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IT Team Wishlist

Purpose: Feature requests and automation opportunities for IT team implementation.

Overview

Two implementation tracks: - Track A: Manual + Familiar Tools — Google Sheets, Google Forms, WhatsApp, Google Calendar - Track B: Semi-Automated — Slack, n8n, Camunda, integrations

Philosophy: Volunteers use familiar tools; IT builds complexity behind the scenes.

1. Calendar & Scheduling

Monthly Events Calendar

Need: Generate upcoming month's calendar with all center events, neighborhood sessions, courses, and SKY follow-ups for stakeholder review before publishing.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Master Google Sheet with tabs: Center Events, Neighborhood, Courses, Follow-ups n8n workflow pulls from multiple sources into unified view
Manual entry by coordinators Google Calendar → Sheet sync (automated)
Export to Google Calendar manually Auto-generate monthly summary for Slack review
WhatsApp message to stakeholders for approval Slack approval workflow: stakeholders react ✅ to approve
Manually post to social media / website Approved calendar auto-publishes to website/social

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Monthly calendar template (Sheet)
  • [ ] Review workflow (approval before publish)
  • [ ] Public calendar view (website embed or shared link)

SKY Follow-up Schedule

Need: Maintain and publish weekly follow-up schedule (Sat 3:30pm, Sun 10:30am) with room assignments and facilitator.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Sheet with weekly schedule Recurring events in system auto-populated
Facilitator signs up via Sheet Slack bot asks for facilitator signup weekly
WhatsApp reminder to facilitator day before n8n sends automated reminder (WhatsApp/SMS/email)
Manual update if room changes Room conflict detection alerts coordinator

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Follow-up schedule Sheet/calendar
  • [ ] Facilitator signup process
  • [ ] Automated reminders

2. Event Registration & Check-in

Intro Talk / Event Registration

Need: Capture registrations, send confirmations, reminders, and enable check-in.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Form for registration Form with auto-confirmation email
Responses go to Sheet Sheet syncs to CRM (HubSpot/Mailchimp)
Manual confirmation email Automated reminder 24hr + 2hr before event
Paper sign-in at event QR code check-in via tablet
Manual entry of attendees post-event Check-in auto-updates attendance in Sheet/CRM

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Registration form template
  • [ ] Confirmation/reminder email sequence
  • [ ] Check-in system (QR or tablet)
  • [ ] Attendance tracking

Course Registration Tracking

Need: Track registrations across courses (AoL portal for courses, Eventbrite for local events).

Existing Systems:

  • AoL Registration Portal - Org-level system for standard courses (read-only locally)
  • Journey App - Course taker app for post-course practice
  • Journey Teachers App - Admin app for teachers/coordinators (attendance, course management)
  • Eventbrite - Local events registration
Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Coordinator checks AoL portal + Eventbrite n8n pulls from Eventbrite API
Updates local Sheet with counts Auto-sync to dashboard
WhatsApp updates to team Slack channel with daily registration updates
Use Journey Teachers App for course admin Integration layer for unified view

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Course tracking Sheet (unified view of AoL portal + Eventbrite)
  • [ ] Registration dashboard
  • [ ] Eventbrite API integration

3. Lead Management & Follow-up

48-Hour Follow-up Flow

Need: Ensure every event attendee gets timely follow-up (thank you → next step invitation).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Export attendees from Sheet Attendee list auto-syncs to email tool
Manually send thank you email same day Auto thank-you email within 6 hours
Manually send follow-up Day 1, Day 2 Drip sequence: Day 1 (warm), Day 2 (invite to next)
Track responses in Sheet CRM tracks opens, clicks, responses
Manual assignment for personal follow-up Hot leads auto-assigned to volunteer for call

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Follow-up email templates
  • [ ] Automated drip sequence
  • [ ] Lead scoring (hot/warm/cool)
  • [ ] Assignment workflow

Lead Source Tracking

Need: Know where each participant came from (which event, venue, referral).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Add "How did you hear?" to forms UTM parameters on registration links
Manual tagging in Sheet Auto-tagging by source in CRM
Manual reporting on sources Dashboard: registrations by source

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Source tracking fields
  • [ ] UTM link generator
  • [ ] Source attribution report

4. Volunteer Coordination

Volunteer Shift Signup

Need: Volunteers sign up for event roles (greeter, facilitator, setup, etc.).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Sheet with available shifts Signup form with real-time slot availability
Volunteers edit Sheet directly Slack bot: "Who can help Saturday?" with reactions
Coordinator confirms via WhatsApp Auto-confirmation when slot filled
Manual reminder before shift Automated reminder 24hr before

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Shift signup Sheet/form
  • [ ] Slot availability logic
  • [ ] Automated confirmations and reminders

Volunteer Directory & Skills

Need: Know who can do what (teach, host, design, call, etc.).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Sheet with volunteer info, skills Searchable database (Airtable or Sheet)
Manual lookup when need arises Slack command: /find-volunteer skill:design
WhatsApp group for general asks Targeted asks based on skills/availability

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Volunteer directory with skills tags
  • [ ] Search/filter capability
  • [ ] Availability tracking

Volunteer Hours & Recognition

Need: Track volunteer contributions for recognition.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Volunteers self-report hours in Sheet Auto-log from shift check-in
Manual tally for recognition Dashboard: top contributors this month
Coordinator announces in WhatsApp Slack bot: monthly shoutouts

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Hours tracking
  • [ ] Recognition dashboard/announcements

5. Communication & Outreach

WhatsApp Broadcast Lists

Need: Segment contacts for targeted messaging (graduates, active volunteers, leads by interest).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Manually maintain broadcast lists Sync from CRM/Sheet to WhatsApp Business
Copy-paste message to each list Message templates with personalization
Manual tracking of who received what Delivery/read tracking

