Do they get it?

I’ve just had one of those classic email requests from the East Sussex County Council, asking if I can shunt four documents round for them, to advertise a grant opportunity for young people.  Apart from simply seeing email as a replacement for the postal service and a way to save on stamps, it really misses out on the concept that the VCS is communicating with people in a range of ways rather than just pressing the ‘forward’ button.

The message itself  says ” this fund is available for young people to apply for grant funds to improve local youth facilities – it is not a fund for adults to apply from”.

Excusing the fact that you apply TO rather than FROM, this just seems to fail to use all the resources that could be used to put the message out.

Grant opportunity – great, but why can’t they use their own website to post the documents and just send us a link to include in e newsletters, our own website, blogs etc (I could have even included it here!).

Putting aside the fact that an increasing number of younger people now look on email as being ‘for old people’  it would just be so much more effective in getting the message out (and responses back)!