Articles: Email

Idealware articles, like those in our Few Good Tools series, give nonprofits concise, critical information on the software choices available for specific organizational functions and goals. We compare software options, offer real life examples and case studies, and give you the tools to make the right decision based on your specific needs.

Articles: Email

  • 10 Reasons To Change Your Broadcast Email Tool
    By Soha El Borno,
    August 2012

    If you’re looking for a new broadcast email tool for your nonprofit, there are a lot of different options to choose from. But how do you know when it’s time to change?

  • Mapping Your Mix: Are You Providing The Right Mix of Content?
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    June 2012

    Odds are good that your organization is using multiple communications channels to reach people, from social media to direct mail and email to websites and blogs. Because each can attract a different audience, and may be better-suited for certain types and lengths of content, coordinating among them all can be difficult.

  • Understanding and Improving Email Deliverability

    By Colin Pizarek and Chris Bernard,
    January 2012

    Neither “snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” might stay the U.S. Post Office’s couriers from delivering the mail entrusted to them, but it’s a cold fact of the digital world that email has no such steadfast guardians. Some electronic mail will simply never reach its destination—it might go to a bad address, get caught in a spam filter, or routed to a “junk” folder where it’s deleted or overlooked. This can be frustrating for nonprofits who work hard to nurture a list of email addresses. 

  • Building an Effective Email List

    By Jay Leslie,
    December 2011

    An email list is one of the sharpest arrows in any nonprofit’s quiver. An effective list can maximize your reach, help foster closer relationships with constituents and improve fundraising. But what makes a list effective? For one thing, critical mass—the more people you can reach who are genuinely interested in your organization, the better.

  • Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Online Communications
    By Laura S. Quinn ,
    June 2010

    Are your online communications working?  How can you tell?  In this article, we talk through four types of measures-- Views, Followers, Engagement, and Conversion-- that help you track your efforts to see if they're worthwhile.  

    Chances are, your organization has a website. Perhaps you also send out broadcast emails, or maintain a blog, Twitter or Facebook account. Is the effort you’re putting into online communications working? How can you tell?

  • Adventures in Email Fundraising
    By Andrea Berry,
    April 2010

    If you are already using email communication tools and are equipped to receive online donations through your website, email fundraising is an easy step forward. For a better sense of what's involved, we bring you a look at two smaller organizations and their email fundraising campaigns.

  • A Few Good Broadcast Email Tools
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    March 2010

    One of our most popular articles, fully updated March 2010. Email newsletters, action alerts, or fundraising emails can be a very cost effective way to communicate with your supporters, but it can be complex to send and track thousands of emails. We talked to eleven nonprofit technology experts to find out what eNewsletter tools have worked well for them.

  • Is Email Old News? Social Networks as the New Communications Channel
    By Stella Hernandez,
    January 2010

    When it comes to online communications, social networking has huge communities of people sharing information with each other. And its rise comes as people question email’s effectiveness—are social networks replacing email as a communications channel?

  • Getting Started with Email Fundraising
    By Andrea Barry,
    December 2009

    Email fundraising is a technique that’s within the reach of the smallest organization.  This article walks you through the basics: how to design a campaign, write emails, build an email list, select software to send email and take online donations, and measure the results.

  • The Role of Email in Your Communications Mix
    By Heather Gardner-Madras,
    July 2009

    Nonprofits have a lot of choices when it comes to communications - from direct mail, to websites, to social networking sites and more. With Spam on the rise and open rates down, what role should email play in a successful communications strategy - and when should nonprofits choose to use it?

  • A Few Good Email Discussion List Tools
    By Chris Bernard,
    December 2008

    Many organizations would like to foster community and information sharing using email discussion lists. What software packages can help? We asked six nonprofit experts about the systems that have worked for them.

  • The Basics of Email Metrics: Are Your Campaigns Working?

    October 2008

    You already know the value a good email campaign can bring to your nonprofit, whether it is an eNewsletter, or email advocacy and fundraising appeals. But how can you tell if your electronic communications are actually having the impact you hoped for? Is the work you’re putting in worth the effort? Email metrics can help you determine the effectiveness of your communications and fine tune them to improve their efficiency.

  • Comparing Lower-Cost Online Integrated Application
    By Eric Leland,
    December 2007

    Online integrated applications allow nonprofits to manage a number of different aspects of their constituent information and Web presence all together in one package. Eric Leland took a close look at eight packages to compare their functionality in a variety of areas.

  • Retooling the eNonprofit: Expanding the Options for Integrated Online Software

    By Michael Stein,
    January 2007

    New integrated online software tools lead to more possibilities for nonprofits. How do you choose?   Internet strategist Michael Stein describes what's available and offers some considerations when choosing tools that can help with emailing, online donations, advocacy online, and more.

  • Choosing Bulk Email Software to Match Your Communication Goals
    By Heather Gardner-Madras ,
    September 2006

    Are you hoping to send a monthly eNewsletter to your constituents? Or would action alerts or donation requests align better with your goals? We’ll help you think through the features you’ll need in a bulk emailing tool to support the type of emails you plan to send.

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