Over recent weeks we've been trying to add a few more charities to the various services ready for 2010;

Onto The African Wedding List we've been able to add the brilliant AMREF and the wonderful Tree Aid and, hopefully, have two more charities lined up for this service; we think these, with those already live, will give us the right balance between choices for couples/guests and manage-ability while we grow (but let us know if you think we've missed some obvious causes).
Elsewhere it's getting a little painful. We have a few gaps on each of the other services and a few charities we'd love to bring on but we so often find a mis-match between the charities that WE'D like to bring on there (a combination of suggestions from couples, recognisable charities, and particular 'gaps' for a type of charity) and those that are able to find a little time to decide that they'd like to.
We also have a fair idea of the ongoing criteria (and a list of charities we'd like) for charities that get in touch, so we can often say yes straight away to a charity that asks, plus we are also trying to get a few more involved via Gifts4Good if we don't have space on one of the wedding list services - however all too often the conversation goes like this;
Charity - "Just come across you" (including many we've written to previously). "Can we join?"
Give It - "Yes, that would be great. Here's how it works."
Charity - "Thanks, we'll get back to you". Then silence for a few months.
Give It - "Would you still like to join? Can we help answer any queries?"
Charity - "A 'read receipt' of the email" Then silence for a few months more.
Give It - gives up...
12 months later.
Charity - "Just come across you. Can we join?"...
Rejection would be fine, it's the silence that I struggle with! Occasionally the queries bounce back for a while, but mostly it's just about someone making a decision - the longest backward and forward we had with a charity (we wanted them to join, they assured us they also did) lasted three years before we gave up - some charities that joined at the same time as we started to try and bring them onboard had received tens of thousands of pounds by then...
Sorry to moan!
Andy