Nextdoor is unique in that it connects people based on proximity resulting in an emerging form of social infrastructure that unites people who might not otherwise know one another, to build better relationships where it matters the most: the neighbourhood. As a result, neighbours turn to Nextdoor every day to find trusted, useful, and relevant local information to address their daily needs, form relationships in the real world, and build stronger neighbourhoods. To enable this, neighbour-to-neighbour invitation letters have been an important way for neighbours to connect and welcome each other.
Why invitation letters?
Thriving neighbourhoods are built by reaching out to neighbours we don’t know and inviting them to build a stronger community together. According to a Nextdoor Canada study, 38 percent of Canadians know only one or two of their neighbours. Nextdoor can help you form meaningful connections with your neighbours in the real world. When Nextdoor was first introduced, members requested neighbour-to-neighbour invitations as a way to invite neighbours, most of whom they didn’t know, to join Nextdoor. The letters were so well received that we decided to build them into the platform. Nextdoor members all over the world continue to choose to send these free invitations to their neighbours.
An invitation you can trust
Nextdoor is made up of the real people that make up your neighborhood. We ensure that all conversations and interactions on the platform are between you and your real neighbours, creating trust and mutual accountability. Invitation letters can only be sent from verified Nextdoor members and every single invitation sent is with the sender’s permission. We provide detailed information about what appears on the invitation letter, including your name, your street name, and information about your local community.
It is remarkable to see the good that happens when neighbours have an easy way to connect. We’ve been inspired by our members who go above and beyond to build strong, connected neighbourhoods. Members like Marilyn in Edmonton, Alberta, who brings her community together each week to tend to their local garden, and Richard in Kingston, Ontario, who this year inspired his neighbours to donate the money they would have spent on big holiday dinners to the local food bank.
At Nextdoor, we strive to provide a platform that will make it easy to reach out to those around you to build stronger, real world connections in your neighbourhoods. In the words of one of our members: “you might just meet someone wonderful.” As always, we encourage you to contact us directly with feedback and questions.
Here are the top questions members ask about our invitations:
Q&A:
My neighbour received an invitation from me, but I don’t remember sending it. I don’t know why my neighbour received a letter from me.
Every invitation that is sent to a neighbour on behalf of a Nextdoor member is done with that member’s permission. To make connecting with neighbours easier for you, we work with Canada Post to mail these invitations on your behalf for free. As a member of Nextdoor, you can opt-in to send invitation letters to your neighbours. Once you’re ready to send your invitations, you’ll see a confirmation screen that you can click to invite your neighbours.
The invitations sent contain the name and street name of the sender so that your neighbours know who the invitation is from. If neighbours join Nextdoor thanks to your invitation, you may be awarded bonus invitations. If you’d like to find out more, you can contact our Support Team here.
I don’t know the neighbour on my invitation letter. Is this letter really from them?
Yes, this letter is a neighbour-to-neighbour invitation. Your neighbour has chosen to invite your household to Nextdoor and with the sender’s permission we sent the letter on their behalf, which has been delivered to you by Canada Post.
Do you have any tips about how to send invitation letters?
Do whatever works for you, whether it’s selecting an entire street or neighbourhood. You can try selecting every second, third, fourth, fifth (and so on) dots along a street or in a neighbourhood, so that when those invitations are accepted, those neighbours can then send some invitations to the neighbours that live close to them.
I’ve run out of invitation letters to send. Can I request more?
If neighbours join Nextdoor thanks to your invitation, you may receive more invitations to send. If you would like more invitations to send, please contact the Nextdoor Support Team here.
I want to invite my neighbour by electronically, but I don’t have their email address. How do I invite them?
You can invite neighbours to join Nextdoor by posting a link on facebook or another platform. Click here for more info. This can also be an option if you want to invite a friend or family member who does not live in your neighbourhood.
Why does the amount of invitation letters that I have available to send fluctuate?
The number of invitations available depends on how many neighbours have accepted the invitations that you’ve sent. If neighbours accept your invitations, you may be granted additional invitations.
How can I see or track who I’ve sent invitations to?
You can view the status of your invitations on the Your invitations page. (To access this page from anywhere on your neighbourhood site, click Invite in the top right corner, then select View your invitations.)
This page displays all of the invitations that you have sent from the site and Nextdoor mobile apps, and categorizes them as Accepted or Sent. Click here for more info.
What do the colours mean on the invitation map / All of my neighbourhood dots are yellow, what can I do now?
A green dot means this household is already a member of the platform. A yellow dot means an invitation was sent to them recently but has not yet been accepted (if it is not accepted after approximately 5 months, this dot will turn back to red and you can invite them again). A red dot means you can send an invitation to this household. Click here for more info about the invitation map. If your entire map is yellow, over time, some dots will turn back to red and you can invite them again. You can also invite neighbours by email or by sharing a link on social media. The map is not unique to you, but rather a reflection of who has been invited by all of your other neighbours on Nextdoor.
I accidentally clicked to send invitation letters. How can I cancel them?
If you accidentally chose to send invitation letters or changed your mind, please contact our Support Team here.
Are these invitation letters spam, or a scam?
No: every letter is sent by a verified Nextdoor member (your neighbour), who thinking you will enjoy being on the platform, chooses to send it.
I’d like to provide feedback about the invitation letters. How can I do this?
We welcome your feedback: please click here to send us yours.
I want to invite a neighbour but there isn’t a dot where they live on my invitation map. / A dot(s) on my invitation map is incorrect.
Please contact our Support Team here and they can help you.
Thank you for inviting your neighbours to Nextdoor!
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