Listed below are some of the most frequently asked questions our Customer Care team receives regarding agency management. If you have questions that aren't answered here, you can check out the Agency Managers area of the Help Center. You can also contact our Customer Care team directly.
FAQs
Is training available for agency managers?
I'm a new agency manager, but I don't know the password to get into my agency account. Help!
Do I need a special account to manage an agency?
What's the difference between a primary agency manager and a secondary agency manager?
How many agency managers can an agency have?
We have a new coordinator. How can I add them as an agency manager?
What is the difference between and agency manager and a site manager?
What reporting is available to agency managers?
How can I add a need response on behalf of a volunteer?
How can I add hours on behalf of a volunteer?
How do I add hours for a user without an account?
Can I add a response for someone without an account?
Can agencies create their own initiatives?
What's the difference between causes and interests?
Should I post something as a need or an event?
I’ve posted my needs, but no one is responding. How can I get more people interested?
Can I customize automated notifications for my specific agency?
How can I tell who has fanned my agency?
Is training available for agency managers?
It sure is! Click here to sign up for our agency managers' training webinar!
I'm a new agency manager, but I don't know the password to get into my agency account. Help!
If you are taking over the management of an agency on Get Connected, we recommend signing up for the site, if you haven't already. Just use your agency email and a password of your choice. If you're taking over an email account for a previous agency manager, another option is to use the Forgot Password option on the sign-in page. If you've created your own account, you'll need to reach out to your site manager and ask them to add you as an agency manager for your agency. Before you dive into agency management, we also recommend attending this 30-minute webinar on managing an agency in Get Connected.
Do I need a special account to manage an agency?
A single person can have several different roles on a Connect site, and the good news is that you only need one account. Once you are logged in, you will see a My Agency button at the top of your screen. (If you are a site manager, you will also see a button to access your site manager panel.) If you wish to use the site as both an agency manager and a volunteer, you can do so using the same account.
I've created an agency, but the system is telling me that it's "Pending." How can I get it activated?
Your site manager is responsible for reviewing and approving your pending agency. Reach out to your site manager if you're concerned that they're unaware of your agency sign-up.
What's the difference between a primary agency manager and a secondary agency manager?
An agency can only have one primary agency manager. All other managers of that agency will be secondary managers. The primary and secondary managers can perform all of the same tasks, from posting needs and events to approving or denying hours, to editing the agency profile and logging hours on behalf of volunteers. The only difference is that the primary manager can add new managers for the agency, while the secondary agency managers can't. The primary manager can also choose to make someone else the primary agency manager. Click here to learn more about primary and secondary agency managers.
How many agency managers can an agency have?
An agency can have up to 12 managers. Keep in mind that all agency managers will be notified whenever a volunteer responds to a need or event posted by the agency, and there is no way (outside of opting out of all emails) to prevent agency notifications from going to an agency manager.
We have a new coordinator. How can I add them as an agency manager?
Before you can add an agency manager, they must have a Connect account. Once they've created their Connect account, follow these steps to give them agency manager access:
- In your My Agency area, click Edit to access your agency profile.
- Under the Agency Managers heading, begin typing the name of the new agency manager. If they already have an account, their name should soon be displayed, as shown in this example:
- Select the name of the new agency manager.
- Click any Update Agency Info button.
The new agency manager can now long in and click the My Agency button to access the agency management area for your agency.
Are there levels to agency management? For example, can one agency manager edit a profile, but one is in charge of managing needs?
All agency managers have the same capabilities, with the exception of the primary manager being able to add new agency managers and assign a new primary manager.
What is the difference between and agency manager and a site manager?
A site manager has control over the site as a whole, including all agency and user accounts. An agency manager can only make changes related to their agency. These include editing the agency profile, posting needs and events, and approving reported hours.
What reporting is available to agency managers?
Agency managers can export their agency's needs, need responses, approved volunteer hours, events, and event RSVPs. Our article, Finding and Exporting the Data You Need: For Agency Managers provides instructions for getting each of these exports.
How can I add a need response on behalf of a volunteer?
You can only add need responses for volunteers who already have Connect accounts. To add a need response on behalf of a volunteer, go to the Needs section of your agency management area and scroll down to the Manually Add a Need Response form. After selecting the need and the shift (if applicable), type the volunteer's email address. Click Add Manual Response to submit the response.
How can I add hours on behalf of a volunteer?
If the volunteer has a Connect account, they will need to have a response to a volunteer opportunity before you can add hours for that opportunity. (See above to learn how to add a response on behalf of a volunteer.) To add hours for a volunteer who has both a Connect account and a need response, go to the Time Tracking section of your site manager panel. Scroll down to the hour-submission form and select the need and the volunteer from the available dropdowns. Complete the Hour Details information, including selecting a User Group, if applicable. Click Submit Hour Entry. These hours will be approved automatically, and you can now view them in your Stats.
How do I add hours for a volunteer who doesn't have an account?
If your site allows anonymous hours, then you can add "anonymous" response. To do so, go to the Time Tracking section of your site manager panel. Scroll down to the hour-submission form and select the need. From the Volunteer dropdown, select Anonymous User.
After completing the Hour Details information, click Submit Hour Entry. These hours will be approved automatically, and you can now view them in your Stats.
Note: If the "Anonymous User" option is not available, this means that your site does not allow anonymous hours.
Can I add a response for someone without an account?
You cannot add an "anonymous" response by itself, but you can essentially create an anonymous response when adding anonymous hours, as described above.
Can agencies create their own initiatives?
An agency cannot create its own initiative. Only a site manager can create initiatives. If you wish to feature an initiative for your agency, reach out to your site manager. They can create an initiative that excludes all agencies except yours from posting to it.
What's the difference between causes and interests?
Causes apply to agencies, and interests apply to needs. This is why your agency profile includes a Causes field and your need-posting pages include an Interests field. When a volunteer signs up for a Connect site, they have the opportunity select their favorite causes and interests. The causes they select will help the system to recommend agencies that might interest them. The interests they select helps the system to recommend needs. Volunteers can also search agencies by causes and needs by interest.
Should I post something as a need or an event?
If you are looking for volunteers, post a need. If you are looking to invite people as guests to an event, post an event. Click here to learn more about the differences between needs and events.
I’ve posted my needs, but no one is responding. How can I get more people interested?
There are a number of strategies for getting more need responses. Our article, How to Get More Volunteer Responses, is geared toward agency managers and offers a several ideas for generating responses and enthusiasm. Also check out How to Create an Effective Need on Get Connected, a visual guide to posting needs will catch a volunteer's eye.
Can I customize automated notifications for my specific agency?
Automated notifications are site-wide and cannot be customized for an individual agency. However, if your agency is part of an initiative, the message can be customized for the initiative. Contact to your site manager to learn more.
How do I message volunteers?
You have several options for messaging your volunteers. If you want to message everyone who has responded to a certain need, go to the Needs section of your agency management area and click Responses for a need. You can then select the volunteers to email and click the Message Responders button.
Note that the email addressed shown above are links. If you click on an individual email address, an email form will pop up, and you can send an email to the selected volunteer.
Important: Any emails that you send this way will have the standard no-reply return addressed used for your site. Be aware that volunteers will not be able to reply to your email.
How can I tell who has fanned my agency?
At this time, agency managers cannot view their agency fans. Contact your site manager if you wish to see this information.