment payments.

WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN FOR YOU, OUR PARTNERS?

SD&A has honed its staffing practices, logistics, and methodology to ensure that we are amply staffed for the year ahead, offering clients a strong, nationwide pool of talented agents who are skilled at calling on all types of campaigns. Additionally:

• Happier agents make for more productive agents
• A better company culture means we can recruit through referrals
• High morale fosters a greater commitment to the work we do on behalf of our clients

For more information or a proposal, contact Mary Jane Avans at mjavans@sdatel.com or (678) 904-1583

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

SD&A DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

Equity is a core value at SD&A Teleservices. We are a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, or disability, feel valued and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all our departments, programs, and worksites. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.

We’re committed to modeling diversity and inclusion in maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, SD&A Teleservices strives to:

• See diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve.
• Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report organization progress.
• Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
• Help to challenge assumptions about what it takes to be a strong leader at our organization, and who is well-positioned to provide leadership.
• Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.
• Lead with respect and tolerance. We expect all employees to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices.

SD&A Teleservices abides by the following action items to help promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace:

• Pursue cultural competency throughout our organization by creating substantive opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
• Improve our cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of American society.
• Develop a system for being more intentional and conscious of bias during the hiring, promoting, or evaluating process. Train our hiring team on equitable practices.
• Advocate for public and private-sector policy that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity. Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression, and disparity.

NEWS UPDATE FROM SD&A

WELCOME NEW CLIENTS

SD&A is honored to announce new partnerships with the following organizations:

A Contemporary Theatre (ACT), Seattle

Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles

DISCOVERY Children’s Museum

Los Angeles Master Chorale

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Second Stage Theatre, New York

Theatre Under The Stars, Houston

The Public Theater, New York

SD&A LAUNCHES NEW CALLING PLATFORM FOR PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

FLEX, our cloud-based, state-of-the-art communications platform, allows telemarketing and telefundraising campaigns to be run from a client’s on-site phone room, from an SD&A Arts TeleCenter, and/or from the safety of agents’ homes so that calling can continue without interruption, no matter the circumstances. This nimble software allows SD&A to operate seamlessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Flexible Communications from Anywhere. LEARN MORE

INTRODUCING STRUCTURED CONCIERGE SERVICES FOR MID-LEVEL DONORS

STEWARDSHIP by SD&A, our new mid-level concierge program, gives you access to our team of donor ambassadors, who function as major gift officers for your organization, but at a fraction of the cost.

More than just rockstar callers at the top of their game, SD&A ambassadors are highly trained, specialized fundraisers who are skilled at cultivating relationships and taking donors through the pipeline of philanthropy.

Each ambassador manages a personal portfolio of up to 500 mid-level donors, employing multiple, coordinated touchpoints throughout the year – by phone, email, and written correspondence – with the goal of raising retention rates and increasing average gifts. This provides each donor with a personalized, VIP experience. LEARN MORE

SD&A EARNS OFFICIAL DESIGNATION AS A VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

After a rigorous certification process, SD&A has been verified and officially designated as a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. SD&A can now broaden its client base to include organizations that award contracts through supplier diversity programs.

A VOSB is defined as a business that is at least 51% owned, operated, and managed, on a day-to-day basis, by one or more U.S. military veterans, and that meets the company size requirements set forth by the Small Business Administration. Before a business owner can receive the official VOSB seal, they must first undergo a lengthy application and document-submission process to demonstrate good character and a track record of fulfilling financial and contractual obligations.

“It is an honor to finally have this designation for our company,” said SD&A President and CEO Steven M. Koehler, who, as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, commanded the crews of Abrams M1 battle tanks. “The VOSB program is a powerful way to support veterans like me who’ve served their country and are now contributing to the economy as small business owners.”

Supplier diversity programs at nonprofits, government agencies, and private-sector companies are designed to increase the number of vendor contracts awarded to veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, minority-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ-owned businesses.

SD&A DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

We’re committed to modeling diversity and inclusion in maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, SD&A Teleservices strives to:

See diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve.
Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report organization progress.
Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
Help to challenge assumptions about what it takes to be a strong leader at our organization, and who is well-positioned to provide leadership.
Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.
Lead with respect and tolerance. We expect all employees to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices.

SD&A Teleservices abides by the following action items to help promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace:

Pursue cultural competency throughout our organization by creating substantive opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
Improve our cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of American society.
Develop a system for being more intentional and conscious of bias during the hiring, promoting, or evaluating process. Train our hiring team on equitable practices.
Advocate for public and private-sector policy that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity. Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression, and disparity.