eNewsletters and Charities in Canada


If you Google "CASL and charities" (in Canada), you'll find lots of reading on the subject. I'm not going to repeat all that here but rather give a quick snapshot of how CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation) impacts charities.

CASL applies to 'commercial electronic messages'. This means that most (but not all) communications sent from charities are completely exempt from the requirements as they wouldn't be considered 'commercial'.

Soliciting donations is okey dokey, as long as the charitable donation # is included.

Things to be careful about (may void the exemption):
  • paid advertisements (funders/sponsors might be a grey area)
  • promoting programs/courses "offering services to individuals who may benefit, where there is a cost-recovery element (for materials, for example)"
  • internal job advertisements (because there's a commercial aspect, this may also be a grey area)
Even if a message is not exempt, it can still be sent as long as all of the usual CASL requirements are met.

More charities should be taking advantage of this! There are LOTS of things a charity could include in its newsletter strategy... and much more leeway with list building if CASL doesn't apply.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

25 eNewsletter No-No’s

Image
photo by Jamwhy No matter who's reading it or the nature of the subject matter, these are things about your newsletter that you just shouldn't muck up: Sending it as a file attachment. Sending it out in the middle of the night. Using a misleading subject line. Pleading for anything – in the subject line or the body. No value within – neither interesting nor useful. Using plagiarized content. Using ‘canned’ content. Using copyrighted images without permission. Poor formatting. Spelling mistakes and other typos. Misleading links that don’t go to where the text leads the reader to believe they are going. Links to automatic downloads without identifying them as such. Links that are broken or take forever to load. Pictures that don’t load or take forever to load. Including tacky clipart or poor quality images. Including over-used common free images. No unsubscribe link. No subscribe link. Missing contact info. Not mobile-friendly. Not including some ca...
Keep reading »

Email Marketing Best Practices: It Depends...

Image
You've finally decided to start doing some email marketing for your small business. There are lots of things you know you need to consider and lots of things you don't know about yet. But you're game and, having finally made the decision, you hop online to do a little research. Because, of course, we can find all the answers to life's mysteries on Google. You'll quickly find this challenging for two reasons. There's both good advice and bad advice . Some of the advice online comes from people who are writing from experience but a lot doesn't. Some of it has simply been researched online and rehashed. I could go on and on about the myth of double opt-in . Even if you are learning from experienced marketers, there's always the caveat - 'it depends' . I find myself saying that often when teaching because - really - there is no magic bullet or secret formula. You need to know what it depends on . There are some email marketing best practi...
Keep reading »

Original Content Makes YOU Unique!

Image
Do you really need any more information than what you’re already getting? Do your readers? How do you compete with ALL that content that’s readily available? You give them something they can’t get anywhere else! A list is easy - here’s one way to think about it: Static resources : original writing, photos, videos, slide shows, presentations, and more Live resources : webinars, teleseminars, lunch and learns, other events, and more The execution is maybe not so easy. Developing original content requires energy and inspiration. Plan your content in advance - even if only in your head. Take advantage of inspiration when it comes because it often won’t at midnight when facing a deadline. So, what if you can’t write, sing or dance? (That I strongly doubt, but let’s pretend.) Does it mean you have nothing to share? Not by a long shot. Think context. It may not be original content pieces - it might be the way you arrange them, the context in which you present the...
Keep reading »

3 Reasons Why Businesses Should Be Podcasting

Image
(guest post by Mike Tanner) To suggest that I’m a big fan of podcasts would be… a bit of an understatement. In addition to being the host of 3.5 podcasts (it’s a long story), I provide podcasting consulting, speak on podcasting panels and once had a dream that I was the host of a potato chip podcast called “Chip Off The Old Block” (That podcast should be coming out in the fall.) I started podcasting because I enjoyed it. But what I’ve discovered about podcasting as it relates to business has left me realizing that I made the absolute right decision when I decided to start broadcasting my thoughts on an audio medium. So here are three reasons why businesses should be podcasting. Passive Advertising I am a big fan of social media advertising. The targeting options available on major platforms are outstanding and things like analytics and retargeting make it a no-brainer to use social to promote your business, whether that’s through the use of paid ads or just a solid soc...
Keep reading »

