Communications & Public EngagementPurpose
1 Facilitate timely dissemination of event information (adoption drives, volunteering calls, fundraising, vaccination clinics) to community members, volunteers, and staff.
2 Centralize event scheduling notifications across multiple channels (email, SMS, social, push, chat apps) to maximize reach and attendance, reduce manual communication burdens, and enable rapid updates.
3 Provide multi-language and accessibility support; automate reminders, follow-ups, and confirmations; log interactions for auditability; integrate feedback or RSVP collection.
Trigger Conditions
1 New event created in shelter calendar (Google Calendar "event.insert" webhook, Outlook Calendar "event.new" subscription).
2 Event changes (update or cancellation) detected via calendar API or database flag.
3 Manual trigger via staff dashboard ("Send notification now" button, API endpoint).
4 Receipt of external requests (email intake, web form submission for event listing).
5 Recurring reminders (24 hours, 1 hour before event via scheduled automation).
Platform Variants
1 Twilio (SMS Notification)
- Feature/Setting: "Programmable Messaging API" - Configure SMS body, recipients, sender ID with POST /Messages endpoint, e.g., "POST /2010-04-01/Accounts/{AccountSid}/Messages.json".
2 SendGrid (Email)
- Feature/Setting: "Send Mail API" - Setup email template, dynamic fields, recipient list; POST to /v3/mail/send endpoint.
3 Mailchimp (Email Campaign)
- Feature/Setting: "Campaigns" - Configure event segment, automation triggers; use POST /campaigns and POST /automations/{workflow_id}/emails.
4 Slack (Team Notifications)
- Feature/Setting: "Incoming Webhooks" - Setup webhook URL; send event details to channels with JSON payload.
5 Microsoft Teams
- Feature/Setting: "Connectors" - Configure webhook, send adaptive cards to channels using Microsoft Graph POST /me/sendActivityNotification.
6 Facebook Messenger
- Feature/Setting: "Send API" - Use access token, recipient ID; POST JSON payload via /v10.0/me/messages for event invites.
7 WhatsApp Business
- Feature/Setting: "Cloud API" - POST event notifications to user or group via /v15.0/{phone-number-id}/messages.
8 Telegram
- Feature/Setting: "Bot API" - Use sendMessage method to post to channels, groups, or individuals.
9 Discord
- Feature/Setting: "Webhook" - Configure channel webhook; POST JSON payload with event details.
10 Google Calendar
- Feature/Setting: "Notifications" - Use calendar.events.watch for webhook push notifications to subscribers.
11 Zoom
- Feature/Setting: "Meeting Webhook" - Trigger notifications when Zoom event is scheduled via webhook POST.
12 HubSpot
- Feature/Setting: "Workflows API" - Enroll contacts based on event trigger; Use POST /automation/v3/workflows/{workflowId}/enrollments/contacts.
13 Salesforce
- Feature/Setting: "Process Builder" - Automate notifications when custom object Event__c is created or updated.
14 Pipedrive
- Feature/Setting: "Webhooks" - Trigger endpoint when activity type=event is inserted or updated.
15 Zendesk
- Feature/Setting: "Triggers" - Send notification when ticket type=event; POST outbound message via HTTP Target.
16 Intercom
- Feature/Setting: "Outbound Messages" - Configure event-based message rule; trigger message on event tag.
17 Eventbrite
- Feature/Setting: "Webhooks" - Notify attendees via attendee.created, event.updated events to registered emails.
18 OneSignal
- Feature/Setting: "Push API" - POST JSON via /notifications endpoint for mobile or web push event alerts.
19 Shopify
- Feature/Setting: "Admin API Webhooks" - Trigger notification to customers when product (e.g., shelter merch) is featured in event.
20 Zapier
- Feature/Setting: "Zaps" - Connect event source app to multi-channel output; setup trigger-action pipeline.
21 Airtable
- Feature/Setting: "Automations" - When event is added to Events table, trigger notifications with custom SMTP or webhook action.
22 Google Forms
- Feature/Setting: "Form Submit" - On RSVP/attendance form submission, trigger confirmation notification using Apps Script.
23 Outlook/Microsoft 365
- Feature/Setting: "Outlook REST API" - Use event webhook subscriptions to distribute meeting invites and reminders.
Benefits
1 Ensures critical event information reaches all stakeholders instantly, through their preferred platform.
2 Reduces admin effort through full automation and multi-channel coverage.
3 Improves attendance, engagement, and feedback (RSVP, post-event surveys, follow-up reminders).
4 Guarantees compliance with communication logs, audit trails, and message personalization.
5 Facilitates accessibility (language, channel preference) for diverse community audiences.