Substantive contact: voicemail, conversations and meaningful next steps
Relae’s substantive-contact criterion requires meaningful two-way relationship progress.
A voicemail alone is an attempted contact, not a substantive contact under Relae’s practitioner criterion: there has not yet been a two-way exchange. The same distinction applies to an unanswered message or a mass email.
A substantive contact is a meaningful two-way exchange that advances understanding or the relationship. For example, the donor explains an interest, clarifies a concern, or agrees on a useful next step. A conversation can be friendly without establishing that progress.
Record what actually happened: the attempt or conversation, what you learned, and any agreed next step. Do not describe an unanswered voicemail as a donor response or an agreed commitment. Consider a suitable follow-up in light of the person’s stated preferences and prior contact attempts.