Changelog
Follow up on the latest improvements and updates.
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new
New feature
Export and Email Event Rosters as PDF
You can now export a printable PDF version of any event’s roster and email it directly to any address - whether or not the recipient is in SupporterBase.
This is especially useful for organisers needing to distribute rosters outside SupporterBase or keep a local, printable copy.
Highlights:
- Export and send rosters via email from the Shifts Overview page
- Warning messages appear if you attempt to send to a non-SupporterBase email
- Admin-only toggle to exclude contact details (email and phone) from the PDF
- PDF includes supporter names, roles, shift times, and a timestamp for clarity
Note: When contact info is masked, PDFs are still readable and useful, great for general coordination without exposing personal details.
We've been having a great time talking with many of you on how you are enjoying using the new event shifts tool.
We've also been listening to the great feedback on what can be improved and the top requests were all about the experience for supporters self-selecting a shift when RSVPing to an event.
- Supporters can now see the shifts' availability in the RSVP form (helping them choose the most needed spots!)
- Instead of hiding shifts that have no more availability, we now disable choosing that shift and mark it as full (no more answering supporters asking why they can't pick their favorite slot)
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When an event has
live shifts
(shifts in Draft Mode don't count), we now show an error if a supporter tries to RSVP to the event without choosing a shift. That is to assist leaders in avoiding needing to go through the RSVPs and assign them to shifts manually.
This change will not affect RSVP forms for events without live shifts so supporters can continue to RSVP to those as before.
We intend to make this toggle-able in the future for hybrid events, which will allow RSVPing with or without choosing a shift
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Last but not least: we improved the shift notification emails with more information about the event and a new shiny look. This way supporters have all the information in one place.
A reminder that each shift notification, whether it's a new shift assignment, a cancellation or a change, will have
all the information for all the shifts
a supporter is assigned to. Supporters only need to look at the last email to see all the information.
We are aware that for our NationBuilder clients their supporters are receiving two emails: the event's auto-response email and the shifts notification email. The issue is that NationBuilder, which is currently the one that sends the event auto-response emails, does not allow us to add individual shift information to the auto-response emails. We are working towards a solution to ensure that supporters only get one email
When a supporter RSVPs to an event we now show them a confirmation screen that includes a variety of "Add to calendar" buttons for all the most popular apps. The buttons allow them to add the event to their favorite calendar with all the event details attached and including a set 1 day before reminder!
If the supporter has assigned themselves to any shifts, we will show the shifts' details in the event description.
We are planning on introducing the "Add to calendar" buttons to other RSVP communications soon!
A small but critical fix!
Previously, once a call list was created it was never updated even when a supporter left the group the call list is part of. This has been fixed to ensure that supporter is removed and won't be accidentally contacted during phone banking.
improved
A smaller, handier help button
You know the big "Help and Guides" button on the left side of your screen that was sometimes getting in the way?
It is now just as helpful, but much smaller and on the bottom right of the screen - hopefully now staying out of the way until you need it!
Also remember, you can drag and drop it if you need. Just click and hold the mouse button to grab it and drag somewhere else (or the same with a finger tap on mobile)
We know duplicating events is one of the easiest ways to set up similar events with different times or locations and that setting up shifts can take that extra time, so from now you won't need to re-set up shifts after duplicating an event. We'll create new, identical shifts in the new event as well.
Just remember that the new shifts will be in
Draft Mode
and need to be confirmed
before they can be assigned or show up for supporters on the public pages.As a bonus, we also listened to a great suggestion from some of you and are now also pre-filling the duplicated event's
dates and times
. That way you can choose if to change the times, or just the location.We noticed that a few supporters out there were assigned to shifts via the Shift Management page while the shift was still in Draft Mode 😱, which resulted in some lack of clarity in communications.
We've now made the change that prevents a shift being assigned until it's fully confirmed. This was already the case for the public pages visible to supporters (we don't show supporters shifts in Draft Mode) but now it is also true for the Shifts Management page.
