Trello Tutorial for Alegria Soy

This guide is designed to help Doris and the Alegria Soy team learn how to use Trello effectively for delegating tasks, keeping everyone on schedule and generating status updates for stakeholders. It covers the essential features of Trello’s free and Premium tiers, explains how to assign and tag work, and shows how to produce high‑level reports using Trello’s advanced views. Throughout the tutorial you will see citations in square brackets (for example, support.atlassian.com). These citations point to the original Atlassian support pages used as sources. If you are using this tutorial outside this environment and the citations do not render, please refer to the Resource links section at the end of this document for clickable URLs.

1. Getting started with delegation

Trello represents work as cards grouped into lists on a board. Each card can hold all the information needed to complete a task: a description, attachments, due dates, checklists, labels and more. By assigning cards to specific people and setting reminders, Doris can delegate work to her team and keep everyone accountable.

1.1 Assign members to a card

Assigning someone to a card makes that person responsible for the task and ensures they receive notifications about changes:

Open the card by clicking on it. In the side panel, choose Add → Members, then type the person’s name or click their avatar support.atlassian.com. Alternatively, right‑click a card or click its pencil icon and select Change members support.atlassian.com.
You can use keyboard shortcuts for speed: hover over a card and press a to open the member picker. Press SPACE to add yourself to a card support.atlassian.com.
When someone is added as a member, they automatically watch the card and will receive notifications for comments, card moves, due‑date changes and other updatessupport.atlassian.com.

1.2 Categorize tasks with labels

Labels (also called tags) help you classify cards by project phase, priority or department:

A label is represented by a colour and can be given a descriptive name support.atlassian.com. Trello offers 30 colours plus a colourless option; a card can have multiple labels support.atlassian.com.
To add a label, open a card, click Add → Labels and pick a colour; or hover over the card, press the pencil icon and choose Edit labels support.atlassian.com. You can also press l while hovering over a card to open the label picker or press a number key (0–9) to toggle the corresponding label colour support.atlassian.com.
Clicking a label on the card toggles whether its name is displayed; pressing ; toggles label names on all cards support.atlassian.com.
To edit the name or colour of a label, hover over a card, click the pencil icon and choose Edit labels support.atlassian.com.

Labels make it easy to filter cards in advanced views such as the Table or Dashboard view. They also help quickly identify tasks belonging to a particular program or grant.

1.3 Set due dates, start dates and reminders

Trello cards support start dates, due dates and reminders to keep work on schedule:

Open the card and click Dates to set a due date and time. Start dates are added from the same dialog by selecting the Start date checkbox support.atlassian.com. Hovering over a card and pressing D opens the date picker quickly support.atlassian.com.
Mark the card as complete by clicking the check circle on the card front; completed cards do not trigger due‑date automation support.atlassian.com.
Colour badges on the card front indicate urgency: light grey means the due date is more than 24 hours away; yellow means the card is due soon; red means it has just become overdue; light pink means it has been overdue for more than a day; green indicates the due date is marked complete support.atlassian.com.
Set reminders in the same place as the due date. Select a reminder time (e.g., 10 minutes, 24 hours) from the dropdown; Trello will send notifications at that time support.atlassian.com. If no reminder is set, the due date will not trigger a notification.
Recurring due dates: Trello allows you to set recurring due dates without automation. When a card is marked done, its next due date is calculated automatically based on the recurrence rule support.atlassian.com.

1.4 Watch cards, lists and boards

Watching ensures you receive notifications when something changes:

Watch a card: open the card, click the … (actions) menu and choose Watch support.atlassian.com. You automatically watch a card if you are added as a member support.atlassian.com.
Watch a list: click the … menu at the top of a list and choose Watch to be notified of changes to all cards in that list support.atlassian.com.
Watch a board: from the board menu, choose Watch to follow all activity on the board support.atlassian.com.
An eye icon appears next to watched items; you can hover over it to see what you’re watching support.atlassian.com.

1.5 Manage notifications and email preferences

Trello notifies you in the app when due dates approach, comments are added or cards are moved, but you can adjust how and when emails are sent:

Trello will not send an email if you have already read the notification in the app support.atlassian.com.
Email frequency is controlled from your Account Settings: choose Never, Periodically (hourly summary) or Instantly to receive notifications shortly after they’re generated support.atlassian.com.
You can opt out of specific categories of notifications (comments, due dates, card moves, etc.) in your email preferences support.atlassian.com. These preferences apply only to boards or cards you are watching; you’ll always receive emails for invitations, direct mentions or cards you’re added to support.atlassian.com.

2. Using advanced views for project status

Premium Trello plans unlock several “Views” that provide high‑level perspectives on your board. These are useful for producing status reports for donors or partner organizations.

