Is it legal to share my constituents' email addresses with a 3rd party?

Anonymous Blackbaud User

Your contractual agreement with us actually includes some specifics about this area, in a document called the Acceptable Use Policy, which was created and is periodically updated to keep both you and us in step with current CAN-SPAM and other relevant laws.

To summarize the relevant section, your constituents should specifically grant permission to you BEFORE you share their email with 3rd parties. Many Convio clients accomplish this by emailing their constituent base with some sort of a link to the third party site, where the constituent can register or opt in there. You can use source codes in the link if it's important that you get credit for the referral.

Examples of what is NOT OK

• Share emails with third party and let your constituents opt-out directly from third party

• Send email or post notice on your site that constituents' emails will be shared w/third party unless they opt out first.

• Assume that if they give permission once they will always be OK with anyone you choose to partner with in the future.

You can download the detailed document right from our website at http://www.convio.com/aup/2006