MKP Connect Email List Policy

1: EMAIL LIST SUBSCRIPTION IS OPT-IN ONLY

The ManKind Project USA does not add men to Email Lists without their permission. (opt-in)
The MKP USA version of the New Warrior Training Adventure Participant Release grants permission for inclusion in two lists: The New Brother Email List (which includes the monthly Check In! newsletter), and a single information list to be determined by the Center / Area. All other Email List lists are by opt-in. Some roles and positions may require men to be on certain Email Lists. Questions about this policy? Email: communications@mkpusa.org

2. NO AGGREGATE GROUPS

The ManKind Project USA does not allow the creation of ‘Aggregate’ Email Lists without the permission of the users in those Email Lists.
An ‘Aggregate’ Email List is any group that combines the subscribers of two or more other groups. For example – a Email List that combines the subscribers of two Community Email Lists. Group subscribers must be informed in advance of any changes to the format or name of Email Lists. Questions about this policy? Email: communications@mkpusa.org

3. EMAIL LIST REQUESTS, CONFIGURATION, NAMING, AND CREATION

The ManKind Project USA retains sole authority for decisions regarding the creation of ‘Email Lists, their configuration, naming and use.
The MKP USA Administrative Director holds the final decision on issues related to Email List creation and configuration. All Email Lists must be created and used in alignment with our institutional values. In addition to the rules regarding inappropriate solicitation and commercial promotions, case by case decisions will be made by the MKP USA Administrative Director for any individual Email List request. MKP USA may consult with owners of existing or related Email Lists in evaluating each request. MKP USA will not duplicate existing Email Lists or replicate communication routes already established within Regions, Areas, Communities, Societies, Committees, and other working groups.

4. NO UNSOLICITED BULK EMAIL

The ManKind Project USA does not allow the collection and/or use of individual New Warrior email addresses and/or Email List addresses for unsolicited bulk communications.
An unsolicited bulk email is any email sent to a group of individuals (by CC, BCC, or mail delivery system) without express permission and/or unrelated to an agreed upon business or organizational relationship. This can include ManKind Project related communication, and both commercial and non-commercial messages not explicitly authorized in writing by the ManKind Project USA. Unsolicited bulk email is another form of aggregating, and is a violation of this policy and the MKPConnect End User License Agreement.  This prohibition includes the collection for use of email addresses from New Warrior Profiles, Contact Lists, Email Lists, I-Groups, or Public Web Sites. Violations of this policy will be handled based on the nature of the email content and the severity of the violation. Violation may result in revocation of user rights in MKPConnect. Questions about this policy? Email: communications@mkpusa.org

The prohibition against unsolicited bulk email is in place to protect New Warriors from receiving email they did not request, and to ensure that all official ManKind Project bulk email communication has an Unsubscribe option. Bulk email may be email sent from an institutional Role holder or an individual related to ManKind Project events, groups, Areas, Communities, or Individuals. It may also include personal commercial or non-commercial solicitation or promotion.
The ManKind Project USA is the sole owner of MKPConnect data. Unauthorized use of MKPConnect data, including New Warrior profile information, Email List, I-Group, or Contact list data is strictly prohibited. The ManKind Project USA may, at its discretion, grant limited permission for use of MKPConnect data for specific organizational purposes. Any grant of limited-use license must be approved in writing by an authorized agent of MKP USA Support Services.
Violations of the policy can be handled in several ways; repeat / egregious violation may result in removal of all MKPConnect privileges, review by the Ethics & Right Relationship Circle, and possible inclusion on the MKP Limited Activity List.

Q&A About Bulk Email

• Can I download email / snailmail addresses for people in my Area from MKPConnect to advertise my business, my workshop, or for other services?
  NO.  That is expressly forbidden by this policy. 
• I’m running a workshop that’s NOT MKP-approved, but is related to MKP’s kind of work (peer support, carpet training, emotional literacy, etc.) and might be of interest to initiated men in my Area.  Can I send out a notice on our Talk list?
  Yes.  Be reasonable with the frequency of announcements.  Over-messaging won’t bring more people, and might trigger some men to leave the list you’re using to contact them. Include a disclaimer: “This {offer} is not created, produced, insured, or sponsored by the ManKind Project USA.”
• I need more clients for my ABC Widget / Financial Service / Real Estate business.  Can I advertise my services and solicit clients on our “Talk” list?
  Discouraged. Your Area may prohibit business postings to your talk list. Talk to the Area Steward or Administrator. MKP USA has no express prohibition on commercial posts on Talk lists. We acknowledge that business is part of a man’s life. While we cannot prevent posts or users offering services, events, requests for assistance, or business opportunities, each man is responsible for his actions. Postings which ‘a reasonable person’ would find in violation of the spirit of the talk list will be handled respectfully and promptly by the list Administrator or Steward. All business related postings are subject to the ManKind Project Ethics Statement; in short: “I will not take advantage of another person’s vulnerability.”

Additional Context

MKPConnect provides Email Lists for the use of all New Warriors.
The ManKind Project USA holds exclusive rights to the data contained in the MKPConnect.org Community portal. Use of the data is granted under the terms of the MKP USA End User License Agreement (EULA). The ManKind Project USA is responsible for maintenance and safety of the MKPConnect community portal and all Email Lists. MKP USA reserves the right to shut down a Email List at any time if such Email List, its subscribers or administrators threaten the health or integrity of the ManKind Project or the users on the lists.

• Email List Email lists are subject to the MKPConnect End User License Agreement (EULA) and Privacy Policy.
• Email Lists are managed by List Administrators and overseen by the ManKind Project USA.
• MKP USA Email Lists are opt-in lists, and users may opt out or change their subscription by editing their subscription settings in the MKPConnect.org system.
• Definitions of Email List Terms
  • Open Subscription: Any MKPConnect user may subscribe by clicking the ‘JOIN’ button on the Email List home page
  • Closed Subscription: MKPConnect users ‘Request’ to Join the group, the Email List Administrator must approve the subscription.
  • Open Posting: Any subscriber may post to the group.
  • One Way Posting: Only the Email List Administrator or MKP USA Staff may post to the group.
  • Non-Moderated: Posts to the Email List are not screened before being sent out.
• There are three types of Email List Email lists
  • Talk or Discussion Lists: Open subscription, open posting, non-moderated, appear in profiles.
  • Broadcast or Announcement Lists: Open subscription, one way posting, Administered by List Owners, appear in profiles.
  • Private Groups: Closed subscription, open posting, non-moderated, do not appear in profiles.
• Email List Email lists are created by the ManKind Project USA staff by request.
• Certain Email List Email lists may be used by New Warrior and Non-New Warriors. Some lists are open to men and women. We commonly call these users “guest subscribers.”
• Email List Email lists each have at least one assigned administrator.  Administrators may be assigned by Community Administrators or MKP USA Staff.

The EULA does not define normal operations and use of the Email Lists, but does define Privacy & Non-Commercial use policy, as well as a list of prohibited actions and behaviors which apply to all Email Lists. These include illegal activity, harvesting of email addresses, use of lists for non approved commercial listings, stalking, harassment, personal attacks, or distribution of pornography.

Why we have adopted this policy – about SPAM

The standard for MKPConnect Email List is OPT-IN ONLY. We encourage direct communication within communities to INVITE men to participate in Email Lists.

Maintaining a positive reputation with email providers like Yahoo, Comcast, Gmail, AOL, AT&T and others is essential to our ability to communicate. Sending messages that a recipient marks as ‘SPAM’ triggers automatic red flags in the email provider’s relay, and can lead to entire mailing domains getting ‘Black Listed.’ (the email provider will no longer forward messages from that domain through their system) Once ‘Black Listed’ – it is a lengthy and difficult process to repair an email server’s reputation. The ManKind Project USA knows this from experience.

The Microsoft Security website defines SPAM as “any kind of unwanted online communication.” Our goal as a responsible nonprofit is to ensure that men want (have chosen) to get the email they receive, and that they can easily change their communication preferences.

The CAN-SPAM Act offers additional information about our responsibilities in sending email communication. Much of our communication is transactional rather than strictly commercial. The key distinction defined in the CAN-SPAM Act is that transactional or relationship content  “… facilitates an already agreed-upon transaction or updates a customer about an ongoing transaction …” For MKP USA, the transaction may be ongoing association with a ManKind Project USA community. The ONLY way to know if the transaction is ‘already agreed-upon’ is by getting explicit opt-in.

Bottom Line: The content of the email communication does not matter. It is the recipient’s perception that matters. Regardless of whether an email meets any legal threshold for SPAM, if a recipient clicks the ‘SPAM’ button, we have somehow failed to get appropriate opt-in to make sure the recipient wanted to get our email.

Violation of the opt-in mailing policy may result in suspension from use of the MKPConnect Email List system.

How we get opt-in

• Adding New Brothers to Email Lists – By completing the pre-weekend release, participants in the NWTA grant MKP USA permission to include them in two Email Lists. We encourage communities to remind New Brothers of this in a ‘Cyber-Guide’ style document in Sunday’s packet.
  • New Brother Email List – Created upon a participant’s completion of the NWTA from the NWTA participant roster. This list provides a forum for New Brothers to discuss their experience of the NWTA, and provides them with a once a week informational email about the ManKind Project. Administered by the Center/Area Administrator or Designee. Overseen by MKP USA Staff. The New Brother Email List message series invites men to get involved in community by joining local Email Lists.
  • Community Info / Broadcast List – New Brothers may be added to one local community Email List. MKP USA recommends that this be an Announcement only list, not a ‘chat’ list.
• We encourage communities to publicize their Email Lists by regularly posting invitations and requests to join, as well as including links to Email Lists on Community web pages and in communications.
• MKP USA does not assume that participation in one Email List warrants inclusion in another Email List. Users of MKPConnect choose the Email Lists they participate in.
• Make sure that all our communications have explicit instructions on how to OPT-OUT, or include an opt-out link.

