Chapter 6. Chapter Tips
Communication with Your Members
Chapter Email Request Information
In order for PCNA and its chapters to be in compliance with spam laws, all e-mails sent in mass to PCNA
members need to have the ability for the recipient to unsubscribe from the e-mail list. Mass e-mails sent from a
personal account do not meet this requirement. Therefore, all mass PCNA communication is required to be sent
through the National Office e-mail system*.
*The one exception to this rule is individual e-mails. A chapter leader can e-mail a PCNA member individually
as the chapter leader but is not allowed to mass e-mail PCNA members. Individual member contact information
can be found in the Member Directory in the Member Center of the PCNA website. You must be a logged in
PCNA member to have access to the directory.
Email Request Guidelines
 E-mails must be requested no later than 14 days prior to send date
 E-mail content information must be complete and accurate
 E-mails cannot be sent for non-chapter business
 A maximum of 3 e-mail requests may be requested per chapter event
 All send dates can be altered without notice at the discretion of the PCNA marketing department due to
the following instances: 1) An non-foreseeable event announcement or press release, 2) Major or
national events (Symposium, Heart month, ACC, AHA, etc.), or 3) Too many emails scheduled on the
same day.
Email Request Content:
Chapter Name:
Event Date:
Event Time:
Event Location (including address):
Event Description:
Date for e-mail to be sent:
Zip code and mileage for recipients: example: 75 miles from 53703
Anytime you would like to send out a communication to your chapter members please contact Mariel Snyder,
Membership and Chapter Coordinator (msnyder@pcna.net) who can send out any information/communications
you would like.
At the end of each month Mariel will send Chapter Leaders a list of newly joined members who are eligible to
join their specific chapter. Chapter Leaders have the option to send them an individualized email inviting them
to join their chapter, attend an upcoming event, or take part in the survey on the chapter webpage.
A survey will be placed on each chapter’s webpage for members to participate in. This will provide feedback to
Chapter Leaders on what topic their members are interested in learning more about, how often they are
interested in meeting, if they are interested in taking more of a leadership role, etc.
Communication with Your Fellow Chapter Leaders
Visit the Chapter Webpage and participate in the Chapter Leader forum. Pose questions to common challenges
and get answers from Chapter Leaders who share similar experiences. Participate in a bi-annual conference call
just for Chapter Leaders. This is a great opportunity to check in and connect with Chapter Leaders! Contact
Mariel for details.
Updating Your Chapter’s Webpage
Keeping your Chapter’s webpage updated is a wonderful way to keep your members aware of upcoming events
and changes in the Leadership Team. Send all updates to Mariel via email.
Pictures are a great way to visually represent different events your chapter hosts. Be sure to send Mariel pictures
you would like on your chapter’s webpage.
Mentoring Program
New Chapter Leaders can be assigned a mentor, or another Chapter Leader, who has demonstrated marked
success in promoting the mission and goals of PCNA in their Chapter region. If you are interested in being a
mentor or participating in this program contact Mariel.
FAQ
1. Clarify timing of chapter activities around dates of National Symposium and Fall Learning Series. Our
Journal club is more of a chapter meeting not a large event - would it have to go by those timing guidelines?
A. Local events are only competitive with the Annual Symposium and Fall Learning Series when the
meeting or learning series are being hosted in that city. So if you have neither happening in your area,
feel free to schedule a local event. The same holds true for a Journal Club.
2. Can we charge a small amount for our Journal Club chapter meeting just to cover minor expenses for
refreshments, possibly one speaker at times?
A. Check our CE and Leadership Team Grant information in Chapter 3 for more information. As for a
speaker, we don’t usually grant honoraria for chapter members or PCNA leadership to be speakers at
events. If you’re looking for an outside speaker, you might contact us and seek help securing a product
theater or local sponsor that would help cover those costs.
3. If we can charge can we collect money at the event? Or would this have to go through PCNA?
A. Because of our status as a 501(c)(3) we can’t allow organizations/chapters that fall under our umbrella to
collect money independently.
4. Do you have webex/webinar capability for chapters to utilize to further our reach for meetings and
programs? If so how do I get a link for a program?
A. We do not have that capability at this time. However, we do use some free meeting services that can
accommodate conference calls and screen sharing, like AnyMeeting, in the office to facilitate meetings.
They are relatively easy to set up, so you may look into something like that.
5. We want to send a survey out to our chapter members - do we need to work through PCNA for this?
A. Yes, if you send Mariel the survey questions, she can send it out to the chapter list.
6. Do you know yet if our Chapter will host a Fall Learning Series event? When will dates be planned? When
will topic be planned?
A. Planning and finalizations of cities, dates and subjects are not usually announced until May.