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States, Centers, & Chapters > Chapter Resources
Electronic Communications
In the past, Audubon and Chapters communicated primarily via phone, mail, and in-person meetings when possible. Today, electronic communication systems are continually providing new tools for outreach and discussion. Electronic communications can save time and resources and can be very effective if used appropriately. Chapters are increasingly using electronic newsletters, websites, and email lists to communicate news and information to members and to raise public awareness around conservation issues.
The information provided below focuses on a wide range of electronic forms of communication and provides basic descriptions along with resources and examples of how Audubon and Chapters are using various communication tools. If would like to see more detailed information, we encourage you to explore the Web where the amount of information online regarding electronic communication for non-profit organizations is extensive.
A word of caution
It is important to remember when publishing content on public websites that anyone, anywhere in the world with access to the Internet can obtain the information you provide. Be sure not to post sensitive information, and never post a member’s photos, email address or other personal information without prior written permission. Many forms of electronic communication also have privacy settings that can be adjusted so that only certain people (e.g., registered users) are allowed to view the information, post comments, or participate in a discussion.
Topics
Email
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| Microsoft Outlook email program |
Most Chapters use email for communications among leaders or to members, as it is quick, easy and conserves resources. A few points to watch out for:
- Be wary of including email addresses on the Web, as they can be vectors for spam email. Never post anyone’s email address or other personal information on the Web without their written consent.
- When sending to a list of recipients, you may want to use the blind carbon copy, or BCC, field for email addresses. Addresses in the BCC field will not be seen by recipients of the email message, as opposed to using the using the “To” or “CC” (carbon copy) fields. Apply similar caution in forwarding or replying to messages that contain recipient emails by deleting email addresses from the body of your message. Including email addresses in messages makes them more available to potential spammers.
- Write targeted, clear, concise and constructive email messages, and be mindful of the frequency of emails sent to members. People may also become overwhelmed if messages are lengthy, overly detailed and poorly organized.
Back to topic list
Electronic Mailing Lists / e-Groups (sometimes called “list servers”)
Many free e-Group services (also called electronic mailing lists) are available, including through FreeLists, Google, and Yahoo. An e-Group allows participants to self-subscribe to a particular list, post messages to the entire list, and unsubscribe when they no longer wish to participate. E-Group messages can be posted and read by email or on the e-Group’s website. Such a list is useful for announcing Chapter events and meetings or discussing a specific topic, such as a city lights-out program. Bulk Email Software
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| Bulk email programs allow the administrator to track receiver statistics |
When sending email messages to large numbers of members, a bulk email program offers many benefits. Certain mailing list software permit the list administrator to track the number of messages sent successfully and unsuccessfully (due to bad addresses, full mailboxes, etc), number who opened the message, and how many followed specific links in the message. This allows the list administrator to track effectiveness of particular communications and also provides opportunities to follow up with people who took a specific action (e.g., opened a message, clicked a link in a message, etc.).
Examples: eMill, Constant Contact, Convio
Back to topic list Electronic newsletters
As more and more people are transitioning to online forms of communication, Chapters are seeking to cater to this growing demographic while also keeping their paper newsletter subscribers happy. One option is to offer a PDF newsletter option (see below), because this format can be printed for mailing as well as emailed or posted to a website. However, if the majority of your members prefer to read online, a web-based or HTML newsletter is a preferable format.
PDF newsletters
If your Chapter is already producing a print newsletter, the easiest way to “go electronic” is to convert the file to Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) and email it to members and/or post it on your Chapter’s website. This saves time as well as printing and mailing costs, and most computer users either have Adobe Reader software installed, or can easily
download and install Adobe Reader for free. Creating a PDF from any document is easy if you have
Adobe Distiller or download a free, open-source PDF creator such as
doPDF.
PDFs can be visually appealing with color images and graphics as well as include links to other documents and Web pages. The reader may choose to print the newsletter or read it on his/her computer screen. However, if the audience is more likely to read the newsletter onscreen, print layouts may not be as user-friendly as a document with normal text flow (e.g., articles that fill the entire page width and are never continued on non-sequential pages). Also, PDF newsletters can end up being large files if they contain many graphic elements, and people with dial-up Internet connections may become frustrated with slow download times. Additionally, vision-impaired people with screen readers may not be able to access the document’s content at all. Another option is to provide the newsletter in HTML (Web page format) or plain text.
