Mailing list
Recently I’ve been wishing our mailing list was smaller.
We were encouraged in support training to create as large a list as possible: Christians, non-Christians, lovers, enemies, family, friends. So we did. And in some ways it’s paid off. As I’ve mentioned here before, a couple of people started giving just by our sending them a newsletter.
But newsletters are a ton of work for us. Some larger organizations seem to have office people to do the mailings for staffers once the letter is created, but in our smaller non-profit we each write, address, fold, stuff, stamp and seal ourselves. My list is about 450 individuals and churches; we send 5 newsletters a year.
The reason I’m wishing for a smaller list isn’t because of the labor involved though. I’ve been feeling a desire to cull from the list people we don’t really know. I was reminded of this again when a lady called asking to be removed from the list. She’s a distant relative of my wife, and even though we were at her husband’s funeral we’ve never actually talked to her. On the phone today, she didn’t seem to have any idea who I was. I didn’t make any effort to explain, either.
I think I’ve come to trust that God will put in place the people He has to be a part of our support team. That said, I’m still not ready — even though I’m wanting — to cull our mailing list. The balance between faith and action never seems to be very clear to me.
February 18, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I am trying to build my list… it seems like an exercise in frustration.
When you get a moment, could you shoot me an email? I have some questions about domestic missions and fundraising.
June 19, 2008 at 3:50 am
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Huckster.
November 26, 2008 at 7:00 am
I’ve now moved over to electronic newsletters (which makes it easy for people to opt out if they do not want to receive it anymore) but also makes it much easier to send out, as there isn’t any folding or envelopes closing which needs to be done. But I do send out printed newsletters as well to people who do not have access to computers. These numbers are small, but on the list I have a few names of people who I believe have very little interest in our work and who have never responded in any way to the newsletters. In my October newsletter I slipped in a small note informing them that I am busy “cleaning up” the mailing list as I do not want to send out newsletters to people who may not be interested. Then I asked them to inform me if they still want to receive my newsletters – making it easy for them to remain on the list (I asked them to let me know by post or by sending me a message on my cellphone) and if I heard nothing from them, then I assume that they’re no longer interested in receiving the newsletter.
November 26, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I’ve tried to get people to sign up for the electronic version over the years, but have only had about 20 takers. It’s a lot of work, but I do like sending and receiving paper mail; I just wish more of my own list was going the electronic route.