Can I be honest? It's hard for me to remember what it was like to be brand new to NationBuilder. I was a customer in 2011. I think I have a rhythm now for explaining how to use new features. But seeing the gaps in what I wrote two years ago? That can be difficult.
Luckily, I was able to observe Henry training new organizers and talk about custom domain quandaries with Dana. Which led me to revise the HOWTOs on setting up email for your nation.
Here's the thing: your broadcaster's email address can be used to send email blasts. It can also be used to receive replies to those blast emails and initiate one-to-one correspondence. By receiving incoming email for your broadcaster, you unlock an entirely new way of communicating via email.
I'm sounding hyperbolic, yeah? Stay with me. Traditionally one-to-one email happens between two inboxes. When you leave your job, or stop volunteering for an organization, all of the relationships you've built through email are lost. Maybe your successor has access to your old email address, but she's probably too busy picking up the pieces to really do anything with it.
Now imagine if instead of confining the email to inboxes, it was stored on profiles within a database accessible to everyone building your organization. Your ED and development director won't trip over each other connecting with major donors because they can see every email, tweet, and logged contact in one place. Prospective volunteers won't vanish when your volunteer manager leaves. Transparency really does strengthen community. Ever wonder how we're able to keep on top of your support questions? All of our customer support relies on receiving email in our nation and logging info on our phone calls and face-to-face meetings with you.
I hope these revised HOWTOs will help you strengthen your community.
How to connect an email address to a broadcaster
Benefits of receiving email in your nation
How to send and view one-to-one email