Email

Centralized Email Program

Now managed by the Global Digital Team through the Marketing Requests Portal.

clouds cover the top of a steep mountain with water in the foreground.
Río Inirida: Realice esta fotografía la mañana del 18 de abril del 2019, mientras la neblina empezaba a elevarse cubriendo la punta del cerro ''Pajarito.'' © Gustavo Andres Acosta Alvarado/TNC Photo Contest 2019

CEP Training

Check out the link below for the training on the process to request CEP email sends and how to utilize the new templates. The training was recorded on June 10th, 2021. 
 
 
Check out the process and layouts & fields tabs for guidance on how select a layout and complete a request for an email in the new process. 

Submission Process 

Email requests should be submitted to the Marketing Requests Portal.  
 
  1. From the portal home page, select the category "Email Requests" then the sub-category "Email Send Requests." 
  2. There are two request forms—one for Newsletters and a separate one for Letters and Event Invitations
  3. If you have not already, read the Centralized Email Program Guidelines
  4. Select the email layout you would like. Refer to the email template guide for your options (Letters & InvitationsNewsletters). 
  5. Complete all the fields on the form that are applicable to the template you are using. You will not need to fill in every field. Reference the template guide for which fields you will need to complete. 
  6. Upload all images in the upload section at the end of the form. Reference the template guide for image size details. 

 

Email Templates

There are  12 layout options when sending an email through the CEP. Each template requires different information, so we have created a template guide to help you provide the production team with the right information. 
 

Available Letter Templates

Available Letter Template (Cont)

Available Newsletter Templates

Available Newsletter (cont.) and Event Templates

Fields to Complete per Template

Letter & Invitation Layouts

  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Letter" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 
    • Header
    • Subheader
    • Attachment (Image)*
    • Photo Caption/Credit
    • Photo Alt Text
    • Intro Body Text 
    • Closing Body Text
    • Attachment (Signature Block)
    • Email Signer Name (Signature Block)
    • Email Signer Title (Signature Block)
    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 
  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Letter with Simple CTA" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 
    • Header 
    • Subheader 
    • Attachment (Photo)
    • Photo Caption/Credit 
    • Photo Alt text 
    • Intro Body Text 
    • Call to Action Title 
    • Call to Action Text 
    • Call to Action Button Text 
    • Call to Action URL 
    • Closing Body Text 
    • Attachment (email signature) 
    • Email Signer Name 
    • Email Signer Title
    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 
  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Letter with Image CTA" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 

    Header

    Subheader

    Attachment

    Photo Caption/Credit

    Photo Alt text

    Intro Body Text

    Attachment

    CTA Image Caption/Credit

    CTA Image Alt Text

    Call to Action Title

    Call to Action Text

    Call to Action Button Text

    Call to Action URL

    Closing Body Text

    Attachment

    Email Signer Name

    Email Signer Title

     

    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 

  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Letter with 2 Column CTA" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 

    Header 

    Subheader 

    Attachment 

    Photo Caption/Credit 

    Photo Alt text 

    Intro Body Text 

    Attachment CTA 

    Image Caption/Credit 

    CTA Image 

    Alt Text 

    Call to Action Title 

    Call to Action Text 

    Call to Action Button Text 

    Call to Action URL 

    CTA postscript 

    Closing Body Text 

    Attachment 

    Email Signer Name 

    Email Signer Title

     

    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 

  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Letter with 2 CTAs" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 

    Header 

    Subheader 

    Attachment 

    Photo Caption/Credit 

    Photo alt text 

    Call to Action Title 

    Call to Action Text 

    Call to Action Button Text 

    Call to Action URL 

    Intro Body Text 

    Second CTA Button Text 

    Second CTA Button URL 

    Closing Body Text 

    Attachment 

    Email Signer Name 

    Email Signer Title

     

    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 

  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Event Invitation" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 

    Header

    Subheader

    Attachment

    Photo Caption/Credit

    Photo Alt text

    Intro Body Text

    Call to Action Title

    Call to Action Text

    Call to Action Button Text

    Call to Action URL

    Closing Body Text

     

    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 

  • If you are requesting an email send in the "Event Invitation with Image" template, complete all of the following fields in the request form and make sure to include all attachments. 

