Get Connected Center Glossary

Created by Brittany Crow, Modified on Tue, 02 Apr 2024 at 11:54 AM by Brittany Crow

This glossary is for all site users, including Site Managers, Agency Managers, and Volunteers.

✏️ Quick tip: You can quickly search for terms by clicking CTRL + F on your keyboard and entering the term in the search field.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Term	Definition
A
Active (Status)	Agencies, Needs, User Groups, etc., have an Active status when they're currently live on your site. Users can also have an Active status, which means they have access to your site—it doesn't indicate that they use your site.
Advanced Events Manager (AEM)	This is a legacy feature that grouped Needs together for a one-day event. Some sites may still see this feature enabled; however, AEM was replaced by Initiatives.
Agency	An Agency is an area on your site where you'll create volunteer Needs specific to your organization. Note: You must have at least one Agency on your site to start posting volunteer Needs.
Agency Manager	Agency managers maintain their agency's profile page, and post volunteer Needs and events. They can't make changes to a site's branding or settings, but they can update information for their agencies.
Agency Manager Dashboard	Agency Managers have a dashboard where they can edit their Agencies, post Needs, and more.
Agency Manager Toolbox	A special area in the Agency Manager Dashboard where Agency Managers can find the button to contact their Site Manager and access helpful resources intended for Agency Manager use.
Agency View	In your reports, an "Agency view” refers to the number of views an Agency page has received. Note: If a user views an Agency and refreshes the page, the system counts that as two views.
Alias Domain	An alias domain was created for your site after your organization purchased it. All Get Connected site alias domains end with .galaxydigital.com (e.g., volunteercenter.galaxydigital.com). The alias domain continues to function as a URL for your site, even if your organization opts to purchase a custom domain or use a subdomain.
Anonymous Hours	A way of submitting hours on behalf of volunteers who don't have an account. Click here to learn more about the different types of hours on your site.
Approval	A section in your Main Settings that allows you to set up automated functions on your site. For example, if you want to automatically approve new volunteer Needs that Agency Managers post, you can enable that here.
Approved (Status)	This status is assigned to volunteer hours once an Agency Manager, you, or another Site Manager has approved them. This status is automatically assigned to submitted hours if you've enabled automatic approval in your site settings.
Automated Notifications	Messages triggered by a particular event, like an individual responding to a volunteer Need. Automated notifications can be edited or disabled as needed. Only you or another Site Manager can edit or disable automated notifications.
Availability	Volunteers can indicate their availability in their user profile. This information is available to you or other Site Managers who wish to find available people to fill volunteer slots for an upcoming Need.
B
Banner	The banner does not change from page to page within a site. You can upload two banners in Main Settings: For desktops and laptops: 1600 pixel x 250-300 pixel banner image (JPEG, PNG, or GIF) For mobile devices: 960-pixel x 300-360-pixel banner image (JPEG, PNG, or GIF)
Background Check	You can enable background checks on your site through one of our trusted third-party providers.
Badge	A visual indicator that a volunteer has reached an established benchmark for volunteer hours. Your site comes with 15 badges that can't be edited. Please note custom badges can't be uploaded to your site. Click here to learn more about badges on your site.
Benchmark	A benchmark is a set number of volunteer hours that must be achieved within a certain time frame. You, or another Site Manager, can set up benchmarks and attach them to badges that are awarded to volunteers when they reach them.
Blog	The use of a blog is optional on Get Connected sites. The blog is managed by you or another Site Manager.
C
Cause	Causes can help match volunteers to your site's Agencies. Causes represent what an Agency's mission or goal is—e.g. if an Agency runs a food pantry, you might select Basic Needs as a Cause to align with its mission. Your site comes with 16 default causes, but you can request to have fewer or more. You can also create Custom Causes as necessary.
Causer App	The Causer App puts access to your site and Needs in the hands (well, devices) of your volunteers! With the app, volunteers can find, check-in for, and respond to volunteer Needs through the app, as well as receive important notifications and updates.
