Communications Support

All fundraising emails, as well as emails intended for alumni, donors, and friends of the university, must be sent through the UMass Amherst Foundation (UMAF) by submitting a project request form. Please allow a minimum of 10 business days for your request to be reviewed, approved, and processed. 

UMAF uses a distinct Salesforce Marketing Cloud (MC) instance to manage its constituent groups. Other email broadcast systems do not honor these constituent opt-out preferences and should not be used. Exceptions may include campus ticketing systems with an approved business need.

To request an email: 

1. Please email Crystal Maldonado at crystalmaldo@umass.edu at least 2-3 weeks prior to your targeted send date. Include as many details as possible:
   1. Email topic
   2. Send date
   3. Intended audience (for example: Classics alumni)
   4. Subject line
   5. Draft text for email message
   6. Sender of email and reply address
   7. Images (optional)
2. Crystal Maldonado will submit a project request with the UMass Amherst Foundation, and that team will be in touch. 
3. Working with the UMass Amherst Foundation, Crystal Maldonado will build your email. 
4. Review any test emails.
5. Your email will be sent by UMass Amherst Foundation on your requested date.

Helpful Links

• Advancement Email and Project Calendars
• Advancement Communications Policy

All emails to parents and families are managed through the Office of Parent Services. They are able to promote programs, resources, and opportunities on your behalf by posting on their website, sharing on their Facebook page or in the Parent and Family newsletter, and sending an email.

To make your email or project request, fill out this form.

Emails to HFA audiences can be sent one of three ways. Please note: Campus-wide broadcast emails can not be sent by HFA.

Option One: Submit a Request with University Relations
Best option for: Users who only plan to rarely send emails (such as once per semester)

Mass messages sent within a school, college, or unit must be approved by the top of the hierarchy (such as a dean for a specific school or college, or their proxy) and should be sent from an appropriate mass communications platform. 

If your message meets these criteria, the University Relations team can send a message on your behalf. Follow the checklist and email commsupport@umass.edu for assistance.

Option Two: Submit a Request to the HFA Communications Team
Best option for: Users who only plan to send occasional emails (such as twice per semester)

Need to email a specific audience within HFA—such as undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, faculty, or the whole college? Please email Crystal Maldonado at crystalmaldo@umass.edu at least two weeks before your desired send date. Be sure to include information regarding: 

1. Purpose of the email
2. Target send date
3. Target audience (for example: grad students or all students in the Classics Department)
4. Text/images to include in the message
5. Sender information

Option Three: Create an Account through MarketingCloud
Best option for: Users who plan to send frequent emails (such as weekly or monthly)

If you plan to send regular emails from your department or unit, you must create an account through MarketingCloud so you can manage your emails. HFA users who are currently using Emma can continue to do so unless otherwise noted.

To get yourself set up with an account and with the proper training, fill out this form or  email commsupport@umass.edu.

Helpful Links

• Brand Guidelines
• Mass Email Guidelines
• Email Request Form (for University Relations)

1. Fill out the event submission form to ensure your event is posted on the HFA events calendar. Events that are posted on this calendar are often promoted on the HFA homepage and in the weekly HFA Highlights newsletter.
2. Prepare a flyer, poster, and/or graphics to share on social media or email promotions (include UMass Amherst and HFA logos/wordmarks). Here is a template for a 8.5 x 11 flyer.
3. Request a slide to be included on video display monitors. Please follow these guidelines: 
   • Format your slide for widescreen display at a 16:9 ratio (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution is best)
   • Be sure to include all event details (date, time, location, etc.)
   • Use photography or artwork to create a visually interesting slide
   • Follow University Relations' guidelines for colors, fonts, and other design elements
   • Submit your side as a JPG or PNG to brownetatro@umass.edu
4. Post the event on your department's website and social media channels. If possible, tag the HFA accounts and we will share it if we can!
5. Send an email to your department.
6. Submit the event to the main UMass Events Calendar.
7. Write a story and submit to Inside UMass. Here is an example of how your story should be formatted. Be sure to include an image.
8. Submit to the NEPR Community Calendar.
9. Underwrite on WMUA. 
10. Advertise in the print or online edition of the Daily Collegian.

