Managing Needs

The needs list is where you view, filter, and manage all needs across your organization (or within your assigned areas, if you are a coordinator). This guide covers the needs list page, need details, editing, status changes, and bulk operations.

The Needs List Page

Navigate to Needs in the left-hand menu to see all needs. The list shows each need's title, status, area, category, urgency, creator, and creation date.

Filtering

Use the filters at the top of the needs list to narrow what you see:

  • Status -- Filter by open, claimed, completed, expired, canceled, or pending approval.
  • Area -- Show only needs in a specific service area.
  • Category -- Show only needs of a certain type (for example, Groceries or Transportation).
  • Search -- Type keywords to search need titles and descriptions.

Filters can be combined. For example, you can show all open needs in the "North County" area with the "Groceries" category.

Sorting

Click column headers to sort the list by title, status, urgency, date created, or due date. Sorting by urgency puts the most time-sensitive needs at the top.

Viewing Need Details

Click any need in the list to open its detail view. The detail page shows:

  • Full description -- The complete need description, images, and links.
  • Status and timeline -- The current status and a timeline of events (created, published, claimed, completed).
  • Claims -- A list of volunteers who have claimed the need, including their contact information and claim status.
  • Volunteer info -- Details about the volunteer(s) who claimed the need, so you can coordinate fulfillment.
  • Activity log -- A record of all changes and actions taken on the need.

Editing Published Needs

You can edit a need after it has been published. Common reasons to edit include:

  • Updating quantities or sizes
  • Changing the due date
  • Adding more context to the description
  • Correcting errors

To edit, open the need detail view and click Edit. Make your changes and save. If the need has already been claimed, be mindful that the volunteer may have already begun preparing based on the original details. Consider reaching out to them directly if the change is significant.

Changing Status

You can manually change a need's status from the detail view:

  • Open -- The need is published and waiting for a volunteer to claim it.
  • Claimed -- A volunteer has stepped up. This status is typically set automatically when a volunteer clicks "I can help."
  • Completed -- The need has been fulfilled. Mark it complete and capture the outcome.
  • Canceled -- The need is no longer relevant. Use this when the client no longer needs help or circumstances have changed.
  • Expired -- The need passed its due date without being fulfilled. This may be set automatically or manually.

Duplicating Needs

If you frequently post similar needs, you can duplicate an existing need. Open the need detail view and click Duplicate. This creates a new draft with the same title, description, area, category, and other fields pre-filled. Review and adjust the details before publishing.

Archiving and Deleting

  • Archiving removes a need from the active list without permanently deleting it. Archived needs can be found using filters.
  • Deleting permanently removes a need. Use this sparingly -- in most cases, canceling or archiving is the better choice.

Bulk Actions

When managing a large number of needs, you can select multiple needs from the list and apply actions in bulk:

  • Change status on multiple needs at once
  • Archive or delete multiple needs
  • Reassign needs to a different area

Select needs using the checkboxes on the left side of the list, then choose an action from the bulk actions menu.

Tips

  • Use filters to focus your workflow. Start each day by filtering to open and claimed needs in your areas. This shows you what needs attention right now.
  • Keep the needs list clean. Close completed needs, cancel stale ones, and archive anything no longer relevant. A cluttered list makes it harder for everyone.
  • Check the timeline on stuck needs. If a need has been open for several days without a claim, the timeline can help you understand why -- maybe it was posted at a low-activity time, or the description needs improvement.