Checkbox (Question Type)	An answer option for custom questions that allows a person to select multiple answers as needed.
Check-in Kiosk	A tool that enables volunteers to check in to volunteer Needs. When the kiosk is used, a volunteer's hours are automatically logged. Click here to learn more.
Clickwrap waiver	A Clickwrap Waiver is a waiver you attach to a volunteer Need. When a volunteer responds to that Need, they're asked to review the Clickwrap Waiver and check a box to confirm they reviewed it and agree to its terms. Agency Managers can add clickwrap Waivers to their volunteer Needs too.
Clone	Copying a volunteer Need, event, or other item by clicking the Clone button. Note: When an item is cloned, the word "copy" and original title are copied over.
Closed Need	When posting a volunteer Need, you, an Agency Manager, or another Site Manager can specify a "registration closed date". When the registration closed date passes, the Need is still displayed with the Active Needs, but it has a red Closed button on it. This means volunteers won't be able to interact with it after it's closed. Click here to learn about closing Needs.
Cluster	A feature that allows you or another Site Manager to "self-tag" Needs by choosing clusters, or tags.
Canonical Name Record (CNAME)	This is necessary for sites that opt not to use the alias domain originally assigned upon purchase of a Get Connected site.
Comma-Separated Value (CSV)	A file in which data can be stored as a structured table. CSVs have a .csv extension and are typically text files where the information is separated by commas.
Community Impact	You can set up your site to measure community impact by establishing community impact areas and requiring that volunteer Needs and hours be associated with one of those areas.
Content	These are the Events, Initiatives, volunteer Needs, and Agencies a Sender site shares with a Host site through the Galaxy Link.
Custom Code	Header or footer code for using tracking pixels on a Get Connected site. Custom codes are established in your Main Settings area.
Custom Domain	Get Connected clients who do not wish to use the alias domain (which ends in .galaxydigital.com) have the option of purchasing a custom domain from a web hosting company of their choice. Additional fees for site security may be required.
Custom Form	A feature for building and sharing forms on a Get Connected site. Forms can be added to custom pages. Answers to submitted forms are emailed to the recipient specified by the one who created them.
Custom Page	A feature that lets you or another Site Manager create, edit, and publish web pages on a Get Connected site. Click here for more information.
Custom Questions	Questions that can created and added to certain forms on a Get Connected site. You can word the question as you wish, select the answer type, and decide if a question should be required. Answers to custom questions are typically available in data exports.
Custom Shifts (Duration Type)	A duration type where the person posting the Need can set up specific shift times that are not recurring.
Customer Experience	Your dedicated support staff. Click here to contact us.
D
Dashboard	The "landing page" for a logged-in user of a Get Connected site.
Deactivate	To assign an item—e.g., a volunteer Need, Agency, or user account—an "Inactive" status. A deactivated item can be reactivated as needed.
Declined (Status)	Typically applies to submitted volunteer hours; if the agency manager or site manager rejects the hours, they will assign them a status of "Declined." Declined hours are not displayed on the volunteer resume, and they are not included in the total shown on the volunteer dashboard.
Default Manager Account	The primary contact for your site. The default manager is set up in Main Settings.
Disaster Dashboard	This is only enabled on Center sites that have enabled the Disaster Dashboard module. This dashboard allows you to keep track of important volunteer management data during times of disaster.
Disaster Track	A Disaster Track is a path a volunteer can take when registering on your site. Disaster Tracks can be customized with standard and custom questions, qualifications, etc. Note: Tracks are only available on a Center site with the Disaster Dashboard enabled.
Domain Name	A Connect platform's active URL. A site may use the alias domain, a subdomain, or a custom domain. Your Connect platform's domain name is shown in Main Settings.
Domain Name System (DNS)	This system controls your Get Connected URL's site and email settings. You can find your Connect platform's DNS information by going to Settings > DNS Information.
Donation	Money that's given to a charity or nonprofit. A Get Connected site can be set up to accept monetary donations via Stripe. Stripe charges a flat rate of 2.9% plus 30¢ per successful charge. Galaxy Digital does not receive a percentage of donations made through your site. Click here for more information.
