The Family Proud
User Guide

Setting you up for success on the Family Proud app.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, our support team is ready to hear from you at any time. We are here to help and actually kind of lonely so feel free to message us at any time.

support@familyproud.com

1. Download the Family Proud app.

The first step in joining the Family Proud community is to Download the app from the appropriate app store for your phone. The Family Proud app can be found in both Google Play and Apple App stores. You can find the appropriate link for you or your loved ones below:

Apple App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/
family-proud/id1551869810
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Google Play Store
https://play.google.com/store/
apps/detailsgl=US&hl=en_US&id
=com.family_proud.prototype_v2

For more information on downloading the Family Proud app, please visit:
https://www.familyproud.com/app

2. Create an account.

The next step in becoming Family Proud is to Create an Account. To Create an Account, simply tap the Family Proud logo on your phone’s screen. At this point, new users will need to Create an Account. To do so tap the button that reads “Create your account” on the app’s first screen. As the screen advances, you will be required to enter your first and last name as well as your email address and zip code.

While the zip code might seem a bit unorthodox, it helps us to determine your approximate location on the care map. Once you’ve entered these items you’ll need to create and confirm a password for your account and, after agreeing to our terms of service, you’ll be able to tap the button to “Create Your Account.”

3. Choose to create or join a Care Circle.

At this point you should be on the Welcome screen and prompted to make one of three choices: Create a Care Circle, Setup a Care Circle, Join a Care Circle.

Create a Care Circle

Select this option to create a Care Circle with yourself as the beneficiary.
From there you’ll be able to invite friends and family members to come together in support of a common cause. If you select this option you will be taken to a screen to create your Care Circle for yourself.

Setup a Care Circle

Select this option to setup a Care Circle where someone else is the beneficiary. From there you’ll be able to create a circle for a close family member or friend and help them to get the support they need. If you select this option you will be taken to a screen to create your Care Circle for them.

Join a Care Circle

Select this option to join a Care Circle that has already been created by someone else. From there you’ll be able to become a vital member of someone’s support network to show them how much you care. If you select this option you will be taken to the Care Map to search for the Care Circle you wish to join.

4. Create a Care Circle

When you tap an option which indicates you would like to create a new Care Circle, either for yourself or for someone else, you’ll be taken to a screen that prompts you to enter the necessary information to Create your Care Circle.
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Name Your Circle
First, you’ll need to enter a name for your circle. This is usually something like “Team Teresa”, “Love for Laura”, or “Supporting Grandma Jeanie”
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Add a Description
Next, you’ll want to enter a description of your Care Circle. This is a really important space. It will be the one-stop-shop for all the important information that your supporters will need.

As best practice you may want to make it clear who the Care Circle is created for, what cause is it addressing, give a short backstory on why it’s being created, and if you expect food or deliveries it’s a good idea to enter dietary preferences and restrictions and the address that things should be delivered to.
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You may also want to list communication preferences. Are you asking people not to call or stop by? Would you like people to schedule visits before they come? Are flowers appropriate to send or not preferred? These are some of the questions that commonly come up between supporters and Care Circle owners. Don’t worry if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with what to write here. You can always add to it later and allow it to improve over time. In fact, most people do.

Add a Registry Link

Then, once you’ve entered a description of your Care Circle, you can enter a registry link from a place like Zola, or Babylist. This allows you to coordinate further support from other platforms all in one place.

Add Your Zip Code

It might seem weird at first, but this is actually a good thing. By adding your zip code, rather than using location services, we ensure we are never giving people your exact location, but instead showing a general location on the map, depending on your privacy settings. This also helps us to show you the most relevant resources and suggestions based on location without compromising your privacy.

