Event and activity announcements via email/SMS

Purpose

 1.1. Automate timely, consistent announcements to parents regarding events, schedule updates, and activities using both email and SMS.
 1.2. Ensure all guardians receive crucial after-school program information promptly, increasing parent engagement and reducing communication gaps.
 1.3. Integrate with registration, event management, and communication databases to automatically extract relevant event data for announcements.
 1.4. Support multi-channel delivery to increase reach and accommodate parent preferences in communication mode.

Trigger Conditions

 2.1. Creation or update of an after-school event in a scheduling system.
 2.2. Manual announcement requests from staff via a dashboard or form.
 2.3. Approaching event date/time as detected via calendar or workflow system.
 2.4. Addition of new parent contacts to the communication list.
 2.5. Changes to event details (time/location/cancellation).

Platform Variants

 3.1. Twilio SMS
  • Feature: Messaging API
  • Setting: Configure API key, recipient number, message template (“Event update: {event_name} at {time}”).

 3.2. SendGrid
  • Feature: Mail Send API
  • Setting: Use dynamic templates; authenticate API key; set to send to parent contact list with event variables.

 3.3. Mailgun
  • Feature: Messages API
  • Setting: Post event data with domain authentication, use personalized message fields.

 3.4. AWS SES (Simple Email Service)
  • Feature: SendEmail API
  • Setting: Configure SMTP credentials, verified sender email, and event-driven triggers.

 3.5. Plivo
  • Feature: SMS API
  • Setting: Use POST request with source number, destination, and template.

 3.6. MessageBird
  • Feature: SMS Messaging API
  • Setting: Insert event info into API payload; configure via API key.

 3.7. HubSpot
  • Feature: Marketing Email
  • Setting: Set workflows to trigger emails based on event record updates.

 3.8. ActiveCampaign
  • Feature: Automation
  • Setting: Build workflow triggering an “Announcement” campaign upon event creation.

 3.9. Mailchimp
  • Feature: Campaign API
  • Setting: Use triggered emails; link to list segment matching relevant parents.

 3.10. Constant Contact
  • Feature: Email Campaigns API
  • Setting: Trigger template sends via API, input dynamic event content.

 3.11. Infobip
  • Feature: SMS API
  • Setting: Authenticate, then automate messages using event payloads.

 3.12. Nexmo (Vonage)
  • Feature: SMS API
  • Setting: Send POST with event variables for quick dissemination.

 3.13. ClickSend
  • Feature: SMS & Email API
  • Setting: Configure API auth, insert message templates in requests.

 3.14. Firebase Cloud Messaging
  • Feature: Notification Messages
  • Setting: Automate push notifications in sync with events.

 3.15. Pipedrive
  • Feature: Workflow Automation
  • Setting: Trigger emails to parent contacts when events change.

 3.16. Zoho CRM
  • Feature: Workflow Rules
  • Setting: Use Actions to send email/SMS based on event field triggers.

 3.17. Salesforce
  • Feature: Process Builder
  • Setting: Build flows to auto-email parents when a new event is logged.

 3.18. Airtable
  • Feature: Automations
  • Setting: “When record matches conditions” to trigger email/SMS actions.

 3.19. Slack
  • Feature: Notifications
  • Setting: Post announcements to private parent channels using event data.

 3.20. Gmail API
  • Feature: Users.messages.send
  • Setting: OAuth authentication, automate emails with JSON event objects.

Benefits

 4.1. Reduces manual work in notifying parents, cutting staff time and errors.
 4.2. Ensures rapid dissemination of critical information and updates.
 4.3. Enhances engagement by providing timely, channel-flexible communication.
 4.4. Enables scalable, consistent communication, even as program enrollments increase.
 4.5. Allows easy tracking and auditing of sent communications.