Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity Email List Management Tool 1
Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ... 3
SUGGESTED USES ... 3
LOG IN AND SET UP ... 3
SENDING EMAILS ... 8
Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity Email List Management Tool 3
INTRODUCTION
As requested by many Chapters and in an effort to assist with Inter-Chapter communication, the International Fraternity has developed a resource to promote communication between Chapters. This tool can also be used to help promote communication with your alumni and volunteers. Please keep in mind that its purpose is Broadcast Communication and does not replace individual email accounts or individual distribution lists using tools such as Outlook, AOL, Hotmail, etc. This tool is meant for one-way communication to alert a large group of email ids quickly and easily. If replies are needed, clearly note in your message where replies should be sent!
Each Chapter will have one member in charge of maintaining their Chapter’s list. This member, the Chapter
Representative, is typically the Sigma. This representative will have the ability to send email communications to the groups within the system as well as the authority to update and correct your membership email list (names and email addresses). The Chapter Representative will need to contact the International Headquarters to set-up their account (supply email address) and in return will receive the password to log into the website and utilize the email management tool. One can access the new tool from the home page of the International Fraternity website (www.pks.org).
SUGGESTED USES
• Setting up Brotherhood Building Events with other Chapters • Finding a place to stay when visiting a particular Chapter’s city • Sending Chapter updates to other Chapters and/or alumni • Soliciting participants for a fundraising activity
• Asking Chapters and/or alumni for advice
LOG IN AND SET UP
STEP 1. Go to www.pks.org/pksmail and enter your email address along with the password (provided by HQ) to enter the system.
This will take you to the “create mail message” page where an email can be created to communicate with other Phi Kappa Sigma Chapters.
However, to allow for other Chapters to communicate with your Chapter you will need to add each member into the system and maintain your membership list.
STEP 2. Click on the “manage membership” tab to add your members. Please note that the Headquarters already added you (the Chapter Representative) as a member when you signed up and received a password.
Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity Email List Management Tool 5
STEP 4. Enter all information and click the “add member” button. The member has now been added into the system. Please add ALL members (including New Members) in your Chapter so that communications go to everyone. This will greatly assist the “broadcast” nature of communication that this tool was built to provide for (please refer to the suggested uses on page 1).
Once all members are added you must put them into a “group” (e.g. “members” or “alumni”).
STEP 5. To create Groups or to add people to a group click on the “manage groups” tab. This will obviously help keep targeted communications to the right audience.
STEP 6. If you want to create a new group click on the “add new group” tab.
STEP 7. Enter the appropriate information and click the “add group” button to create the group.
Please note that the option for “category” is either “alumni” or “chapter” and that “bounce email” is the email that automatic errors will come back to (which is typically the Chapter Representative).
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STEP 9. Move people between the “non-members” and “members” boxes by clicking on their name and then clicking “add” or “remove.” Please note that you may hold down the Ctrl (Win) or open apple (Mac) key while clicking to select multiple members from the list.
Once your membership groups and members have been added to the system, your Chapter can effectively communicate with other Chapters as well as subgroups within your own Chapter.
SENDING EMAILS
After logging in you will go directly to the “create mail message” page.
STEP 1. Click on the drop box to select whom you would like to send the email to. Your email will be added automatically to the return mail field. Please note that selecting all chapters or all alumni sends the mail to all groups designated as chapter or alumni respectively.
STEP 2. Enter in the subject of the communication.
STEP 3. Enter the text of the message into the message box. To use HTML formatting to enhance the body of the message, enter it in the HTML box. A few things to note:
1) if a user enters an HTML version of a message, he must also include a text version.
2) The application automatically sends an HTML or text version depending on the recipient's email program settings.
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STEP 5.
Add any attachments by clicking on the “browse” button and selecting the file you would like to
attach.
STEP 6. To send the message, click the “send message” button.
The Email will be sent to all the members that are in the header you selected to send to. When a member replies to email that has been sent to them, it will be directed to only the Chapter representative who sent the message. As this is meant as a one-way tool, replying should be discouraged. However, if needed, clearly indicate in your message where replies should be sent!
FAQ’s
Q. Why did the International Headquarters create this tool?
A. This Inter-Chapter Communication tool is an answer to the wants and needs of our members and Chapters. After visiting and talking to many Chapters it became apparent that the members wanted an easy way to communicate with other Chapters (suggested topics have included “best practices” for Chapter operations, fund-raising, risk management, social events, etc.). We hope this tool will be put to good use and help our Chapters and Fraternity reach their full potential.
Q. Once a member has been added to the email list serve can I change his email address?
A. Yes, click on the manage membership tab and navigate to the same row as the member’s name then click on the hyperlink “edit.”
Q. What happens when a member graduates?
A. The Chapter Representative should move the member to the “alumni group” and then delete their record out of the “active group.”
Q. When an email is sent to another Chapter or group who will receive the email?
A. Everyone in that Chapter or group whose email had been input.
Q. What happens when someone replies to an email I send out to a Chapter or group?
A. The only person that will receive that reply is the Chapter Representative.
Q. Can I use this system for intra-Chapter communication?
A. Actually yes but this does not replace individual email or individual distribution lists using your own email account or group distribution using tools such as Outlook, AOL, Hotmail, etc. This is a tool to assist in communication from Chapter to Chapter, Chapter to alumni, etc.
Q. What if my question isn’t on this list?
