E-Newsletters
- Constant Contact: Easy to use and customizable templates geared especially toward small business. Non-profit rate available. Event registration, donation campaigns, feedback and survey modules also available. The Diocese of Iowa uses Constant Contact.
- MailChimp: Free for under 2,000 subscribers. Great templates and responsive design options.
- MyEmma: Great tools and metrics. Non-profit pricing.
It is considered best practice to use an organization email addresses for your church. John@StSwithens.org for example. Avoid using personal email addresses for staff. Any reliable web host will have domain email as a service you can include, if it is not already included in what you pay for with your website hosting; they will have help for you to get it done. Also, if you control email accounts through church-owned email addresses, you can recover them when people leave, get sick, go on vacation, etc.
Churches and nonprofits can apply to have Google Apps for Nonprofits, which you can get for free. You get 30GB per user mail storage included. Also, you can set a domain policy to NOT allow forwarding of information to personal accounts, ensuring that your church business stays were it can be audited if necessary. To apply for Google Apps for Nonprofits, you'll want to use the EIN for the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. If you have any questions, please contact Anne Wagner.
Group Texting
- GroupMe: Free group messaging, works on every type of device through an app or over SMS.
- Remind: Designed originally for teachers to contact parents, but able to be used for churches and other nonprofits.
- Flocknote.com: built specifically for churches - includes email newsletters and text messaging, analytics and more.