Dropdown (Question Type)	An answer option for custom questions. This gives individuals the option to select one answer from a dropdown list created for the custom question.
Duration Type	Duration types are a setting for a volunteer Need that indicates when it occurs, how often it occurs, and when it expires. (e.g., Is Ongoing, Happens On, Multi-Date, Custom Shifts, Recurring Shifts)
E
Email Blast	Email blasts allow you to send emails to a group of selected users.
Email Digest	A weekly email that includes important activity details or updates from the previous week. Your site has two digest emails available: The Volunteer Weekly Digest, which tells volunteers about new Needs that match their Interests and Causes, and the Agency Manager's Weekly Digest, which provides Agency Managers with useful information regarding pending hours and volunteer Needs that may expire soon. Digest emails are automatically sent once a week and can be edited or disabled as needed.
Email "From" Name	The sender name that appears in the From (return address) field of an email message. The default for all sites is "No Reply," but this name can be overridden.
Email "From" Address"	The sender address that appears in the From (return address) field of an email message. The default for all sites is no-reply@galaxydigital.com, but this address can be overridden.
Email Suffix	The part of an email that appears to the right of the @ symbol. For example, the email suffix of anne.m.rogers@galaxydigital.com is galaxydigital.com.
Entered (Status)	A rarely used status for volunteer hours. This status indicates that a volunteer has entered hours but has not yet verified them. This status only appears if your site requires that volunteers take a two-step process (entering hours and then verifying them) to submit them for approval.
eSign Waiver	An eSign waiver is signed by typing one's name into a field. Click here for more information about waivers on your site.
Event	A public occasion sponsored or promoted by a nonprofit organization that the community is invited to attend. Events can include the option for people to RSVP. Events are not the same thing as Needs.
Expired Need	Volunteer Needs are no longer displayed publicly after they expire. You, other Site Managers, and Agency Managers can view expired Needs.
Export	Transfer of data to a CSV spreadsheet. Export buttons are available throughout your site, including in the various management areas and reports
F
Family Friendly	This option can be checked when creating a new volunteer Need. Checking this generally indicates that children are welcome to attend and even participate in the volunteer Need with their parents or primary caregivers. Volunteers can narrow their search to family-friendly Needs.
Fans	Fans are just a way for volunteers to "like" an Agency. Once they "fan" (or like) an Agency, they start receiving email notifications for that Agency—i.e., when there are new Needs to sign up for from that Agency! This does depend on whether they have opted in for notifications from the site.
Favicon	An icon associated with a URL. Favicons are displayed in various places, including a browser's address bar, a browser tab, or a bookmark list. You can manage your site's favicon from your Main Settings.
File	A feature that allows you and other Site Managers to save PDFs and other file types to the site or on a user's profile. A unique URL is provided for each uploaded file.
File Upload (Question Type)	A type of question volunteers must answer by uploading a file in response. This question type is available for qualifications and hours custom questions.
Full Need	When a volunteer Need has met its set capacity—or the number of necessary volunteers—it's considered full. You and other Site Managers can show or hide full Needs from site visitors.
G
Galaxy Link	A setup that enables two or more Get Connected sites to share data. Sites can share content, response information, and reporting data. Click here to learn more.
Google Analytics	Google's web analytics service for tracking and reporting website traffic. Click here to see how you can track your site's data with Google Analytics.
Grid View	The default view for looking at Agencies, Needs, and Events. This view displays "cards" that contain relevant information and a button to learn more.
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Happens On (Duration Type)	A duration type for volunteer Needs that occur on a specific date. Once the date for that Need passes, it expires and is no longer available in the volunteer view.
Host	A "Host" receives content from another site through the Galaxy Link.
Hours	Volunteers can submit hours for the Needs they participate in. Team leaders, Agency Managers, you, and other Site Managers can also submit hours on behalf of volunteers. Click here to learn more about the different hours types on your site. Click here to learn more about managing hours on your site.
