Multi-Family Requests

Overview

In each Agency's Settings, the option is included for Agency Workers and Agency Reps from that agency to submit requests for multiple families rather than just one individual family. This setting is defaulted to "Off" but may be turned on in partnership with the local network leader(s) to consider what the impact of these additional types of requests might have on the ability for the local network to meet these larger requests.

Intended Audience

Requesting Agency Leaders & Workers; Local Network Leaders

Included in This Article

• When (and When Not) to Use Multi-Family Requests
• What's Different About Multi-Family Requests?
• Agency Best Practices for Multi-Family Requests

When (and When Not) to Use Multi-Family Requests

A request should be identified as Multi-Family when:

• An agency worker would like to invite broad participation in a collections drive for a specific list of items that can be used by their agency to serve multiple families over time or across a large region, such as coats, blankets, beds/bedding, school supplies, shoes, etc. 
• The logistics for getting the items to the families identified will be done in a way that is streamlined and/or centralized

A request should not be identified as Multi-Family if:

• An agency worker has simply identified that two or three specific families on their caseload have a similar type of need for a specific item, such as a bed or crib
  (In these cases, these items should be entered on separate requests for each family to give the opportunity for the family's local community to respond and help)
• Entering the needs as individual family requests would generate an excessive volume of emails, causing a disruptive experience for responders and potentially jeopardizing the sustainability of the network

What's Different About Multi-Family Requests?

When the Multi-Family request setting is enabled, a simple checkbox will appear at the beginning of the process of entering a request, asking if the request would serve multiple families.  When checked, the remaining process of entering the details of this request will include a "Special Instructions" field under the "Story" field, as shown below.

The information included in this Special Instructions field will be added to the bottom of the public request description when the request is approved and goes live. This represents a chance for the worker to explain the general collection plan for the items requested, which will be visible to all potential responders, reducing the need to share these logistics with each responder who commits to provide one or more of the needed items.

For example: All items should be dropped off in the front lobby of 123 Main Street by Thursday May 2nd at 5pm.

Additional follow-up, sharing more sensitive information, and answering specific questions may still be necessary with individual responders. For example, giving a specific address, link, or entry code. Any detail that should not be publicly available should not be included in the Special Instructions.

Agency Best Practices for Multi-Family Requests

• Aim High When Entering the Quantity or Amount Needed
  Once the amount or quantity you originally entered for the request has been committed, the CarePortal platform will not allow additional responses. If you aim high, though, you can always close the request as being "Partially Met by Church/CarePortal Network", which will give you the chance to update the actual quantity or amount provided. 
  
  
• Think About Logistics Ahead of Time
  If you're hosting a collections drive, be sure to have a smooth process for collecting the items planned out and confirmed.
  
  
• Get Outside Feedback About the Clarity of Your Special Instructions
  Special Instructions are only helpful if they're clear and easily understood. Have someone read your first draft to make sure they make sense to an outsider's perspective.