Board communications

Started by LauraR5 • 4 replies • 1604 views

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LauraR5 (Tennessee)
Posts: 220

Posted:

Hey everyone,

I haven't posted for a while because I have been too busy putting out fires on the homefront. I would like to ask you all to weigh in on a few questions to do some benchmarking to see how my association stacks up.

1. Does your association have a newsletter? If so, how often does it go out and what kinds of topics are covered?
2. What other communication tools do you use to get information to homeowners?

Thanks in advance.

BillH10 (Texas)
Posts: 1,217

Posted:

Laura, some of our clients have newsletters, some have websites, some have both, and one has neither. Where we live, the Master Association has both; our sub-association has a newsletter and a lot of gossip.

The website contents tend to be matter of fact, meeting reminders, calendars, copies of association documents, forms to download, meeting minutes, reposts of city announcements, hours of operation for community amenities, etc.

Our Master Association does have a classified section on the website for homeowner use only--sales of no longer wanted items, etc. Our Master Association also provides access to both the Master Association and sub-association accounts for review and assessment payments.

The newsletters are generally whatever the editor can obtain from association vendors, outside sources such as CAI, recipes, reminders (especially regarding architectural change form submission requirements), upcoming events, community calendar, call for volunteers to place holiday decorations and the like. Also included is display advertising from nearby businesses as well as classifieds from residents (pet sitting, babysitting, miscellaneous for sale). Our Master Association is sufficiently large that the newsletter (actually a small magazine) advertising covers the costs, for smaller associations this is not the case.

The newsletters are published quarterly except our Master Association in which it is published monthly or close to it.

Other tools: e-mail blasts/reminders and yard signs. Official notices have to be mailed although Texas does allow BOD meeting announcements by e-mail with some caveats.

RichardP13 (California)
Posts: 1,767

Posted:

Currently, we send out a newsletter once a month, generally two page. I would like to go to quarterly, with more content.

We do a email blast to 90% of our community for meetings and community events. We can text message to 75% in case of emergency.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Laura,

We have a newsletter. We aim to publish it quarterly but, if needed, it's published more often.

Typically, the topics are:

Board decisions that impact residents (tree trimming, repairs, etc.)
Notifications/Reminders (meetings, annual inspections,etc.)
Contact info
Reminders of covenants (clean up after pets, parking regs, etc.)
Assessment info (Break down of what assessments go for, encouragement to use banks bill pay system, etc.)
Results of annual meetings
What to do if renting or selling your home
Website info
etc.

In addition to the newsletter, we do have a website. However, it is mainly used by potential buyers vs. actual residents.

We also utilize fliers for specific issues when needed.

DouglasK1 (Florida)
Posts: 2,046

Posted:

We have very sporadic newsletters, every once in a while someone will decide to resurrect it, do a couple, and then forget about it again. When we have them, they are quarterly. We have email addresses for just about everybody, so we just send out notices as needed there, for dues and meetings for example.

Escaped former treasurer and director of a self managed association.

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