Hours Question	Custom questions that you or another Site Manager can add to the hours-submission form to collect additional data from volunteers.
I
Image Rotator	Tool for displaying photos and other images in slideshow format on the volunteer dashboard. The image rotator is managed by you or another Site Manager.
Impact Area	A defined category of community impact. Examples can include education, health, or income, or they can be more specific (middle school success, childhood obesity, job training). When posting Needs, Agency Managers must select from the established impact areas. Volunteers can then search for Needs by impact areas. You or another Site Manager set up the impact areas.
Impact Value	The monetary value of a volunteer hour. A volunteer's impact value is shown on both the volunteer's dashboard and resume. Value is determined based on state rates provided at independentsector.org/volunteer_time. You or another Site Manager can override the state rate in Main Settings.
Import	Transfer of data from a spreadsheet or CSV file to your site.
Imported (Status)	Status applied to items—e.g., Agencies, Needs, users, etc.—imported to your site that haven't been activated.
In-app Messaging	You or another Site Manager can send messages directly to users' phones if they have downloaded the Causer App and have opted in to receive messages from your site.
Inactive (Status)	A status applied to any Agency, user, Need, or event that has been manually deactivated by you or another Site Manager. Note: An expired volunteer Need is not necessarily inactive. If a Need expired but wasn't manually deactivated, then it's still classified as active.
Incomplete Agency	An “incomplete Agency” is one whose profile does not include a logo, complete contact information, and/or complete address/location information. You can view incomplete Agencies and email the Agency Managers to remind them to complete their profiles.
Individual Hours	Volunteer hours that are not associated with a Need response—i.e., they aren't in response to a posted Need on your site. Note: You can enable and disable this from your Main Settings.
Initiative	A tool for grouping Needs under a single heading—e.g., Needs that take place in a particular season. Initiatives can use a banner, custom questions, and custom messaging.
Interest	Interests help match volunteers with Needs. You can assign an Interest to a volunteer Need when creating it. Volunteers can then search for Needs by Interest or receive notifications for Needs matching the Interests they selected on their profile.
Is Ongoing (Duration Type)	This duration type is used for ongoing volunteer Needs with an expiration date set in the future.
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Join Link	A link that volunteers can use to join a team or user group.
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Language Override	You can request to change the language on your site. For example, you can change Needs to Opportunities or Agencies to Programs. Click here for more information.
Learning Management System (LMS)	A self-paced series of training videos and accompanying articles.
List View	An optional view for looking at Agencies, Needs, and Events. Items are displayed in a table that lists relevant information along with a button to learn more.
M
Map View	An optional view for looking at Agencies, Needs, and Events. This view includes a map with clickable "pins" that take users to the applicable Agency, Need, or Event.
Multi-Date (Duration Type)	A duration type for Needs that occur over a specified number of days. This duration type is most often used for mission trips and other volunteer Needs that involve travel.
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Navigation Bar (Navigation Menu)	A tool for moving from one page to another. The navigation menu is vertical and is located in the left-hand area of the screen. In the volunteer view, the navigation menu has a white background. The Site Manager navigation menu has a black background.
Need	These are the posted volunteer Needs on your site that volunteers can respond to and participate in. You, other Site Managers, and Agency Managers can create and manage Needs on your site.
Need Response	Volunteer registration to a Need. When a volunteer responds to a Need, they are agreeing to show up and take part in that Need.
Need Response Form	A form that appears when a volunteer clicks one of the respond buttons for a Need. This form lets volunteers enter additional information and answer any custom response questions. The volunteer must submit the form to complete the response.
Need View	In your reports, a "Need view” refers to the number of views a Need page has received. Note: If a user is viewing a Need and refreshes the page, the system counts that as two views.
Notification Template	Your site includes several automated notifications that are triggered by different actions. For example, when a user responds to a Need on your site, they receive a thank you message for responding. You can manage these notifications from the Communication area of your Site Manager dashboard. Click here to learn more.