    Header

    Subheader

    Attachment

    Photo Caption/Credit

    Photo alt text

    Intro Body Text

    Attachment

    CTA Image Caption/Credit

    CTA Image Alt Text

    Call to Action Title

    Call to Action Text

    Call to Action Button Text

    Call to Action URL

    Closing Body Text

     

    Upload a pre-cropped image. Check the template guide for the correct size for images. 

Newsletter Layouts

  • Header

    Subheader

    Attachment

    Opening image caption and credit

    Opening image all text

    Opening title

    Opening text

    Opening cta

    Opening cta url

    Section Header

    Attachment

    Story 2 image caption/credit

    Story 2 image alt text

    Story 2 title

    Story 2 text

    Story 2 cta

    Story 2 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 3 image caption/credit

    Story 3 image alt text

    Story 3 title

    Story 3 text

    Story 3 cta

    Story 3 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 4 image caption/credit

    Story 4 image alt text

    Story 4 title

    Story 4 text

    Story 4 cta

    Story 4 cta url

  • Header

    Subheader

    Attachment

    Opening image caption and credit

    Opening image all text

    Opening text

    Attachment

    Email Signer Name

    Email Signer Title

    Section Header

    Attachment

    Story 2 image caption/credit

    Story 2 image alt text

    Story 2 title

    Story 2 text

    Story 2 cta

    Story 2 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 3 image caption/credit

    Story 3 image alt text

    Story 3 title

    Story 3 text

    Story 3 cta

    Story 3 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 4 image caption/credit

    Story 4 image alt text

    Story 4 title

    Story 4 text

    Story 4 cta

    Story 4 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 5 image caption/credit

    Story 5 image alt text

    Story 5 title

    Story 5 text

    Story 5 cta

    Story 5 cta url

  • Header

    Subheader

    Attachment

    Opening image caption and credit

    Opening image all text

    Opening title

    Opening text

    Opening cta

    Opening cta url

    Section Header

    Attachment

    Story 2 image caption/credit

    Story 2 image alt text

    Story 2 title

    Story 2 text

    Story 2 cta

    Story 2 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 3 image caption/credit

    Story 3 image alt text

    Story 3 title

    Story 3 text

    Story 3 cta

    Story 3 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 4 image caption/credit

    Story 4 image alt text

    Story 4 title

    Story 4 text

    Story 4 cta

    Story 4 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 5 image caption/credit

    Story 5 image alt text

    Story 5 title

    Story 5 text

    Story 5 cta

    Story 5 cta url

    Section 2 Header

    Attachment

    Story 6 image caption/credit

    Story 6 image alt text

    Story 6 title

    Story 6 text

    Story 6 cta

    Story 6 cta url

    Attachment

    Story 7 image caption/credit

    Story 7 image alt text

    Story 7 title

    Story 7 text

    Story 7 cta

    Story 7 cta url

  • Header

    Subheader

     

    Attachment

    Opening image caption and credit

    Opening image all text

     

    Opening text

     

    Attachment

    Email Signer Name

    Email Signer Title

     

    Section Header

     

    Attachment

    Story 2 image caption/credit

    Story 2 image alt text

    Story 2 title

    Story 2 text

    Story 2 cta

    Story 2 cta url

     

    Attachment

    Story 3 image caption/credit

    Story 3 image alt text

    Story 3 title

    Story 3 text

    Story 3 cta

    Story 3 cta url

     

     

    Attachment

    Story 4 image caption/credit

    Story 4 image alt text

    Story 4 title

    Story 4 text

    Story 4 cta

    Story 4 cta url

     

    Attachment

    Story 5 image caption/credit

    Story 5 image alt text

    Story 5 title

    Story 5 text

    Story 5 cta

    Story 5 cta url

     

     

    Section 2 Header

     

    Attachment

    Story 6 image caption/credit

    Story 6 image alt text

    Story 6 title

    Story 6 text

    Story 6 cta

    Story 6 cta url

     

    Attachment

    Story 7 image caption/credit

    Story 7 image alt text

    Story 7 title

    Story 7 text

    Story 7 cta

    Story 7 cta url

     

Style Guide

Check out the template guides for guidance on image sizes and character limits: 

Letter & Event Invitations

Newsletter

Also in the layout & fields section of this page, you can click on a layout to see the corresponding style guide page. 

