When setting up your text messaging program in Tatango, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is whether to operate out of a single list or create multiple lists (for example, separate lists per event, region, or campaign). Tatango gives you the flexibility to choose either but after working with many event, direct response, advocacy and educational organizations, there is a clear pattern:
Using one list offers the best long-term efficiency, reporting and user experience.
This article breaks down the key considerations discussed on the call and explains why consolidating into one primary list is typically the recommended best practice.
1. Integrations Only Sync to One List
CRM, donation and event-platform integrations (like Salesforce, RE NXT, LO Groups, TeamRaiser, GoFundMePro, etc) sync to one Tatango list. This means:
Only one list stays automatically updated.
New roster imports overwrite fields like event date, FRID, and registration date correctly only when each supporter has a single record.
Segmentation and personalization work best when all data lives in one place.
If you spread subscribers across multiple lists, your integrated data only lives in one of those lists. This is a major advantage
2. Faster Message Creation Through Cloning
If you want to send the same message to multiple lists, you must rebuild or paste the same message over and over.
With one list:
You clone a message once
Change the segment
Update the URL if needed
Send
This saves enormous time, especially during busy campaigns or walk seasons.
3. Centralized, Clean Reporting
With a single list:
Every text across all campaigns, events, and cities appears in a single report.
You can analyze program-wide performance without stitching together dozens of exports
You can instantly see any subscriber’s full message history in one place.
With multiple lists, all of these tasks require repeated manual work. If you have 20 walks, you’re running and combining 20 separate reports into one report. Over time, this becomes inefficient.
4. Easier Personalization and Accurate Targeting With Segmentation
A frequent question organizations ask is:
“If all our events or campaigns are in one list, how do we target each walk or donor segment separately?”
Tatango solves this through segmentation, tags + custom fields, not through multiple lists.
Most organizations store the following data directly in each subscriber record:
Most recent walk event name (e.g., Chicago)
Most recent registration date
Most recent event date
Event ID (TeamRaiser FRID or similar unique identifier)
Optional tags (captains, $0 fundraisers, raised $100+, etc.)
Donation last amount
Donation last date
This allows you to:
Target one event (e.g., FRID 17585)
Target multiple events (via OR logic)
Target by last gift date (e.g. within the last 365 days)
Personalize each message with event name, event date, and last gift amount
Exclude already-registered participants or recent donors
Recruit only past participants who haven’t signed up this year
All without needing 20 separate lists.
When a constituent registers for a new walk or makes a donation, the incoming simply overwrites the older fields within the list. Their subscriber record always reflects the most recent event or last gift date, keeping everything clean and centralized.
5. One List Keeps Your Account Manageable Over Time
As your program grows, multiple lists quickly become unwieldy. What starts as a handful soon becomes dozens. This leads to:
Harder navigation: scrolling through long lists to find the right one
Fragmented sending: messages, drafts, reports, and subscribers scattered across many lists
Inefficient workflows when staff need to locate a past message or subscriber
Organizations usually don’t feel the clutter as much in year one. But by year two or three, the clutter can become an operational hurdle.
6. Personalized Local Event URLs (Without 20 Lists)
Many organizations think they need separate lists to send event-specific URLs. But Tatango’s dynamic URL functionality solves this.
For example, in TeamRaiser, the only part of the event details URL that changes is the FRID.
Tatango allows you to insert a URL where the FRID dynamically updates based on the subscriber’s record.
This means:
One message → each person receives the link for their walk
No need to build and send the same message 20 different times
This is how national walk programs efficiently send localized messaging.
7. Compliance Requirements
Each list requires important data and pre-programmed messaging that is required to maintain compliance. Tatango sets this up for you when we build your initial list. However, when new lists are created, often we see that some fields are missing and even automated messaging (such as opt-in or STOP messages) are incomplete, missing or not in compliance.
Sticking to one list avoids these issues.
Conclusion
Tatango gives you flexibility, but the advantages of a single list are clear:
Integrations are possible
Faster message creation
Cleaner data and unified reporting
Stronger segmentation and personalization
Efficient use of platform
For long-term success, one list is strongly recommended. If you’d like help structuring your fields, integrations, or segmentation logic, Tatango’s customer success team can guide you step-by-step.