Connect is a new communication and group management product that allows you to segment your members by groups and communicate with them through email and text messages. Connect was built by eCatholic and was designed to integrate with any eCatholic Website.

With eCatholic Connect, you can:

• Easily send emails from your own domain (which is ideal for successful email deliveries) 
• Invite members to join your organization and its groups
• Import members from your existing communication system
• Create unlimited groups
• Add other org and group admins 
• Send unlimited emails
• Send text messages (requires a Twilio account)
• Schedule messages to send at a later date and time
• Upload files and send them to members
• Embed images in messages
• Receive message replies to your email 
• Capture new member sign-ups directly through your eCatholic website

Connect is also built to provide your members full access to their communication preferences, which allows them to:

• Easily subscribe to receive your messages without creating a log in
• Easily unsubscribe from messages (allowing your organization to comply with anti-spam regulations)
• Create an account (remember this is optional) to manage their personal details, memberships & communication preferences
• View messages
• Access documents and files online that have been shared with them

We believe there are three distinct things that set eCatholic Connect apart from other communication tools: 

1. Connect is easy to use
   • As you’ve come to expect from eCatholic’s products, Connect is remarkably easy to use. Whether it’s the initial setup or ongoing group management and communication, Connect is built by Catholics, for Catholics. Anyone can do it! 
   • Want to see more? Check out some of our favorite Connect features here. 
     
     
2. Connect is focused on Data Privacy, Security, and User Control
   • From CAN-SPAM, to GDPR, to CCPA and more, there are a lot of laws and regulations governing communication and member data management. eCatholic Connect has been built so that you don’t have to worry about the laws; our tools and workflows are designed to ensure secure, private, and compliant communication and group management, so you can enjoy communication delivered to your members safely and without delay.
     
     
3. Emails are sent from your own domain
   • It’s a hassle to ask people to add your communication tool's domain to their contact list in order for them to receive your emails. And frankly, we think there’s a better way. With eCatholic Connect, you can send emails directly from your domain. This improves your emails' deliverability and boosts your messages' legitimacy and authenticity.

Yes! Once your Connect account is set up, you can turn on the Connect integration in your site's admin settings. Once your connect account is linked to your website, you can:

• Add the Group Messages module to the content on any page of your website to display the most recent public messages sent to that group.
• Add the Join Group module to the content on any page of your website and allow members to join specific groups.
• Turn on a sign-up form in your website footer, allowing visitors to join your master contact list from the bottom of any page on your website.

There’s no limit to how many emails you can send in Connect.

There is also no limit on how many text messages you send, however, standard messaging rates will apply, based on your area. The cost for text messaging will be billed through your Twilio account, which is a third-party texting provider that Connect leverages to help you send text messages securely and successfully. 

There is no limit on the number of groups you create, and there is no limit on the number of contacts you can upload to your account.

We built Connect for all types of organizations, from small country churches to big city parishes; for small ministries and entire dioceses alike. Unlimited groups and members in Connect helps you build the best communication strategy for every unique need in your organization.
 

Not at all! You can use the import tool to add your existing subscribers to get up and running quickly. Plus, our team will be there every step of the way until your setup is complete, so you’ll have no questions left unanswered.

There are a few additional steps to begin sending text messages, which are clearly outlined for you in our Help Center.
 

Yes. Because Connect is a web-based app, it is securely accessible on any internet-connected computer or device, including tablets and cell phones. 

Connect is fully optimized to look and work great on devices of any size, which allows better management of your messages and groups whether you're on-the-go or at your desk.
 

Yes. Currently, when a member replies to an email, all of those messages will be forwarded to all group managers. 

Yes! Every member added to your organization is able to create their own Connect account. From their account, members can log in, update their personal communication preferences, manage which groups they’d like to receive messages from, and opt-out from receiving all messages entirely.

Recipients may also opt-out by clicking the Unsubscribe link in any email message they receive (no account is needed to accomplish this), or reply STOP to unsubscribe from any text messages.
 

No. Connect was built to ensure your members receive messages the way they prefer to receive them. This means you don't need to fret about the appropriate communication channel for a particular message; you simply compose the message and click send. The message will then be delivered to your recipients in their preferred format.

Check out our blog to learn more about why we built Connect this way and we think member choice is so important. 
 

No. Connect is an online tool that allows you to send digital communications easily.