Is Your Community Organisation Unknowingly Losing Mail List Subscribers?

Communications Officer • February 6, 2024

Preventing Unintended Unsubscriptions for Community Organisations

Some Outlook users have reported an unusual challenge – automatic unsubscriptions from emails that find their way into the Junk folder. This means the subscription lists of many community organizations are being unintendedly shrunk. In this blog, we explore the issue and what you can do to ensure your newsletter and community emails are reaching the people you need them to be.

If you're fortunate to have access to tech support, why not invite them for a cup of tea while you navigate this issue? Alternatively, reach out to us directly for assistance!

1. Check Your Lists & Understand Your Filtering Systems:

Go into your email marketing software provider and see if unusual amounts of subscribers have unsubscribed (in your analytics section)– if they have, you might be experiencing a specific Outlook issue.
Check if you're using any third-party email filtering services or security software alongside Outlook. Sometimes, these services might be automatically unsubscribing you from emails they tag as spam. Adjust the settings accordingly.

2. Investigate Outlook Rules:

Navigate to your Outlook settings and inspect any rules you've set up. Rules can dictate actions like moving emails to the Junk folder or even unsubscribing from certain senders. Ensure your rules align with your preferences.

3. Embrace Outlook's Sweeping Features:

The 'Sweep' feature in Outlook allows you to automate actions on emails based on specific criteria. Review your sweeping rules to ensure they are not unintentionally causing Outlook to unsubscribe you from important communications.

4. Scrutinise Security Settings:

Outlook prioritises your security, and sometimes it might automatically take action against potentially harmful emails. Check your security settings and tweak them if necessary, ensuring they don't interfere with your desired subscriptions.

5. Mark Legitimate Emails:

If genuine emails end up in your Junk folder, mark them as "Not Junk" or move them to your inbox. This helps Outlook learn and adapt, reducing the chances of legitimate emails being treated as spam in the future.

6. Seek Professional Assistance:

If the issue persists, reaching out to Microsoft Support can provide tailored guidance for your specific account and configuration. They can offer insights and solutions to keep your Outlook experience seamless.

Our organisation has also been suffering from this challenge. If you received an email confirming that you have been unsubscribed from the Community Networks Aotearoa mailing list, please resubscribe here! https://www.communitynetworksaotearoa.org.nz/ (go to the footer and enter details). If you don’t see an email but want to double check, you can resubscribe, and we’ll add you back if you’ve been removed.

Suffering from other issues? Reach out and let us know!

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Hapori Aotearoa Conference Wrap-Up

By Community Networks • March 10, 2025

Last week Patrick represented CNA at the Hapori Aotearoa – Growing Communities Together in sunny Tauranga presented by Inspiring Communities and the Tauranga City Council. A two-day conference focused on providing practical resources amplifying community development. With each day having multiple concurrent workshops there were difficult (and esciting) choices to be made. The hottest topics were Social Return On Investments / Social Investment, Te Tiriti, and (no surprise) funding within the Sector. There were great speakers and a lot of table korero, spilling of tea, and sharing ideas and resources. Did you know there is a Regional Data Explorer on the Social Investment Agency website ? How might organisations use this to target their mahi and applications? “The Social Investment Agency’s Regional Data Explorer supports access to data for regional and sub-regional decision-making. It brings together 70 datasets or 'indicators' which can be filtered to meet a particular need." Another great workshop (Belinda Gorman ) looked into connecting with businesses to explore various ways of funding. Looking at alignment, how to approach and creating that relationship. One contribution we were able to make was a handy dandy doc on how to use the free version of ChatGPT to create a start – how to create a document that begins your journey on support, sponsorship and funding. Here it is – Using ChatGPT to Get $. And it was a great chance to catch up with Members – SociaLink (also a supporter of the conference); Volunteer Kapiti and Community Networking Trust. It was a time to catch up with friends from other organisations and to make new connections, both strengthening our reach around the Motu. Whilst conferences are expensive, attending can hit many birds with one stone and its important to get out of your own area, headspace to remind yourself that you are not alone in what’s going on; that there are people with ideas around you; and that (while it can be a draining experience) it is a fantastic way to recharge your spirit. We look forward to hosting our Members at our Members’ Only Hui on Friday, 7th November in Te Whanganui-a-Tara /Wgtn for exactly those reasons. Oh, did I mention it’s also our 50th Anniversary celebrations? Patrick Davies, Engagement Officer