This article is for site managers who are using, or are considering using, the Galaxy Link to share Connect content with one or more other Connect sites. It focuses on how initiatives are shared between sites. For more information on the Galaxy Link, see "Related Articles" listed on the right-hand side of this page.

About "Content" and "Response Content"

In this article (and in other articles on the Galaxy Link), content refers to agencies, needs, events, initiatives, and advanced-events that are shared from one site to another. Response content refers to the responses to that content: the agency fans, need responses, and event RSVPs that flow from one site back to the site that originally shared the content.

With the Galaxy Link, one site typically shares its content with another site. Users on the receiving site can then share response content to the other site's content. Sharing of both content and response content are one-way, as shown here.

In other words, a receiving site cannot share its own content (agencies, needs, and events); it can only return responses to the content that has been shared with it.

Note: Sites can be set up so that both sites can share both content and response content. Contact customer care to learn about this type of site connection.

Initiatives Work a Little Differently

Initiatives can be shared from one connected site to another, regardless of which site is set to share content and which site is set to receive it. In other words. both sites can share their initiatives with each other.

Here's Why

Even though one site cannot share its needs with another, it may want the other site to be able to participate in its initiative. For example, imagine a Habitat for Humanity is sharing its programs and needs with the local United Way. The United Way cannot share its needs with Habitat, but it may want Habitat to be able to post needs for an upcoming Day of Caring. The Galaxy Link setup allows the United Way to share its Day of Caring initiative on the Habitat site.

Keep in mind that users of the Habitat site (the sharing site) will not be able to see the Day of Caring needs from the United Way site (the receiving site), but they will be able to see (and respond to) any Habitat needs that are added to the Day of Caring initiative.

Sharing Initiatives as the Content-Sharing Site

If your site is sharing agencies, needs, and events with another site, you will have the following sharing option for each initiative that originates on your site:

If you select a site (in this example, the only connection site is "Local Portal"), then your initiative, along with any needs that are not marked as private and are not otherwise blocked, will be visible to users on the receiving site, and those users will be able to respond accordingly to those needs. Neither the site manager nor the agency managers from the other site will be able to add needs to your initiative.

Note: By default, you are set up to share information with yourself. Most site managers will want to leave that as the default. Some sites may wish to block sharing from themselves, for instance if you want to share this initiative with the Local Portal (in this example) but not make that content available to other users on your own site.

Sharing Initiatives as the Content Response-Sharing Site

If your site receives content (agencies, needs, and events) from another site, you cannot share your own agencies, needs, and events with the other site. You can, however, share your site's initiatives. When you open the edit page for an initiative on your site, you will see the following option:

If you select a site (in this example, the only connection site is "The Community University"), then your initiative will be available to the other site's manager and agency managers, and they will be able to add their needs to your initiative. You will not be able to see the need responses to their needs on their site, but you will be able to see total responses in your Initiative Summary report. You can also, of course, see any of your site's responses to the other site's needs that have been added to your initiative.

As noted above: By default, you are set up to share information with yourself. Most site managers will want to leave that as the default, especially if you are the receiving site and are only sharing your initiative for the content-providing site to add needs.

What is Shared?

As long as an initiative has not been manually blocked from another site, a site will see the following content for a shared initiative:

  • Banner - The initiative banner flows across sites and will be visible on both sites when viewing needs within the shared initiative.
  • Custom questions - If an initiative has custom questions, those questions will appear as applicable on the need form and the need-response form for needs within the shared initiative.
  • Searching/Filtering - If an initiative is shared with another site, users on the other site will be able to filter needs by that initiative
  • Other data - Wherever an initiative is typically shown in a table (such as the agency manager's needs table or a responses table), a shared initiative will be shown. Initiatives that originate on another site will be shown with a blue background.

Editing and Blocking Initiative Data

A site manager cannot edit an initiative that has been shared with its site, but a site manager can block any initiative. When an initiative is blocked, all remote needs within the initiative are also blocked. To block an initiative:

  1. Go to Volunteerism > Needs in your site manager panel and click Initiatives.
  2. Click on the initiative to block. Under the "Initiative Display Setting" heading, the Show this ... setting is toggled to ON by default.
  3. Switch the setting to OFF.
  4. Click Submit to save your change.

The initiative will now appear with a red background in your initiatives-management area.

Once you have blocked an initiative, all of its needs will be blocked from your site's users by default.

Blocking Another Site's Agency from Participating in Your Initiative

If another site's agencies are able to add needs to your initiative and you want to block one or more of those agencies from doing so, you can.

To block another agency from participating in your initiative:

  1. Go to Volunteerism > Needs and click Initiatives.
  2. Click on the initiative, and then click Excluded Agencies.
  3. Click on the Add an Agency dropdown. Agencies from the other site will appear with a blue background.
  4. Select the agency to exclude, and then click Add.

The excluded agency will no longer have the option of adding needs to your initiative.