After reading 2 Ideas for Capitalizing on Year-End Fundraising Momentum, and the comment about being sent information or added to a calling list, it’s timely to remind organizations that permission should always be sought.
If donors, or those attending events get contacted when they only intended to assist on the one occasion, more harm than good can come of further contacting them.
The easy solution is to ask people for permission to add them to any ‘list’.
Simply add a line or two with a tick box asking:
1. Would you like to hear about future events
2. Would you like to be contacted by
– Phone
– Email
2. Would you like to be contacted by
– Phone
– Mail
If contact is initiated by phone, and donors/supporters details are taken for receipting purposes then you can still (and should) include these questions and their response.
Don’t take it for granted, ask, you’ll be more likely to gain further support than if you just include people.
Remember, if anything turns one person off supporting your organization they’ll tell others; the negative impact this could have can’t easily be undone.
Always err on the side of caution.
Note:
Remember, countries have different laws on solicitation, collection of personal data. Check where you stand.
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