Strategic Communications Inc. (Stratcom) announced last month that it will expand to the UK through a strategic alliance with Pure Associates, a UK telephone fundraising agency. Stratcom and Pure will run programs from Pure's Brighton call centre and Stratcom's call centres in Toronto and Vancouver.

"Calling from Britain gives us expanded coverage on high-volume and time-urgent campaigns, and allows us to choose from a larger pool of callers," says Stratcom CEO Bob Penner. "Pure has a large and varied client list and a strong pool of callers from which to draw. Some of these callers specialize and are particularly adept at certain types of programs. Working with Pure will allow us to make inbound calling available to Canadian clients."

The two companies will offer an expanded suite of services to the clients of both firms including outbound fundraising, inbound call services, engagement tools such as Telephone Town Halls, new donor acquisition programs and micro-targeting. Stratcom and Pure will also work together on developing new products and technology for the benefit of their clients.

There will be more to come in the future too, likely with respect to mobile applications. "Both PURE and the UK market are ahead of us in this area," Penner explains. "International work is a form of R and D [research and development] that helps make our work more successful for our clients."

Pure specializes in telephone fundraising and offers fully integrated email, SMS, and data services to support its core telephone fundraising activities. The company works with over 60 clients including well known UK charities such as Cancer Research UK and Diabetes UK, as well as major international organizations such as WWF, Save the Children and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Stratcom creates and implements integrated campaign and fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations. Its client list includes the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, The David Suzuki Foundation and Oxfam.

For more information contact Corinne Berman, 416-537-6100 ext. 68; or visit www.stratcom.ca.