May/June 2004

The New Era of Email Marketing for Nonprofits

by Gene Austin, Chief Executive Officer, Convio

Today, the Internet landscape is not what it used to be. Consider the volume of email you get every day. And the email you never see because your spam filter snagged it on its way to your inbox. Or the email you delete based on the subject line alone.

Now think about the constituents that help support your organization. How can you ensure your email messages get to them? How can you wage more effective email campaigns -- the cornerstone of your online strategy -- that will drive higher response and participation in fundraising, events, advocacy, volunteering and other mission-critical activities?

As the importance and volume of email increases in our daily lives, now more than ever, nonprofits need advanced online tools for connecting with constituents on a timely basis and successfully delivering the right message that gets read and inspires action. The right email marketing software and strategy can help.

In this issue of Convio Connection, several articles focus on email marketing and how nonprofits can conduct more effective email campaigns in today's challenging Internet environment. In Beyond the Single Email Message: Running Effective Email Campaigns, Convio's founder and chairman, Vinay Bhagat, offers advice on creating and executing email campaigns that get the greatest response. In Ask an Expert, David Crooke, founder and chief technology officer of Convio, answers the question, "How do I ensure that my organization's emails get through to our constituents?," detailing five things any organization can do to make sure its emails get through.

Take a look, too, at Convio 4.0 Ushers in New Era of Email Marketing. Find out how this new version of Convio equips nonprofit professionals with the most advanced email marketing capabilities, plus built-in best practices and major content and data management enhancements, so they can conduct high-impact campaigns using a single software solution.

Also in this issue: Using the Internet and Email Boosts Auction Outcomes, by Greg McHale, founder and executive vice president of the leading online auction services company, cMarket. Greg explains how organizations can use online auctions to improve fundraising.

Finally, we've included a case study on the American Diabetes Association's use of Internet technology to support advocacy goals.  Learn how this leading nonprofit motivated online advocates to generate nearly 97,500 emails, 101,000 faxes and 1,800 mailed letters, and made itself a strong and highly visible force on Capitol Hill. 
 
We trust this issue of Convio Connection will give you the information and inspiration you need to move successfully into the new era of email marketing.