Set paper preferences for a membership received as a gift
You can ask the organization about paper mail without touching the membership. Ask about fundraising appeals, the magazine and membership status as three separate questions. That way, a request to cut appeals is not mistaken for a request to cancel the gift.
Separate the mail before you call
- Sort what has arrived. Cards, benefit notices and event details form one group. Fundraising appeals and promotional offers form another. Treat the magazine as its own item, because some memberships include it as a benefit.
- Ask whether the giver is also listed on the record, and who receives which mailings.
- Contact member services through the organization's official channel. Ask whether paper appeals can stop and whether the magazine can be paused or switched to digital, if that option exists. Record each answer on the worksheet.
The giver's details stay theirs
Do not cancel the membership as a shortcut. Share only the giver details the organization needs to find the record. If the giver wants their own mail changed, they should make that request themselves.
Worksheet for the call or message
Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.
Record the benefits that stay
Keep member services' answers beside the membership details, including which benefits remain and who handles renewal questions. If an appeal still arrives after the organization's stated processing time, follow up with the date of your request and the mailing name it used.
Official source
Have an unwanted advertisement ready?
Photograph one piece you are authorized to handle, with the sender and full mailing label visible. Review the details before submitting. The first request is free; the sender controls the response.
Try one request free