Marketing Lists
Marketing Lists are specific lists of contacts that you want to communicate with for a particular reason. There is no limit to the number of Marketing Lists a contact can be on.
Marketing Lists are static. This means contacts remain on a Marketing List until they are manually removed, unsubscribed, an automation removes the list, or the Marketing List is deleted. This differs from reports, where contacts are automatically included or excluded based on the report filters when the report is opened.
Marketing Lists can be used to organize contacts for newsletters, volunteer opportunities, event updates, direct mail campaigns, donor interest groups, and other segmented communication needs.
Marketing Lists vs Reports
Marketing Lists and reports can both help you identify groups of contacts, but they work differently.
A Marketing List is a saved static list of contacts. Once a contact is added, they stay on the list until they are removed.
A report is dynamic. Contacts appear in a report only if they match the report filters when the report is run.
For example, a report for “Gifts This Year over $500" will update each year as the year changes to include only the gifts in this year. While a Marketing List called “Major Donors” will keep the same contacts until someone adds or removes contacts from that list.
Ways Contacts Can Be Added to Marketing Lists
Contacts can be added to Marketing Lists in several ways:
Manually from the contact record
In bulk from a report
In bulk from a badge report
Through a Signup Form
Through an Online Giving Page
Through a temporary Marketing List created from a report email action
Add a Contact to a Marketing List
To add an individual contact to a Marketing List:
Click Contacts in the top navigation menu.
Search for the contact you want to view or edit.
Click the contact’s name to open the contact record.
Scroll to the Marketing Lists component.
Click + Add Marketing List.
Start typing to find an existing Marketing List, or create a new list and select it from the dropdown.
Add as many Marketing Lists as needed.
Click out of the prompt to finish.
Remove a Contact from a Marketing List
To remove an individual contact from a Marketing List:
Navigate to the contact record.
Scroll to the Marketing Lists section.
Click the trash can icon next to the Marketing List you want to remove.
This removes the Marketing List from that contact only.
Add Contacts from a Report to a Marketing List
You can add all contacts from a report to one or more Marketing Lists.
Navigate to the report you want to use.
Run the report.
Click the + Add button.
Select Add to Marketing List(s).
Type the name of the Marketing List you want to add contacts to.
Select the Marketing List from the dropdown.
If you are creating a new Marketing List, type the new list name and select the option marked new in the dropdown. You will know the list has been successfully selected when it appears as a tag in the box.
Click Apply.
All contacts included in the report will be added to the selected Marketing List or Lists.
Add Contacts with the Same Badge to a Marketing List
You can also add contacts with the same badge to a Marketing List.
Navigate to Contacts > Contact Lists.
Click the badge you want to use.
You will be redirected to a report showing contacts with that badge.
Click the + Add button.
Select Add to Marketing List.
Type the name of the Marketing List you want to add contacts to.
Select the Marketing List from the dropdown.
If you are creating a new Marketing List, type the new list name and select the option marked new in the dropdown. The list will appear as a tag once selected.
Click Apply.
All contacts in the badge report will be added to the selected Marketing List.
Signup Forms and Marketing Lists
DonorDock includes a built-in Signup Form tool that lets your organization collect contact information and areas of interest directly on your website.
Signup Forms are commonly used for:
Newsletter subscriptions
Volunteer interest forms
Event updates
General inquiry forms
Program interest forms
When someone completes a Signup Form:
New contacts are created in DonorDock if they do not already exist.
Existing contacts are updated with the submitted information.
Contacts are added to Marketing Lists based on the interests they select on the form.
A Signup Form response is created and can be viewed later.
Signup Forms can be shared by embedding them on your website or by sharing a direct link.
Marketing Lists through Giving Pages
Marketing Lists can also be assigned through Online Giving Pages.
When setting up an Online Giving Page, you can select Marketing Lists that will automatically be added to donors who give through that page. These Marketing Lists can be tailored to each specific Giving Page.
You may also leave the Marketing List option blank if you do not want any Marketing Lists automatically added to contacts who give through the page.
Marketing Lists can be selected during the initial creation of a Giving Page or added later by editing an existing Giving Page.
