Effective Outreach in Genetic and Forensic Genealogy

Genealogy Café
September 9, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.
Making Contact: Effective Outreach in Genetic and Forensic Genealogy

Success in genetic and forensic genealogy often depends on more than identifying the right records or constructing the right family tree. At some point, the research may require contacting a living person—and persuading that person to respond.

How do we approach an unfamiliar DNA match, a potential test-taker, a distant relative, or the descendant of someone central to a case? What information should be included in the first message? When should we mention DNA, adoption, an unexpected relationship, or the interests of a client? And how can we establish credibility without overwhelming or alarming the person we are contacting?

This Genealogy Café discussion will explore practical strategies for reaching out to living people in genetic, traditional, and forensic genealogy. Participants will be invited to share their experiences with email, genealogy-platform messaging, social media, postal letters, telephone calls, and other forms of contact. We will compare approaches that have encouraged responses—as well as those that have not worked as expected.

Discussion topics will include:

– Selecting the most appropriate method of contact
– Writing an effective first message
– Establishing legitimacy and building trust
– Deciding how much information to disclose initially
– Following up when no response is received
– Approaching sensitive family circumstances
– Respecting privacy, boundaries, and a person’s decision not to participate
– Applying lessons from forensic genealogy to other professional research

Whether you regularly contact DNA matches, seek relatives who may hold family information, identify potential test-takers, or work with living people in forensic cases, this conversation will provide an opportunity to compare methods and learn from the experience of other genealogists.

Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time
Location: Zoom

Attendance: This Genealogy Café session is open to CAPG members. The Zoom link will be emailed directly to members before the event and will not be posted publicly.