How to set up non-profit advocacy emails
June 18, 2019 10:49 AM Subscribe
I'd like to set up a page where we can have people contact (via email) their representatives in government about specific issues, using Squarespace.
I'm a webmaster for a non profit and our new advocacy team would like to have the ability for our supporters to contact their government representatives about specific issues. We would collect their contact info, and provide a form letter they could use or modify and then hit send to email to their rep. Representative names could be populated in 2 ways. Option 1 would be simplest - just populate all emails with one email address (say a specific rep for a specific area). Option 2 is more complex, using zip code to populate 1-3 reps' emails (for example, state rep, state senator, congresswoman.)
We use Squarespace as our website platform. I'm not a coder but I'm technically proficient. I'm new to non-profits (I'm a volunteer) and have googled around but haven't found anything other than one option which looks like it costs a lot...Do you have any suggestions on how we could do this easily, cheaply? TIA!
I'm a webmaster for a non profit and our new advocacy team would like to have the ability for our supporters to contact their government representatives about specific issues. We would collect their contact info, and provide a form letter they could use or modify and then hit send to email to their rep. Representative names could be populated in 2 ways. Option 1 would be simplest - just populate all emails with one email address (say a specific rep for a specific area). Option 2 is more complex, using zip code to populate 1-3 reps' emails (for example, state rep, state senator, congresswoman.)
We use Squarespace as our website platform. I'm not a coder but I'm technically proficient. I'm new to non-profits (I'm a volunteer) and have googled around but haven't found anything other than one option which looks like it costs a lot...Do you have any suggestions on how we could do this easily, cheaply? TIA!
I'm dumb. It was the American lung association- https://www.lung.org/get-involved/become-an-advocate/
posted by Bistyfrass at 11:45 AM on June 18, 2019
posted by Bistyfrass at 11:45 AM on June 18, 2019
Response by poster: Thanks for the example. I am looking for specific advice on how to implement something like your example, but more automated - similar to Audubon. So, I need more how than what...thanks.
posted by j810c at 11:59 AM on June 18, 2019
posted by j810c at 11:59 AM on June 18, 2019
Best answer: The vast majority of nonprofits are using a third-party tool to do this. A lot of nonprofit CRM products come with these tools baked in: Luminate Online (which is what lung.org is using), Salsa Labs, CiviCRM, etc. (This article runs down some of your major options.) Most of them should allow you to set up a template that can be embedded into a Squarespace page, through an iframe if nothing else.
My org has used both Luminate and Salsa at one point or another. I would personally say using Salsa was a more pleasant experience, especially after they upgraded their templates to a drag-and-drop builder. Luminate may be better for data integration if your org already uses other Blackbaud products.
You could, theoretically, custom-code your own tool from scratch, but I think you'd probably find that the sticking point is the effort involved in maintaining a database of all the federal / state / local officials (names, contact information, etc.) that an advocacy action might be targeted to.
(Source: I am a digital design / front-end person at a very large international nonprofit.)
posted by fifthpocket at 12:14 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
My org has used both Luminate and Salsa at one point or another. I would personally say using Salsa was a more pleasant experience, especially after they upgraded their templates to a drag-and-drop builder. Luminate may be better for data integration if your org already uses other Blackbaud products.
You could, theoretically, custom-code your own tool from scratch, but I think you'd probably find that the sticking point is the effort involved in maintaining a database of all the federal / state / local officials (names, contact information, etc.) that an advocacy action might be targeted to.
(Source: I am a digital design / front-end person at a very large international nonprofit.)
posted by fifthpocket at 12:14 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My non-profit does this. As far as I am aware, the automated stuff is all via third-party platforms like VoterVoice or EveryAction.
This stuff isn't easy to homebrew. You have to: 1. Create and maintain a database of representatives at both the state and federal levels that is properly keyed to addresses for the automatic lookup to assign the right reps to your user, and 2. Have and set up a mail (or fax or whatever you are doing) server that can send the messages on your users' behalf. In addition to creating the front-end user experience.
On preview, agreeing with fifthpocket. There's a reason so many third party tools for this exist; hopefully you can find one that might fit your budget.
posted by misskaz at 12:20 PM on June 18, 2019
This stuff isn't easy to homebrew. You have to: 1. Create and maintain a database of representatives at both the state and federal levels that is properly keyed to addresses for the automatic lookup to assign the right reps to your user, and 2. Have and set up a mail (or fax or whatever you are doing) server that can send the messages on your users' behalf. In addition to creating the front-end user experience.
On preview, agreeing with fifthpocket. There's a reason so many third party tools for this exist; hopefully you can find one that might fit your budget.
posted by misskaz at 12:20 PM on June 18, 2019
The trade association I work for uses CQ Engage. Can't speak to the cost, but it works very well and is easy to use and set up. It also provides good analytics.
posted by XtineHutch at 12:46 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by XtineHutch at 12:46 PM on June 18, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
The American Heart Association is enormous, but they do these advocacy emails beautifully. They also offer a table of who to reach out to. So the last one I saw went to everyone in PA and had an example letter emphasizing certain points. Then there was a table saying for this county reach out to xyz.
posted by Bistyfrass at 11:43 AM on June 18, 2019