Add a Marketing List to an Existing Giving Page
To set a Marketing List to automatically assign from an existing Giving Page:
Navigate to Online Giving.
Click the pen icon next to the Giving Page you want to edit.
Scroll to the Tracking section of the Giving Page.
Under the Marketing List section, search for the list name you want to add or type a new name to create a new Marketing List.
To remove a Marketing List from the Giving Page, click the x next to the Marketing List.
Click Save at the top of the Online Giving Page.
Temporary Marketing Lists from Reports
In addition to permanent Marketing Lists that can be used multiple times, DonorDock can also create temporary Marketing Lists through reports.
Temporary Marketing Lists are useful when you want to send a one-time email to a group of contacts from a report without creating and managing a permanent Marketing List.
Create a Temporary Marketing List from a Report
To create a bulk email from a report:
Navigate to Reports.
Run a standard report or create a new custom report.
Once the report has run, click Send Emails in the top right.
DonorDock will begin generating a temporary Marketing List and redirect you to a bulk email draft under Outreach.
The temporary Marketing List from the report will be populated in the email settings as the Send to value.
If the report has a large number of contacts, it may take a few minutes for the temporary Marketing List to complete population. You will receive an email once the temporary Marketing List is ready to use.
Once the draft email is created, you can build your bulk email by loading an existing template or creating it directly in the draft.
This option works best when you are sending a single one-time email to a specific report audience.
If you already have a prepared Marketing List for your communication, it may be better to create the email directly from Outreach > Emails.
Manage Marketing Lists
Marketing Lists can be renamed, deleted, and configured for selective opt-out from the Contact Lists page.
Rename a Marketing List
If you need to correct or update the name of a Marketing List:
Navigate to Contacts > Contact Lists.
Find the Marketing List on the right side of the page.
Click the pen icon next to the Marketing List.
Type the corrected name.
Click Save.
Delete a Marketing List
Deleting a Marketing List removes that list from all contacts who currently have it:
Navigate to Contacts > Contact Lists.
Find the Marketing List on the right side of the page.
Click the trash can icon next to the Marketing List you want to delete.
Confirm that you want to delete the Marketing List.
This will delete the Marketing List from all contacts that have it.
Marketing List Opt-Out Settings
Marketing Lists can be marked as available for selective opt-out.
When a Marketing List has Available for Opt Out enabled, contacts who receive an email sent to that list can click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email and choose to remove themselves from that specific list.
They will also still have the option to unsubscribe from all marketing emails.
This gives contacts more control over the types of communication they receive. For example, a contact may want to unsubscribe from “Event Updates” but stay subscribed to “Newsletter.”
Only Marketing Lists with Available for Opt Out enabled will appear as individual list options on the unsubscribe page.
Make a Marketing List Available for Opt Out
To make a Marketing List available for selective opt-out:
Navigate to Contacts > Contact Lists.
Find the Marketing List on the right side of the page.
Click the pen icon next to the Marketing List.
Check the box labeled Available for Opt Out.
Click Save.
Important Notes About Selective Opt Out
This setting controls whether contacts can remove themselves from the list through the email unsubscribe page.
Contacts can still choose to unsubscribe from all marketing emails.
Only lists marked as Available for Opt Out appear as individual unsubscribe options.
Selective opt-out is most useful for public-facing lists such as newsletters, event updates, volunteer updates, or general interest lists.
Otto Tips
🎯 Keep Marketing Lists focused: Use separate lists for different communication types so contacts can receive the information that matters most to them.
📝 Use Signup Forms to grow your lists: Signup Forms are one of the easiest ways to let contacts choose their own areas of interest.
⚡ Use temporary Marketing Lists for one-time emails: Temporary lists are helpful when sending a single email to contacts from a report.
📬 Make public lists available for opt out: Enable Available for Opt Out on lists like newsletters, event updates, or volunteer updates so contacts can unsubscribe from specific communication types without unsubscribing from all marketing emails.
🧹 Clean up old lists when needed: Delete Marketing Lists that are no longer used to keep your contact list area tidy and easy to manage.
