Technical Reference

M365 Email Groups, Role Inboxes & Responsibilities

Operational reference for office staff, IT admin, and future volunteers — mailing lists, shared mailboxes, licensing, SOPs, and governance.

Quick Overview

SHHA uses two different patterns for email collaboration:

PatternTechnologyExamples
Committee mailing lists Microsoft Groups shha-all@, csc@, acc@
Role-based addresses Shared mailboxes president@, cscchair@, accchair@

Design Principles

Microsoft Groups (Mailing Lists)

Each committee has a Microsoft Group that acts as its mailing list.

GroupAddress
All membersshha-all@sandiahomeowners.org
CSCcsc@sandiahomeowners.org
ACCacc@sandiahomeowners.org
OthersOne group per committee

Behavior: Sending to the group distributes to all members. Membership is maintained by staff (primary owner: Anna). External participants can be included.

Shared Mailboxes (Role Inboxes)

Chair and executive role addresses are shared mailboxes tied to positions, not people.

RoleAddress
CSC Chaircscchair@sandiahomeowners.org
ACC Chairaccchair@sandiahomeowners.org
Presidentpresident@sandiahomeowners.org
Vice Presidentvicepresident@sandiahomeowners.org
Secretarysecretary@sandiahomeowners.org
Treasurertreasurer@sandiahomeowners.org

Access model

When leadership changes

  1. Remove predecessor access.
  2. Grant successor access.
  3. Keep the role mailbox address unchanged.

Archive Mailbox (itadmin@)

Power Automate Membership Notifications

A Power Automate flow sends email notifications whenever group membership changes.

Licensing and External Volunteers

User typeLicense needed?Capabilities
External volunteersNoGroup email delivery, SharePoint guest access
Licensed staff / adminYes (paid M365)Group administration, shared mailbox access, full portal

Responsibilities Matrix

ResponsibilityPrimaryBackupNotes
Maintain committee group membershipAnna (staff)IT adminAdd/remove members, verify accuracy
Manage shared mailbox permissionsAnna + IT adminIT adminRemove predecessor, add successor
Ensure itadmin@ in all groupsIT adminAnnaRequired for archive continuity
Monitor membership-change notificationsAnnaIT adminPower Automate emails = operational signal
Troubleshoot delivery/access issuesIT adminAnnaIncludes mailbox permissions and group settings

SOP: Add a Person to a Committee Mailing List

  1. Confirm committee and target group address.
  2. Verify whether person is internal staff or external volunteer.
  3. Add to the correct Microsoft Group membership.
  4. Confirm itadmin@ remains a member.
  5. Verify Power Automate sends membership-change notification.
  6. Ask requester to test delivery (or send a test message).

SOP: Remove a Person from a Committee Mailing List

  1. Confirm removal request and effective date.
  2. Remove member from the Microsoft Group.
  3. Verify Power Automate notification is received.
  4. If person held a role, check related shared mailbox permissions.

SOP: Leadership Transition for Role Inbox

  1. Identify affected role mailbox (e.g., accchair@).
  2. Remove outgoing person's mailbox permissions.
  3. Grant incoming person's mailbox permissions.
  4. Validate that incoming person can open the shared mailbox from their own account.
  5. Keep address and historical content in place for continuity.

SOP: New Committee Creation

  1. Create new Microsoft Group for the committee.
  2. Add initial committee members.
  3. Add itadmin@ as member for archiving.
  4. Ensure membership-change notifications are active.
  5. Record the group in the committee/group inventory.

Governance Rules

Maintain a simple inventory table (in the wiki or internal operations file) with:

This makes volunteer/staff handoff much easier.

Common Issues and Checks

Person does not receive committee emails

New chair cannot open role mailbox

Missing archive history

Handoff Checklist (Staff / Volunteer Transition)

Key Contacts and Ownership

RoleContact
Group membership ownerAnna (staff)
Technical owner / escalationIT admin
Archive mailboxitadmin@ (not actively monitored)
If ownership changes, update this section immediately.

M365 Email Building Blocks

SHHA uses four distinct patterns for email addresses in Microsoft 365. Before requesting any new address, understand which pattern fits your need. This page is the reference for anyone planning new committees, roles, or special-purpose addresses.

