Summary: This guide explains how to set up automatic Attendance Alerts on recurring events in Tithely, detailing how to customize the alert criteria (e.g., missing 5–8 events), specify recipients (including tag-based alerts), and understand the timing nuances for notifications sent after manual attendance recording.
Before You Begin
- Alerts only appear on recurring events.
- Timing: All event notifications go out automatically the day after the event at 8 am EST.
- Goal: Use alerts to pinpoint members who have missed events to enhance pastoral care and outreach efforts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Select the "Events" tab from the top right.
2. Click the event for which you'd like to set up an alert.
3. Click the "View Details" button.
4. Click the "Alerts" link on the left.
5. Click "Add Alert."
6. Specify the Alert Criteria and Recipients:
- Set the range of events to monitor (e.g., alert between 5–8 missed events).
- Specify who the alert goes to (recipient).
- Optional (Tag-Based Alert): Set the alert to match a specific tag (e.g., a Small Group) if you only want the recipient to be alerted when members of that tag miss events.
7. Save the alert.
How Alerts Work
- Alert Trigger: The recipient receives an email each time an individual misses an event that falls within your set range.
- Example: If set for 5–8 events, the recipient gets an email for the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th consecutive missed events.
- Count Reset: If a person attends one event, the missed count starts over. Notifications stop after the person misses more than the maximum set number (e.g., 8).
- Manual Attendance Nuance: If you manually enter attendance the day after an event, every person will appear as "unattended" until the data is logged.
- Recommendation for Manual Logging: To avoid false alerts, set the alert to notify you when someone has missed a larger number of events (e.g., set for 4–7 events, not 3). This safeguards against triggering an email for an event whose attendance hasn't been manually entered yet.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
- Why did an alert go out for someone who attended? If you manually enter attendance the day after an event, the system considers the person "unattended" until the data is logged. We recommend setting a higher threshold for missed events (e.g., 4–7) to account for this delay.
- Can I set an alert that goes to a small group leader? Yes. When setting up the alert, specify the recipient (the leader) and set the alert to match the tag of the small group (Step 6).
- When are the alert emails sent? All event notifications go out automatically the day after the event at 8 am EST.