Hi Ala,
Thanks for the response. Is the validation contact from Blackbaud in the form of an opt-out letter or other specific messaging? Do you all receive the constituent responses in a file from the vendor or through a general org mailbox that comes directly to you? Also, how do you all handle duplicates, mismatches, or low-confidence matches?
Thanks again. Your response is helpful.
LaKiesha
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LaKiesha Gayden
The George Washington University
lgayden@gwu.edu------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 08-05-2025 11:32 PM
From: Ala Rasoul
Subject: Email Appends
We use Blackbaud Target analytics for data appends, including emails. We do that because we use Blackbaud CRM as our CRM systems, so it's an easy process. Blackbaud does the validation and contacts the constituents on our behalf before we get the new emails from them.
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Ala Rasoul
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ala.rasoul@elca.org
Original Message:
Sent: 07-24-2025 09:23 AM
From: LaKiesha Gayden
Subject: Email Appends
Hi all,
I'm curious to hear how other development teams approach the analysis, validation, and integration of email append results. Specifically, I'd appreciate insights on the following:
- Which vendor(s) do you use to append emails in your database? Why or any specific reasons?
- How frequently do you perform email appends?
- What kind of matching logic and confidence scoring do you apply to evaluate appended emails?
- What validation steps do you take before loading appended emails into your database?
- Do you rely on any third-party tools or internal scripts for verification (e.g., syntax validation, domain checks, deliverability scoring)?
- How do you handle duplicates, mismatches, or low-confidence matches?
- Do you load appended emails directly into your CRM or marketing platforms, or do you use a staging/QA process first?
- Have you implemented any QA (quality assurance) workflows or audit trails that have proven especially effective?
- Are there any lessons learned or best practices you'd be willing to share from your experience?
Whether you respond to all or just a few, I'd love to hear how others are handling this process. Thanks in advance!
LaKiesha
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LaKiesha Gayden
The George Washington University
lgayden@gwu.edu
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