[Ohio-talk] FW: Guidelines for NFB Affiliate, Chapter, and Division Leadership Emails

Tue Oct 31 02:27:52 UTC 2017

Please read the message after my signature.

Richard Payne,  President

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

937-396-5573or 937/829/3368

Rchpay7 at gmail.com

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back

From: President, National Federation of the Blind [mailto:OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org] 
Subject: Guidelines for NFB Affiliate, Chapter, and Division Leadership Emails

Dear Colleagues,

Our goal is to create a unified, professional, and inviting brand no matter how someone comes into contact with the National Federation of the Blind. Every email to a potential member, local leader, future partner, or donor is an important opportunity to help them learn who we are as an organization.

To help build this unified, national brand, we’d like to establish some email best practices across the organization. As phase one of this initiative, please evaluate your NFB-related emails and try to incorporate the following best practices (attached and copied below), if you are not doing so already. Please work to accomplish as many of the suggestions as possible in the next few weeks. I am asking you to share this with chapter and division leaders from your affiliate or national division. 

The communications team is here to help and answer questions. Do not hesitate to reach them at communicationsteam at nfb.org <mailto:communicationsteam at nfb.org> .

Best Practices for National Federation of the Blind Emails

Language

1.	Emails should reflect our brand values of courage, respect, full participation, love, democracy, and collective action. Your email communications are a great opportunity to put these values into action.
2.	Email language should reflect the NFB’s inspirational, innovative, powerful, and inviting brand personality. If you would like a branding refresher, please contact communicationsteam at nfb.org <mailto:communicationsteam at nfb.org> , and we will be happy to share those documents with you.
3.	As an organization that welcomes all individuals, we do not want to risk inadvertently offending someone or sending an unintentional political or religious message. The best practice is to avoid content, statements, or links to organizations that represent personal or political views in NFB emails. 

Email Addresses

1.	When possible, please use an email address that is “title-based,” such as president at md.nfb.org <mailto:president at md.nfb.org>  or NFBHawaiiPresident at gmail.com <mailto:NFBHawaiiPresident at gmail.com> . This makes it easier to pass on to future leaders and to keep NFB and personal emails separate. If setting up a new email is too challenging at this time, we understand. Please consider putting it on your 2018 to do list or when you have a change in leadership. We can help with this when the timing is right.

Email Signatures

1.	Please use an email signature that uses your name; NFB title; the NFB division, affiliate, or chapter you represent; email address; and phone number. Include a link to nfb.org and/or your affiliate or division website, such as blindparents.org or nfb.md.org. 
2.	Use the NFB tagline “Live the life you want” in your signature. While it has become common for people to include inspirational or thought-provoking quotes in their personal email signatures, this is not appropriate for Federation communications.
3.	If you or your affiliate, chapter, or division is active on social media with an NFB-related social media account, add that as well, such as “Follow me on Twitter @riccobono.” Please avoid including personal social media handles in your NFB signature. 
4.	Due to the complexities of including graphics in email signatures, we do not recommend using the NFB logo in your signature at this time.
5.	If you would like to include language about the NFB philosophy, you may include the statement below crafted from our One Minute Message.

Examples

1. Here is an example of a signature with all of these elements:

Jane Smith, President

National Federation of the Blind of Greater Utopia

president at utopia.nfb.org <mailto:president at utopia.nfb.org> 

(888) 867-5309

www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org> 

www.utopia.nfb.org <http://www.utopia.nfb.org>  

Follow us @NFButopia

Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

2. Here is an example of a simplified signature:

Jane Smith, President

National Federation of the Blind of Greater Utopia

president.nfb.utopia at gmail.com <mailto:president.nfb.utopia at gmail.com> 

(888) 867-5309

www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org> 

Live the life you want.

Mark A. Riccobono, President

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230

(410) 659-9314 |  <mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org> officeofthepresident at nfb.org 

 <https://nfb.org/> 

                          <http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>      <https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>      <https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind> 

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. 

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