Define Your Care Circle’s Cause

Here you’ll find a field that says, “What defines your cause?,” and you’ll want to enter the cause that your Care Circle is organized around. This is often a specific diagnosis, a life event, or a unique experience. Below are some common examples that circles are organized around.

down syndrom

colon cancer

new baby

injury/surgery

addition recovery

military deployment

other causes

Set Your Privacy Settings

Finally, you’ll be prompted with two switches to choose your privacy preferences. The first one is to make your Care Circle private or not. This determines whether or not people can find and join your circle whom you have not invited yourself. The second one is to show your Care Circle on the Care Map. This makes it easier for your supporters to find and join your Care Circle, and for people to support your
cause.
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Once you’ve completed filling in the necessary information, tap the “Create your circle” button to make it official and advance to the next screen.

5. Create your first Ask.

Next you’ll want to create your first Ask. This is where a lot of people tend to get hung up. We get it. Asking for help can be hard in general, but it can also be overwhelming. Where do you begin?
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We suggest letting your first ask be something simple, that way you can see how it works. For your first ask, maybe posting something like one of the following:

“Send me a message of support so that I know you are here.”
“Let’s schedule a call for a check in and update.”
“Invite someone whom I may not have thought of to join our circle.”

It’s important to note that Asks have to be associated with a Care Circle.

If you aren’t the owner or creator of a Care Circle already, you’ll need to create one in order to create an Ask. (see Step 4.) Once you’ve created a Care Circle, from your Care Circle’s screen, you’ll be able to tap the big blue plus sign (+) in the lower right corner. From there you’ll be able to tap the “Create Ask” option.

Once you choose the “Create Ask” option you will be taken to a screen to choose to create your Ask from a template or from a blank canvas. Once you make your selection you’ll want to create a simple title for your ask, add a location where the Ask will need to be completed, a time and date for the Ask to start and end, and finally a description of the ask where you can include any specific instructions or details the
supporter will need to know.

After you create your Ask, everyone in your Care Circle will receive it and be offered the chance to take ownership of completing it by “claiming” it. When someone claims your ask, feel free to message them directly during the messaging feature on our app to thank them and work out any further details. Oh! And don’t forget to send a thank you once the Ask is completed.

6. Invite your support network to join your Care Circle.

It should be clear by now, your Care Circle is only going to be as successful as our ability to gather people to join our circle so inviting them to join is one of our most important factors of success that we can control. The biggest mistake people make is underestimating how much people want to help, so if you’re thinking of inviting someone, just do it. At least give them the opportunity to decide for themselves.

From your Care Circle screen, you want to tap the user icon in the upper right corner. Once you click that icon you’ll need to tap the “Invites” tab on the right side. From here you can choose to invite someone by email or to choose users already on the platform. If the person you would like to invite to your Care Circle is already on the Family Proud app, you can tap the “User” tab and enter their name to invite them.

Most of your support network however will not be on the app already. To invite those people, from the email tab you can enter their name and email to add them to your list of invitees and then tap to invite them.

Pro Tip

Don’t forget to tap the address book icon on the right side of the email input field. From here you can grab email addresses straight from your address book.

Good people to invite to join your Care Circle might be:
• Close friends
• Immediate and extended family members
• People who care about this specific cause

Chances are more people care than you would think. Maybe not everyone will accept your invitation, but it’s better to let them make that choice for themselves than to assume they wouldn’t want to support.

7. Find a Care Circle to Join or Support.

A great idea after creating your own Care Circle is to join someone else’s. Even if you feel like you won’t have the time or energy to support someone else, you would be surprised by the positive impact of just choosing to be part of their circle. And you never know, there might be Asks that come up that are easier for you to fulfill than you expected. The key is not to make assumptions and create as much opportunity to support each other as possible. Family Proud works best as an ecosystem when care and support are flowing in both directions.

To find a Care Circle to support tap the Care Map icon at the bottom of the screen. From the Care Map you’ll be able to search at the top by either user name, or circle name, as well as be able to browse circles from in your local area.With Family Proud, we have the opportunity to be better neighbors. Don’t forget, positive change starts with us.

8. Getting the Most out of Family Proud

If you’re looking to get the most out of Family Proud, we can tell you that hinges on two main points:
• Inviting your support network
• Giving them opportunities to support and communicate.

