Question 1

Email Communication - Samples

Katherine Kehrli · Accepted Answer

Sometimes it is hard to know what to say in the twice-a-month cheerleading for your hubs. Here are a couple of emails that could serve as inspiration.

From Sandy Merrit-Shea to her hub leaders, following a recent donation:

Good Morning Bonney Lake Hub Bakers!

This Sunday, the 25th, is donation day. So get those bread loaves and Energy Cookies ready to be dropped off! Here is the info: 18402 139th St E. from 9 am - 5 pm. Donation bin on the front porch w/signup sheet on a clipboard.

Remember to record #'s today on the website, too. The Bonney Lake Food Bank will be closed on Monday the 26th, so I will deliver to them on Tuesday. If you would like to drop off donations to the hub on Monday, to keep everything frozen one more day, I will be here. Whichever day works best for you, Sunday or Monday, just text me if you would like to drop off on Monday.

Let's welcome our newest bakers to join our baking brigade, Julia Osborne and Amy Vandenberg! We are all so happy to have you with us on this journey to provide for our community; the Bonney Lake Food Bank thank you!

We also have some One Year Anniversaries to celebrate. Let's give a round of applause to Gretchen McCallum, Wendy Adams, Amanda Kruger and Glenda Brown! Thank you, Ladies, for helping to build our little hub into what it has become, I'm in awe of you all...Thank you!

It would be great to have everyone upload a picture on your profile page on the Community Loaves website. Always so nice to have a face to go with your name, and I've even seen some of you out in the community, I love that!

We truly are Breader Together!

Sandy Merritt-Shea, Bonney Lake Hub Coordinator

Question 2

Donation Check-In Overview

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Each Donation Sunday, we ask that hub leaders submit their hub's donation totals by 8pm so our automated donation-tallying wizards can do their magic behind the scenes. The Donation Check-In button, located in your hub leader tool kit, will take you to the page where you can complete this important process.

You'll need to print the check-in list on Sunday morning, and then return to the Check-In page that evening to record the final numbers.

Once the numbers have been submitted, the hub leader and all delegates receive an email confirmation of the submission. There is a link in the email if updates need to the record need to be made.

Watch the following video to following along, and see the process explained step-by-step below.

https://youtu.be/n7gWRnCP6Hk

Questions? Tips? Share in the comments!

Question 3

Donation Check-In - Step 1 - Sunday Morning

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

On Donation Sunday, click on the Donation Check-In button and then using the "Print Check-In Sheet Button" print the list of all your bakers. The list will include those who've "pre-checked" at the top and all the other members at the bottom. Sometimes folks forget to pre-check. The button looks like this:

Place the printout on your hub clipboard and leave by your drop off door. Volunteers should initial and update their donation amounts directly on the clipboard.

Question 4

Donation Check-In - Step 2 - Sunday Evening

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

At the end of the collection period (any time before 8pm Sunday), you'll return to your computer to record your final counts. Click back on the "Donation Check In" button and this time, click on "Record Final Counts".

You do not have to fill in zeroes for bakers. Just record actuals. Example: If Katherine pre-registered 10 loaves but showed up with 12, then refresh the information with the number "12" in the loaves column. You have a loaves and two cookies columns, and you want to be mindful that you're updating the correct column.

Last but not least....Once you've updated the numbers, you need to scroll to the bottom and hit Submit Final Counts!

Question 5

Donation Check-In - Need Help?

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

If you need additional help with Donation Check-In, please comment below or reach out to breadertogether@communityloaves.org and we will get you up and running. To set up a "Delegate" to help you with any part of the donation process (for example, if you are going to be out of town, or are ill) please advance to the FAQ on setting up Delegate Duties. In addition, please refer to the "Volunteer Tasks" FAQ to learn about engaging your hub members for help when you need it!

