Emails to audiences outside of the University of Minnesota require additional steps to ensure we are not in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act. External emails may also be recorded in the University’s Donor Management System (DMS). DMS is the source for accurate and up-to-date information on alumni and donors to the University of Minnesota Foundation.
Audience Definitions
- Internal audiences include faculty, staff and current students.
- External audiences include everyone else, such as alumni, volunteers, donors, corporate partners and advisory board members.
Steps to Email External Audiences
- Do you need an email list produced of alumni, volunteers or potential volunteers, benefactors, etc.? Contact Melissa DuBois ([email protected]) in Carlson Institutional Advancement.
- If you already have a list, have you confirmed that everyone has opted-in to receiving emails from your department?
- If yes, your email is ready to be sent.
- If you don’t know if everyone on your list has opted-in and/or you don’t know if they are in the DMS, contact Melissa.
- If you have an email list request, contact Melissa at least 2 weeks in advance of your planned send date. Include the following information:
- Purpose of communication
- Timeline (list requests take up to a week)
- Who is your audience?
- Do you want a list of records or do you need the Foundation to provide you with a list of records?
- Creating your email:
- Make sure you are using a DMS template. This template should only be used if you are emailing alumni using a DMS-generated list of email addresses. Opt-Outs are tracked in the DMS. Templates are located in Salesforce Marketing Cloud > Content Builder > Shared > CSOM Assets > Templates > DMS.
- Share the email title with Melissa and she will send your DMS email the correct list.