2.1 Timeline view

The Timeline view maps cards across time, making it easy to see how tasks overlap and where resources might be stretched:

Access the Timeline via the View Switcher (the drop‑down arrow next to the board’s name). You must enable the view, then select Timeline from the list support.atlassian.com.
Timeline provides a tactile map of your projects, helping teams hit deadlines and see how different tasks fit together support.atlassian.com.
You can navigate through time using header controls or the mouse scroll wheel, and click Today to return to the current date support.atlassian.com.
Adjust date ranges by clicking and dragging the edges of a card in the timeline support.atlassian.com. You can also change the granularity (day, week, month, quarter, year) by clicking the Week drop‑down support.atlassian.com.
Start and end dates cause cards to appear on multiple dates; you can set these dates when editing a card’s due date or by stretching the card in the timeline support.atlassian.com.
Grouping options let you group tasks by list, member or label to see workload distribution support.atlassian.com.

2.2 Calendar view

The Calendar view shows all due dates and checklist items on a weekly or monthly calendar:

Calendar view is available in Premium workspaces; enable it via the view dropdown support.atlassian.com.
You can drag and drop cards within the calendar to adjust their due dates. Cards can also be created or edited directly from the calendar support.atlassian.com.
Change the scope of the calendar to show one week or one month at a time support.atlassian.com.
Adding start and end dates makes cards span multiple days on the calendar support.atlassian.com. Only the due date syncs to external calendars, while start dates appear only within Trello support.atlassian.com.

2.3 Dashboard view

The Dashboard view transforms board data into charts and metrics:

Dashboard view visualizes key metrics like cards per list, cards per due date, cards per member and cards per label support.atlassian.com. This helps manage workloads and identify bottlenecks before they occur.
Access the view by clicking the drop‑down arrow next to the board name and selecting Dashboard support.atlassian.com. An icon appears next to the board name when the view is active.
Customize your dashboard by adding, editing or deleting tiles support.atlassian.com. Each tile can be a bar graph or pie chart; choose which board data the tile should display (e.g., cards per list or per member) support.atlassian.com.
Hover over a chart to see the number of cards in each category support.atlassian.com.

2.4 Table view

The Table view provides a spreadsheet‑like list of cards that can be filtered and edited:

Table view is available for Premium or Enterprise boards. Access it via the View Switcher (click the chevron and select Table) support.atlassian.com.
It displays all cards in a single list and allows filtering by label, member or due date support.atlassian.com. This view is ideal for people accustomed to spreadsheets (e.g., donors reviewing work across categories).
You can open a card by clicking its name, edit fields directly from the table (e.g., change the due date or members) and drag cards to reorder them support.atlassian.com.
New cards can be added from the Table view using the + Add button support.atlassian.com.

3. Training plan for Doris and her team

Doris has already demonstrated a strong commitment to learning; this plan is designed to build her confidence and enable her to teach her team. Feel free to adapt the pacing based on her comfort level.

3.1 Kick‑off session with Doris

Board orientation: Walk through the existing board, explaining lists, cards and the general flow of work (e.g., To Do → In Progress → Done).
Card creation: Have Doris create a sample card, add a description and attach any files or links.
Assignments and labels: Practice adding herself and another user to the card; then assign a label to categorize the task (e.g., “High priority” or “Stakeholders”).
Due dates and reminders: Set a due date and a reminder on the card support.atlassian.com support.atlassian.com. Note how the badge color changes as the due date approaches support.atlassian.com.
Watching and notifications: Watch the card and the list; then review where notifications appear (Trello’s bell icon and email settings) support.atlassian.com support.atlassian.com.

3.2 Practising delegation features

Assign tasks to others: Invite a colleague to the board and assign them to a card using the member picker support.atlassian.com.
Use labels strategically: Create labels for different projects or grant deliverables. Practice filtering cards by label in Table view support.atlassian.com.
Set recurring due dates: For routine tasks, demonstrate how to set a recurring due date so that the card automatically resets when marked complete support.atlassian.com.
Enable watchers: Ensure Doris understands how to watch a list or board so she’s alerted to any changes support.atlassian.com.

3.3 Exploring reporting views

Timeline: Open the Timeline view and group by member to see who is responsible for what support.atlassian.com. Practice adjusting start and end dates by dragging card edges support.atlassian.com.
Calendar: Switch to Calendar view and move cards around to see how drag‑and‑drop reschedules due dates support.atlassian.com.
Dashboard: Build a basic dashboard with default tiles, then add a new tile (e.g., Cards per due date) to visualize upcoming deadlines support.atlassian.com. Show Doris how hovering over charts reveals card counts support.atlassian.com.
Table: Filter the Table view by member to see only the tasks assigned to a specific person support.atlassian.com. Demonstrate editing fields from within the table support.atlassian.com.

