| To Whom it May Concern, We write to you on behalf of our non-profit organization, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). Our member-supported organization currently has over 100,000 dedicated and concerned members. On a yearly basis, we speak with about 50,000 of these supporters by telephone asking them to renew their support or to help us with urgent or timely funding issues that arise throughout the year. Our small group (less than 200 employees in three states and DC) is able to contact our members on this scale only through the services of professional tele-fundraisers. In the last year, we have raised more than $242,000 through our telemarketing programs. Many of our members and donors actually prefer to be contacted by phone rather than through the mail. Those that do not wish for us to call them are excluded from these programs through our in-house do not call list. We call our supporters with information and requests that they are interested in, that they support and that the wide majority wish to participate in. To lose this avenue of communication with our members would not only hurt our revenue, we believe it would negatively impact the number of continuing supporters in our ranks. In short, a national Do Not Call list that inhibits our ability to communicate with our own members, donors and supporters would have serious negative consequences for CBF and our environmental and educational programs. We ask that if this list is put in place that it contain an exemption for prior relationships. Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to comment. Amelia Koch, Director of Membership Melissa Livingston, Membership Marketing Manager Chesapeake Bay Foundation phone: 410-268-8816 CBF is a member-supported organization. |