Examples: HTML and plain text email newsletters
An HTML newsletter is a Web page that is delivered through email, perhaps through
bulk email software. HTML allows formatting and design elements such as colored background and text, different fonts and font styles, tables and photos. HTML newsletters may also be posted on a Chapter website or blog, rather than, or in addition to sending through email. As with the PDF, however, not all readers will be able to view the images and formatting. Therefore, a plain text e-newsletter may be the most accessible format to reach the most online readers; however, it cannot include colors, photos or other design elements. HTML newsletters are automatically converted to plain text if the reader’s email program does not support HTML. In this case, all images, tables, colors and other design elements are stripped from the email message. Keep this in mind if you use HTML. For example, post descriptions along with images so that anyone who cannot see the image will still understand the intended message. You may also wish to offer a link at the top of the email that takes the reader to where the newsletter is posted on the Web.
Example: Audubon Newswire (HTML)
Back to topic list Websites
Websites (or Web sites) are collections of related web pages, or documents, that are hosted on a server (computer that stores large numbers of files) and can be viewed via the Internet through a browser and a computer screen. Although many other forms of Web-based information posting are discussed here—including blogs, social networking sites and message boards—the Chapter website serves as the “headquarters” and any other services would play supporting roles and always link back to the website. It is important to sit down with your Board and determine why your Chapter wants a website (or other Web-based resource), how you plan to use it, what your budget is, and who will maintain it. Once you have answered these questions, your Chapter will be able to decide the best method to suit its goals.
So how do you go about “getting” a website and effectively using it? Again, evaluate your Chapter’s needs. There is a wealth of information on the Web and many books that can help you decide what type of website is right for you.
Examples: Look through other Audubon Chapter websites to get a good idea of the range of possibilities
Resources:
Back to topic list Blogs
Blogs (a contraction of “Web log”) are typically used for one-way communication—much like a journal—although bloggers may choose to allow readers to post comments, therefore allowing a system for feedback. Bloggers may work with a Web developer to create a blog, or use one of several free online tools. Text, links, photos and videos may all be posted on a blog, and new entries may be posted as often as desired. Typically, in order to generate a good base of blog readers, the content should be updated regularly and contain interesting, humorous and/or informative content. Depending on the blogging service, a reader may be able to subscribe to a news feed, and any new blog postings will be sent to the reader’s application of choice (e.g., iGoogle, Facebook)
Chapters may use the blog format for posting focused content, such as frequent updates on wildlife activity or projects at an Important Bird Area. Some Chapters without websites may choose a free blogging site to post public Chapter information. Other Chapters use a blog as a tool to draw in readers, with the goal of driving visitors to their website through links.
Examples:
Chapter blogs as websites:
Back to topic list Message Boards / Forums
Online forums or message boards are interactive websites where registered users may hold discussions with other users on various topics. Often they are used in a question-and-answer format. One or more forum administrators, or moderators, have the ability to add or delete content, set user access levels, or delete users in problem cases. Generally, anyone can read information that is posted in a forum, but users have to create an account before posting. The forum moderator can always remove posts that are deemed inappropriate. Forums work well for discussing topics such as local birding trails, conservation issues, general bird FAQ, climate change solutions, etc. A forum should be divided into categories within a topic, e.g., General Bird FAQ: 1) what kind of bird is it?, 2) what to do with an injured bird, 3) what to feed backyard birds, 4) etc.
Examples:
Back to topic list Photo/Video Sharing Sites
Photos and videos are excellent ways to showcase your Chapter’s latest field trip, conservation project, or birding festival. If you have a large number of photos, you may post them on your website, blog, or social networking site (below), but photo sharing sites like
Flickr and
Shutterfly are also an option. Photos can be grouped into albums, given a title and description, and—if such access is allowed—visitors may post comments. Video sharing sites like
YouTube allow you to post short videos (under 10 minutes). In addition, you can post a YouTube video on your website, blog or social networking site.
Examples:
Back to topic list Social Networking Sites
What if you need the capabilities of a blog, photo/video sharing site, and a forum? Sign up with a social networking service such as
Facebook. Although popularized as a social network among friends, businesses and non-profits also use these services for building interactive online communities of supporters. Depending on the social networking service and particular application that you use, you can host discussions, post updates, photos, videos, and events, as well as send event invitations, take polls and much more. These services are generally free, but registering is required in order to create a site or post commentary.
Twitter is a real-time messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. It is a quick way to post a “tweet”, e.g., a bird sighting, thought of the moment, event or anything else you can type up to 140 characters.
Examples:
Resource: Using
Facebook as an Organizing Tool (Chapter Services)
Back to topic list Other ways to promote your Chapter online
The realm of online promotion goes beyond organization websites, social networking sites, blogs and forums. For example, there are a variety of free services that allow you to create a listing in a directory. Be sure to keep your Chapter’s listing on
guidestar.org up-to-date, as this is where your donors and grantors may go to get more information about you. You may create a mini-site geared towards a particular purpose, such as posting meetings and events, as in
meetup.com.
Example: Cape
Fear Audubon Society on meetup.com
Back to topic list Learn more about Electronic Communications – free resources and training
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