A Strategy for Using Email Lists
Is your organization using email lists as well as it could? Read on to find out how we think EVERY Northwest environmental group should use email lists every day.
1) Discussion list for your board of directors
All your board members should have email access. (If they dont, and you value their participation, you should do whatevers necessary to get them hooked up.) Every organization should have an email discussion list for its board; this is the single most effective way to keep your board up-to-date with the latest information, and for the board to have an ongoing conversation between meetings. Because ONE/Northwest-hosted email lists include archives, it is easy for new board members to catch up on past conversations.
If you have a larger board, and active board committees, you may want to consider creating an email list for each committee.
2) Discussion list for your staff
This might seem like overkill for small organizations, but we've found that routing less-urgent communications and updates through email helps reduce interruptions and makes staff meetings and phone calls more productive. Email lists are especially useful for groups who have field staff or other folks who don't come into the office every day.
3) Email newsletter for all organizational stakeholders
If your organization doesnt have a general email newsletter, published at least monthly, then youre probably missing an important piece in your communications strategy. Email newsletters help you sustain your ongoing relationships by providing regular, small doses of information. Studies have shown that folks who receive email newsletters are better informed about your organization, and more likely to support your organization when asked.
4) Email newsletter for volunteers
If your organization makes heavy use of a corps of volunteers, you should strongly consider creating an email newsletter or even a discussion list just for your volunteers. These folks have a special kind of relationship with your organization, and communicating with them regularly via email will help you sustain that bond over time.
ONE/Northwest provides donation-supported email list hosting for Northwest environmental organizations. To start an email list, or find out more, please see our Email List Help Guide.