3.4 Embedding the tutorial in the board

Create a “Getting Started” list on the board with cards titled:

Create a card – include instructions on adding descriptions, attachments and checklists.
Assign a member – summarise the steps to add someone to a cardsupport.atlassian.com.
Add labels – explain how to add and edit labelssupport.atlassian.com.
Set due dates and reminders – describe using the Dates button and selecting reminder times support.atlassian.com support.atlassian.com.
Watch cards, lists and boards – outline the process and benefits support.atlassian.com.

Next, add a “Views & Reporting” list with cards explaining the Timeline, Calendar, Dashboard and Table views. Include bullet points summarizing how to access each view and what insights it provides.

3.5 Team workshop and hand‑off

Run a team training session: After Doris feels confident, facilitate a meeting with her team. She can lead parts of the session to reinforce her learning. Everyone should practise creating cards, assigning labels and due dates, and using at least one Premium view.
Encourage independence: Remind the team to consult the tutorial cards on the board and the official Atlassian documentation linked below when questions arise.
Follow‑up: If possible, schedule a quick follow‑up session after a few weeks to answer any questions before your six‑month break.

4. Resource links

Below are the official Atlassian support articles and other resources referenced in this tutorial. These links provide deeper explanations and are useful for self‑learning and troubleshooting. Copy and paste these URLs into your browser if the hyperlinks in this document do not work on your platform.

Assign members to a card: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/adding-a-member-to-a-card/
Add labels to cards: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/adding-labels-to-cards/
Set due dates and reminders: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/adding-dates-to-cards/
Watch cards, lists and boards: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/watching-cards-lists-and-boards/
Manage notification settings: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/receiving-trello-notifications/
Timeline view: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/timeline-view/
Calendar view: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/calendar-view/
Dashboard view: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/dashboard-view/
Table view: https://support.atlassian.com/trello/docs/single-board-table-view/

Use these links to access detailed instructions, step‑by‑step guides and frequently asked questions. They will continue to be updated by Atlassian and serve as a reliable reference for Doris and her team.

Part 2 – Intermediate Trello work recommendations for Alegria Soy

This part of the tutorial defines a simple, shared Trello configuration for Alegria Soy.

The goal is not to use every Trello feature, but to reduce friction, support delegation, and make project status easy to understand for the team and for external partners.

This section answers the question: “Which Trello features and Power-Ups do we actually use?”

2.1 Power-Ups we will use

For Alegria Soy, the following Power-Ups are recommended and sufficient.

Custom Fields (Power-Up)

This is the most important Power-Up for structured delegation.

We will use Custom Fields to add:

Priority (dropdown)
- High
- Medium
- Low
Status (dropdown)
- Not started
- In progress
- Blocked
- Done
Program / Initiative (dropdown or text)
- Used when multiple projects or grants are tracked on the same board

Why this matters:

Cards become structured and predictable.
Doris can scan the board and immediately understand priorities.
These fields can be used later in Table, Dashboard, Calendar, and Timeline views without extra setup.

This replaces the need for spreadsheets or ad-hoc notes.

Calendar (Power-Up or Premium Calendar view — choose one)

Purpose: seeing deadlines clearly and adjusting them easily.

Options:

If using Trello Premium → use the built-in Calendar view
If not → enable the Calendar Power-Up

Use case:

See what is due this week or month
Drag cards to change due dates
Reduce missed or last-minute deadlines

Only one calendar system should be used. Do not mix multiple calendars.

Google Drive (Power-Up)

Because Alegria Soy already uses Google Workspace, this Power-Up should be enabled.

We will use it to:

Attach Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides directly to cards
Keep working documents linked to the task they belong to
Avoid searching through folders or email threads

Optional (later):

Boards can be used to generate Google Slides for progress updates to donors or collaborators.

Card Priority (Power-Up) – optional

This Power-Up adds visible priority badges to cards.

Use this only if:

The team prefers visual priority indicators on the card front
And priority is not already handled clearly via Custom Fields

Important:
Use either Custom Fields for priority OR a Card Priority Power-Up — not both.
One system only.

**2.2 Power-Ups we are intentionally not using (for now)**

To keep Trello simple and avoid overload, the following are explicitly deferred:

Slack integration
Gantt / dependency Power-Ups (e.g. TeamGantt, Planyway)

Why:

Trello’s built-in Views already cover most needs
Dependencies and portfolio-level scheduling add complexity
These can be revisited later, once the workflow is stable

This is a conscious design choice, not a limitation.

2.3 How this supports delegation and reduces burnout

With this setup:

Every card has one owner, a priority, a status, and a due date
Doris does not need to remember where things stand
Team members know what is expected without constant follow-up
Project status can be shown quickly using Trello Views

This allows Doris to delegate without micromanaging, which is essential given her workload and energy constraints.

Written with StackEdit.

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