DearMEP vs New/Mode

DearMEP is free, open-source software that helps citizens contact elected representatives in the European Parliament. Users can call once or schedule daily or weekly calls, and can also contact politicians by email or social media. The system chooses a representative from the user's country whom it estimates may be persuadable, using voting behavior and feedback. NGOs and activists can adapt the tool for campaigns and other assemblies, or embed a customizable widget on a campaign website. The widget detects the browser language and also lets visitors choose a language; campaign URLs must be added to the instance's allowed origins. DearMEP offers API documentation for advanced integrations and custom client implementations, and is available as web software, an API, or self-hosted software. A new instance requires an account with 46elks, its calling provider. The project says it minimizes personal-data processing and follows privacy-by-design and privacy-by-default, with GDPR compliance. Its privacy design document says IP addresses are used for geolocation and abuse prevention but are not persisted by the application itself; the document notes that some described functionality may not be implemented.

New/Mode is a civic action platform for nonprofits, unions, and advocacy campaigns that engage supporters and raise funds. It connects supporters with decision-makers through email, phone, social media, and letters to the editor, and its database targets government decision-makers. The free Individual plan includes Smart Petitions, unlimited email blasts, email-your-rep campaigns, and social media advocacy tools. Grassroots costs $13 a month and includes 1,000 contacts, with additional contact charges beyond that. Teams costs $109 a month and includes 2,000 contacts and three admin users. Movement Builder+ priced on request for organizations with 5,000 or more contacts, with pricing scaling with the list. CRM integrations include Salesforce, Action Network, NationBuilder, EveryAction, HubSpot, iMIS, ActionKit, and Blackbaud & Raiser’s Edge; website connections include WordPress, Drupal, and Squarespace, and Mailchimp is listed for email marketing. Its API is described as RESTful and OSDI compliant. Support ranges from self-service to email and priority support with a 48-hour response for Movement Builder+. The free tier has a hard cap that can require an upgrade or add-on if donations are turned off after 500 contacts or a payment processor such as Stripe is connected.