Hi all!

I'm working through updating our handbooks and fixing some holes in our program, and there's a lot changing at once. I've been notifying people via email on these changes (not too frequent, monthly to bimonthly at most!) and I just realized a good quarter of my volunteer base opted out of receiving emails. This means they're missing programming updates and safety information, and we have a whole section of folks using outdated handling techniques. Our program  has about 250 volunteers, so I can't contact them all individually for every change.

Have y'all had success with requiring your volunteers to opt in to emails? Is that a totally unreasonable thing to do? How do you get information to people if NOT through required email? 

I'm pretty new to this field so I just want to know what's standard!

Thanks! 

Hi all!

I'm working through updating our handbooks and fixing some holes in our program, and there's a lot changing at once. I've been notifying people via email on these changes (not too frequent, monthly to bimonthly at most!) and I just realized a good quarter of my volunteer base opted out of receiving emails. This means they're missing programming updates and safety information, and we have a whole section of folks using outdated handling techniques. Our program  has about 250 volunteers, so I can't contact them all individually for every change.

Have y'all had success with requiring your volunteers to opt in to emails? Is that a totally unreasonable thing to do? How do you get information to people if NOT through required email? 

I'm pretty new to this field so I just want to know what's standard!

Thanks! 

Hi all!

I'm working through updating our handbooks and fixing some holes in our program, and there's a lot changing at once. I've been notifying people via email on these changes (not too frequent, monthly to bimonthly at most!) and I just realized a good quarter of my volunteer base opted out of receiving emails. This means they're missing programming updates and safety information, and we have a whole section of folks using outdated handling techniques. Our program  has about 250 volunteers, so I can't contact them all individually for every change.

Have y'all had success with requiring your volunteers to opt in to emails? Is that a totally unreasonable thing to do? How do you get information to people if NOT through required email? 

I'm pretty new to this field so I just want to know what's standard!

Thanks! 

Below is what we have in our volunteer handbook at San Diego Humane Society about emails. While we require it, we don't do any policing unless there is an issue caused by not being up to date.

Due to the large size of our volunteer program, we utilize email for most communications.  It is expected that all emails from the Volunteer Engagement team or your Staff Partner will be read prior to their next shift.  Please add volunteercenter@sdhumane.org and the email address of your direct Volunteer Experience Supervisors or Staff Partners to your email contact list to ensure important communications do not end up in your spam folder.

Staff at San Diego Humane Society will typically reply to your emails within 48 hours (unless out of the office) and we ask that volunteers reply to any emails with a call to action within that same 48 hour period, unless otherwise noted.

Emails sent to multiple volunteers are sent blind copy to protect the privacy of your email address.  If you choose to "opt out" of electronic communication, we will be notified and will be in touch to discuss the importance of receiving our communication pieces.  

Volunteers also receive emails from the Communications and Philanthropy departments with information on campaigns, events and more!

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Stacey Zeitlin
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego CA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-10-2023 11:35 AM
From: Autumn Gomez-Tagle
Subject: Require email availability? Allow opt-out?

Hi all!

I'm working through updating our handbooks and fixing some holes in our program, and there's a lot changing at once. I've been notifying people via email on these changes (not too frequent, monthly to bimonthly at most!) and I just realized a good quarter of my volunteer base opted out of receiving emails. This means they're missing programming updates and safety information, and we have a whole section of folks using outdated handling techniques. Our program  has about 250 volunteers, so I can't contact them all individually for every change.

Have y'all had success with requiring your volunteers to opt in to emails? Is that a totally unreasonable thing to do? How do you get information to people if NOT through required email? 

I'm pretty new to this field so I just want to know what's standard!

Thanks! 

Hi all!

I'm working through updating our handbooks and fixing some holes in our program, and there's a lot changing at once. I've been notifying people via email on these changes (not too frequent, monthly to bimonthly at most!) and I just realized a good quarter of my volunteer base opted out of receiving emails. This means they're missing programming updates and safety information, and we have a whole section of folks using outdated handling techniques. Our program  has about 250 volunteers, so I can't contact them all individually for every change.

Have y'all had success with requiring your volunteers to opt in to emails? Is that a totally unreasonable thing to do? How do you get information to people if NOT through required email? 

I'm pretty new to this field so I just want to know what's standard!

Thanks!