Question 6

Expectations for Hub Leader Communications

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

It is a program requirement for all email and communication to originate from Community Loaves email or messaging tools. Unlike more sophisticated organizations, we don't yet have a broad set of permissions that allow our volunteers to opt in and out of our communications. Please be sure to keep any and all communication to our volunteers related to our program operations! As a hub leader, one of the most important jobs you have is being a cheerleader for your bakers. We expect that you will communicate with your hub no less than twice per month, and hopefully more! Engaging with bakers and letting them know how appreciated and impactful their donations are is truly the best way to keep them baking! Please lean into focusing your communication on the impact and results of the most recent donation, and/or celebrating your bakers and their individual achievements. You can find those stats through the donation record (found in Donation Reports, in the Special Admin Section of your Dashboard). These types of emails should be sent to all bakers, even those marked as "inactive", as they can be quite impactful and encourage a baker's return to donating. Of course, some of your communications will be more tactical; these messages should only be sent to "active" bakers. FYI: "Active" status is applied to volunteers who have just joined Community Loaves and/or have made a baking donation within the past six months. After six months of no baking donations, a volunteer is moved to an "Inactive" status. Sometimes we encounter errors with these designations, so please reach out if you have a baker who has the wrong status.

Question 7

Using the Email Tool - An Overview

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Click on the Email button in your Hub Leader Toolkit (see image above)
Select your hub from the drop down menu.
In the "Send to" field, select your intended audience.
You may add any other email addresses in the Additional Recipients field.
You may also filter recipients by Hub role (All Members or Managers & Delegates), affiliate Hubs, and by name.
Type your Subject.
Write your email! Include any photos or other media you like.
Send immediately, or save a draft for later.

Question 8

Using the Email Tool - Step-By-Step

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

1. Click on the Email button in your Hub Leader Toolkit. 2. To email the whole hub, select Active Hub Members and/or Inactive Hub Members (depending on the content, you may want to include Inactive Members to let them see the impact of our baking efforts; maybe it will encourage their return to baking!). 3. To include anyone who might not be a member of our organization, you can click on "Additional Recipients" and type their email address in (Ex.: Your spouse helps with flour distribution, and you want them to have all the details, but they don't have their own account with CL). 4. To send to just specific hub members, click the "Select Individuals" Box.

4a. Click on the names you want the email sent to and then click "Done." The names will populate in the "Individuals" box.

5. Type your message and then click "Email Hub Contacts."

6. You need to approve the message by checking the little box next to "Approved." Click "Send" - and voila! Success.

Question 9

Messages and Cards

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

We have a new tool that allows you to send a quick note or an animated card to a baker, or your whole hub. SO fun! However, this is different from our email tool, and it looks like this:

Here's how it can be accessed:

1. Click "Messages" in the blue bar at the top of your Dashboard. This will take you to the page view seen above. If you have a new message, a notification will show up next to "Messages" (just like you can see "4 New!" next to Volunteer Tasks, below).

2. Click on "View Latest Donation Highlights"

This will take you to the Donation Highlights page, where you can view organization totals, baker anniversaries and badges earned, and hub specific numbers for any donation date you choose from the drop down menu. You can toggle between Organization Totals and View My Hub Only to change what you're seeing on the page.

Tabs allow you to view the names of bakers who are celebrating anniversaries, or have earned specific badges during the donation date chosen. Click on the green "Say Congratulations" button next to a baker's name.

3. Access a list of all your hub members from the Your Hub button located on your main Dashboard.

Then scroll down to the grid of friendly faces, and click on the little red envelope icon. This will take you to the messaging tool and you can choose a card to send, or just send a quick note.

Question 10

How to Assign the Delegate Role

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Hub Leaders can select one or more hub members to become Hub Delegates. This delegate role gives another person (or people) all the hub leader tools, so that you have a back up in case of travel, emergency, illness, etc. Click the Delegate Duties button, and then use the drop down menu beside the name of the baker(s) to give them the "Delegate" role. (see below)

If you have very small hub and need a larger group of volunteers to pull from, you are able to select a member from an affiliate hub to become a delegate of your hub. Use the drop down menu under "Select a Member of an Affiliated Hub" and select a name. They will then be added to your list of Hub members, and you can change their role. (see below)

Do you currently have a hub delegate? How do you like to utilize their help? Have anything to share with us about delegating duties? Please do so in the comments below.

Question 11

What is a Hub Delegate?

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Delegates can do more than just help you out in a pinch or when you're on vacation. Once you've assigned someone the role of "Delegate," they'll have access to all of the same tools that you do as a hub leader. Examples of tasks you might hand off to a delegate: Maybe you don't mind being a drop off spot for Donation Sunday, but don't have the bandwidth for a delivery trip to the food bank on Monday. Perhaps there's a hub member to whom you could delegate this task, and who would love to be that link in the donation cycle. You can also have a delegate help you be a cheerleader for you hub and send out communications a few times a month to your bakers:

Congratulation cards in our messaging system for baker anniversaries and new badges earned
Donation follow up emails to thank your bakers for their efforts

Don't be shy! This organization is full of incredible volunteers who love to lend a hand to help make this machine run smoothly. If you need help, or would like to share the load, ask a delegate! You may also refer to our "Volunteer Tasks" FAQ to learn more about getting help with one-off tasks.

