An email address for your association or non-profit
The challenge for a volunteer board
An association runs on volunteers, and they change. This year's treasurer may simply be a member again in two years. That's exactly where email often pinches. Many boards use a free address belonging to one person, or they all share the same password. As long as things go well, it doesn't stand out.
It does stand out as soon as someone leaves. Then it turns out that all the association's mail is in that former board member's private mailbox, or that no one dares change the password anymore because half the accounts hang off it. As someone asked on a forum: "does anyone know a good way to create an email address for an organisation?" That's the right question, because the solution sits in the setup, not in the person.
Role addresses instead of personal addresses
The key is that you tie email to the role, not to the person. treasurer@yourassociation.be belongs to whoever is treasurer at that moment. If the board changes, the address goes along to the new treasurer, including all previous correspondence. The person leaving loses access, and the association loses nothing.
This way you build up a small, logical whole:
board@for the general mail and the point of contact to the outside world.treasurer@,secretariat@andchair@for the separate roles.- Optionally
members@oractivities@for recurring themes.
If you want to understand how such a role address passes to the next person exactly, read role email addresses and hand-over. If you're torn between a shared mailbox and a forwarding address, then what is a shared mailbox explains the difference calmly.
Continuity without sharing a single login
Sharing one password feels practical, but it's a risk that catches up with you sooner or later. You no longer know who all has access, you can't cleanly revoke someone's access, and one weak password immediately opens everything.
Better is that each board member has their own access and that the role addresses hang under it. A shared mailbox lets several board members work in the same mailbox without using the same account. If someone leaves, you only adjust their access; the association's mail stays in place. If you also optionally switch on two-factor authentication, your association's mailbox is well protected, even if a volunteer is a bit lax with passwords.
Affordable at a small volume
An association doesn't need to buy a heavy package for this. You start small: one or two mailboxes on your own domain, and you solve the rest with aliases, of which you get 20 free per mailbox. That way you can let board@, treasurer@ and secretariat@ arrive with whoever is responsible for them, without paying for a separate account for each address.
The Basic plan costs €4.99 per mailbox per month, billed annually and excluding the domain name. For many associations that, with the free aliases included, is a very achievable foundation. If you grow into something bigger, you simply scale up with it.
An email address for your non-profit: why Mailflux fits
Mailflux is professional email on your own domain, hosted in Europe and GDPR-compliant. That last point counts for a non-profit too, because you process member data. Every plan includes antivirus, antispam and antimalware, automatic backups and optional two-factor authentication. Everyone works via webmail in the browser or via their own mail program, without installation. And if you get stuck, you get real, personal service.
Are you more of a foundation or a mixed association? Then also take a look at email for foundations and associations. An overview of all target groups is on who Mailflux is for.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I create an email address for an association?
You register or use an own domain for the association and create role addresses under it, such as board@ and treasurer@. That way the email belongs to the association and not to a board member's private mailbox.
What happens to the email when the board changes?
Because the addresses belong to the role and not to the person, they go along to the new board member, including the earlier correspondence. The person leaving loses access and the association's history is preserved.
Is one mailbox enough for a small non-profit?
Often yes. You start with one or two mailboxes and use the 20 free aliases per mailbox to let your role addresses arrive with the right person. That way it stays affordable at a small volume.