Make Sure I(s) are Dotted and Bows Tied Before You Drop Your Mailing -- Otherwise, You Frustrate Me To No End

We're loyal members of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum (RR), a nearby conservancy that's both beautiful and innovative gardenwise, while providing lots of pleasure and great educational programs for gardeners (and garden enjoyers) of all ages.

The daffodil bowl is one of my favorite treats at Reeves-Reed, offering visitors a dramatic immersion into a glacial bowl planted with over 30,000 daffodils. That's our daughter Charlotte among last year's blossoms.

What I don't love about the Arboretum is the frequent disconnect between its programmatic finesse and its marketing. Here's an example:

• Last week I received my spring members mailing, and excitedly tore it open.
• I digested several events I'd like to attend, including a Wellness Walk, Art in the Garden, and the Great American Backyard Campout.
• But....when I went to the RR Web site, I couldn't find a description of any of these events. The calendar featured 2007 events and I got frustrated.

Nonprofit marketers, let this be a lesson. If you do a mailing or drop a mass email, make sure the back-up/related info is everywhere it needs to be (offline, online, staff members trained). If you don't, you'll lose attendees, and loyalty.

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