Question 12

Supply Deliveries & Truck Stops (Washington Delivery)

Katherine Kehrli · Accepted Answer

All volunteer bakers need supplies which can be ordered directly through the Flour Fundraiser Store.

As a hub leader you can view the orders your hub members order, even if the supplies are delivered to a different location. You can pull a list of everyone who has ordered to pick up at your hub.

Here are the steps in a couple screen captures:

Select the Flour Delivery green tab from your hub tools. (see image above)
Then select the delivery month

Then select the truck stop (example is Mukilteo)
And then click submit. You can view the “summary” but you can also select “individual orders”. When you do that you’ll see each person who is picking up and what they ordered.

This tool can help you figure out who is missing their order, if you ever end up with extra supplies at the end of pick up day. Each person who ordered and selected “Mukilteo” will be listed as well as their contact information so you can reach out directly to remind them you have their items.

Question 13

Essential Tasks of A Hub Leader

Katherine Kehrli · Accepted Answer

We don't use the word "essential" lightly. Our ability to deliver loaves and energy cookies twice a month is dependent on a cheerleader coordinator within the community. This hub leader serves as an anchor for the volunteer bakers in a specific geographic area and in support of a specific food bank partner or partners.

A robust set of tools has been built to make the cheerleading easy to execute or to delegate to helpful volunteers.

On average the volunteer time needed to be a hub leader is 10 hours or so a month. Most of that is passive time, receiving the donations twice a month. But active time is what helps us build community and improve our impact to our food bank partners.

Here is a short list of the essential tasks to be a hub leader:

Communication - twice a month email communication using the CL email tool. Provide meaningful updates and/or requests to your hub members. Topics include...
- New Program Logistics - (Holiday Cookie, New Formulas, Supply Delivery...)
- Major member milestones - (anniversaries, volunteer time, achievements)
- Request help from hub members - ask for assistance getting the donation to the food bank
- Reinforce the value of the donation to the food bank - updates from the partnered food bank.
Manage Bread & Cookie Donation - ensure that the loaves and cookies get to the food bank. (This doesn't mean taking them yourself, it is an easy task to request help from others.)
Understand the monthly local delivery or shipment process for supplies. If you manage a local shipment that involves a couple of hours each month.
Coordinate an annual food bank tour - individually or in concert with other hubs that support the same food bank. This is also a great "task" for an enthusiastic hub member.

What follows are the essential agreements to be a CL hub leader:

Your Photo or Avatar will be part of your profile - this livens up the CL Community and creates a familiar face for hub members to find.
The existing partnered food bank will be the exclusive beneficiary - you cannot solicit new partners independently, but working with Community Loaves HQ, new partnerships may be pursued as needed.
Use the hub leader management tools exclusively for all CL functions.
Ask bakers to use the support resources directly vs. serving as a liaison for logistics inquiries. Creates unnecessary complexity - FAQ’s. (orders@communityloaves.org, info@communityloaves.org )
Stay in contact and elevate any concerns or recommendations directly to me - your ideas big or small, help us continue to build a stronger program - katherine@communityloaves.org
Any and all press inquiries need to be directed to Community Loaves. From there we will respond as a team.
All branding and communication elements are the property of Community Loaves and usage needs to be approved by the mothership.
Creation of any tools - including handouts, flyers, cards, etc.. to support the Community Loaves effort need to be approved by Katherine Kehrli and the communications team.

Question 14

Food Bank

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Question 15

Edit Your Hub Details

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

The "Edit Hub" button allows you to update the info that your bakers see in the "Your Hub" page.

If you need to make any changes to the Drop-off instructions, Bread Donation Deadline, or Other Information, you can do so using the "Edit Hub" button.

Question 16

Volunteer Tasks - Use This Tool

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Great Hub Leaders Ask For Help!

Our Volunteer Task Tool exists to help you - plan ahead, easily request help from your Hub and automatically awards valuable donation time as a thank you for their efforts.

