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Newsletter, March 2005

By Karen Graham, Client Development Manager

Nonprofit Neighborhood

Avoiding a mix-up

thedatabank is working with several candidates for local offices in 2005, and we are already looking forward to statewide campaigns in 2006.  Campaigns have been thrilled to discover thedatabank because of the full range of technology we offer: field, volunteer management, fundraising, email and web tools, all integrated and driven by one database.

As more and more campaigns use thedatabank, we are presented with a difficult decision: should we provide service to candidates from the same party who are running against each other?

It is common for opponents to use the same software - for example, Word or Firefox.  However, the relationship our clients have with thedatabank has with our clients is much more personal than the relationship they may have with other technology providers.  Though we do not give advice on strategy, we do sometimes find out about campaign plans before they are made public.  After careful consideration, we have decided to make it a policy that we will only work with ONE candidate per race.

If you hope to work with thedatabank in a 2006 campaign, please contact us before your opponent beats you to it!  This is a good time to start planning for your data management and communication needs.

Tip du Jour

Are your messages getting mixed up with spam?

Remember, spam filters are tighter than ever.  We've had some recent reports of bounced messages, particularly with AOL accounts.  Our advice: ask your constituents to add your organization's email address to their "friends" list.

• If you are using any web forms provided by thedatabank, add a sentence to the confirmation page that says "Please remember to add (email address here) to your safe email list."
• Add a similar request to the automated confirmation email people receive after using thedatabank's web forms.
• Include an appeal in print materials.  For example, "P.S.  If you would like to receive our emails, please sign up online (provide web site).  Remember to add us to your safe email list."
• Have a volunteer call people with bouncing email addresses, and ask them to add you to their safe email list, or provide a different email address.
• If HTML emails are not going through, try sending a plain text email.  Some filters might be triggered by color or pictures in your message.

Karen's Blog

The right mix

There's a new radio station on my dial!  They play a huge mix of music -punk, jazz, folk, rap - something for everyone.  (If this sounds good to you,  you can  listen online .)  I like the variety, and I like being exposed to songs and artists I might not have sought out on my own.

Which brings me to my point: thedatabank provides a variety of products, and this is an advantage for you.  Why?

First, you can find software for fundraising, voter mobilization, ecommerce, bulk email, grassroots advocacy, and many other needs - all in one system.  You have one vendor to deal with, one piece of software to learn, and one place to look for a phone number.  Even better, unlike most out-of-the-box software, thedatabank can be customized to your needs.

Second, thedatabank doesn't stop at giving you what you ask for.  As we develop and fine tune our products, we are able to offer you more than you expected.  It's common for a nonprofit to start with one or two modules, and add on as their needs grow, and as they come to fully appreciate the value of the system.  (Contact me at karen@thedatabank.com for a consultation about what other tools might benefit your organization.)

There's a third benefit to this mix, but we'll save that for next month.

Karen

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