The Bottom Line About Newsletter Bottoms

Image
There seems to be some thinking that getting people to read to the bottom of a newsletter is a most desirous goal. And, if getting people to read to the bottom (read the whole newsletter) is so important, isn't putting the really good stuff at the bottom the best way to make that happen? The short answer is that it doesn't matter. Oh, the placement of content matters but whether someone reads to the bottom doesn't... at all. If you think it does, you are thinking about your newsletter strategy all wrong. It's all about your reader finding value in opening your newsletter. That value might be in the form of useful information or it might be interesting reading or both. And it definitely shouldn't be hidden away at the bottom. In fact, it should be immediately obvious. Having readers discover value in hearing from you regularly is the goal. It doesn't matter how much they read. Your readers aren't thinking, "I have to read through all this other stuff be...
Keep reading »

Website Management Tips

Image
Recently I have been doing a lot of web research which had me landing at many different websites. I noticed some common problems that are easily corrected. Although none of these tips are new, here are 3 tips that are worth repeating: Make your website easy to maintain and maintain it. While it might be appealing to pay a lot of money for a flashy website and hand over the updates to someone outside your organization, take a good look into it first. Make sure you pick a company that will process your updates inexpensively and quickly. Make sure that you keep control of the branding and look of your website. If you are handling your website in house, make sure you are updating it quickly as changes occur within your organization. Events and resources are particularly frustrating for web users when they are not current so it is best to always include a link to the organization's website rather than a link to a document they have provided. Audit your website. Busine...
Keep reading »

Find Your 'Debi'

A good friend recently asked for my best advice for a young colleague of hers that wants to start a home-based business. I surprised myself a bit by being able to zero in on the two key success factors for growing my similar business. Networking Yes, you've heard it before and are probably doing it. I could be doing more of it but I’m definitely making the most of what I do. Joining a weekly networking association has been a definite boost in a lot of ways: support and advice, friendships, referrals, and of course, some of the members have become clients. Networking takes me where other small business owners are, since they are my ideal clients. In recent months my networking has gone online and I've made some great connections through social media and my newsletter. Don’t ignore that venue. Find Your ‘Debi’ Most who know me, also know that Debi Hartlen MacDonald at New Life Business Solutions is a close colleague and that she and I regularly exchange our expertise and op...
Keep reading »

Avoid Marketing Emergencies by Planning Backwards

Image
I've joked to friends that no one ever needs to reach me in a hot rush because there are no marketing emergencies. In fact, there are some things that might constitute an "emergency" (Sheldon quotes), such as a website going down or an app not working so a deadline can't be met. And a real-life crisis can certainly impact business (such as a pandemic!). These are things we have no control over but they can have a steamroll effect. Other things we may think of as emergencies can often be prevented by planning. And backward planning is an essential tool for marketing. Here's an example... Anyone who's worked with me to start a newsletter knows that one of the first questions I ask is, "When do you want your first issue to go out?" From there, I work backwards to schedule all the activities leading up to that date. A few months ago I started working with a new client, Carli, who decided that she wanted her newsletter to go out on the third Friday each...
Keep reading »

What are Your Competitors Writing About?

Image
Whether it’s for your small business blog or newsletter, researching what your competition is writing about will benefit you in two important ways: You will have something with which to compare your own content strategy and your execution of it. It’ll trigger new content ideas and topics to write about. After you've assembled a list of blogs to inspect, these are the things to pay attention to: layout and design (look and feel) ease of reading and interaction keywords and topics covered writing style and formatting frequency and consistency the value offered Now consider: How does your content measure up? What holes do you need to fill? What can you do to improve? Make a plan. You don't have any competition, you say? OK follow this same process and research others in your industry or servicing the same target market. You'll get the same benefits. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »

Do Not Disturb (with eMail)

Image
Once a contact unsubscribes , you don't have (express or implied) permission to email them again... unless they opt back in themselves or initiate a business transaction with you. While all of CASL may not be easy to understand, this is pretty straightforward. The example shown here is a no-no. Depending on the audience, the reaction may be less severe, but I can't imagine sending an email to everyone who has unsubscribed from my own newsletter over the years inviting them to come back. While you might not object, and some might resubscribe, I'd be asking to be flagged as spam - and rightfully so. While it's partly about respecting my fellow business owners, it's also about protecting my own reputation. Like any other parts of your business, when you get a bright email marketing idea, think it through (and even research) before jumping on the bus. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »