Email Communication Tools¶

Learn how to use The Club Schedule's email features to communicate with your club members effectively.

Note: Only club officers (President, VP Education, Secretary, or Admin) can send emails to members.

Types of Email Communication¶

The Club Schedule provides several ways to communicate with members:

1. Manual Club-Wide Emails¶

Send custom messages to all members or selected groups.

2. Automated Notifications¶

System-generated emails that send automatically based on events: - Schedule publication notifications - Meeting reminder notifications - Assignment notifications

3. Individual Assignment Emails¶

Emails sent when individual assignments are created or changed.

Sending Manual Emails to Members¶

Accessing the Email Tool¶

Log in as a club officer
Click Email Members from your dashboard
Or navigate to Communication > Email Members in the menu

Composing Your Message¶

To: Select recipients
All active members
Only officers
Members with specific roles
Custom selection (coming soon)
Subject: Enter your email subject line
Keep it clear and concise
Include relevant dates or topics
Example: "Important: Meeting Moved to Next Week"
Message: Write your email content
Use the text editor to format your message
Keep it concise and actionable
Include any necessary links or attachments (if supported)
Preview: Review how the email will look to recipients
Send: Click Send Email to deliver the message

Email Sending Limits¶

To prevent spam and protect your club's reputation:

Active Subscription: - Unlimited emails to members - Automatic notifications work normally

Lapsed Subscription (Grace Period Ended): - Limited to 2 emails per week - Automatic notifications are disabled - Reactivate your subscription to restore full email access

Automated Email Notifications¶

Schedule Publication Notifications¶

When you publish a schedule, members can be automatically notified.

To enable: 1. Go to Club Settings > Email Preferences 2. Check "Notify all members when a new schedule is published" 3. Click Save Settings

What members receive: - Email with the schedule name and date range - Link to view the full schedule - List of their assignments (if any) - Instructions for responding to assignments

Meeting Reminder Notifications¶

Set up automatic reminders sent before each meeting.

To configure: 1. Go to Communication > Meeting Notifications 2. Choose reminder timing: - 3 days before meeting - 1 week before meeting - 2 weeks before meeting - Custom timing 3. Customize the reminder message template 4. Click Save Settings

What members receive: - Reminder about the upcoming meeting - Their role assignments for that meeting - Meeting date, time, and location (if configured) - Link to view the full schedule

Assignment Notifications¶

Members automatically receive emails when: - They're assigned to a new role - An officer changes their assignment - They need to respond to an assignment

Email content includes: - Role name and meeting date - Accept/Decline buttons (one-click response) - Link to view the schedule - Deadline for responding (if configured)

These notifications are automatic and cannot be disabled (they're essential for the system to work).

Email Best Practices¶

When to Use Manual Emails¶

Announcements: Important club news or changes
Reminders: Special events or deadlines
Updates: Changes to published schedules
Emergency communications: Last-minute meeting cancellations
Club business: Officer elections, club votes, etc.

When to Use Automated Notifications¶

Regular meeting reminders: Set it once and forget it
New schedule releases: Ensure everyone sees their assignments
Assignment confirmations: Let the system handle routine communications

Writing Effective Emails¶

Subject Lines: - Be specific: "Meeting Cancelled This Thursday" vs "Update" - Use dates: "Schedule for March 2025 Published" - Indicate urgency when needed: "URGENT: Change to Tomorrow's Meeting"

Message Content: - Start with the most important information - Use short paragraphs - Include specific dates and times - Provide clear action items - Add a friendly closing

Example Structure:

Hi everyone,

[Main announcement or information]

[Details or context]

[Action required, if any]

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your officer title]

Timing Your Emails¶

Avoid late nights/early mornings - Send during business hours
Give adequate notice - At least 24-48 hours for important changes
Don't over-communicate - Too many emails lead to members ignoring them
Consolidate information - Send one comprehensive email instead of multiple short ones

Managing Email Preferences¶

Member Email Preferences¶

Members control their own email preferences: - Assignment notifications: On/Off - Reminder notifications: Frequency - Club announcement emails: On/Off

Note: Officers cannot override individual member preferences. Members who opt out won't receive certain emails.

Club-Wide Email Settings¶

As an officer, you control: - Whether schedule publication sends notifications - Meeting reminder timing and content - Default email templates

Access these in Club Settings > Email Preferences.

Troubleshooting Email Delivery¶

Emails Not Being Received¶

Check these common issues:

Member email addresses
Go to Manage Members
Verify members have valid email addresses
Check for typos in email addresses
Spam/Junk folders
Ask members to check spam folders
Whitelist emails from @theclubschedule.com
Add The Club Schedule to contacts
Email preferences
Check if the member has opted out of certain emails
View member profile > Contact Preferences
Subscription status
Verify your subscription is active
Check if you've hit the lapsed subscription email limit

Bounced Emails¶

If an email bounces (delivery fails): - You'll see a warning in the Recent Activity log - Update the member's email address - Contact the member through another channel to get their correct email

Delayed Emails¶

Some emails may take a few minutes to arrive: - Large email batches are queued to prevent spam filters - Background processing ensures reliable delivery - Check the notification job status in Recent Activity

Email Compliance and Privacy¶

What We Track¶

Email delivery status (sent, failed, bounced)
Email open rates (anonymized)
Link clicks (anonymized)

What We Don't Do¶

Share member email addresses with third parties
Send marketing emails without consent
Include member emails in CC/BCC that exposes them to others

Member Rights¶

Members can: - Opt out of non-essential emails - Request a copy of all emails sent to them - Update their email address at any time - Request deletion of their email from the system

Advanced Email Features¶

Email Templates (Coming Soon)¶

Save frequently used messages as templates: - Meeting cancellation template - New member welcome email - Monthly newsletter template

Scheduled Sending (Coming Soon)¶

Schedule emails to send at a specific time: - Prepare emails in advance - Send during optimal times - Coordinate with other club activities

Email Analytics (Coming Soon)¶

Track email effectiveness: - Open rates - Click-through rates - Response rates to assignments

Tips¶

Test first - Send a test email to yourself before sending to all members
Mobile-friendly - Keep emails short; members often read on phones
Include links - Make it easy for members to take action
Be consistent - Use similar formatting for all club emails
Save important emails - Keep copies of critical communications
Respect preferences - Honor member opt-out requests

Creating and Publishing Schedules
Inviting New Members
Club Settings Overview
Subscription and Billing Guide (for email limits during lapsed subscriptions)