MKP USA does not create (or allow creation of) ‘Aggregate’ Email Lists. We will not take the subscribers of one Email List and add them to another Email List.

• Constituency Representatives and Chairs are forbidden from creating ‘Aggregate’ lists of other Email List subscribers.
• Communication to the subscribers of an Email List of which the Constituency Representative or Chair is not a subscriber should be routed through the Administrator or a subscriber to the Group.
• Local Community Outreach Efforts should be managed on a small group level, and be direct communication, by phone or one-to-one email.
• The MKPConnect EULA states that MKP USA may, from time to time, communicate to individuals who have accepted the MKPConnect Terms of Use and EULA. This communication will relate to system or institutional information only.
• Users are strongly discouraged from Cross-Posting or Broadcasting to multiple lists.

Best Practices for List Owners and Administrators

The ManKind Project USA is responsible for the health and safety of email lists, and will work with administrators and moderators to ensure a non-abusive online experience for MKPConnect users. If you are a List Administrator and need assistance, please email communications@mkpusa.org

Best Practices for Center Directors / Area Administrators / Community Coordinators

Area Stewards, Board Chairs, Area Administrators, and Community Coordinators often act as gatekeepers to local community Email Lists, forwarding or reposting national Broadcast messages to local email lists. MKP USA recommends regularly inviting men to join Broadcast Lists rather than acting as a funnel for MKP communication.
Encouraging men to engage with the broader MKP community through participation in Email Lists lifts the burden of communication off the ‘Gate Keeper’ and encourages men to take an active role in their community. It also prevents those men who are already on the lists from getting duplicate communications.
If you act as a gatekeeper, we encourage you to include information about where the email came from – and a link to the Email List’s landing page.

Populating Area / Community Email Lists

Each Area and all Developing and Sustaining Communities will automatically have two Email Lists created by the MKP USA Staff.
These are: ABC Community Info or Announcement Email List and ABC Community Talk Email List. Populating these groups is a collaborative effort between the Community Coordinator, the Area Administrator, and the participating I-Groups.
Men may be added to the Community Announcement and Community Talk Email Lists in 3 ways:

1. Direct Opt-in through MKPConnect. By logging in to MKPConnect and making their way to the ABC Community Home Page, OR by searching for the ABC Community Email List, men can add themselves to the Email Lists.
2. Verbal Opt-in through a Community Coordinator or Community Outreach effort. These men can then be bulk-added through the MKPConnect system by the Email List Administrator (normally the Community Coordinator).
3. Email Opt-in through a Community Outreach effort. These men can then be bulk-added through the MKPConnect system as above.

Bulk adding men to a Community Email List without their express permission is not permitted.

Post Regular Email List Information for Your Subscribers

Local communities are encouraged to develop simple and clear purpose statements for their email lists and to post these statements to the list on a regular basis. Below you will find basic templates. Please feel free to adapt this statement to suit your community.

Announcement Lists / Info Lists

This is an Announcement list for the __________ Area / Community. Posts to this list are limited to important Community Information and Announcements. This is a no-reply list. If you have an announcement you believe should be on this list, please email THIS PERSON at THIS ADDRESS. We work to limit the number of emails sent on this list to #-# per week. If you wish to unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, login to MKPConnect.org and choose MY SUBSCRIPTIONS from your profile page. If you need assistance, email THIS PERSON at THIS ADDRESS.

Talk Lists / Discussion Lists

Help ____________ Area / Community Keep this list healthy!
The New Warrior is responsible for his words and actions and the impacts (intended and unintended) of those words and actions. As a community, we take shared responsibility for creating a safe environment for men. This list is part of our community. We are each accountable for the health and safety of this list.
Actions and words that are not in alignment with clean, clear, and respectful communication will be challenged. Users engaging in personal attacks or verbal or emotional abuse may be removed from this list at any time by a Stewardship Council Representative, a list Administrator, or a member of the MKP USA Staff. We invite and encourage active dialogue, and we expect a practice of Warrior Communication.
This is not a business list. And we acknowledge that business, in one form or another, is part of a man’s life and work, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. While we do not prohibit posts or users offering services, events, requests for assistance, or business opportunities, each man is responsible for his actions. Multiple postings or postings which ‘a reasonable person’ would find in violation of the spirit of this list will be handled respectfully and promptly by the list Administrator or Steward. All business related postings are subject to the ManKind Project Ethics Statement; in short: “I will not take advantage of another person’s vulnerability.”