Pzettler - you bring up some good points. Google/Yahoo Groups are not databases to maintain full contact information. They are merely for bulk email communication with some web features (can post files) and the ability to archive messages so anyone can go back an look at the historical communications. The benefits are that the group manager doesn't have to maintain a list of contacts. Instead an invitation is issued and people subscribe themselves. They can also remove themselves. For other reasons - membership, graduation dates, phone numbers, etc. you may need to retain information elsewhere.

One of the things I really like is that unless I post a message using a particular address, no one but the Group manager would see it. For our swim team list, our family is subscribed with 5 different accounts (2 parents home/work, oldest child). We all get the messages. I'm normally protective of my work email address for non-work communications, but this is a controlled environment. I'll get the group's posting, but individual members won't start emailing me at work. I wouldn't have provided all those addresses for regular contact list (nor might the organizer be willing to maintain that many for me), but since I control the information, that gives me more freedom.

Also, in an effort to cut down on spammers, many ISPs have limited the number of email addresses one can send to at any one time. This year ours - a major provider of Internet services - capped it at 50. So any bulk emails we send have to be chopped into 50 or less recipients. With a big group, that's a pain. With Google or Yahoo Groups, no problem. I'm only sending to ONE address, but then it is redistributing to my list of hundreds.

By the way, for anyone using bulk emails where you cut/paste them and sent out like regular emails, please make sure you are using the BC field unless it's a situation where folks need to see who all is getting the message and be able to respond (reply all) to everyone. Otherwise, for security and privacy, the mass email addresses should not be exposed.

Good discussion!

We have about 400 people in a spreadsheet. Right now, I just have a personal email distribution list created by exporting names and email addressed from the spreadsheet into a .csv file and importing it into a group email list. The down side is the time to get this done at the beginning of the year.

Anyway 315 have email addressed.

This means we leave out 25% if we use this as our only communication vehicle.

We send 3-5 emails a month. To announce the next monthly event and meeting as well as give feedback about prior event and meetings.

I've also looked into google groups. Free is good. It just lack the ability to collect the other information, like phone numbers, address and names.

It also lacks the ability to keep track of student names and grades. I like to have these to know when I should send an email to confirm a student has probably graduated, and moved on to the next school.

Just this year, we asked for email addresses when people joined. We then took those addresses and one person on the Board entered them into her address book (didn't know about Google, etc.) She group emails whenever the PTA has news - whether it's playground update, requesting volunteers, etc. This has been an amazing communication tool - no negative feedback, only positive! Due to this, we had a great number of volunteers turn out at our Fall Fundraiser, and have received more offers of volunteering in other areas (mostly at-home positions) than ever before! All the parents feel really connected. We've even gotten emails from non-PTA members, and send them the updates as well, with great results.

Diane139- Do check out Google Groups. I highly recommend it, even if you just start in a small way - maybe for your Board or a committee. A lot of folks use Yahoo groups. They are very similar. Both free. I can't remember exactly why, but I found Google to be a bit more robust when I had to choose one or the other last spring.

A key decision is whether you "invite" or directly "subscribe" members. Generally you are encouraged to invite members - having them take the initiative to sign themselves up. But you can create an email invitation that makes it easy for them to do so. Perhaps your Parent Coordinator could send out the invitation if you do a school-wide group.

Even if PTO Today comes up with a tool you prefer, it will be valuable having some experience with other options. You'll understand possible features, be able to give feedback, and weigh your own choice better.

So far we've been e-mailing mostly amongst ourselves using our own individual e-mail/internet providers.

The Parent Coordinator at our school (who works for the Dept. of Ed.) has been great about capturing e-mail addresses from various sources, so now she has them for probably 95% of the school's families. Unfortunately, she cannot give us her list; we have to get it from the parents ourselves. (Confidentiality rule of some kind?) However, she often transmits messages and information on behalf of the PA.

Occasionally an interested PA member tries to develop an e-mail list but usually the desire is greater than the time available in which to do it, so the effort dies out. Usually individual chairpersons keep Excel or similar spreadsheets when they need to keep track of their members.

I didn't know about Google Groups until I read the other responses. I'm going to try to look into it now.

Our PTO Newsletter is sent to the Principal for her "approval" and then the sectary sends to the teachers, and the teachers send to their parents. Out of 540 students, we make up about 80 copies to distribute to those who requested hard copies. What a cost savings!!!
We work it the same way if we have event reminders or flyers to send out. It all goes through these channels.