O
Opt-Out	A user can select to opt out of notifications and other emails by going to their user profile and changing the opt-out setting. Once a user opts out, they no longer receive emails and notifications. The only exception is the "Reset Password" email, which is triggered when an individual uses the "Forgot Password" link on the login page.
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Partner Agency	A "Partner Agency" is a United Way term for an Agency that receives United Way support. A Site Manager can designate an Agency as a "Partner Agency" by clicking the applicable box in the administrative view of the Agency's profile. "Partners" is included in the Agency "search by" options for volunteers.
Pending (Status)	This status is assigned to items that are waiting for you, an Agency Manager, or another Site Manager. Items that can be "Pending" include volunteer hours, Agencies, Needs, Events, teams, user accounts, and Qualifications.
Plus-one Hours	A type of hour entry where a volunteer can log hours on behalf of a friend or colleague who doesn't have an account on your site. Note: You can opt to allow or not allow plus-one hours from your Main Settings.
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Qualification	A Qualification is a way to ensure volunteers meet specific requirements when responding to Needs. Click here to learn more about Qualifications.
Question Type	This is an answer type you select from for the custom questions you create. This includes small and large text fields, dropdown, checkbox, radio button, and file upload. e.g., when creating a new custom Hours Question, you can opt to have dropdown answers a volunteer must select from when responding to that question.
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Radio Button (Question Type)	An answer option for custom questions; with the radio-button option, an individual can only select one of the available answers.
Recurring Shifts (Duration Type)	A duration type where the person posting the Need can set up recurring shifts.
Registration Steps	You or another Site Manager create these steps for volunteers to complete when registering on the site. By default, a volunteer must provide their name and email address. There are several options for allowing users to skip one or more of the default registration steps.
Respondent	Someone who has responded to a volunteer Need on your site.
Response Content	These are the responses to content (e.g., Need responses, event RSVPs, etc.) on a Host site that flows back to the originating site, or the Sender site through the Galaxy Link.
Response Question	This is a custom question that can be added to the Need response form volunteers complete when responding to a Need. You or another Site Manager can create these in Settings > Response Questions.
RSVP	A tool that individuals can use to indicate that they plan to attend an event posted on your site. The RSVP feature is only available if the event creator has turned it on when posting the event.
Runs Until (Duration Type)	A duration type for Needs that are active until a certain date. Once that date has occurred, the Need expires and is removed from the volunteer view.
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Schedule	In the Scheduling area of your site, a calendar view shows scheduled volunteer Needs.
Sender	A "Sender" is a site that shares its Agencies, Needs, and Events with another site through the Galaxy Link.
Shift Need	These are volunteer Needs with scheduled shifts—e.g., Custom or Recurring Shifts.
Single Sign On (SSO)	A user-authentication service that permits a user to use one set of credentials (such as a company or college username and password) to log in to another application (such as a Get Connected site). SSO options with Galaxy Digital include LDAP, Shibboleth, and JWT.
Site Manager	Site Managers oversee the entire site. They are the ones who set up the site's main settings and have control over all available features from the Site Manager dashboard.
Site Manager Dashboard	The default page of the Site Manager panel; includes shortcut buttons for managing various areas of the platform and a link to the Help Center. The dashboard can be customized to feature charts and graphs that display site activity.
Site Settings	Area of the Site Manager panel; accessible from the top right-hand corner of the screen
Short Messaging Service (SMS)	The formal name for text messaging.
Spotlight	Tool for drawing attention to certain areas of a site. You or another Site Manager can create unlimited spotlights, but only the first three are displayed as colored banners or boxes on the volunteer dashboard. You also have the option to add more spotlights to the volunteer's navigation menu.
Sterling Volunteers	A background-check platform geared toward nonprofits. Click here to learn more.
Stripe	An online payment system that's used for donations on your site. Click here to learn more.
Subdomain	An internet domain that is part of a primary domain. If you don't want to use the alias domain (which ends in .galaxydigital.com), then you have the option to use a subdomain. Note: Some fees and additional work may be required.
Survey	A feature that you or another Site Manager can use to survey users. Survey results can be viewed from your Site Manager panel.