Family Proud is designed to facilitate coordination of support, and sharing feelings of care. In order for that to be effective, you need your support network on the platform with you, and you need to be actively engaged in giving and receiving support. We’ve found that most people want to help the people in their lives more than they currently do. The problem is rarely getting people to want to support, but usually in making it easy to. Getting the most out of Family Proud is going to depend on inviting as many people to support as possible, and giving them as many opportunities as you can.

For Care Circle Owners and Creators

Gather the information you’ll need to set up your Care Circle.

You’ll want to know an email and street address for deliveries, any dietary and privacy preferences and what kinds of help are needed most. Contact Family Proud support to connect with our Family Liaison to get help walking through the process.

Invite someone to help you coordinate.

You don’t have to do it all alone. Invite someone that you know you can rely on to help you manage the Care Circle. Don’t be shy about asking for help. Whether yourCare Circle is for yourself or someone else, inviting a co-organizer can help you keep track of support.

Add a good photo and detailed description to your Care Circle.

When Supporters come to your CareCircle, it helps to personalize it with a photo and a detailed description to let them know who and what your CareCircle is for.

Be sure to include important information in the description.

The description section is a great place to include food allergies and preferences, delivery instructions, important links, or other helpful information for supporters. It helps to be specific.

Connect your Venmo account, registry links, or both.

The benefit of connecting both your Venmo account or registry links is to give your supporters options. But at the end of the day, do what your Care Circle beneficiary is most comfortable with.

Invite plenty of supporters and spread the word.

Many people make the mistake of assuming that people don’t want to be bothered by being asked to support, but our experience says otherwise. From what we’ve experienced, most people want more ways to support those close to them but sometimes it’s hard to know how. The important thing is to invite as many people as possible, and give them the opportunity to support, or to opt out if they prefer, but either way, let the decision be theirs.

For Care Circle Supporters, Friends, and Family

Explore different ways to support

A Care Circle should tell you exactly what’s needed, through Asks, Posts, and in the Care Circle description. Choose something that is also meaningful to you, whether it’s sending a meal, purchasing a thoughtful gift or item from their registry, or sending a donation to help with financial needs (if they have connected their Venmo account).

Read details carefully.

The Care Circle description and specific Ask descriptions often contain important details such as dietary restrictions, food delivery instructions, etc. Understanding these specifics are key to delivering support that matters and avoiding hiccups.

Turn on notifications from Family Proud.

I know, of course we are going to tell you to do that, but really—it’s the best way to stay up-to-date with your loved one and their posts to their Care Circle news and updates.

Learn more about their situation and how to support them.

Read an article or guide from the Resources screen that can help you understand what someone is going through, with actionable ideas on ways to show up.

For Care Circle Beneficiaries

Don’t be afraid to share what you need.

It can be hard to allow others to help. Receiving help is just as much for the person wanting to help as it is to the person receiving it. Supporting one another is innate in all of us. So if you have people wanting to help, let them.

It’s okay to receive support.

We’ve done our best to make receiving support on Family Proud as easy as possible.Though we know there are lots of ways yet for us to improve. Start by thinking of three tasks someone could help you with and add them from the start. Finally, invite your broader support network to join you on your Care Circle. Chances are, more people want to support you than you think. Your supporters will appreciate knowing how to help and you’ll have a few less things to worry about.

Consider delegating the management of your Care Circle to someone else.

Ask a friend or family member to help setup or manage your Care Circle. They can share updates with your Supporters, and you can focus on you. You can even make this your first Ask!

Reach out to support to connect with our Family Liaison

Family Proud has a specialized Family Liaison on staff who has been a beneficiary themselves. It would make their day to connect with you and help you navigate how best to use Family Proud to meet your needs. Get more insight into squeezing the most out of Family Proud and guidance into how to make it work best for your unique situation. Or let us know what we can do better! To connect with a FamilyLiaison, send a quick note to support@familyproud.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Family Proud?

