"It's Safe To Assume..."
Any assumption that starts out like that is potentially one of the most risky assumptions you can make.
Lots of charities aggregate donor and volunteer contact information when they're pitching in or generously cutting them a check. Why? Because it's safe to assume that because they helped you once, or gave to you one time, that they'll want to get an email newsletter or direct mailing from your organization once a month for the rest of their lives.
This advice is actually in several books written for people who are running non-profit organizations: compile a list of donors so that later, you can tap them when you need help. How "safe" does that sound to you?
Make no mistake: there are probably people who are passionate about feeding homeless dogs vegan diets (if that's what your organization happens to be committed to doing.) But it's a mistake to assume that just because Cynthia Watson cut you a check last Thanksgiving that she wants to hear about the new website your organization just launched...or that she's interested in giving you any more money.
My girlfriend gave to a food bank in the Detroit area a few years ago. When we moved to California, they somehow figured out her new address and kept sending her direct mailings at least once a month. How much do you think that was costing them?
Lots of charities aggregate donor and volunteer contact information when they're pitching in or generously cutting them a check. Why? Because it's safe to assume that because they helped you once, or gave to you one time, that they'll want to get an email newsletter or direct mailing from your organization once a month for the rest of their lives.
This advice is actually in several books written for people who are running non-profit organizations: compile a list of donors so that later, you can tap them when you need help. How "safe" does that sound to you?
Make no mistake: there are probably people who are passionate about feeding homeless dogs vegan diets (if that's what your organization happens to be committed to doing.) But it's a mistake to assume that just because Cynthia Watson cut you a check last Thanksgiving that she wants to hear about the new website your organization just launched...or that she's interested in giving you any more money.
My girlfriend gave to a food bank in the Detroit area a few years ago. When we moved to California, they somehow figured out her new address and kept sending her direct mailings at least once a month. How much do you think that was costing them?