Helpful Links

• Canva Templates for Digital Displays/Slides
• Canva Templates for Flyers
• Canva Templates for Social Media
• Request a slide and/or submit to the HFA calendar

If you'd like your story to appear in the weekly internal newsletter managed by the Office of News and Media Relations, you can either email it to Crystal Maldonado at crystalmaldo@umass.edu or submit it directly via the Inside UMass web form. All submissions should be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday to be considered for that week's Inside UMass.

Submissions should be a first draft of the proposed story, written in full-sentences, in style and tone similar to other Inside UMass stories. While fliers and posters can be a helpful visual aid, a written description of events or news gives the editors context for the story. At the editor’s discretion, some stories may be held until the following week or not run at all. 

All submissions will be edited to reflect Associated Press and UMass Amherst style guidelines. Submissions may also be edited for length or clarity at the editor’s discretion.

A full list of Inside UMass guidelines can be found here.

Have some news you'd like to share on the HFA website, social media, press releases, and more? We'd love to hear more. We feature stories on: 

• Professional research;
• Published books (authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited);
• Awards and accomplishments;
• Appointments and fellowships;
• Articles (that you've written or are featured in);
• Video and podcast recordings;
• Exhibitions;
• Performances;
• Creative endeavors;
• And other public engagement opportunities (such as opinion pieces, longer newspaper/magazine articles, etc.).

For press releases, we will help pitch your story to the university News Office and outside media. The News Office has the ‘first right of refusal’ for the stories we pitch, and is the sole office with the capability to distribute press releases.

Please fill out this form OR send a description of your news, any accompanying photos or videos, links, and point of contact information over to Crystal Maldonado at crystalmaldo@umass.edu.

Request a slide to be included on video display monitors.

If you would like to create your own slide, please follow these guidelines:

• Format your slide for widescreen display at a 16:9 ratio (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution is best)
• Be sure to include all event details (date, time, location, etc.)
• Use photography or artwork to create a visually interesting slide
• Follow University Relations' guidelines for colors, fonts, and other design elements
• Submit your side as a JPG or PNG through this form.

Helpful Links

• Canva Templates for Digital Displays/Slides
• Canva Templates for Flyers
• Canva Templates for Social Media
• Request a slide and/or submit to the HFA calendar

The Conversation is an independent source for informed commentary and analysis, written by the academic and research community and edited by journalists for the general public.

It is a digital publication that helps research reach a wide audience. As a Founding Partner of The Conversation, UMass Amherst academics have been republished in outlets such as: Newsweek, Business Insider, Quartz, Fast Company, The Huffington Post, Salon, U.S. News, and Time.  

Why write for the general public? Access to independent, high quality, evidence-based, explanatory journalism underpins a functioning democracy. Our aim is to promote better understanding of current affairs and complex issues. 

All HFA faculty members are invited to submit ideas to The Conversation. A list of previous articles written by UMass Amherst faculty can be found here. 

Pitching Articles to The Conversation  

• Sign up as an author here. 
• Fill out the pitch form here. 
• Once completed, The Conversation will be in touch with you directly to discuss whether they feel the article is a good fit for the platform. 
• Remember to contact Crystal Maldonado (crystalmaldo@umass.edu) when your story is published.  

The university's brand is so important because of the vast audience we speak to: prospective students, alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and students; business, education, and community leaders; local, national, and international media. Whether we are sending out an email blast, a formal invitation, or communicating through social media, it is imperative that our branding remain consistent and represent quality and excellence.

When creating content for external audiences—prospective undergraduate and graduate students, prospective faculty or staff members, alumni, legislators, the general public, and other friends of HFA—please follow the following guidelines: 

1. Use the UMass Amherst wordmark AND;
2. The HFA logo and wordmark. BOTH must appear and be clearly visible on external audience publications.
3. Department specific publications can use the HFA logo and wordmark in lock up with department name or may use the HFA logo and wordmark with the department name typeset elsewhere in the publication. Contact Crystal Maldonado for your department's logo lockup.

For UMass Amherst wordmark specifications, please refer to the University Relations Website.

View the UMass Brand Guide.

University Relations harnesses the resources and expertise of a broad portfolio in a coordinated and strategic way to ensure that the powerful message of UMass Amherst reaches all of our varied audiences, both internal and external.

Submit a University Relations Project Request.