The list-serve should be created early on, but it should not be an immediate project. The problem with starting a list-serve as soon as you have an idea that you want to start an organization is that it will likely fail in the beginning. If the list-serve is not active, it sets the precedent for its members to not check messages sent over the list-serve and to treat your organization as defunct. Starting the list-serve once you have momentum behind you makes the organization look much better and keeps people more involved. The list-serve should be a single email address that you, other executive officers, and perhaps members, can easily type in and send out to a large number of people. You should not type in every person’s email address into the “to” box because it looks extremely unprofessional, you will inevitably make a mistake in who you’re sending the message to, and people will start replying-all to the list-serve and cause many members to take themselves off. Use either a Google Groups list-serve or a university list-serve account depending on your preference. Either one works. (Many, if not most, student organizations use Google Group list-serves[1] to avoid university bureaucracy, costs with getting a list-serve address, and other problems associated with a school address.) Once you have a list-serve set up add as many people to it as possible, and make sure to keep it active so they know your organization is active.
Continue to Step 8: Hold Events
Download a PDF of this handbook
[1] To set up a Google Groups list-serve, just go to www.groups.google.com. Complete the basic details and send out an invitation to everyone to join. You do not need a Google email account to sign up for the group. (But if you don’t have a Gmail account yet, you should consider doing so because it is easier to send large files with.) From there out, you can just add people to the list-serve or send invitations for them to join.