Once you confirm the shift, you'll be able to assign supporters as before:
And don't worry, if some shift slots are already assigned before the shift is edited (which puts it back into draft mode), those assignments are safe. Only unassigned shift slots will not be able to be assigned until the shift is confirmed.
new
New feature
New: Shifts rostering
You might have noticed some new features we launched just before the break. One of our favourite ones we really wanted to have ready for the Australian federal election:
You can now
add shifts
to any event, assign supporters
and even have them self-select
when RSVPing to the event.Text is too small? You can see a bigger version of this page here: https://supporterbase.canny.io/changelog/new-shifts-rostering
Creating shifts
In the event management page, you might have noticed a new button called "Manage Shifts"
That will take you to the brand new shifts management page. Here creating shifts is easy! Click on "Add Shifts" and create the shifts you need. Don't worry, you can always add more shifts, edit any shift and even delete the ones you don't need anymore.
"Draft mode"
When you
create
or edit
a shift, it will start in Draft mode
, that means that it won't show up for supporters on the event's public page or notify them of changes until you are ready.Once you are ready, all you need to do it click on
"Confirm and publish shift changes"
.Assigning supporters to shifts
Once a shift is published, it will show up in the event's public page for supporters to self-select to a shift whenever they RSVP.
Shifts will only show up if there are still free slots and will disappear from the public page when the shift is full.
If you don't want a shift showing up in the public page, you can always uncheck
"Allow supporters to self select on RSVP forms"
in the shift edit modal (just click on the pencil next to a shift).
Self-select is not the only way supporters can get assigned to a shift, you can also do it yourself by clicking
"Assign shift"
on any of the free slots in a shift
Notifying supporters of shift changes
When you assign or unassign a supporter from a shift, you'll be given the option of notifying them. SupporterBase will then send them an email with their shift details in the case of a new assignment or letting them know the shift they were removed from if unassigning.
For ease of reference, SupporterBase will always also include any other shifts they have for any other events, that way supporters only need to look at the last email they received to have all the information.
As we pointed out above when you edit a shift, it will go into
"Draft mode
. If there are any supporters assigned to an edited shift, SupporterBase will not reflect the changes to them until the shift is confirmed
. Whenever you are ready to "Confirm and publish shift changes"
, you will be given a choice to notify any affected supporters with the same shift changes notification emails.
That covers all the basics of shift rostering, but there is much more! Such as creating shifts for multi-day events. Feel free to experiment since no shifts will show up while in
"Draft mode"
.We hope these new features will help all our organisations create the changes we strive for in this election and beyond.
new
New feature
New: Recurring events!
More new event features you might have noticed: You now can create multiple recurring events when creating an event.
The recurring events will be identical to the original event other than their dates, allowing you to create repeating events such as a monthly book club or a meeting.
Once created, each event is it's own, allowing you to have supporters RSVP to each separately as well as edit, publish or unpublish events without affecting the others.
Text is too small? You can see a bigger version of this page here: https://supporterbase.canny.io/changelog/new-recurring-events
How to create a recurring event:
In the event creation page, you'll see a couple of new buttons: "Single Event" and "Recurring Event"
Choosing "Single Event" will create an event like always.
However, clicking on "Recurring Event" will show a new interface where you can:
- Choose the weekly repeat schedule (repeat weekly, fortnightly or more)
- Choose the days the repeat happens on (happen once a week on a Saturday or even up to daily!)
- Choose if to create a certain number of events (no matter what date they end up on) or end the recurring events after a certain date.
Once you create the event, one of two things can happen:
If you are authorised to create events without getting them approved SupporterBase will then create the recurring events.
If you require approval for publishing an event, SupporterBase will wait for the event to be approved before creating the recurring events, just in case there are any changes needed.
You can see all the recurring events under "Related recurring events" in any of the event pages.
Q&A
Can I create a daily event?
Yes! Just choose "Repeat every 1 week" and select every day in the "Repeat on" days.
If I edit or delete the original or any of the recurring events, do the other events change?
No. SupporterBase intentionally creates distinct events. That way supporters can see and RSVP to those events separately. You can also edit and even unpublish an event without affecting the other recurring events.
A small one but a good one, especially for those leaders manning the call lists.
Recent contact cards will now show full timestamps, instead of just dates. Hopefully we won't call them at 6am again...
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