The Volunteer Tasks button allows you to create volunteer tasks whenever you need help. Watch the video below, or scroll down to see the step-by-step.

https://www.loom.com/share/ab5f67703d6743b486d2476428814ae4?sid=8d0f9b16-2cc6-4186-bf19-318ec848fe7d

Step-by-step:

1. Once you have clicked on the Volunteer Tasks button, you can scroll down and click on "Create Task."

2. In the "Task Title" field, select from predefined tasks or create your own by selecting Custom.

3. Volunteer tasks automatically record to the Volunteer Dashboard of your own hub. If you have affiliate hubs, you may select for them to also receive the sign up notificiation by checking the box next to their name at the bottom of the page. (see above)

** Tip: Once you've created a task, copy the link to it and share it with your entire hub, using our email tool, to encourage signup! **

Once the task is completed you will be prompted to acknowledge the time donation, which you can do at the top of the Volunteer Tasks page. Once time donations have been submitted, a thank you is automatically sent and the time is recorded on their profile.

You can also create a “Delegate” - great for hub management - they get all the tools! Learn more about delegates here.

Question 17

Donation Day Follow Up

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

As a hub leader, one of the most important jobs you have is being a cheerleader for your bakers. Engaging with bakers and letting them know how appreciated and impactful their donations are is truly the best way to keep them baking.

A post Donation Day recap email is a great way to regularly engage with your hub. Every post-Donation day Monday morning, we send out an email recap with your hub’s donation details and highlights – how many loaves and cookies were donated, who has earned new badges, and who has met new milestones. You can also find those stats through the donation record (located in Donation Reports, in the Special Admin Section of your Dashboard). We recommend sending these emails out to all bakers in your hub, active and inactive, as these can be highly motivating emails and might lure back bakers who have fallen out of the habit of baking regularly.

* As a reminder, all emails and communications should be sent through the Community Loaves Email tool or messaging system. *

Question 18

How Do I Know About Important Program Dates?

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

On your Dashboard, you'll find a Calendar icon (see below). We list all of our program events on this calendar, from delivery days, to donation days, to food bank tours, and so on.

If you hover over an event on the calendar, you will see a pop-up box with more event info. Clicking on an event will take you to its full information page, with its location, time, and volunteer sign-up link (if applicable) listed.

Question 19

Best Practices for When You're On Vacation

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

What? You've not going to be home Sunday for the bread and energy cookie donation? OK, truly, no problem! Of course, it is impossible to be around for every Donation Sunday. Just use your hub tools to keep bakers informed. For example, you will want to make sure that bakers know you'll be away, use the Email Tool. You'll want to make sure you've got a volunteer to take the donation to the food bank, use the Volunteer Tasks tool to recruit. And, you'll want to update the address and any instructions on your Edit Hub tool. Changing the hub address is a temporary and handy modification. When a baker pre-checks their donation, the email confirmation they receive automatically includes the directions to the temporary location and any special instructions. When you return from the tropics, you can go back to the Edit Hub tool and revise the hub address. If you have questions on this, please reach out. Finally, if you are also a truck stop manager and we need to make changes to the delivery drop, please notify Delivery@communityloaves.org. This is really important for smooth operations. That address shows on their supply order confirmations, as well any emailed and/or texted reminder notifications. We want our bakers to go to the correct address to pick up their supplies.

Question 20

Grow Your Hub - Print Flyers!

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

We have designed some lovely marketing tools for you to help grow your hub! Here's how to find flyers that you can share to help let folks know what we're up to, and how they can join our baking brigade. Follow the steps below to get your hub's customized flyers for printing at home.

Step 1: Click on "Your Hub" on your Dashboard

Step 2: Clock on "Grow Your Hub"

Step 3: In the Outreach Kit section, click on "Download"

Step 4: To view an alphabetical list of hubs, click on the three lines (vs the four dots) icon at the top right corner. Then scroll to your hub name and double click on it to open and view the file.

Step 5: Click on the three dots to open the menu, and then click on "Download" to save to your computer. You can also click on the printer icon to print directly from this page.

Question 21

How To Check On or Modify A Donation Record?

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Things happen. Counts can sometimes be a little off, a donation amount ascribed to a different person, loaves or cookies spontaneously showing up at your door. If you catch this early enough, before 8:00 am on the Monday following donation Day, you can simply resubmit your final counts. But suppose you need to check on or modify a previous donation record, not the one from last night. You can easily do that from your hub toolkit. Here are the steps!

Click on Donation Check-In – the first green box on your dashboard.

