There are a number of ways to grow your email list. Buying lists is tricky, because of CAN-SPAM regulations, blacklisting and deliverability, and it may not be the most effective one for either performance or price. For instance, recruiting your direct mail list, making it very easy for your current supporters to sign up, or using Google Ads to help new friends find you are typically better places to start.

But if you’ve done those things, it’s worth considering methods to recruit people from other lists. If you’ve identified organizations that have lists that you’re interested in reaching, consider list chaperoning rather than buying outright. For instance, perhaps a like-minded organization or company will be willing to send an email to their list introducing you, with an offer to opt-in to your list. If you’re willing to do the same for them, this is called a list swap – mutually beneficial (the best part) usually free! List swaps and chaperoning also ensure that your emails to these people won’t be considered spam, because the person has opted into receiving communications from you.

It’s also worth considering buying names from Care2 www.care2.com. Care2 is fairly unique in the sector – they have a very large community (over 10 million members) of committed progressive activists, and will sell you names of people that have opted-in to be on your list. This method is more expensive (often $2.50 or more per name), but Care2-acquired names tend to perform very well on nonprofit email lists.

Beyond list chaperoning, list swaps, and Care2, there are no obvious options for list buying. Perhaps you have a corporate partner that you can work with to promote your cause, via an ask that has an opt-in to your email list, or another opportunity to target online constituents who may be interested in supporting your organization. But keep in mind that buying lists of people and emailing them without their permission is spam, and doing so risks your credibility and deliverability as an emailer.

-Mikaela King, CDR Fundraising Group www.cdrfg.com