One charity has sent seven acquisition pieces in five months

I have never lived at my parents’ address in New Mexico USA. Yet, one charity thinks I currently live with my parents. In fact, this one charity has sent seven acquisition pieces in five months.

I am not against charity acquisition mail. In fact, I welcome it and believe it is a necessary part of the charitable direct marketing mix. But, what puzzles me is why this particular charity thinks I live at this address. Even more, I wonder how the charity associated me with my parents at this address when, in fact, I’ve not lived with my parents for 33 years and never lived in the US state of New Mexico.

The direct mail pieces include membership offers, as well as return address labels. The address labels look fantastic. I wish I could use them; however, to use them will mean I will attract even more mail to my parents’ address!

I have a responsibility to contact this non-profit organisation to ask where my name was acquired. Informing them will solve the mystery and will also save the charity postage, mailing, and material costs. Most recipients will not exercise this responsibility and will, instead, let the issue bother them or, worse, discuss it with others. (Okay, I am blogging about it; but I am not naming the charity directly). The charitable organisation, likewise, has a responsibility to cease mailing me at my parents and to investigate the source of their data to see if an algorithm or some other issue caused names like me to make it onto the file.