Glossary
Contact Management

Tracking Communication Preferences

By: Alec Hollingsworth
Updated:  
August 6, 2025

Definition:

Tracking communication preferences means recording how and when supporters want to be contacted by your nonprofit.
Tracking communication preferences involves recording and managing how supporters, donors, and stakeholders wish to receive information from your nonprofit. This can include their preferred channels (like email, phone, or mail), frequency of updates, language preferences, and specific topics of interest. By systematically documenting these choices, organizations ensure that each contact receives relevant and timely communications that respect their wishes and privacy. This practice not only improves engagement rates but also helps maintain compliance with privacy laws and reduces the risk of unsubscribes or donor fatigue. Accurate tracking supports personalized outreach, fostering stronger relationships and trust with your community.

Key Takeaways

  • Ensures relevant, welcomed communications
  • Supports compliance with privacy laws
  • Increases engagement and reduces opt-outs
  • Enables tailored messaging and segmentation

Why It Matters

It ensures supporters receive relevant, welcomed messages and helps nonprofits comply with privacy regulations.

Real World Example

A community foundation regularly sends out newsletters, event invitations, and fundraising appeals. Using a CRM like Keela, they record each donor's communication preferences—such as preferring quarterly updates via email and no phone calls. When planning their annual campaign, staff segment their outreach lists by these preferences, ensuring that supporters only receive messages in their chosen formats and frequencies. As a result, open and response rates improve, fewer people unsubscribe, and the foundation builds deeper, more trusting relationships with its community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are communication preferences?

Communication preferences are a person's stated choices about how, when, and about what topics they wish to be contacted by your organization.

Why should nonprofits track communication preferences?

Tracking preferences ensures messages are relevant and welcomed, which increases engagement and helps maintain legal compliance.

How does Keela help with communication preference tracking?

Keela lets you easily record, update, and use supporter preferences to personalize outreach and automate compliance-friendly communications.

What happens if preferences are not tracked?

Ignoring preferences can lead to donor fatigue, unsubscribes, and potential breaches of privacy regulations.

Related Terms

Accessibility Compliance
Automation Trigger in a Nonprofit CRM
Average Gift Size
Board Member Profile
Bounce Rate
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