As we said in the intro videos, we know you have a lot of questions as you get started with your Get Connected site. We’re here to help. And the lessons in this section are designed just for you, to help you think through some of those questions. In this first lesson, you’ll get a clearer picture of your goals for your site as well as your understanding of the site. Once you have a grasp of any learning gaps, you can make good decisions about where you can focus your energy.

What do you want to do?

So. What is your role at your United Way? How did this piece of software land in your realm of responsibility?

You arrived in your new role as a Get Connected site manager in your own unique way. You will have your own goals and your own background - both with your United Way and your understanding of volunteer management.You might have had a smooth transition from the previous site manager, or you might be hearing about this for the first time, or somewhere in between. Let’s start with some basics. Like, what can this site do for you?Thinking through these things will help you determine your goals and priorities. Which of these benefits of your Get Connected site are most important to you? 
  • Doing my job efficiently and effectively

  • Scheduling and managing volunteers

  • Matching volunteers with their passions

  • Making a difference in my community

  • Letting our board and donors know about our good work

  • Managing various programs from my site

  • Communicating clearly with our volunteers, agencies, and community leaders

One of the first things you probably want to do is let the Customer Care team at Galaxy Digitial know that you are new, if you haven’t contacted us before. You can reach us at Support@GalaxyDigital.com.

What do you know so far?

Did you receive any internal training from the previous site manager at your United Way? 

Have you attended any of the live or recorded trainings offered by Galaxy Digital?

Do a quick self-assessment. There is absolutely no judgement here. This is just a chance for you to see what you might be familiar with. Let’s first look at a small sampling of Get Connected topics and processes. 

Which of these statements sound like you?
  • I know basic terminology for my Get Connected site.

  • I know what a banner is for and where it shows up on the site.

  • I understand how volunteers register on my site and how I set up the registration process.

  • I can create a new need on my site.

  • I am able to review and approve a volunteer’s hours.

  • I know which reports will be most useful to me.

  • I understand how my relationships with my agencies work.

If these statements are true for you, awesome! You’re doing great. If not - no worries! That’s why we’re here. We will get you up to speed before you know it. Keep your self-assessment in mind as you go through the remaining parts of this course.

Just to level-set, the next tab will give you a basic look around the site to make sure you know who sees what on your site.

Let's take a look around

You will do most of your work on the site from the Site Manager panel. There’s a lot going on from that view. Let’s break it down into approachable pieces.

This video walks you through the main pages that you'll use as a site manager - including 
  • your dashboard

  • the site manager panel

  • your main settings

  • reports

  • the help center


Now that you know basic navigation on your site, let’s take a look at some of the key elements and functions of your site to see where things stand.

Next
How to assess your site