# NCT CEO apologises for fundraising event e-mail attachment error

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2002/04/30/nct-ceo-apologises-fundraising-event-email-attachment-error/
- Published: 2002-04-30T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) has apologised for sending a huge attachment
via e-mail to subscribers on one of its e-mail lists.
Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive
of the NCT, apologised to subscribers for sending a message with a 5 Mb attachment,
designed to promote the charity’s NCTea party fundraising event.

Acknowledging that the attachment “will probably have caused you problems”, Ms Phipps
explained: “as you can tell this is the first time we have ever attempted something
like this and because we are not experts it went horribly wrong.

A number of recipients contacted NCT to let them know about the mistake and problem.

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Ms Phipps added: “We have now reduced the NCTea party file to a much smaller size(
32k not 5 Mb).”

A direct and rapid apology from a charity’s chief executive is refreshing. Nevertheless
it underlines the point that even in mid-2002 a national charity has still not managed
to master the basics of e-mail communication. It is still _new_ media for some.

Ms Phipps did, however, use her e-mail apology effectively. She encouraged supporters
to come to the NCT annual conference in London, joking that they could “take me 
to task personally for the e-mail mistake.”

The Chief Executive concluded by thanking subscribers for their patience. “I think
we have now learned a significant amount about e-mail so we won’t make the same 
mistake again.”

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