Welcome to the Community Resource Hub! We’re so glad you’re here. This site is your one-stop spot for all things volunteering with Room to Read. It’s our hope that these resources support you and save you time as you serve. Bookmark this page and get to know it. If you find that there is a resource that would be helpful but does not exist, please let us know at volunteer@roomtoread.org.
Community Resource Hub
Our Chapter Leaders oversee volunteers who are working together in a geographic area. These resources support them as they lead their teams.
Getting Started
If you are new to leading a Chapter, this guidebook is your new best friend! It contains all the tips, wisdom, resources, and tools you need to successfully lead your Chapter.
Be sure to personally review our Volunteer Terms of Agreement and ensure that all of you and your Chapter Members abide by our terms. At this time, no signature is required.
For help in understanding the responsibilities of a Chapter Leader, take a look at this Position Description. This description outlines the expectations Room to Read has of our Chapter Leaders and what our Chapter Leaders can expect from Room to Read.
It’s important to have a central, dedicated email address as a Chapter Leader. This enables interested Chapter members and community members to have an easy way to contact you and for you to communicate easily with your Chapter members regarding updates on Chapter meetings and events.
We encourage you to set up your email account for your Chapter through a platform of choice (such as Gmail) in the following format: chaptername.roomtoread@gmail.org.
No matter the platform for your Chapter email account, please use our email signatures.
Operating Your Chapter
As a Chapter Leader, one of your primary responsibilities is recruiting new Chapter Members! Here are some tools to help you with recruiting.
Annual Plans enable Chapters to intentionally set and communicate their goals and tasks for the upcoming year. These goals and tasks become your roadmap for all your activities.
Once you and your team have completed your Annual Plan, please send it to volunteer@roomtoread.org so we can discuss ways the Volunteer Relations Team can help you reach them. We also want to celebrate with you as you achieve these milestones!
Because we care about the privacy of our donors, Room to Read abides by several data protection requirements. You can find out more in Room to Read's Privacy Policy.
It is critical that Room to Read and all its volunteers adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please review the terms carefully as well as the Room to Read Privacy Policy.
What is GDPR?
GDPR strengthens data protection for individuals within the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). GPPR requires all businesses that process the personal data of EU and UK citizens to handle this data with the utmost security.
How does GDPR affect Chapters?
The GDPR regulations apply to businesses and nonprofits that have collected the personal data of EU and UK citizens. Room to Read Chapters regularly collect volunteers’ and event attendees' data including names and email addresses. It is imperative that we practice collecting and processing data transparently and meticulously. 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.
Does our Chapter need to send emails notifying people about privacy policy changes?
No. Room to Read has updated our website with our Privacy Policy. 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 us at volunteer@roomtoread.org.
As a Chapter in the EU and UK, does GDPR mean I cannot contact my Chapter members?
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.
Additionally, we ask that all Chapters using email note the following language in their email signature or at the bottom of your email body (see our templates here):
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 review these emails, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE and you will be removed from our list.
Can someone stay on a Room to Read Chapter email list, but not receive Room to Read emails?
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 and UK chapters you can only email individuals who have specifically opted in. If anyone has opted out, please remove them from the mailing list.
I am an EU or UK Chapter Leader and sent out an email asking my Chapter members to either subscribe or opt-out of chapter emails. Now what do I do?
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.
What about the United Kingdom? Does GDPR apply to them?
Yes. If you operate inside the UK, you need to comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018). The provisions of the EU GDPR have been incorporated directly into UK law as the UK GDPR.
We encourage you to use the following resources to recruit and onboard new volunteers to your Chapter. Both templates are customizable to your local context. Please make a copy each template before editing for your Chapter.
Use the welcome email template to share an overview of your Chapter, member expectations, and local commitments.
Use the Google Form survey template to gather information from new volunteers about their personal interests, skills, and time commitment to the Chapter. This specific form is NOT collecting responses. It is designed for you to COPY (go to the top right corner of the Google Form and click the three stacked dots; there, you will see an option to MAKE A COPY.) You can then make a copy of this form and tailor it for your Chapter's purposes by editing the questions, changing answer choices, etc.
To activate your own version of this questionnaire, click the RESPONSES tab at the top of the Form. You can then turn on the responses that will then collect in a Google Sheet.
Through your service, you are a part of equipping students around the world to change their futures. As you share in your local community about Room to Read, you’re expanding the network of supporters who believe that we can create a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality.