Tim Fullerton, Oxfam’s online communications manager, shares his thoughts on four years of reaching out to supporters.

If you are on Oxfam’s email list, are a fan of ours on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, you’ve probably wondered to yourself, “Who is this Tim Fullerton character who’s always sending me emails? Is he real, or just some imaginary person who likes to fill my inbox with Oxfam stuff?”

Well I’m here to tell you that I am in fact real–and that I won’t be emailing you for much longer. Today is my last day at Oxfam, and whether you know it or not, you’ve been part of my extended family over the years: the 350,000 online supporters with whom I’ve developed a very close relationship.

My job has been to communicate with our online supporters, and you’ve never disappointed me. Whether it was donating to help low-income Gulf Coast residents during Hurricane Katrina, or telling Starbucks to honor its commitment to Ethiopian coffee farmers, you’ve been there. We’ve taken on some herculean tasks together, and you’ve helped prove to me that Americans care deeply about ending poverty here and abroad. Our online communications program has become one of the most respected in the non-profit world, and we have you to thank for that.

So what have I learned in my four years of communicating with all of you? I’ve learned that when we all come together, we can actually effect real change in the world. The two examples above are proof of that. And one of my proudest moments here was when I saw hundreds of you submit photos for our Starbucks campaign. The creativity and passion in the photos blew me away.

Today is bittersweet for me: While I’m excited about my next venture, it’s also hard to say goodbye. So as I move on from Oxfam, I wanted to offer one final thank you to our supporters. You’ve helped to enrich my life over the last few years, and for that I am truly grateful. Now I look forward to joining all of you as an online supporter of Oxfam’s work.

And yes, I promise to read every single email Oxfam sends me.