Family Proud is an easy-to-use mobile app that allows you to coordinate support for people you love. Each Family Proud Community Circle empowers communities to help from anywhere by breaking down requests for support into specific Asks, posts and updates to the news feed, internal private messaging, and more. From the birth of a baby, to the loss of a loved one, to medical crises, and disasters, Family Proud makes support simple so that no one goes through a big moment alone.

Is there a fee for using Family Proud?

Not a chance. Not now. Not ever. Family Proud is free to use for families members, caregivers, beneficiaries and supporters alike. Our money comes from organizations and sponsors that want to serve your family as effectively as possible. While there may be premium features available for members in the future, giving and receiving support on Family Proud will always be free.

What if I don’t see the features I’m looking for?

Family Proud may not be perfect, but we didn’t make it because we had something perfect in our back pocket. We made it because we are dedicated to helping as many families as possible—as soon as possible. What does that mean? It meansFamily Proud is going to grow with you. Behind Family Proud is a relatively small and passionate team of people eager to hear your feedback and create an app that evolves as you use it.

Of course we hope this means you don’t face too many challenges in using the app, but if you do, we are right here to support, and to integrate feedback as quickly as possible. The more we use Family Proud, the better it gets.

Can I create a Care Circle for someone else?

Yes, most Care Circles are created by friends, family, or other members of the community. We make it easy to set up a Care Circle and invite the beneficiary to join if desired.

I want to organize a meal train. Can I do that with Family Proud?

Absolutely! From the Care Circle page you can create a new Ask to organize and schedule meal deliveries. Supporters can sign up to claim those Asks and choose to bring it themselves, have it delivered through a meal delivery service, or send a gift card. You can even request groceries! Listing favorite foods, restaurants, dishes, and dietary preferences and restrictions in the Ask description is very helpful for supporters. If this is a consistent note about your Asks, it’s a good idea to list it in the description of the Care Circle itself.

How can I be sure supporters will complete the Asks they’ve claimed?

Family Proud has got you covered. We send reminders both by email and push notification to ensure your supporters don’t forget the support they wanted to take ownership of delivering.

I want to share updates, but I don’t want a lot of visitors or phone calls.

That is totally understandable and your Care Circle is the perfect place for you to communicate that. While creating your Care Circle, this is exactly the type of information you want to mention in your circle description. Let your support network know your preferences for receiving visitors, floral deliveries, and phone calls and they will know this is the place to look. These settings are always available to edit from the Care Circle screen as your preferences change.

I just want to support someone. Do I need to know them?

Family Proud is designed for Care, and we relish the opportunities to connect people through support who may not have otherwise met. By going to the care map you will be able to find people who are near you and have chosen to be public. Supporting one another is so important, but it’s still an intimate act. It’s probably a good idea to send the person a message along with your intention to support.

Can more than one person manage a Care Circle?

Yes. The people who manage Care Circles are called Care Circle owners. The creator of the Care Circle is the primary owner, but you can add other admins to help you keep the page up to date.

I want to help my friend but I’m not sure how.

Family Proud was founded to allow people to give and receive support for anyone, anytime, anywhere. We want to use technology to remove the barriers to caring foreach other. You can reach out to support with requests like this and receive coaching from our Family Liaison whose job it is just to help you navigate the more sensitive aspects of delivering support.

Does Family Proud take donations for people with a financial need?

Family Proud does not currently take donations or manage crowdfunding campaigns, but you can add your Venmo account to your Care Circle. If you’re not familiar withVenmo, there are transaction fees in certain circumstances, but Family Proud doesn’t take any additional fees from the money you send or receive.

How can I change my personal details on my Family Proud account?

You can change your information anytime on Family Proud. Log into the app and tap your profile picture in the upper left corner of any screen, and tap “AccountSettings”. Additionally, from your user profile, you can tap on the gear icon in the support right corner to take you to the same place. From here you can edit personal information, notification preferences, and privacy controls quickly and easily.

Who delivers food when someone claims an Ask based around a meal?