Program Background

The Centralized Email Program handles the mass distribution of emails to recipients outside of the organization. The main types of requests that come through the Centralized Email Program are:

  • Action Center – advocacy emails that link to the action center
  • Member Communications – Planned giving emails
  • Nature In Your Inbox – State engagement/cultivation emails; Cool Green Science
  • Political Engagement – State advocacy emails that do NOT link to the Action Center
  • State Events and Invitations – event emails, invitations, save the dates; planned giving events and invitations
  • State Green Newsletters
  • Trustee Communications – i.e., monthly Nature’s Advocate from USGR

FAQs

Submitting Send Requests

  • Please submit any CEP send requests via the Marketing Requests Portal under Email Requests > Email Send Request.

  • Unless otherwise communicated by the CEP team (such as during year-end season), all CEP send requests should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the requested send date.

    Please note that there may be occasions when your requested send date conflicts with other sends already scheduled for that date. In such instances, we reserve the right to ask that your email be sent on an alternative date, and we will work with you to settle on a date that still works for your business unit.

  • The best way to ensure that your email send can be done on the date you need is to submit your request as far in advance as possible. While we require send requests to be submitted at least two weeks ahead of the desired send date, in some cases it is advisable to submit your request with even more lead time than that. The farther in advance you submit your request, the less likely there is to already be conflicting sends already scheduled for the date you need.

    Please note that you do not need all of the content to be ready in order to submit the request. If you need to reserve a specific date well in advance, you can submit a request ticket with that date as soon as you know you'll need it—and then provide the content for the email when it's ready, even if you don't have it when you first file the request. This way, we can at least get your send on the calendar for the date you need.

  • Yes. Per the Email SOP, the Email Review Committee (ERC) is tasked with rendering review and approval on certain types of email content that is requested through the CEP. This committee consists of representatives from TNC's IT, Legal, and Digital Fundraising teams as the circumstances require, and the following types of email content are subject to ERC review and approval:

    • Any emails that link to external URLs (a.k.a. links to sites that TNC does not own)
    • Contests, sweepstakes, giveaways
    • Advocacy actions, including for ballot measures or legislative proposals at the local, state, or federal levels
    • Any emails that contain donation asks
    The ERC must approve any email that fits into one of these categories before it can be sent, so please bear that into consideration in terms of lead time when submitting such a request.
  • For two-week standard requests, two days before the scheduled send is typical for reviewing drafts. Currently our turnaround has been faster than that, allowing for more time to review. Exceptions are granted on a case by case basis.

Send Lists/Audiences

  • There are two possible answers to this question:

    1. If you need these email addresses imported for use in a specific CEP email send request, there is no need to submit a separate ticket solely for this purpose. Instead, leave a comment in your CEP send request ticket advising us that you have email addresses to provide for the send, and we'll invite you to a secure Box folder where you can deposit that information.
      Note: Importing constituent data is a process that can extend the timeline of the overall CEP request. We need to collaborate with Marketing Operations and BBCRM resources. As a result, we recommend submitting the CEP request ticket ASAP, even if you don't have all the email copy/details sorted out yet so that we can get started on the constituent data import.
    2. If the email addresses are not for use in a specific CEP email send at this time, but they should be imported to receive future emails, please submit a request under Email Requests > Constituent Data Upload Request. (For example, say you collected email addresses of new supporters at an event, and you want to subscribe these new supporters to receive future editions of Nature News.) We'll then invite you to a secure Box folder where you can deposit this information.
    Never attach any kind of personally identifiable supporter info directly to a portal request ticket. This is not a secure method for transmitting such data.
  • No. If your email send requires constituent lists to be imported to BBCRM, please simply note that in the “additional comments” field on the original email send request, and we’ll provide you with the secure Box link directly from that ticket. No need for a second ticket.  Note: Importing constituent data is a process that can extend the timeline of the overall CEP request. We need to collaborate with Marketing Operations and BBCRM resources. As a result, we recommend submitting the CEP request ticket ASAP, even if you don't have all the email copy/details sorted out yet so that we can get started on the constituent data import.

    Never attach any kind of personally identifiable supporter info directly to a portal request ticket. It is not a secure method for transmitting such data.

