Find everything you need to know about processes and procedures that are key to your chapter's work with Room to Read. Don't forget to check out our Resource Hub for social media resources, printables and event kits.
By using the Chapter Hub, you agree to our Volunteer Terms of Agreement.
New to Chapters? Need a Refresher? Check out our chapter leadership onboarding packet for an in depth guide to chapter management.
Communicating the impact of our efforts is key to our success. The resources below will empower you to confidently convey Room to Read's mission, whether it be to a new event attendee or longtime supporter. Set your chapter up for success by checking out these useful how-to's! From email best practices to your chapter's website, learn how to maximize your impact today.
Communication How-To's
Our new, streamlined chapter websites make it easier than ever to meet your chapter needs by highlighting:
To access your Room to Read Outlook account (ex: aspen@roomtoread.org) go to Outlook 365. Log in with your chapter email address and password. If your chapter does not know your password then email chapters@roomtoread.org, copying your Global Chapter Contact, so they can coordinate with IT to reset it.
Learn more about all of the functionality of your chapter account by visiting Outlook 365’s Help Center.
Chapter Email Tool
(used to send mass emails such as newsletters and updates to larger chapter groups like the core committee and volunteers)
As we re-evaluated systems and reviewed feedback over the years from chapters on challenges with the mass emailing system, we realized we needed to take a different approach. If you’re not doing so already, feel free to choose a mass email platform that works for you. Below are some of the platforms outside of Outlook that Room to Read volunteers frequently use to communicate with supporters:
Each chapter is responsible for managing their own email list. Reports on all active chapter supporters (made up of volunteers, chapter leaders, core committee members, chapter newsletter and invitee lists) have been sent to designated chapter leaders. If for some reason you did not receive a report, please email chapters@roomtoread.org to have this file resent.
Best Practices
Here are a few best practices for managing emails:
Email Headers & Footers
This communication has been sent to you by volunteers who support Room to Read. The views, opinions and positions expressed by the senders are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Room to Read. If you no longer want to receive these emails, please reply with “UNSUBSCRIBE” and you will be removed from our list.
Below is a mock-up of a possible Aspen footer:
Active for Education is Room to Read’s campaign to get energized, body and mind, for global literacy and gender equality in education. It’s inspired by all the creative chapter network activities you’ve rolled out over the years! Here are some ways to get involved:
Are you giving a presentation about Room to Read at an event? Or to your community of potential chapter members?
We've created a Chapter PowerPoint presentation filled with facts about Room to Read & our impact, as well engaging videos and photos. Be sure to download the PowerPoint from Google Drive to access the videos and talking points beneath every slide.
Customize the presentation to make it yours!
Questions about the PowerPoint? Email the Chapters Team: Chapters@Roomtoread.org
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and was enacted by the European Commission to strengthen data protection for individuals within the European Union (EU). GPR requires all businesses that process personal data of EU citizens handle this data with the utmost security. With the new regulations in place, Room to Read has taken the proper steps to stay compliant, informing all our EU chapters who in turn reached out to their EU volunteers to attain consent.
The GDPR regulations apply to both EU and non-EU businesses and nonprofits who have collected personal data of EU citizens. Room to Read Chapters regularly collect volunteers’ and event attendee’s personal data including names and email addresses. It is imperative that we continue to practice collecting and processing data in a transparent and meticulous way.
Room to Read has a written policy and procedure on how we handle personal data and information. Please see our Privacy Policy for more details.
No. Room to Read has updated our website with our Privacy Policy. As stated in question 2 of the Privacy Policy, How we collect information about you, it states in Article E that we collect information from you if you volunteer with Room to Read or participate in a Room to Read Chapter event. Therefore, we may collect and process personal information about you such as name, address, email, etc. Please see Question 6, Article 3 of the Privacy Policy for information for persons in EU, EEA, or EU citizens.
For information on our cookies policy and how we use them, as well as third party websites, please see our Privacy and Cookies Policy. For any other chapter related questions, please email chapters@roomtoread.org.
No, it does not. Chapters are still allowed to promote, fundraise and engage with chapter volunteers and event attendees who have provided consent. The data processing must be done according to the six lawful bases outlined by GDPR legislation: Consent, Contract, Legal obligation, Public Task and Legitimate interests. For more information, please check out the GDPR Data Protection details on the European Commission webpage.
We recommend that you send an email to your chapter members asking them to subscribe to your chapter email list. Chapter members can either “opt-in” or “opt-out” of your chapter emails. Once members have opted in, they are a part of the new, active chapter list.
We may not contact a chapter member if they have opted-out of emails. If a chapter member does not reply to the email asking them to either opt in or opt out, then we must consider them as having opted out and remove them from the chapter email list. (See question 7)
Yes. Room to Read’s email list and each Room to Read Chapter’s email list are separate lists and are maintained on separate databases. Therefore, someone may opt out for Room to Read emails, but stay opted in for their Room to Read chapter email. The reverse can happen as well.
As the Chapter Leader or Core Committee member overseeing your chapter and the chapter email list, it is imperative that you keep track of your chapter emails and meticulously check who has opted in and out of emails. You may not email anyone who has opted out of emails. And for EU chapters you can only email individuals who have specifically opted in. If anyone has opted out, please remove them from the mailing list.
If a chapter volunteer has opted-in to the chapter emails, meaning they would like to continue to stay on your chapter email list, then they are fine to continue to contact. Any chapter volunteer that has opted out, or did not respond to the email, cannot be contacted. If a chapter volunteer responds to a chapter email wishing to be removed from the chapter email list, you must delete that volunteer from the list.
It’s important to note that once you have sent an opt in/opt out email to your chapter members, you have 30 days to update that information on your chapter mailing list. And always keep in mind you are not allowed to share details from your chapter’s database for any reason.
For chapters in the EU, or when dealing with individuals who are EU citizens or residents, an email recipient must affirmatively opt-in to continue receiving emails. Without the affirmative opt-in, the individual must be removed from the email list. Therefore, anyone who does not respond to the email is considered an opt out and should be removed from the email list.
Yes. The UK has adopted the GDPR although they are in the process of leaving the EU.