When a supporter claims a meal on the Care Circle, it’s up to them how they choose to fulfill the request; however, they do have several options to choose from: they can prepare and deliver the food themselves, they can place an order with a restaurant for delivery to the beneficiary’s designated address, or they can order food through a meal delivery app like DoorDash etc. or they can Venmo the beneficiary if theirVenmo is connected to the Care Circle. These options are up to the supporter to choose when they claim a meal request, but we suggest that you coordinate through messages so you will know in advance how they are planning to provide support.

Should I tell supporters what our favorite restaurants and meals are?

Yes! It’s always great to help your supporters make choices. If you have a few favorite restaurants, you can include their names, phone numbers and website links in your Care Circle’s description, or the description of a specific Ask.

How do I share my Care Circle?

Currently, the best way to share your Care Circle is to invite people directly from within the Family Proud app. You can do this from the home page by scrolling to the bottom of the screen, or from within your circle page, and tapping on the member icon in the top right corner.We are working on a number of different features that will allow you to share yourCare Circle with more supporters and friends. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, reach out and tell us how you wish you could share your Care Circle. Help us serve families in the best way possible!

How can I update my support network through Family Proud?

We know that contacting everyone individually can become daunting, so we offer features that keep your supporters updated without the need for individual messaging. Care Circle owners can share news, milestones, photos, and updates through posts to the Care Circle screen. You can even use it as a journal to chronicle your journey and allow followers to know what’s going on day-to-day.

How do people join my Care Circle?

Anyone who has access to your Care Circle can join if they create a Family Proud account and tap “Join” from your Care Circle screen. Also, if your Circle’s privacy settings are public, anyone who signs up on Family Proud can find your circle via the search function on the Care Map. This helps people to connect to others with common cares and interests, and even find support from new and unexpected sources.

How do I contact someone who has claimed an Ask in my Care Circle?

If you have any need to contact a Care Circle supporter directly, you can do so by tapping their name on the Ask card, and tapping “Message User.” This is the most important reason for asking supporters to create a Family Proud account: so communication stays organized and flowing from both sides, creating a persistent and dynamic community of support.

Who can see my Care Circle?

Anyone who is on the platform and knows your name can search for you in the CareMap, or could find you by searching by location, as long as your privacy settings are set to public. While this is a great opportunity to meet like minded people and connect through support, we recognize that it’s not right for everyone. The good news is that it’s totally within your control. By tapping on your profile photo in the upper left hand corner of any screen and then tapping “Account Settings”, you can tailor your privacy settings to suit your preferences.

I can’t find a Care Circle that I’m trying to support.

Make sure that you are selecting the right search settings (i.e. that “users” is selected if searching by their name, or that “circles” is selected if searching by the name of the circle.) If you’re still having a hard time finding the page you’re looking for, it’s possible the Care Circle has been set to private. This means that you will not find it when you type the name of the page into the Care Map search field. To access a private page, you will need to contact the Care Circle owner and ask them to search for you and invite you.

How do I delete my account?

If you need to delete your account, just send a quick note to support letting us know and we will be happy to oblige.

How can I find out the best way to support someone on Family Proud?

Joining a person’s Care Circle will give you access to all their posts and updates, as well as a view into any Asks that they’ve made of the community. Keeping an eye on this feed can be a great way to learn the best way to support. The Care Circle feed shows requests for meals, gift cards, rides, or services at days and times most needed. You can often find specific dietary restrictions and favorites in the CareCircle description, the description of the specific Ask itself, or sometimes posts created by the Care Circle owner.Additionally, you always have the option to send a private message to the CareCircle owner with specific questions. Finally, the Family Proud support team can be reached through the app at anytime, and is happy to guide you through the process, or help you succeed with Family Proud in any way.

Family Proud® is the first social platform designed for care making it simple to give and receive support through persistent digital communities.

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please reach out - we’d love to hear from you!

The privacy and security of your personal information is very important to us at Family Proud®.

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