[andrea.bbbs]

Occasionally, my CEO or CDO gives me a name and address and tells me to put them on the "Newsletter list". I have no clue what they mean. My guess is that in the way-before-time there was some kind of coding they used on records to flag them for a newsletter mailing list.

I tried backing into it by dissecting a query called Newsletters, but all I could see is that it eliminates those with a No Newsletter Solicit Code.

Is there a field somewhere that is designed for this? Someone with vague memories of this "hidden code" tried finding it for me and kept trying to go into address boxes and checking the "More,,," boxes - but no dice.

Reality? Figment of someone's imagination? Would setting up some kind of Attibute or something just be an exercise in redundancy since I have the Solicit Code to use for an opt-out?

[Jo Ward]

Andrea,

I have two thoughts on this. First, if you go into the More tab by the address, you'll find an Attributes tab. This is where the address attributes live, and there could be a code there to indicate that the constituent is to get the newsletter. If this is not the case, then you are probably sending it to everyone who does not have a No Newsletter solicit code.

The address attributes are used in conjunction with the Mail module or with Address Processing in Export.

Hope this helps.

Jo

[Melissa Siobhan]

Andrea,

There is no way for us to know how your system is set up to handle your newsletter. Every organization handles it differently. I run my newsletter based on a) giving (0-36 months) and b) date added for newly added (0-24 months) prospects and c) an attribute added to non-givers with older records who should get the newsletter. Everyone with a No Newsletter or No Mail attribute is excluded.

Other places may have a solicit code or they may simply do a) or a) and b) from above. You will have to determine or establish the criteria for your newsletter and figure out what will get the people you are adding onto the newsletter mailing list.

[Karenw]

I'm not sure how your system might be set up, but our newsletter goes to every active constituent in our database. We have a "newsletter only" solicit code that I use to exclude those people who are only on the newsletter list from appeals and other mailings.

[andrea.bbbs]

Now there's a thought - a newsletter only code! Very cool - I will run it by the CEO - I bet she loves it!

but I am not sure the CDO will like it....

I am finally getting permission from the CEO to start deleting those names that have been on my RE since 1999 and haven't given a dime - I could drop 5,000 useless records - very exciting.

[Melissa Siobhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrea.bbbs

I am finally getting permission from the CEO to start deleting those names that have been on my RE since 1999 and haven't given a dime - I could drop 5,000 useless records - very exciting.

AHHHH NOOO. This has been discussed a lot and very rarely is deleting older constituent records (even if they never gave) recommended by database adminsitrators. Do a search of the archives and you will see this has been discussed before.

[andrea.bbbs]

Thanks Melissa - I will search and research before I destroy.

But some of those people pledged $5 8 years ago and never paid up. There used to be some kind of bowling fundraiser and pledges were $5 and $10 and many went uncollected.....

No rash moves here. I also sent a spreadsheet with the names and addresses to the CEO and CDO and they can selectively cull the list.

Thanks for looking out for me Melissa - I can always count on you for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

I bow to your wisdom - as usual!

[Melissa Siobhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrea.bbbs

Thanks Melissa - I will search and research before I destroy.

But some of those people pledged $5 8 years ago and never paid up. There used to be some kind of bowling fundraiser and pledges were $5 and $10 and many went uncollected.....

No rash moves here. I also sent a spreadsheet with the names and addresses to the CEO and CDO and they can selectively cull the list.

Thanks for looking out for me Melissa - I can always count on you for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

I bow to your wisdom - as usual!

The reason for keeping them is that the fact that they are unresposive is data. If you remove them and someone says "I think that John Smith would make a great donor" you now no longer have the ability to provide the history saying "well no, we tried and they, in fact, were not a good donor for x reason." It does not prevent you from trying again with hopefully a new method but it is data. I would not be including them in mailings and someone who pledged 8 years ago but never paid would never meet any mailing criteria I've ever used.

One other reason to keep them is if you ever purchase or exchange for an acquisition list you would automatically wnat to remove these unresponsive people from your acquisition mailing. You would even want to suppress them before a purchase to prevent you from paying for a name you already have and is no good.

[andrea.bbbs]

I have read all the archives that I could find, and I do understand.

So my next move would be coding and not deleting. Do you recommend coding them as "inactive"? Or is there a better way of doing this?

And, pursuing this tangent/seque for just one more hint....

Both my current and former CDOs handed me (paper) lists to enter into RE - lists of rotaries, junior league members (I found that Junior had absolutely nothing to do with ages....), local businesses, so my RE is full of people who couldn't care less about us. I diligently coded them with Attribute source codes, but again, they are taking up space (and postage).

I am trying to convince them not to give me any more of these lists by saying "Lets just mail to them and see who responds". Do you recommend continuing to enter these "found" names? Should the non-responders already in residence in my RE be coded inactive - or some other way?

Thank you for all your guidance,

a

[Melissa Siobhan]

I do not like coding them as inactive and do not recommend it. I save inactive for only requests from constituents to be removed from our database or not contacted again. I actually do not even recommend coding them with anything.

What I do recommend is being deliberate in your mailing data pulls. I typically only include current donors (0-36 or 72 months) and recently added prospects (0-24 or 36 months). After that time assuming they have been mailed to regularly and not responded they just naturally fall off of the mailing lists.

If you are handed individual prospects that are actually "prequalified" by your CDO (either by them personally knowing them or some other indicator that they would be a good prospect) then I would enter them and add them to mailings. This assumes that your CDO may also be assigning them to a MGO and/or doing some additional follow up to your mailings. Other small lists may also be added to your database for mailings as well if you wish. Keeping track of these lists and who was mailed and who did/didn't respond can be good data for analyzing your program. (i.e. what would you do if you found out that rotary club members make larger gifts than junior league members?)

The typical response rate for cold acquisitions is under 1% now a days. So for every 200 people you mail to you might get one or two donors. If you were to purchase or swap a large list (you get to define large and small for your program) then I definitely recommend not importing - just mailing (after removing your own constituents from the list) and entering them if they respond. Keep track of the source of the mailing and how many were in the mailing (on the appeals tab) to be able to get your response rate but it is typically a waste of resources to import these large lists.