NDWA CNX User Guide
This guide is meant to help NDWA affiliate staff who will be managing the CNX tool for their organization.
Register your affiliate to send text messages: https://ndwa.ourpowerbase.net/node/4
This is the website where you can sign up your organization to use the CNX tool to send text messages to your members. You will be
able to choose two codes that will represent your affiliate (your “affiliate code”) – one for English-language messages and one for
Spanish-language messages. (For the time being, NDWA is only sending texts in English and Spanish. You can send texts in any
language you want.)
CNX homepage: http://domesticworkers.org/cnx/
This is the webpage where you can log in to view or export your list of contacts and send out text messages. It also includes
resources such as how-to guides, best practices, and sample sign-up forms.
How to Sign People Up to Receive Text Messages
Sign up by Text Message
People can sign up to receive text messages directly by using their phone. On the phone of the person interested in signing up for
CNX, send a text message to 646-699-3833. In the body of the message, type in your affiliate text code to receive messages from
both your organization and NDWA. Use the English affiliate code to receive messages in English and the Spanish code to receive
messages in Spanish. If they only want to receive alerts from NDWA, then type in NDWA for English-language texts and ANTH for
Spanish-language texts.
There is a legal requirement that when you ask someone to do this, you must let them know the following three things: 1) What will
the text messages be about and how often they can expect to receive messages (more on that below) 2) That the user can opt out
by replying STOP and 3) NDWA will not charge for text messages, but a member’s phone carrier may charge for text messages.
Sign up on a Sign-Up Form
You can also sign people up on a paper form. You must have the same disclosures as described above (see sample text below).*
There are sample forms on the CNX homepage. The most basic information needed is the person’s phone number, language
preference, and whether they want to receive text messages or pre-recorded voice messages. If sign-up is done on paper form,
people at your organization need to enter the into the CNX website:
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Go to http://domesticworkers.org/cnx/ and log in with the username and password assigned when you registered your
affiliate to use the CNX tool.
After you log in, you will see a box in the middle, labeled “Add a Contact.” Fill this form out, including language preference,
and click Submit. Check the “Voice only” box if the person wants to receive a recorded call instead of a text message.
If you want to add more information, click on “Add more information.” Here you can fill out name, address, email, and
other pieces of information that you may have collected about the contact.
Sign-ups from the web form or paper must require double opt-in to ensure that the person signing up is the owner of the phone.
This double opt-in is satisfied with an automated initial text to the mobile number asking the subscriber to reply Y to give permission
to join the mobile list. Members will then receive messages from your organization and NDWA.
How to Access Your Contacts
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Log in at http://domesticworkers.org/cnx/.
Under the box “Newest Contacts,” click on “All contacts.”
You can export this to a CSV file by clicking on the “Download as CSV” button at the bottom.
How to Send a Text
*
Sample text to include on any flier or sign-up sheet: By providing your Mobile Phone, you are allowing NDWA and [your organization name here]
to call you, including by autodialer, and text you. NDWA will never charge you for text message alerts, but carrier message and data rates may
apply. Text STOP to 646-699-3833 to unsubscribe and HELP for more info. Periodic updates, up to 6 per month.
NDWA Congress, July 2013
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Log in at http://domesticworkers.org/cnx/.
Under the box “Send a Text Message,” type in your message. Be wary of the 76 character limit for your text message. CNX
will NOT translate your message. If you want to type an English message, type it in English. If you want to type a Spanish
message, type it in Spanish.
If this is an English message, select English under “Language,” and click Submit. This message will go out to people who
have signed up using your affiliate’s English affiliate code.
If this is a Spanish message, select Spanish under “Language” and click Submit. This message will go out to people who
have signed up using your affiliate’s Spanish affiliate code.
Keep in mind that to send the same message to members who signed up to receive English language texts and those who
signed up to receive Spanish language texts, you must send the same message twice – once in English and once in Spanish.
We recommend you review the “Texting Best Practices” information sheet, available on the CNX website.
Rules and Limitations
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People who sign up for text message alerts, even if they sign up using the affiliate code, will be added to the NDWA contact
list, which means they will receive messages from NDWA as well as your organization.
The mobile phone is a very personal device, and overuse of contact by text message could cause people to stop responding
or unsubscribe. Because of this, the number of text messages that can be sent to a person in a month is six. The affiliate is
allowed to send up to three messages, and NDWA is allowed to send up to three messages.
There is a character limit of 76 characters for each text message.
Currently you can only send messages to your organization’s entire list of contacts.
Whenever NDWA sends a text message to the entire list, the point person for managing CNX from your organization will get
an email notification as it is sent out.
Currently, affiliates can send texts to their contacts, but cannot create voice recordings for the hotline.
The Worker’s Experience with CNX:
Workers With a Smart Phone
1. They text an affiliate (or NDWA) code to 646-699-3833.
2. They receive confirmation response from the affiliate (or NDWA).
3. Workers will then receive text messages whenever the affiliate or NDWA sends a message.
4. If the message includes a website link, the worker can click on it and it will open up in their phone web browser.
Workers Without a Smart Phone (but has text messaging capability)
1. They text an affiliate (or NDWA) code to 646-699-3833.
2. They receive confirmation response from the affiliate (or NDWA).
3. Workers will then receive text messages whenever the affiliate or NDWA sends a message.
Workers Without a Cell Phone
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Workers sign a paper form or on NDWA webpage (webpage sign-up coming soon)
After affiliate staff enters this information into the CNX website, worker will receive pre-recorded calls when they are
released or can call into 646-699-3833 to listen to updates.
Types of Texts:
Informational
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Breaking news
Links to websites with important information (shorten your link by going to http://bit.ly)
Reminders for important events, such as a rally, or to go vote
Invitation to an Event (this functionality is coming soon)
- Text message asking someone to RSVP or volunteer for an event by texting a certain code.
Call to Action (this functionality is coming soon)
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Text message asking recipient to call someone – such as a politician, and providing the number.
Text message asking recipient to sign an online petition, and providing the link to click on.
NDWA Congress, July 2013