T
Tag	A designation that you or another Site Manager can apply to users, Needs, Agencies, or Events. Tags are useful for grouping like items. Some tags are applied automatically—e.g., a unique tag is applied to all Agencies that are part of a single import.
Team	A group of volunteers who are part of a single Need response. A team response is initiated by a team creator. The team creator can reserve slots for team members, add the team members using their email addresses, or send out an invitation to join the team link. A team can only be formed in response to a Need.
Team Response	If a user selects Respond as Team for a Need, it creates a Team Response. This button is only available on Needs which allows for team registration.
Team Creator	The volunteer who initially signs up a team. A team creator has team-management capabilities in the My Teams area of their user profile.
Team Leader	The assigned leader of the team. Like the team creator, the team leader has team-management capabilities in the My Teams area of their user profile. Note: The team creator selects the team leader when creating the team.
Team Member	A person who is included in a team response but is not the team leader or team creator.
Template Key	These are used in automated notifications and email blasts. When inserted into a notification or email, the template key that's used pulls information from the site and inserts it into that field of the message. For example—if your template key says First Name—it automatically replaces it with the recipient's first name. Template keys are recognizable by the double curly brackets on either side. Note: The text within the brackets of a template key should not be edited by anyone other than a Galaxy Digital programmer.
Text Editor	Needs and Agencies have description fields that include a text editor for customizing the content you create. Click here for information about using the text editor on your site.
Text Field (Question Type)	A question type, or answer option, for custom questions. This allows the person answering the question to type text into a box. A small text field shows up as a small rectangular box with the instructional text inside it; a large text field shows up as a larger box with the instructional text to the left of it.
U
User	Individuals who have an account on a Get Connected site. Users include volunteers and Agency Managers. Note: Users only have access to the front end of the site—i.e., where they can respond to Needs, manage their user account, submit hours, and view Agencies, events, etc. They can't access the Site Manager dashboard. Agency Managers can access a management area through the Agency Manager Dashboard, but they can't make site-wide edits or changes.
User Group	A user group is a tool for grouping volunteers under a single "umbrella" so that volunteers and organizations can (1) measure engagement for multiple people who are volunteering on behalf of their larger group, and (2) engage in community initiatives as a group. You or another Site Manager creates and manages user groups, and can also designate a user group leader.
User Profile	An area on your site where a user can store and update their profile information, including their name, address, photo, availability, etc.
User Registration	A user registers on a site by entering, at minimum, their first name, last name, and email address. You can add additional registration questions and also set up which registration steps show up in the registration process. Click here to learn more.
Utility Bar	The black bar at the top of a Get Connected site page. This bar can include options to add hours, check in-app messages, view a calendar of upcoming Needs, and view or update the user profile.
V
Volunteer Dashboard	This is where the volunteer is taken when they log in. This page includes a volunteer snapshot, suggested Needs (based on user Interests), Agencies, spotlights, and other useful items.
Volunteer Impact Page (VIP)	A tool for sharing a site's activities and accomplishments with site users and the public. VIPs are created and managed by you or other Site Managers.
Volunteer Resume	A PDF showing a volunteer's past volunteer activity for a specified date range.
Volunteer Self Check-in	A feature that allows a volunteer to check in for a Need and have their hours logged automatically. With self-check-in, the volunteer checks in on their device. The hours follow the approval rules of the site.
W
Waiver	You or another Site Manager can create waiver qualifications on your site. Users must review and sign a waiver to move forward with a Need response. You can set up the waiver to be automatically approved or manually reviewed and approved. Click here for more information.
Waitlist	A waitlist is a list of volunteers who have shown interest in a Need that's full. If a spot opens up, a waitlisted volunteer can fill that spot.
"What We Do"	This is a field on the Create Agency form where you, another Site Manager, or an Agency Manager can share the Agency's mission and services. It's also where you can share how the Agency and volunteers contribute to the organization and community.
"Who We Are"	This is a field on the Create Agency form where you, another Site Manager, or an Agency Manager can share the history and backstory of the Agency.
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