Overview of the Connection Object

While most work you do with connections can be done from the occurrence record's connection grid -- there will be times where you'll want to edit individual connection records themselves.

If you are updating info on only one connection, this is often the easiest approach.

This article will explain the function of the various fields in the Connection Record.

In some instances of HOC, the object "Connections" is renamed to "Volunteer Connections". 

Just below the connections grid in the occurrence record, is the related list for all connections.

To get to an individual connection record, click on the connection ID of an individual connection.

To get to an individual connection record, click on the connection ID of an individual connection.  You can also drop down the triangle to the right, and directly reach the connection in Edit Mode if you wish to edit it.

The Connection Record Layout

The Connection Record Layout

 

  1. Details of which opportunity, which occurrence ID and which Contact the connection is for.  These are all lookup fields to related objects and define who the volunteer is, and what opportunity and occurrence they are connected to.
  2. The role of the connection.  (See below).    By default, this will always be volunteer when you create a connection administratively.
  3. The current status, attendance status, and if declined, the decline reason of the connection (See below for detail on these three picklists)
  4. # of guests this connection has brought (by default this is 0.

The items in Information section are the only ones you need to fill in when creating a connection administratively and all but guest volunteers are required.

5.  The start and end date and time of the connection. (Automatically populated when you save the record for a date and time specific occurrence.)  Only fill this in if you are creating a connection to an Individually Scheduled Opportunity.  The contact info is also filled in automatically for you based on the Contact you select in the first section.

6.  Team Member is a lookup field to a Team ID.  If the connection is made as part of a team sign-up this will be populated.  Team Name is automatically populated when a Team ID has been associated with a connection.  If you administratively create a connection for a team member, you need to look up and enter their team member ID.  When a team member is a team captain, the ROLE field will add the value "Team Captain".

7.  This section is a summary of the hours served via the connection. They are automatically calculated for you when you mark a connection as status "Attended (and hours verified" but you can override the automatic calculation and give someone 'extra hours' if they stayed longer than scheduled.

8.  This section shows the Feedback text and star-rating given by a volunteer from the public site.

Status and Attendance Status Picklist are dependent on one another

Status and Attendance Status Picklist are dependent on one another

The Status Field has four possible values, which determine the possible Attendance Status values that can follow:

Here are the statuses and the Attendance Statuses that are possible for each)

1. Pending Approval - the default state for express interest opportunities until confirmed or declined by the managing organization.

  • has no associated Attendance Status.  No attendance is recorded for connections that were never confirmed or declined.

2. Confirmed - The volunteer is scheduled to attend.

  • Please verify - is the value you should select when you first administratively create a connection for a future date.  (This will have it show up in reports as needing verification after the connection has taken place)
  • Attended (and hours verified) - (You can only select this attendance status if the end date and time has passed)
  • Not Attended - (You can only select this attendance status if the end date and time has passed)
  • Canceled  -  used when a connection was confirmed, but the occurrence has been cancelled.  So attendance was not possible, but its not a case of negligence from the volunteer.

3. Declined - Used if the managing organization decides not to confirm the volunteer, OR if the volunteer removes themselves from the opportunity

  • Declined - This indicates that a volunteer has removed themselves -- so they declined to attend, but notified the managing organization and freed up space for those on the waiting list)

Waitlisted - the status volunteers are given if they opt to be put on the waitlist for a project with no available space.

  • no associated Attendance status values

 

Decline Reason

Decline Reason

When a volunteer's status is declined, the declined reason can be stated.   This enables the managing organization to know why they decided NOT to confirm the volunteer.

If the volunteer self-declined by removing themselves from the public site, this picklist value will be "Removed Themselves"

Role

Role

There are three roles a volunteer might have in a connection.  Its a multi-picklist as its possible to be all three.

  • Volunteer - anyone connected to an occurrence would have the role of volunteer.  This is the default setting.
  • Team Captain - indicates that the connected volunteer is the captain of the team associated with the connection.  (You should populate the team member ID of the team captain in the connection record as well)
  • Volunteer Leader - indicates that this volunteer is also a Volunteer Leader for the occurrence.  (This gives them access in the Volunteer Leader Sharing Portal to manage the occurrence they are designated a leader for.)

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