Cooperative Advertising Program

You do the advertising. We’ll help pay! The Cooperative Advertising Program (CAP) reimburses ACBL teachers, clubs, units and districts for advertising expenses for programs and lessons designed for newcomers and/or to recruit ACBL members. We even supply you with ACBL logos and sample ad templates for a professional look.

CAP will refund you 75% of eligible advertising costs up to $1000 *per Date-Specific Ad Campaign for beginner bridge lessons, newcomer programs, social bridge recruitment events and ACBL member recruitment.

* A Date-Specific Ad Campaign means that there must be a start date within the ad, lesson, social recruiting event or Yellow Pages ad. (Example of start date can be – “Beginning May 2011”, “Beginning May 1-15, 2011”, “May – September 2011” or “Year of 2011”)

CAP Guidelines & Requirements

NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL ADS AND/OR COLLATERAL ARE SUBMITTED FOR PRE-APPROVAL TO ENSURE THEY MEET THE REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER.

The advertisement must be for date-specific newcomer programs, beginner bridge lessons, social bridge recruitment events or ACBL membership recruitment.
The ACBL Logo or the words American Contract Bridge League MUST appear in the advertisement. We encourage but do not require you to use the advertising templates now available at the ACBL web site at www.acbl.org then to “Marketing and Advertising/Advertising.”
Reimbursements are made on a per Date-Specific Ad Campaign basis. A “Date-Specific Ad Campaign” for purposes of this program is defined as follows:

A planned program that uses an advertising message (or a combination of multiple advertisements, commercials, and related promotional materials and activities) that may or may not be communicated across multiple media channels (newspaper, radio, TV, etc.) and are designed to be used during the same period of time as part of a coordinated advertising plan to meet a specified objective.
The cost of a Date-Specific Ad Campaign is defined as being the total advertisement placement costs for all mediums used (radio, newspaper, flyers, etc.) for a specifically dated set of beginning bridge lessons, or specifically dated newcomer program, social bridge recruitment event or a specifically dated ACBL membership recruitment drive. The maximum dollar amount you would be reimbursed is $750 on the total of $1,000, or more in your advertising expenses per Date-Specific Ad Campaign. All dollars reimbursed will be in US Dollars.

An example of ONE (1) Date-Specific Ad Campaign would be:
Planned Program:     Beginning Bridge Lessons
Period of time:           May 1, 2011
Media Channels:       Newspaper ads, Radio Spot, Flyers

Example of how the cost for the above Date-Specific Ad Campaign might be reimbursed:
Cost of Newspaper ads:     $500
Radio Spot                             $500
Flyers                                      $200
Total Cost:                            $1,200

The above example would be considered one (1) Date-Specific Ad Campaign using multiple mediums. And the reimbursement would be calculated as follows:
75% of $1,200 = $900
MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNT = $750

Since 75% of the above Date-Specific Ad Campaign cost exceeds the $750 maximum reimbursement allowed, the reimbursement for the above Date-Specific Ad Campaign would be the maximum allowed of $750.
Eligible Media:

Newspapers
Magazines
Direct mail pieces (Excluding Postage)
Catalogs
Posters/flyers for public distribution
Billboards
Television
Radio
Online commercial web sites *
Yellow Pages Ads **

Online commercial web sites are those affiliated with a professional media organization such as the Washington Post Online (MyWashingtonPost.com), licensed business web sites such as Yahoo! or community sites such as those for chambers of commerce. Personal, club, unit or district web sites are not eligible.

Yellow Pages ads – must follow all guidelines and a copy of contract must be submitted beginning March 1, 2011.

Items NOT Eligible for Reimbursement
- Ads placed in the Bridge Bulletin
- Calendars
- Tournament schedules and flyers
- Teacher, club, unit or district newsletters
- Postage
- Web publishing or maintenance
- Club, unit or district directories
- Supplies (i.e., labels, envelopes, etc.)
- Building signage
- Promotional or specialty items (i.e., pens, pencils, coffee mugs, t-shirts, etc.)
- Business cards and letterhead
Copies of actual ads, dated receipts and/or detailed invoices must be submitted WITHIN 90 days of the date the ad ran. Copies of cancelled checks or credit card statements are not acceptable. Members and clubs must be in good standing in the ACBL to receive reimbursement.
The ACBL staff reserves the right to judge eligibility for reimbursement and may, at their sole discretion, deny reimbursement for any and all submissions that they deem to be ineligible.

How to Submit Requests for Pre-Approval:

Submit proposed ad, flyer, etc to be pre-approved via email to marketing@acbl.org or fax 662-253-3187 with “Attention: CAP Approval”.
You will receive notification that your request has been approved or disapproved via e-mail.
Allow five (5) business days for approval/disapproval notification.

How to Submit Reimbursement Documentation:

Send a copy of the dated paid invoice(s) and/or receipt(s) along with the following to the ACBL Marketing Department:
The advertisement tear sheet for newspaper ads. Do not cut out the ad or make a copy of the ad. We require the entire actual page from the newspaper, magazine or other media containing the ad.

The actual brochure or flyer that was printed.
A copy of the script for radio (from the station) and a DVD if for television.
A copy of the link or insertion order for online commercial web sites.
Your Name, ACBL member, club, unit or district NUMBER and daytime phone number or e-mail address where you may be contacted and to whom the reimbursement check should be made payable. Remember, the check that is made payable to a club, unit or district will only be mailed to the person who is profiled in the ACBL data base under that club, unit or district -no exceptions.

PLEASE NOTE: Ads, invoices and receipts showing a date of more than 90 days old when received in this office will not be accepted by the ACBL Accounting Department for reimbursement. Also, copies of cancelled checks or credit card statements are not acceptable. We require copies of actual dated receipts and/or detailed invoices. Members and clubs must be in good standing in the ACBL to be eligible for reimbursement.

Send the above items to:
Attn: Cooperative Advertising
Marketing Department
6575 Windchase Blvd
Horn Lake, MS 38637
662-253-3100
662-253-3187 (fax) with Attn: Cooperative Advertising
marketing@acbl.org with Cooperative Advertising in subject line

Allow six to eight weeks to receive your reimbursement from the date your request and all required materials are received in the ACBL office.