The Four Patterns at a Glance

PatternWhat it isExampleWhen to use it
Personal mailbox
first.last@sandiahomeowners.org		 A licensed M365 account owned by one person. Has its own login, calendar, OneDrive, etc. anna.smith@sandiahomeowners.org Office staff and IT admins who need to log in to Microsoft 365 and perform admin tasks. Costs a license.
Shared mailbox
role@sandiahomeowners.org		 A mailbox tied to a position, not a person. Multiple licensed users can open it from their own account. Retains full email history across holders. president@sandiahomeowners.org
cscchair@sandiahomeowners.org		 Any role where you need: (a) a stable address that survives personnel changes, (b) email history inherited by the next holder, (c) the ability for multiple people to send/receive as that address.
Mailing list (Microsoft Group)
committee@sandiahomeowners.org		 A distribution group. Email sent to the address is delivered to every current member — including external guests who have no M365 license. csc@sandiahomeowners.org
shha-all@sandiahomeowners.org		 Any group of people who need to receive the same email. Most committees have one. No license cost for external members.
Alias
(additional address on an existing mailbox or group)		 An extra email address that delivers to an existing mailbox or group. Not a separate mailbox — just an alternative address for the same destination. wildfire@sandiahomeowners.org → delivers to the ESC group or a specific shared mailbox One-off or special-purpose addresses (task forces, events, topical inboxes) where you do not need a separate mailbox with its own history. Use when you want a memorable address that maps to something that already exists.

Which Pattern Do I Need?

Walk through these questions when planning a new email address:

  1. Does one specific person need to log in to M365 and perform admin tasks?
    • Yes → Personal mailbox (requires a license; talk to IT admin)
    • No → continue
  2. Does the address need its own persistent inbox that survives personnel changes?
    • Yes → Shared mailbox
    • No → continue
  3. Does the address need to deliver to a group of people?
    • Yes → Mailing list (Microsoft Group)
    • No → continue
  4. Do you just need a convenient address that routes to an existing mailbox or group?
    • Yes → Alias on the appropriate existing mailbox or group
    • No → talk to IT admin to figure out the right approach

Combining Patterns

For a full committee setup you typically create all three:

WhatPatternExample for a new "Wildfire Preparedness" task force
Committee mailing listMicrosoft GroupWPC@sandiahomeowners.org
Chair inboxShared mailboxWPCChair@sandiahomeowners.org
Friendly alias (optional)Alias on the groupwildfire@sandiahomeowners.org → delivers to WPC@

You generally do not need to create personal mailboxes for the members — external volunteers receive group email at their personal addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) at no license cost.

Archive Rule

Every mailing list (Microsoft Group) must include itadmin@sandiahomeowners.org as a member. This is the archive account that preserves all committee email for continuity and records. It is not monitored for support.

Cost Summary

PatternLicense cost
Personal mailboxRequires a paid M365 license
Shared mailboxFree (up to 50 GB; no license unless it exceeds the limit)
Mailing list (Group)Free
AliasFree (added to an existing mailbox or group)

Where to Go Next

SOP: New Users, Mailboxes & Groups

This SOP is written for SHHA staff who are comfortable with basic Microsoft admin work and need a reliable step-by-step process for setting up new groups, shared mailboxes, and related addresses.

Start here every time: admin.microsoft.com

Quick Start: What Are You Trying to Set Up?

If you need...Go to this section
A new task-force or committee mailing address that sends to all membersSOP A: Create a Microsoft 365 Group (Mailing List)
A SharePoint document site for a new committee or task forceSOP: Create a Committee SharePoint Site
A role inbox for a chair or lead (keeps history when people rotate)SOP B: Create a Shared Mailbox
A friendly one-off address like wildfire@sandiahomeowners.orgSOP C: Add an Alias
An internal staff account with first.last@sandiahomeowners.org loginSOP D: Add a Licensed User
An external volunteer using Gmail/Yahoo/etc.SOP E: Add an External Guest

Task Force Fast Path (Most Common New Setup)

For a new short-term task force, the normal pattern is:

  1. Create a Microsoft 365 Group for the task-force mailing list.
  2. Add members (including external guests) and always include itadmin@sandiahomeowners.org.
  3. Create a Shared Mailbox for the task-force lead/chair if they need role continuity.
  4. Add an optional Alias (for example, wildfire@sandiahomeowners.org) if a friendlier address is useful.
  5. Confirm the Microsoft 365 group-connected SharePoint site exists; do not create a duplicate.
  6. Configure document permissions using SOP: Create a Committee SharePoint Site and send members the Committee SharePoint Guide.
  7. Test email delivery and update the Quick Links directory.

If you only need one address that emails the whole task force, do SOP A only.