    • Luminate Online has been sunset, so you will want to provide Engaging Networks IDs and/or BBCRM Constiuent IDs for your email send lists rather than Luminate Online IDs. 
    • Note, if you only have access to BBCRM Constituent IDs, if a constituent has more than one email address on file, all email addresses under this BBCRM Constituent record will receive the record.

CEP Calendar and Email Metrics

  • A report of email metrics are sent to the requestor automatically 4-5 days after the send date. The metrics will be posted to the original Jira ticket you submitted for the email send.

  • If, for example, you provided a list of 15,000 recipients for an email send, but the email was only actually sent to 10,000 addresses, it is likely because your list contains a significant number of "inactive" constituents.

    “Inactives” are defined as constituents who have not opened OR clicked on a message in the past six months. This is a standard suppression on all email sends, including Membership sends, to protect TNC's email deliverability. Not having the inactives suppression on all sends causes a significant risk to the deliverability of email messages. It could impact the 10,000 “active” recipients on your list by pushing your email message to their spam box.

    Here's an article that briefly breaks down why engagement (clicks and opens) are important.

Formatting/Conditional Content

  • Yes! We now have 12 email templates to choose from. Check out the email template guide for details. 

  • There is an optional field in the email request form where you can detail any conditional content that should be used.

  • To specify bold text, please place an asterisk on both sides of the text you want to be bold, like *this*.

    To specify italicized text, please place an underscore on both sides of the text you want to be italicized, like _this_.

    To create an unordered bulleted list, please place an asterisk followed by a space, followed by the list item, followed by a line break before the next list item, like this:

    * Item one
    * Item two

    To create an ordered (numbered) bulleted list, please place a number sign (hashtag) followed by a space, followed by the list item, followed by a line break before the next list item, like this:

    # Item one
    # Item two

  • If there is a second link, please specify it in the “what and why” field.

Event Registrations/Advocacy

  • Oftentimes we have registration for events such as hikes and donor engagement events. These event registration forms will still be created in Luminate (starting July 26th, event forms will be built in Engaging Networks). You can still link to an RSVP form in your email that goes to a form in Luminate, just as before. If you are currently creating your own forms in Luminate, you should plan to train in the new Engaging Networks system and learn to build events in Engaging Networks.  

    If there is a CEP email send request associated with an event registration request, they should be noted as linked but submitted separately. Event forms are built by the BU managing the event and there is no centralized team that handles event registrations or reporting. 

  • If you would like to request a CEP email send to promote an advocacy pledge, please submit two separate requests to the Marketing Requests Portal:

    1. One for the CEP email send itself, under Email Requests > Email Send Request.
    2. Another for the advocacy action page that the email would link to, which would contain information about the advocacy pledge and fields that the user can fill out to send a note to their lawmakers. This can be submitted under Content Requests > New Action Center Page.
    In the CEP email send request, please note that you are submitting a separate request for the advocacy action page, so that we know that the two requests should be linked together.

Miscellaneous

  • No, Edwin’s role has shifted responsibilities and he will no longer be accepting requests for MailChimp.

    If you would like to inquire about seeking approval for a new Mailchimp account, please submit a ticket to the Marketing Requests Portal under Email Requests > Question About Centralized Email. Please note that Mailchimp account requests are now subject to review and approval by the Digital Review Committee, and if you request a Mailchimp account, the committee may decide that your request should instead be accommodated by the Centralized Email Program.

  • Please submit any general questions about the Centralized Email Program to the Marketing Requests Portal under Email Requests > Question About Centralized Email.

    If your question is specific to a requested CEP email send, please include it in the comments field of that ticket.

 

What isn’t Changing? Basic Program Guidelines

  • All copy, URLs, audiences, suppressions, desired send dates and assets must be submitted with the request.
  • Email must have a Call to Action (CTA). 
  • The designated state or program email coordinator should be the only person from that BU that requests emails.
  • Each BU can request one email per month. This does not include GPN, which launches the first Wednesday of each month and is managed by the Centralized Services Team. 
  • TNC cannot direct email audiences to an outside entity/email sign up form. 
  • Due to CAN-SPAM Act guidelines, TNC does not email opted out audiences
  • Due to bandwidth and email calendar availability during the Year End campaign, CEP requests will be limited to one predetermined day in November and December. The exact days will be announced at the beginning of October each year.