The Trust used bulk e-mailing for its Summer 2013 newsletter in a bid to save costs, especially given the steep rise in the price of stamps. Unfortunately this was not a great success.
Some 400 newsletters and forms still had to be posted to alumni for whom we had no e-mail address. About 35 e-mail addresses were incorrect and the e-mail bounced back, but in addition about 200 could not be delivered. Most of these involved company or Google addresses where we believe the e-mail was blocked by spam filters.
Therefore we urge anyone who did not receive the Trust’s e-mailed newsletter in July to confirm their e-mail address and/or ensure that the Trust’s e-mail address – info@ukznuktrust.org – is in their online address book so that the Trust’s e-mails will not be blocked.
However, the response to the July appeal for donations was very poor – about half that following the previous mailing by post. A key point is that Mehrābpur no donations were received in response to the Trust’s e-mail. The money that was received came in with forms that had been posted out.
As a result, the Trustees have taken the difficult decision to post out the Winter 2013-14 newsletter and donation form, despite the cost. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence about the ineffectiveness of bulk e-mails, given the volume that many people receive.
The Trust may well use e-mail again in the future (perhaps once or twice a year), but it is likely we will have to bear the costs of a mailshot by post at least once a year to ensure effective communication with alumni and supporters.