SOP A: Create a Microsoft 365 Group (Mailing List)

Use this for: any committee/task-force address that should email all members.

Menu path: admin.microsoft.com → Teams & groups → Active teams & groups → Add a group

Step-by-step

  1. Open admin.microsoft.com and sign in.
  2. In the left menu, click Teams & groups.
  3. Click Active teams & groups.
  4. Click Add a group.
  5. Select Microsoft 365 as the group type, then click Next.
  6. Enter:
    • Name: Full task-force name (example: Wildfire Preparedness Task Force)
    • Description: Short purpose statement
    Click Next.
  7. Add at least one Owner (usually office staff), then click Next.
  8. Set:
    • Group email address (example: wildfiretf → wildfiretf@sandiahomeowners.org)
    • Privacy: usually Private
    • Leave "Create a team for this group" off unless Teams is explicitly needed
    Click Next then Create group.
  9. Open the new group, then go to Settings.
  10. Enable external email: turn on Let people outside the organization email this group.
  11. Enable inbox delivery: turn on Send copies of team emails and events to team members' inboxes.
  12. Go to Members → Add members.
  13. Add all task-force members (internal and external as available).
  14. Required: Add itadmin@sandiahomeowners.org as a member for archive continuity.
  15. Send a test email to the new group address and confirm delivery.

Done checklist

SOP B: Create a Shared Mailbox (Chair/Lead Inbox)

Use this for: role inboxes that must persist when people rotate (chair, lead, coordinator).

Menu path: admin.microsoft.com → Teams & groups → Shared mailboxes → Add a shared mailbox

Step-by-step

  1. In admin center, go to Teams & groups → Shared mailboxes.
  2. Click Add a shared mailbox.
  3. Enter:
    • Name (example: Wildfire Task Force Lead)
    • Email (example: wildfirelead → wildfirelead@sandiahomeowners.org)
  4. Click Save changes.
  5. Open the mailbox details and click Members → Edit → Add members.
  6. Add licensed users who should access the mailbox (usually current lead/chair and optional backup).
  7. Set Send As (or delegation) permissions for the same users.
  8. Ask one user to verify in outlook.com that:
    • The mailbox appears (or can be manually added)
    • They can receive mail
    • They can send with the shared mailbox in the From field

Important notes

SOP C: Add an Alias (One-Off Friendly Address)

Use this for: addresses like wildfire@sandiahomeowners.org that should route to an existing group or mailbox.

Menu path: admin.microsoft.com → select target group/mailbox → Email aliases / Email address settings

Step-by-step

  1. Decide destination first: should alias route to the group or the shared mailbox?
  2. For group destination:
    • Go to Teams & groups → Active teams & groups.
    • Select the group.
    • Open email settings and add alias address.
  3. For shared mailbox destination:
    • Go to Teams & groups → Shared mailboxes.
    • Select mailbox.
    • Open email settings and add alias address.
  4. Save changes.
  5. Send test email to alias and verify it arrives in the expected destination.

SOP D: Add a New Licensed User (Internal Staff)

Use this for: staff/admin accounts that need a personal Microsoft login (first.last@sandiahomeowners.org).

Menu path: admin.microsoft.com → Users → Active users → Add a user

Step-by-step

  1. Go to Users → Active users → Add a user.
  2. Enter name and username (first.last format).
  3. Generate temporary password and require password change at first sign-in.
  4. Assign correct M365 license.
  5. Finish adding user.
  6. Add user to appropriate groups/shared mailbox access as needed.

SOP E: Add an External Guest (Volunteer)

Use this for: most volunteers; avoids paid license cost.

Menu path: admin.microsoft.com → Users → Guest users (or Entra invite flow)

Step-by-step

  1. Invite external user with personal email address.
  2. Ask them to accept Microsoft invitation email.
  3. After acceptance, add them to needed Microsoft Groups.
  4. Verify they receive test group email.

Send The Onboarding Email

After setup and testing are complete, choose the matching message from Office Onboarding Email Templates. Replace every placeholder and test every link before sending.

Final Validation (Do This Before You Close the Ticket)

Where To Go Next

SOP: Create a Committee SharePoint Site

Audience: SHHA office staff and IT administrators. This is not a committee-member task.

Goal: connect an existing committee Microsoft 365 group to its group-owned SharePoint document library, keep site-page administration with office staff, and give committee members read/write access to documents.

