Can the organizer see what I write?
No. Organizers write a suggested subject line and email body, but you edit your own message before sending. The final text goes directly to your official. Citizenly does not share it with the organizer.
Can the organizer see my name, email, and home address?
Your name is always visible to the organizer: it helps them measure participation. Your email address and home address are yours to control. By default, subscribed organizers can see both. When you submit, you can opt out of follow-up contact from the organizer and campaign updates. If you opt out of both, your email address and home address are hidden from the organizer entirely. Organizers are required by our Terms of Service to respect these choices, and violations are grounds for account suspension.
What else can the organizer see?
Organizers see the total submission count and a participant list for their own campaign only. For each participant, they can always see which district they are in, which officials received the message, opt-in choices, and submission timestamps. They cannot see the content of messages sent to officials, data from other campaigns, or any information about citizens who submitted to other organizers' campaigns.
Who created this campaign, and can I trust them?
Campaigns are created by approved organizers: nonprofits, community groups, and advocacy organizations registered with Citizenly. Organizer identity and organization name are reviewed before approval.
How does my email actually get to my official?
After you submit the form, Citizenly sends you a confirmation email with a link. When you click it, Citizenly sends your message to your elected official's office with your email address in the Reply-To field so the office can respond directly to you.
Why do I have to click a link in my email first?
The click confirms you control the email address you entered. Without this step, anyone could submit a message in your name. The verification step protects both you and the officials who receive these messages.
What happens if I don't click the link?
Your message is held until you click the verification link. The link is valid for 48 hours. If it expires, click it anyway: you'll see an expiration notice with a link to resubmit.
What information does Citizenly store?
Citizenly stores your name, email address, and home address (used to identify your district), your message text (for audit and legal purposes), and your IP address at submission time. No payment information is collected. Citizenly is free for citizens.
Does Citizenly sell or share my data?
No. Citizenly does not sell, rent, or share citizen data with third parties. The organizer who created the campaign can see your contact information as described above. See the full Privacy Policy for details.
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