Dear Nature Conservancy
I’ve been a faithful member for, I’m guessing, 10 years now. Every year, I send a new check, and every year you send me an envelope of thank-you crap that I immediately put into the recycle bin. This year’s renewal has been no exception — another envelope of brochures, letters and other stuff describing your work. Sure, it’s all printed on recycled paper, but it remains a waste of paper, time, and money. And, in aggregate with all the other paper-based memberships from other members, there’s a big carbon cost.
Thank goodness you made it possible for me to donate online. Score 1 point for paperless donations! I also got a nice automated “thank you” that I can use for tax purposes.
- I don’t want a membership card; I’ve never used mine.
- I don’t want a paper-based thank you, the e-thanks was enough.
- What I really want is for you — and all the other tree-hugging associations I love — to become 100% electronic.
No doubt, there are some percentage of people that actually like the printed stuff. Maybe you could give then an opt-in option?
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Regards,
Jon
Thanks for the feedback. We’re working on it! I work at the Conservancy and I’d like to encourage you, and members like you, to contact our member care department at membership@tnc.org with your name and mailing address (really — I promise it isn’t to send you more mail!). It’s so we can locate your account and update it to reflect your paperless preference. It won’t cut out mail all together — we’re still working on a few things so we can offer something more like that — but we will take steps to do our best to reduce some of the mailings you receive now. Thanks for being a Nature Conservancy member! Best, Amanda G.