On the right you’ll see a date select box. Choose the donation date in question to view the donation record.

Validate that the change is needed and then send an email to bakersupport@communityloaves.org. We will need the name of the baker, the number of loaves and/or cookies and the variety of the energy cookie - Blueberry/Pecan or Chocolate Cherry. The change will be made within 3 business days.

Coming soon: You'll see your hub members and donation numbers associated with that date. You can easily make the change the same way you would if were submitting your final counts. Just amend the specific baker, input the correct number and click resubmit.

Question 22

How to Cancel Your Volunteer Profile

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Although we like to think once a baker, always a a baker, there are times when an individual would like to end their relationship with the program. If you would your volunteer profile deleted, please send an email to bakersupport@communityloaves.org.

Question 23

Active vs. Inactive Baker Status?

Katherine Kehrli · Accepted Answer

You'll see that volunteers are listed in your hub as either Active or Inactive. What does this mean? All bakers who've joined Community Loaves and/or donated in the most recent 6 months automatically have an Active status. If, however, they do not donate for six months, their status is changed to Inactive. Why? Early in our formation, it was frustrating for hub leaders to see all these bakers on their roster who rarely, if ever, showed up. Creating an inactive status allowed us to differentiate bakers who seemed to be baking and donating from those who seemed to have fallen to the wayside or simply taking a break. Although their status is inactive, that is a behind-the-scenes label only. Semi-regular communication will keep them in the loop on your hub activities and may motivate them to resume baking and donating. The moment they do, their status will immediately be updated to Active. Again, this is a status change only; the baker can still login to their account, pull their doughnation statements, update their hub, order supplies, really all functions. This past year, some bakers returned to bake and donate the Holiday Cookie after a long break. When they do, their status updates to Active. Please feel free to let us know in the feedback section below if you have any questions, comments, or considerations on this program element.

Question 24

How to Transition Your Hub to a New Hub Leader

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

The hub leadership was never intended to be a lifetime role. We recognize the time will come when you will be ready or will need to pass the proverbial baguette. The following process will help to guide this effort and create a smooth transition and continuity for our Breader Together efforts. FYI - It is helpful to transition hubs at specific times of the calendar year when other activities for our non-profit are slower. If you can plan for an August or December transition, that is ideal. Life events don't always happen at an ideal time, but if we have the luxury of time, August or December are best. Here are the steps:

Notify Katherine that you're looking to find new leadership for the hub.
Together, you'll talk through any logical successor candidates, perhaps existing delegates and/or super helpful hub members.
You'll agree on a desired timeline and a communication plan to the hub to solicit interest.
Any interested candidates will need to attend a hub training session. You and Katherine will encourage folks to attend this hub leader training.
Although only one person can be a hub leader, the opportunity to train multiple people at once helps create a knowledgeable leadership team that can support one another.
In the unlikely event that nobody emerges able/willing to take on these responsibilities, the hub will be closed, and hub members will be reassigned to the next closest hub.

Please notify Katherine (katherine@communityloaves.org) if you would like to begin the hub transition process.

Question 25

Donation Check-In - Adding a Baker

Rachel Linkhart · Accepted Answer

Who's this baker? Occasionally someone you don't recognize might be dropping bread or cookies at your door. All volunteer bakers are trained that they can drop off their donation wherever convenient. Although not common, you may receive the occasional donation from a hub member not registered to your hub. They will have written their name on the clipboard, and you can search for them under "Add Other Baker" and then record their donation. Super easy. You can check this rogue donation in easily on the hub check-in page with the rest of your hub members' donations.

Scroll to the bottom of the Donation Check-in page.
Click the yellow "Add Other Baker" button.

Search the name of the baker.

Select baker and then enter the donation amounts in the appropriate boxes.

You can click the "Add Other Baker" button again if you have multiple bakers to add.
Click "Submit Final Counts" to save these edits (these images show updating a past donation, so the button says "Submit Edits" instead).

Hub Coordinator FAQs

Hub Coordinator (11)

Email Communication – Samples

Messages and Cards

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How to Assign the Delegate Role

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What is a Hub Delegate?

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Supply Deliveries & Truck Stops (Washington Delivery)

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Food Bank

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Edit Your Hub Details

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Volunteer Tasks – Use This Tool

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Donation Day Follow Up

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Best Practices for When You’re On Vacation

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How to Transition Your Hub to a New Hub Leader

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