About The AIAPrograms & Initiatives

E-mail lists are easy and effective at keeping your allies informed and in touch. There are two types of e-mail lists: discussion lists, which allow everyone on the list to send messages, and distribution lists, which allow only a moderator to send messages. Discussion lists are livelier and more interactive but can result in large volumes of messages. Also, be aware that if you flood your list members’ e-mail accounts with too many messages, they will begin to ignore the messages or remove themselves from the list altogether.

When e-mailing to list members, remember to:
• Use positive, proactive terms, such as “Support safer streets” instead of “No to street widening,” when mobilizing your allies.
• Encourage your supporters to stay connected with one another in order to foster a sense of community.
• Give them a clear and simple way (e.g., a hyperlink) to access your Web site.

E-mail List Tools
CitizenSpeak is a free service that allows a grassroots campaign to coordinate e-mail as part of their advocacy strategy. After signing up, you can send your members an e-mail with a URL, assigned by CitizenSpeak, that contains a sample message and a list of targeted decision-makers. Your members can edit the message and, with just a click, send it to the target list. The e-mail will arrive addressed to the individual decision-maker from the individual member, not as a mass e-mail.

Yahoo! Groups allows you to create free e-mail lists for either distribution (one-way e-mails that only a list moderator can send) or discussion (any list member can send a message to the rest of the list).

Many small, local organizations around the country offer free e-mail, e-mail lists, and/or Web-site hosting for a specific community. Your local public library should be able to help you find any that exist in your area.