January/February 2004

Spam: A Threat to Nonprofit Organizations?

by Gene Austin, Chief Executive Officer, Convio®

As nonprofits increasingly turn to the Internet as an effective means of reaching new constituents and converting them to participants and donors, spam -- or unsolicited email -- becomes a growing threat to legitimate organizations that use email marketing as part of their overall strategies.

This issue of Convio Connection offers the insights of two experts on the subject of spam. In Ask an Expert, Dr. David Crooke, cofounder and chief technology officer of Convio, answers the question, "What can I do to keep my organization's emails from getting caught by spam filters?," providing tips to help nonprofits avoid becoming inadvertent spammers themselves. In Spam -- Chopped Ham No More! Nonprofits Need to Pay Attention, guest columnist Senny Boone, executive director of the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation, examines the recently-signed anti-spam bill and what it means to nonprofit organizations.

Also in this issue: In New Online Tools Transform How Nonprofits Reach, Motivate and Retain Advocates, Convio's founder and chairman, Vinay Bhagat, explains how nonprofits, regardless of size and mission, can use the Internet to reach and mobilize legions of supporters. The article also provides advice on how a group can leverage online advocacy programs to cost-effectively acquire new donors and increase donor retention rates.

We've also included a case study about how the Jewish National Fund has used the Internet strategically to grow its email file by 108 percent and become the first Jewish organization to raise more than $1 million online.

Take a look, too, at how Convio's latest product release makes it even easier for nonprofits to create and manage online advocacy, fundraising, email marketing and volunteer fundraising programs, and includes online fundraising support for Canadian nonprofits.

We trust this issue of Convio Connection will give you timely information about effective email communications in today's world of proliferating spam and also on Internet tools and strategies for reaching and mobilizing supporters.