Russ Reid

Russ Reid was a marketing executive who founded the agency that bears his name as a vehicle to assist nonprofit organizations with their fundraising, an effort that included the effective use of media, including direct response television and radio advertising.

A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Reid started his agency in Waco, Texas, in 1964, driven by contention that "the best talent, creativity and technology should be put to work to solve the most pressing problems of our world today." 

Organizations who benefited from his efforts inlcuded the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Boy's Town, World Vision, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Operation Smile, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Prison Fellowship, Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army and Nature Conservancy of Canada.

One of his most significant innovations was the long-form television fundraising program. As eplained in a release from PR News Wire, "The idea of showing the need of children in Ethiopia for World Vision or the help for sick children at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the results of life-altering cleft lip surgery by Operation Smile has moved millions to become involved in these organizations.  The programs show the real-life victims of poverty, disease or deformity, and the work the organizations do to bring relief to those suffering and introduce positive changes in the lives of the victims."

Reid died December 7, 2013, in Sierra Madre, California. He was 82.