As someone who's mostly on the other end of the phone/e-mail, I can say Bev and Jerry have it exactly right.

I work for a small non-profit, out of my home, amid the rest of my life. If I've not heard of you and/or if you don't immediately seem like a good fit for my organization's limited energies - budget - genre - schedule, then I may not take the time to reply to say "sorry". (I also spend a certain amount of time and energy feeling guilty about this, for what that may be worth to you.)

Sometimes, those who persist get past that, if they sound like nice folks on the phone and they can convince me otherwise. (Yes, it's highly subjective.) For the record, I do get impatient with those who persist in spite of my clear answers that there is not a good fit.

~ Becky in Tucson