Mailing lists are the most straightforward method for Community Boards to expand their outreach in the community, beyond just reaching members.

In recent years, most Community Boards switched to email rather than conventional mail. Email is faster and cheaper, and easier to scale up to reach more people.

Some Community Boards maintain several different mailing lists, split up by topic of interest. Lists vary in size amongst Boards we spoke with, from several hundreds to several thousands. For example, Manhattan Community Board 2 successfully increased its mailing list from 200 people in 2006 to 2,800 in 2012. Manhattan Community Board 7 had a mailing list of 3,000 people in 2011. Their goal is 12,000 people. Manhattan Community Board 4 has a mailing list of 1,000 people, which is 1% of the Community Board’s population. Their goal is at least 5%-10%.

Here are some examples of tools that can assist Boards in expanding their mailing lists.

• CRMCustomer Relationship Management system. Can assist Boards in tracking their relationship and activity with local organizations and City agencies.
• Local Orgs in Mailing ListIncluding Community Based Organizations and local blogs in the Community Board’s mailing list. Several Boards do so in order to expand outreach.
• Mailing List SoftwareA tool for sending out newsletters and managing mailing lists.
• Meeting Sign-up SheetSome Community Boards use the information residents provide when signing-up at public meetings, for expanding their mailing list.
• Tailored Mailing List Sign-upSpecifying the kind of information and areas of interest when signing up to the Community Board's mailing list.