Two habits that keep Environmental Action’s email program working

This is the first feature in our new Partner Profile series, where we highlight some of the best email programs in the U.S. that are growing their lists on Civic Shout.

You’ve got seven breaking news alerts before lunch.

Every one feels like it could be an email. So you send seven.

Or at least three, because your supporters need to know, right? I’ve been there.

Environmental Action has been dealing with the same pull. Founded in 1970 on the first Earth Day, they’re a national environmental nonprofit that generates millions of online actions every year.

Two habits keep their program working: they’re disciplined about holding back when the news cycle is on fire, and they’re willing to test into topics that would be new to the list.

The discipline of not sending
A new threat to public lands. A bad bill moving through Congress.

Each story feels like it deserves its own email, and the instinct is to cover everything.

Environmental Action resists that by staying focused on a couple of anchor issues per week.

Advocacy for wolves is their strongest performing issue. If there’s a bill to delist wolves moving through Congress, that’s the main story, even if six other things are also happening.

That doesn’t mean ignoring rapid-response moments. It means being honest about whether something is a real opportunity or just an impulse.

Testing into the unconventional
Sometimes the best test is one that raises an eyebrow.

Environmental Action’s communications team spotted an FCC comment period on a proposal from a company called Reflect Orbital, which wants to launch up to 50,000 satellites to reflect sunlight onto cities at night.

They had never worked on dark sky or space issues. But they decided to test it anyway.

The result? One of the top five strongest advocacy emails they’d tested in the past year.

That’s the kind of result you just can’t predict.

How to apply this to your program
Stick to your anchor issues. Not every breaking development needs an email. Choose the one or two stories you’re going to tell well.

Test new topics to a segment before the full list. Build the capacity to turn that around quickly when something is time-sensitive.

Resist the urge to match the news cycle’s volume. When every organization is screaming, the ones that feel more intentional stand out.

And when the news isn’t just busy, but heavy, a 72-hour gut check can help you decide whether to pause, pivot, or proceed.

The bottom line
If you’re staring at your send queue right now, wondering whether everything in it actually needs to go out today, it probably doesn’t.

Send the one that matters most and test the weird one.

Check our events list for more or reply to this email to submit one for consideration.

‘Til next time!
Sara