Before You Start

Write down these values before opening Microsoft 365:

Committee nameThe full display name
Microsoft 365 groupThe existing group/mailing-list name
Group emailThe committee mailing-list address
Expected site addresshttps://shha.sharepoint.com/sites/[GROUP-NAME]
Office ownersPrimary and backup office/admin accounts

The finished site should be Private. Office staff are Owners / Full Control. Committee members have Contribute access to documents and do not administer the home page.

Step 1: Find The Existing Group-Connected Site

A Microsoft 365 group normally provisions a connected SharePoint team site. If the mailing list already exists, do not begin by creating another site or group.

  1. Try https://shha.sharepoint.com/sites/[GROUP-NAME].
  2. If that does not open, go to admin.microsoft.com → Show all → Admin centers → SharePoint.
  3. Open Sites → Active sites.
  4. Search for both the committee's full name and group name.
  5. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, open Teams & groups → Active teams & groups, select the group, and confirm its type is Microsoft 365.

If the group-connected site appears in Active sites, open it and continue.

If the Microsoft 365 group exists but no connected site can be found, stop and contact IT. Do not create a similarly named standalone site. A duplicate separates mailing-list membership from document access.

Step 2: Confirm Office Staff Are Owners

  1. In the SharePoint admin center, open Sites → Active sites.
  2. Select the committee site.
  3. Select Membership.
  4. Confirm the primary and backup office/admin accounts are Owners or site admins.
  5. Add a backup office/admin owner if needed.
  6. Do not make the committee chair or ordinary committee members Owners.

Owners may edit the home page, navigation, permissions, and site settings. Keep that role with office staff.

Step 3: Give Members Document Access Without Site Editing

Microsoft normally gives group-connected team-site members Edit permission. SHHA uses Contribute so members can work with documents without managing lists or editing the site page.

  1. Open the committee SharePoint site.
  2. Select Settings → Site permissions.
  3. Select Advanced permissions settings.
  4. Select the SharePoint group whose name ends in Members. Do not select Owners or Visitors.
  5. Select Edit User Permissions.
  6. Clear Edit.
  7. Select Contribute.
  8. Select OK.

Do not remove the committee Microsoft 365 group from the site. Group membership keeps the mailing list and document access synchronized.

Step 4: Keep The Site Simple

A team site already includes a default Documents library. Do not create a second Documents library.

  1. Open Documents and confirm it works.
  2. Create a folder named Documents Shared with Board.
  3. If folder colors are available, apply the standard SHHA committee-folder color.
  4. Edit the left navigation and remove unused links. Keep the useful experience limited to Home and Documents.
  5. Do not delete the system Site Pages library; it supports the home page.

Step 5: Make The Home Page Minimal

Only office staff should edit the home page.

  1. From the home page, select Edit.
  2. Use the committee's full name as the title.
  3. Add: “Use the Documents library for committee files and enduring reference materials.”
  4. Add or keep an obvious link to Documents.
  5. Remove unnecessary news, activity, and decorative web parts.
  6. Republish the page.

Step 6: Add The Library To Office OneDrive

This is only for internal office users with SHHA Microsoft accounts. External users should never use OneDrive for committee documents; they use SharePoint in their browser.

  1. Sign in as the office user who needs the shortcut.
  2. Open the committee SharePoint site and then Documents.
  3. Select Add shortcut to OneDrive or Add shortcut to My files.
  4. Open that user's OneDrive and confirm the committee folder appears under My files.
  5. If the desktop OneDrive app is used, confirm the shortcut appears on that computer.
  6. Repeat while signed in as each internal office user who needs the shortcut.

The shortcut points to the group-owned SharePoint library. It does not copy files into a personal OneDrive.

Step 7: Test With An External Member

  1. Ask one existing external group member to open the committee SharePoint site using the same personal email address that received the Microsoft invitation.
  2. Confirm the member can open Documents.
  3. Have the member upload a temporary file named TEST - delete me.
  4. Confirm the member can edit, rename, move, and delete the test file.
  5. Confirm the member cannot edit the home page, navigation, permissions, or membership.
  6. Confirm someone outside the group cannot open the private site.
  7. Remind the external tester to bookmark the SharePoint site and not use OneDrive.

Step 8: Publish The Member Instructions

  1. Send members the Committee SharePoint Guide.
  2. Add the committee mailing list and SharePoint URL to Quick Links & Directory.
  3. Tell external members to bookmark the SharePoint site. Do not give them OneDrive instructions.

Final Checklist

Microsoft References