How do I email families to ask for volunteers?

One email asking families to help is usually the biggest boost to your sign-ups. NinjaHQ sends it from your gym with your address and an unsubscribe link, and nothing goes out until you press Send.

Before you begin

• Only owners can send. Set up and open sign-up first (see set up volunteer sign-up); the Send button stays off until sign-up is open, so the link in the email works.

Steps

1. Open Competitions, press the competition, press Volunteers, then Set up volunteer sign-up (or Volunteers: grid, ask families, check-in).
2. Press Ask families or scroll to Ask Families to Volunteer.
3. Under Who Gets It tick the groups. Each shows how many families are in it:
   • Families registered for this competition (ticked by default).
   • Families of athletes from your other competitions in the last 12 months.
   • Team families (contacts or memberships with "team" in a tag or plan; ticked by default).

1. Edit the Subject and Message if you like. A friendly default is filled in.
2. Press Email me a sample to get a copy to check, or Preview to see it in a new tab. The sample and preview use the standard wording; what you type is used when you send.
3. Press Send to the ticked families and confirm Send it.

What you'll see

• Families registered for this competition get a link that opens the sign-up on the shifts during their athlete's wave.
• A line appears: "Last sent (time) to N families by (your name)".
• Each family receives it as a notice from your gym with your address and an unsubscribe link. There are no tracking pictures.
• As people sign up, the grid shows the spots filling and the gaps in color.

Troubleshooting

A group has a 0 and is greyed out. There are no families in that group yet.

The Send button is turned off. Volunteer sign-up is not open. Tick Volunteer sign-up is open on the website under Settings and save.

The notice says my website is not live yet. That is expected before launch. The email only reaches staff and test addresses.