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Broadcast list management
  • [ ] Message templates
  • [ ] Opt-out handling

Social Media Content Calendar

Need: Plan and schedule social media posts aligned with events.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Sheet content calendar Sheet + Buffer/Hootsuite integration
Manual posting per platform Scheduled posts from calendar
Canva for graphics Canva templates linked in Sheet
Manual tracking of engagement Auto-pull engagement metrics

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Content calendar template
  • [ ] Scheduling integration
  • [ ] Engagement tracking

Email Newsletter

Need: Monthly newsletter to community (events, stories, announcements).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Write in Google Doc, copy to Mailchimp Template in Mailchimp, content blocks
Manual list management Auto-sync subscribers from forms
Manual send Scheduled send with A/B subject testing

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Newsletter template
  • [ ] Subscriber management
  • [ ] Send scheduling

6. Reporting & Metrics

Weekly Dashboard

Need: At-a-glance view of key metrics for team and board.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Coordinator compiles numbers in Sheet n8n pulls from multiple sources
Manual summary in WhatsApp/email Auto-generated Slack summary every Monday
Charts created manually Google Data Studio / Looker dashboard

Metrics to track:

  • Registrations this week/month/YTD
  • Event attendance
  • Follow-up response rates
  • Volunteer hours
  • Lead pipeline (new → contacted → registered → attended)

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Metrics tracking Sheet
  • [ ] Automated dashboard
  • [ ] Weekly summary distribution

Board Reporting

Need: Monthly/quarterly reports for board with trends and highlights.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Export data, create slides manually Auto-generated report from dashboard
Manual narrative write-up Template with auto-populated numbers
Email to board Scheduled report delivery

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Board report template
  • [ ] Auto-populated metrics
  • [ ] Scheduled delivery

7. Knowledge Management

Volunteer Knowledge Base

Need: Central place for SOPs, templates, FAQs, training materials.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Drive folder structure NotebookLM for Q&A on documents
Manual search through docs Slack bot: /ask how do I set up for intro talk?
WhatsApp for questions AI-assisted answers with source links

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Organized Drive structure
  • [ ] SOP documents
  • [ ] Searchable Q&A (NotebookLM or similar)

Contact & Venue Database

Need: Searchable database of venues, contacts, partnership status.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Sheet (Contacts-Directory.md equivalent) Airtable with linked records
Manual status updates Slack reminders: "Follow up with The Hepburn?"
Manual lookup Search by venue type, status, location

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Venue/contact database
  • [ ] Follow-up reminders
  • [ ] Search/filter interface

8. Facility & Asset Management

Room Booking System

Need: Book center rooms without conflicts.

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Google Calendar per room Calendly or custom booking form
Check calendar before booking Real-time availability in booking form
Manual conflict resolution Auto-reject if conflict
WhatsApp to confirm Auto-confirmation email

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Room calendars
  • [ ] Booking form
  • [ ] Conflict detection

Equipment Checkout

Need: Track who has what equipment (projector, speakers, etc.).

Track A (Manual) Track B (Automated)
Sign-out sheet (paper or Sheet) Form-based checkout with due date
Manual follow-up if overdue Auto-reminder when due
Manual inventory check Dashboard: what's out, what's available

Deliverables:

  • [ ] Checkout tracking
  • [ ] Overdue reminders
  • [ ] Availability dashboard

Priority Matrix

Quick Wins (High Impact, Low Effort)

Feature Track Impact Effort
Monthly calendar Sheet A High Low
Registration form template A High Low
Follow-up email templates A Medium Low
Volunteer shift signup Sheet A Medium Low
Room booking calendar A Medium Low

High Value (High Impact, Medium Effort)

Feature Track Impact Effort
48-hour follow-up automation B High Medium
Weekly metrics dashboard B High Medium
Event reminder automation B Medium Medium
Volunteer directory with skills A/B Medium Medium

Strategic (High Impact, High Effort)

Feature Track Impact Effort
Full CRM integration B High High
NotebookLM knowledge base B Medium High
Board reporting automation B Medium High
QR check-in system B Medium High

Implementation Phases

Phase 1: Foundation (Month 1-2)

  • [ ] Monthly calendar Sheet + review workflow
  • [ ] Registration form template
  • [ ] Follow-up email templates
  • [ ] Volunteer shift signup
  • [ ] Room booking calendars

Phase 2: Automation (Month 3-4)

  • [ ] n8n: Event reminders (24hr, 2hr)
  • [ ] n8n: 48-hour follow-up drip
  • [ ] Slack: Weekly metrics summary
  • [ ] Slack: Volunteer shift asks

Phase 3: Integration (Month 5-6)

  • [ ] CRM sync (forms → Mailchimp/HubSpot)
  • [ ] Dashboard (Google Data Studio)
  • [ ] NotebookLM knowledge base
  • [ ] QR check-in system

Tools Reference

Tool Purpose Track Cost
Google Sheets Data storage, tracking A Free
Google Forms Registration, surveys A Free
Google Calendar Scheduling, room booking A Free
WhatsApp Business Broadcast, coordination A Free
Canva Graphics, templates A Free tier
Mailchimp Email campaigns A/B Free tier (500 contacts)
Slack Team coordination, bots B Free tier
n8n Workflow automation B Self-hosted (free) or cloud
Camunda Complex workflows B Free tier
NotebookLM Knowledge base Q&A B Free
Airtable Relational database B Free tier
Google Data Studio Dashboards B Free

Last Updated: December 2024 Owner: IT Lead