CyberNOW: http://www.now.org/

NOW chapters and state organizations have been effectively putting the Internet to work for their grassroots organizing. Some maintain web sites, some have an e-mail contact and some use electronic mailing lists. Most ofthe work is done by a volunteer, and many use donated web or e-mail services.

Chapter Web Sites Reach Out to New and Current Members

Web sites are helpful as a repository of information for activists and a way for potential members to get introduced to their chapter or state.

Milwaukee NOW has had success on its web site (www.milwaukeenow.org) with a contact form, a calendar, action alerts, special events and information about volunteer opportunities. NOW NYC has signed up volunteers through an application on its web site (www.nownyc.org).

Washington State NOW's web site (www.wa-now.org) also includes chapter information, legislative updates and position papers. Chapter activist Will Affleck-Asch creates the Washington State web pages and recommends that web pages be kept simple without fancy graphics so that the message stands out. A number of states and chapters put their newsletter online since they already have that material in hand and it keeps their site updated.

Tampa NOW's web site also includes a fact sheet on employment discrimination and harassment written by one of its members who is an attorney. The chapter has a "forwarding address" from the National NOW server (www.now.org/fl/tampanow), and the chapter's Membership Vice President Mary-Kay Bunton-Pierce says, "We are thrilled with the alias that National NOW lets us use. It means we have a URL to give to people that is relevant to NOW; whereas, if I gave people the actual URL [web address] it would be extremely confusing because it is so long to type out."

See www.now.org/web/forward.html to learn more about forwarding addresses.

E-Mail Keeps Chapter Activists Involved

Chapters and states are also using email to help in their organizing. Elena Perez, executive assistant at California NOW, says that "E-mail has been a great tool for us ... as a way to stay in touch with our activists and to receive information," such as news about women's issues through the free clipping service (nt.excite.com) the state organization uses.

Some chapters have formal e-mail lists (one that uses mailing list software) which automates the work of maintaining list. Milwaukee NOW uses an email list to send out action alerts and meeting and event notices, but warns that it is hard to get a large turn-out for events with only an e-mail notice or invite.

Jennifer Olenchek, Milwaukee NOW co-president, advises other chapters, "Use e-mail! It's free, fast, easy ... Milwaukee NOW has had great response and success with our action alert network. I get comments throughout the year from people who only participate in NOW via the e-mail messages, saying thanks or [they will] cc me on their message to a legislator."

Florida NOW maintains two e-mail lists, both of which come from the local libraries' free service. One list is for alerts and official business and one is for all other items, enabling activists to choose how much information they wish to receive.

Natalie Andre of Florida NOW has the following advice for other chapters looking to start an e-mail list:

Establish rules and procedures, such as: no personal attacks; no jokes; and no unverified health or legal advice.

The subject line should indicate the nature of the message, whether it's an article, comment or alert, followed by the specific topic itself. For example: ALERT: State Legislature to Vote On Hate Crimes Bill.

Verify accuracy of items before sending them out. Use http:// urbanlegends.about.com/ to check for possible rumors and hoaxes.

Chapters without a formal mailing list typically use the "blind carbon copy" field to send out e-mail to a list of people so that the e-mail addresses stay hidden. See if your Internet Service Provider will set up a free list for your chapter. This column mentioned sites that provide free e-mail lists in the Fall 1998 National NOW Times. To read about these sites and other ways your chapter can use the Internet, connect to our www.now.org/web/cyber.html page.

by Sarah Stapleton-Gray, Internet and LAN Manager webperson@now.org

Copyright National Organization for Women, Inc. Fall 1999
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