Maintain Mailing Lists of Nonmembers in Community?

[Dustballs1]

I have been asked to look into how to maintain our churches mailing databases. We do extensive mailings into the community. Is PC+ ever used to send mailings to nonmembers... i.e. as a mailing database? We often send mailings of our newletters to former members, pastors, and visitors who wish to remain connected. We also send out community mailings for supporters of our concert series, as well as mailings to PROSPECTIVE business supportors. Often, we send out general mailings of our missions activities. Church members form the bulk of these mailings, but not always.

What do most churches do?

[NeilZ]

I have been asked to look into how to maintain our churches mailing databases. We do extensive mailings into the community. Is PC+ ever used to send mailings to nonmembers... i.e. as a mailing database? We often send mailings of our newletters to former members, pastors, and visitors who wish to remain connected. We also send out community mailings for supporters of our concert series, as well as mailings to PROSPECTIVE business supportors. Often, we send out general mailings of our missions activities. Church members form the bulk of these mailings, but not always.

What do most churches do?

You can use the database to send out mailings to former members, etc. However, trying to include the 'community' at large is alot of work to keep up with address changes, etc.

IMHO ... if you're going to create large mailing lists of non-members for non-member mailings, I'd get a general purpose mailing list program. You can find a few at shareware.com very cheap, that work fine.