Note: Bonterra no longer offers Apricot for Funders, and related features are no longer supported by our Product and Development Teams. For that reason, the information in this article may in some cases not reflect current functionality. Apricot for Funders is still supported by the Apricot Support team for existing clients on the platform. Please reach out to the Apricot Support Team with any questions you may have about Apricot for Funders that are not answered here.
AFF is built to manage the workflow and access of three key types of users: Funders, Applicants and Reviewers. Each of these types of users will have a different level of access to the information in an AFF database.
An Applicant is any organization or individual using the AFF database to apply for funding.
Applying Direct Service Agency
An applying agency might be a non-profit organization that is seeking funding. An direct service agency may apply for one grant several times or apply for more than one grant at the same time. They will be accessing an Applicant Profile form to set up their contact information and at least one Application Intake form to apply for grant funding.
Applicants as Users
Because applying agencies will be accessing the AFF database to enter data and submit information to the Funder, they will be added to the AFF database as users. They will have access to their own login information and permission to access specific forms for entering required data and completing their application for funding. They may also need access to the same or additional forms after they have received funding, either to report on how their funds are being used or to apply for the next round of funding.
The AFF database restricts which forms and what kinds of information an applying agency can access, see, create, and edit.
Creating a "Sample User"
If you are setting up a new grant, you may need to create a new "sample" agency user in the database where you can outline what forms an applying agency can or cannot see. When a new agency fills out an Applicant Profile form and sets themselves up as a new user, their access will be copied from this sample user.
To create a new sample user, click the Administrator tab at the top of the page.
In the left hand menu, select User/Group Profiles.
Select User Profiles.
Select New Users.
Create a username and a password for the sample user. You will not really be using this information to log into the AFF database, so you do not need to remember the password.
Name your sample user. It is best to use a name that will describe what kind of access this sample user will have. When you need to choose a sample user later in the process, this will make it easier to remember.
Under "User Type," select Guest.
Save Record. After you save the record, click "continue" to stay on the same page and scroll down the page to a section called Assigned Permission Sets.
Choose Which Forms Can Be Accessed
Scrolling down the same page, you will see a section called Assigned Permission Sets.
Select Add.
The "Name" column will list the groups that have already been created in your database. You may already have a group for applicants.
To the left of it, select new. This will allow you to create a new permission set for this new sample user you are creating.1. Name your permission set.
Under "Permissions," you will see a list of all the forms that have been created and published in your AFF database. If you need to allow access to a form that is not listed here, double check that the form has been published.
At the top, you will see a list of the kinds of access available. An applying agency should *only* have access to view, create, and edit *only* the forms that are necessary to complete an applicant profile and an application intake. There may be several forms for both of these processes depending on what your organization requires from an applicant. In the example above, the forms in the example above have been labeled simply as the kinds of AFF forms they represent; your forms may have more specific names according to the needs of your organization.
When creating a new sample applicant user, always mark "User RLA Applied" for every form they will be accessing.
User RLA (User Record Level Access) means that a user governed by this set of permissions will only even be able to see the records they themselves have created. This is necessary because you do not want on applying agency to be able to see the application belonging to a different applying agency.
When you have finished outlining the permissions, scroll to the top of the page and save your changes.
Edit or Create New Secure Web Form
Most organizations who use AFF have their applicants access the database for the first time with a Secure Web Form.
A Secure Web Form is a way to access one blank record in the database via a hyperlink that can be distributed to likely applicants. When you add a User Creation Field to a Secure Web Form, then anyone who accesses the form can enter their email address and name to create their own login credentials for the AFF database.
You will need a separate Secure Web Form for each kind of user you plan to give this level of access to. For example, if you will have applicants and reviewers accessing the database to create their own login credentials, then you will need two separate Secure Web Forms, one for each group.
To create a new Secure Web Form, click the Administrator tab at the top of the page.
In the left hand menu, select Secure Web Forms.
Select New Secure Web Form.
Name your Secure Web Form.
Select a form. When you distribute the hyperlink to this Secure Web Form, it will open a blank record of the form you choose here. If you want an applicant to use this Secure Web Form to create their own login credentials, the form you choose here must contain a User Creation Field.
Select a User. Select the sample user you just created.
Permissions. Once you have selected a form and a user, the system will double check that the user has permissions to see the form you selected. If it does, you will see the text: "This user can: view, search, create, delete." If it does not, you will see the text: :This user does not have permission to view." If that is the case, then select the "Modify User Profile" text and it will open a window to the user's permission set where it can be edited.
Save Record.
Under URLs, you will see two URLs that can be copied and pasted into an email or displayed on a website or otherwise distributed to potential applicants.
When a New Applying Agency Accesses the Link
Applying agencies will follow the hyperlink to access a blank record in the AFF database where they can enter their own username and password. Once they save the record, they will be added as guest users with limited access. They will be able to log in to the system and will have access to their specific application materials.