Connect Form

NeedConnect helps identify users with needs and users who can provide assistance. Needs can be claimed and completed by approved Providers on the Connect Board. See the Quick Start for how to get started.

The Connect Form is available to all Users. Authentication is optional, but makes form completion faster and easier. The Connect Form can be accessed by navigating to your NeedConnect URL. Users can complete the Connect Form multiple times, if needed. The system will prevent the creation of duplicate needs, if possible. Duplicate is defined as a Need which matches another incomplete Need for the same User, Need Type, and same Need Campaign.

1a. I NEED Help

To request help with a need:

Click I NEED Help
Select one or more Needs from the list of church-defined Need Types (e.g. Groceries, Schooling, Childcare, Prayer, Yard Work, etc.)
Select and details “Other” Needs, if applicable.
Next.

1b. I CAN Help

To offer help with a need:

Click I CAN Help
Select one or more Needs from the list of church-defined Need Types (e.g. Groceries, Schooling, Childcare, Prayer, Yard Work, etc.)
Select and details “Other” Needs, if applicable.
Next.

2. Contact Information

The User is then asked to provide contact information or login.

If User logs in:

First, Last, Email, and Phone are pre-filled (if known).
If requesting help, enter Postal Code.
Click the checkbox to acknowledge: I understand that by requesting help, my contact information will be shared with the provider assigned by the church to be used exclusively for helping me with this need.
Click Submit.

If User does not login:

Enter First, Last, Email, and Phone.
If requesting help, enter Postal Code.
Click the checkbox to acknowledge: I understand that by requesting help, my contact information will be shared with the provider assigned by the church to be used exclusively for helping me with this need.
Click Submit.

3. Verification (Unauthenticated Users)

If the User did not login to complete the Connect Form a Requester Confirmation or Provider Confirmation email is sent to the provided email address with a unique, encrypted verification link as well as a confirmation message stating that further action is required. The email validation link will be good for 24 hours. Clicking the link opens Need Connect and shows a confirmation message.

If the User logged in to complete the Connect Form, this step is skipped.

See: Email Templates

4. Platform Records

Important! Records from unauthenticated form submissions will not be created in the Platform until the verification link has been clicked by the User. This protects your database and ensures Users are real people.

Requests for help, create:

A new Need record (one per Need Type selected).

Offers to provide help create (not duplicated with multiple form submissions):

A new Provider record, if needed.
A new Need Type Provider record (one per Need Type selected).

For the Requester or the Provider:

If a matched or authenticated User provides previously missing data (Phone), this new information is saved to their existing Contact record. Existing data is not update-able (was presented as read-only).
If no match is found for the User's first name, last name, and (email or phone), the Contact and Household records are created with the provided information. You can refer to the matching diagram for Default Contact, but Default Contact is not used.

See: Need Management

Automated Confirmation Emails

Unauthenticated Users who have offered to help ("Providers") are sent a Provider Confirmation email that includes the link to verify their Connect Form submission.

Unauthenticated Users who have requested help ("Requesters") are sent a Requester Confirmation email that includes link to verify their Connect Form submission.