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Form Building Resources

Form Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Steps

  2. Categories

  3. Fields

    1. Existing Fields

    2. New Fields

  4. Roles (if needed)

  5. Custom Design

  6. Admin Test

  7. User Test

  8. Launch

Documentation: Form Build | Form Build Checklist

Campaigns Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Build Designations

  2. Build Collections

  3. Build the Form and enable a collection

  4. Steps

  5. Categories

  6. Fields

    1. Existing Fields

    2. New Fields

  7. Roles (if needed)

  8. Customize URL's (if needed)

  9. Add Appeal Codes

  10. Custom Design

  11. Admin Test

  12. User Test

  13. Launch

Documentation: Giving Form Build | Giving Form Build Checklist

Membership Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Membership Levels

  2. Steps

  3. Categories

  4. Fields

    1. Existing Fields

    2. New Fields

  5. Roles (if needed)

  6. Custom Design

  7. Admin Test

  8. User Test

  9. Launch

Documentation: Membership Form Build | Membership Form Build Checklist

Form-Driven Event Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Choose Form Driven in Properties

  2. Option to enable guest collection step

  3. Advanced Mode – Customize Finish Page, and Confirmation Emails

  4. Steps

    1. Edit Guest Step (if needed)

    2. Activity Steps can be added (if needed)

  5. Categories

  6. Activities (if needed)

  7. Fields

    1. RSVP Field or Fee Control (one is required)

    2. Commerce Fields (if needed)

    3. Existing Fields

    4. New Fields

  8. Repeat 7. Fields for All Activities

  9. Roles (if needed)

  10. Custom Design

  11. Admin Test

  12. User Test

  13. Launch Form

Documentation: Form Driven Event | Form Driven Event Build Checklist

Fee-Driven Event Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Choose Fee Driven in Properties

  2. Option to enable guest collection step

  3. Advanced Mode – Customize Finish Page, and Confirmation Emails

  4. Steps

    1. Edit Guest Step (if needed)

    2. Activity Steps can be added (if needed)

  5. Categories

  6. Activities (if needed)

  7. Fields

    1. Fee Control* (one is required for the event)

    2. Commerce Fields (if needed)

    3. Existing Fields

    4. New Fields

  8. Repeat 7. Fields for All Activities (as necessary)

  9. Add a Donation Category* (if needed)

  10. Roles (if needed)

  11. Custom Design

  12. Admin Test

  13. User Test

  14. Launch Form

*A fee control driving registration is required to add a donation category to the form

Documentation: Fee Driven Event | Fee Driven Event Build Checklist

Activity-Driven Event Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Choose Activity Driven in Properties

  2. Option to enable guest collection step

  3. Build Activity or Activities*

  4. Advanced Mode – Customize Finish Page, and Confirmation Emails

  5. Steps

    1. Edit Guest Step (if needed)

    2. Additional Activity Steps can be added (if needed)

  6. Categories

  7. Activities (if needed in addition to any built in 3)

  8. Fields

    1. RSVP Field or Fee Control (one is required for the event)

    2. Commerce Fields (if needed)

    3. Existing Fields

    4. New Fields

  9. Repeat 7. Fields for All Activities (as necessary)

  10. Roles (if needed)

  11. Custom Design

  12. Admin Test

  13. User Test

  14. Launch Form

*Activities are created as part of the build process following the properties pages

Documentation: Activity Driven Event | Activity Driven Event Build Checklist

Simple RSVP Event Build Order

Map out Form before build: i.e. diagram, whiteboard, etc.

  1. Choose Simple RSVP in Properties

  2. Option to enable guest collection step

  3. Advanced Mode – Customize Finish Page, and Confirmation Emails

  4. Steps

    1. Edit guest step (if needed)

  5. Categories

  6. Fields

    1. RSVP Field (required)

    2. Existing Fields

    3. New Fields

  7. Roles (if needed)

  8. Custom Design & Custom URL's (Appeal Code, Promo Code if needed)

  9. Admin Test

  10. User Test

  11. Launch Form

Documentation: Simple RSVP Event | Simple RSVP Event Checklist

Questions to ask before each build

  1. Who am I building this for? (Audience)

  2. How do they enter the form?

  3. Is there a total limit to the number of registrations? A per person limit?

  4. Will tickets be sold?

  5. Are there limits to the number of tickets sold?

  6. Will ticket purchases be driving registration?

  7. Will a guest list be displayed?

  8. Are there additional commerce fields needed that do not drive registration?

  9. Do you need a quantity field to drive registration?

  10. Will tickets have individual or group limits on sale?

  11. Are Admin only fields needed?

  12. Donation Opportunity offered?

  13. How do constituents exit the form?

  14. Will a confirmation email be used and what will it say?

  15. Will Identity Checkpoint be used?

Use the answers to these questions to create a road map for your form prior to building.

Questions used to determine if activities are needed (Event Form Build Only)

  1. Is separate registration required for something during the event? (i.e. smaller event, time slots, room availability)

  2. Will separate tickets be sold to something inside the event or separate from event tickets?

  3. Are there separate limitations to the number of registrants to an activity during an event? per person limit?

  4. Are there separate ticket purchase limitations to the number of registrants during an event? per person limit?

  5. Will a separate guest list be used for this activity?

  6. Will I need to sort activity registrants independently from the event registrants in reporting?

Answering "Yes" to any of these questions be indicate that an activity should be created as opposed to a category with similar fields.

Forms Vocabulary

General Forms

Steps: Page display in the form. You can create additional steps to break up information collection flow.

Categories: The containers the hold and sort your data fields. Categories can be used as filters in reporting and can collapse fields from view in a form.

Fields: The tool used to collect the data for storage in your database

Existing Fields: Fields that have been created in your database or mapped over from your back end database (example: profile member fields)

New Fields: A new field that is created because it does not exist in your database. DO NOT create new fields when an existing field is present. (example: phone number field is existing because it is a member field used often, whereas a field requesting someone’s favorite color would be unique and specific to the form it lives in. This would be a new field.)

Giving Forms

Donations: The giving form is also called Campaigns, or Donations, they are all the same type of form with commerce collection fields.

Designations: These are the holding containers or labels where monies are applied through the giving form.

Collections: The presentation of the designations inside the form. There are two primary collection displays: the simple (all on the page in a listing) and advanced (presented in a collection pop up window)

Form Build: The form is separate from the collection display in giving. The form is like the picture frame which holds the collection as a picture. This means that a collection can be moved from giving form to giving form.

Membership Forms

Levels: Purchase options for a membership form. There is no limit to the number of levels and pricing options you can create for a form.

Membership Type:

  • Limited Term: This membership type begins on a defined date or a date of purchased. The price can be fixed or pro-rated based on the effective date.

  • Lifetime: This membership has no end date

Auto Renewal: this can be made an option for a level, or as a requirement based on purchase.

Promotional Code: The codes can change pricing for levels or cause hidden levels to become visible.

Event Registration Forms

Simple RSVP: Users are required to RSVP for the event to be registered. Activities cannot be added to the event.

Form Driven: Users who complete the event form will be registered as attending. Fee and activity are not required. Activities can be added with or without fees.

Fee Driven: Users are required to pay a registration fee on the main event to register. Events with donations supported in this model. Activities with or without fees can be added.

Activity Driven: Users who register for any activity are registered for the event. Fees can be collected on activities.

Fee Control: field is the default method and is a best practice for collecting fees for event attendance. It is the standard type of interface used for selling "tickets". It is a multi-price commerce item control presented in a dropdown list so that a specific fee can be directly tied to the registrant or specific guest.

The Event Registration Fee field can’t be used in Events for anything other than collecting Event fees – it is by definition the field that drives registration for the Event or Activity it is used on. It cannot be used as a non-registration field.

Commerce Field: should be used for any other merchandise being sold on the event form. This is a quantity field with or without a fixed price displayed next to the box.

Suggested Naming conventions

Building Fields - nameoftheform_nameofthefield

(example: class2004reunion_dinnerselection)

Building Roles - nameoftheform_nameofthefield_nameofthevalue

(example:classof2004reunion_dinnerselection_vegetarian)

For your reference: Vocabulary and Suggested Naming Convention documents (PDF).