Welcome to your guide on effectively implementing the Volunteer Magnet Method™ - Appreciate strategy within Text In Church. This approach is designed to enhance volunteer engagement and appreciation in your ministry. Here's how to get started:
Step 1: Create a Group for Your Volunteers
If you don't already have a specific group for your volunteers in a particular ministry area, it's essential to create one. This group will be the hub for communicating with your volunteers. Learn how to create groups here!
Step 2: Import Automated Workflow Template
Import the "Volunteer Magnet Method™ - Appreciate" Automated Workflow and connect it to your desired group or groups. This workflow will automatically send text messages of appreciation and encouragement throughout the year to your volunteers, as well as a reminder to you or another staff member to send a handwritten note of thanks!
Click "Connect" from the left menu
Select "Workflows"
Click "Add New" and select "Create from Template." then choose "Next"
Locate the "Volunteer Magnet Method™ - Appreciate" Template, then choose "Select"
Ensure all steps are selected then choose "Next" to import these steps
Customize the messages by filling out the variable form to customize the messages.
Set the Trigger to be the desired group of Volunteers
Step 3: Customize the Messaging
Within the automated workflow, you'll find a reminder message and several text messages. The reminder will be used to send a notification to you or another staff member to send a handwritten note of appreciation to the Volunteer. The text messages will be sent to the volunteers throughout the year to communicate appreciation and encouragement, helping your people to feel Known, Noticed, and Loved.
After importing, you will then be taken to the Automated Workflow
Click on the Text Messages to review the content and make adjustments as desired.
Be sure to click "Save Step" at the bottom to confirm your changes
Click on the Email Reminder Message to review the notification to send a handwritten note to the volunteer.
Within "Send To" select the team member that should receive this reminder email.
Within "Create Your Message" edit the Reply-To and Sender Name fields as needed
In the body of the Reminder Email, you will see "INSERT CUSTOM VARIABLE FOR VOLUNTEER AREA"
There are two approaches to this:
If everyone in this particular group serves in the same volunteer area, simply delete this text and manually type the name of the volunteer area into the body of the message. Then choose "Save Step" to save your changes.
If the People in this particular group all serve in different volunteer areas, you might consider using a Custom Contact Field to automatically insert their unique volunteer area into the Reminder Message.
Click "Account Settings" ⚙️icon from the bottom left menu
Select "Contact Custom Fields"
Click "Add" in the top right corner
Type "VolunteerArea" into the field name
Ensure the "Field Type" is set to "Text"
Type VolunteerArea into the "Field Variable Name" (this is the variable that will be inserted into the Automated Workflow)
Ensure the "Field Default Value" is empty
Click "Add Custom Field" to Save these settings
You can then manually add each person's Volunteer Area by editing their People record, or you can Bulk Update via CSV:
If you have a large number of volunteers, consider using a CSV file to update this field en masse. This efficient method saves time and ensures all volunteer records are up-to-date. This guide will walk you through using a CSV file to update the Custom Fields on your People records in bulk. (WAITING FOR THIS FEATURE TO BE RELEASED)
Return to the Reminder Email Automated Workflow Message
In the body of the Reminder Email, remove "INSERT CUSTOM VARIABLE FOR VOLUNTEER AREA"
Click "Variables" then select "VolunteerArea" to insert this variable into the message
Click "Save Step" to save your changes
Step 4: Activating the Workflow
Ensure that all steps in the workflow are activated and that the workflow itself is set to active.
Click the Red dot by any paused steps to activate them (active steps have a green indicator)
By following these steps, you can effectively implement the Volunteer Magnet Method™ - Appreciate strategy in your church's communication system. This approach not only streamlines your process but also ensures that each volunteer feels valued and recognized in their unique role within your ministry.
