❖ Heads up! This article is only intended for Site Managers.
With the Galaxy Link, you can connect to other sites for receiving and sharing data. This includes:
Content—e.g., events, initiatives, Needs, agencies, volunteers
Reporting data—i.e., information from the Reports area
This is a great tool for hosting content from other Get Connected sites to help them extend their reach and build a stronger community of volunteers!
Important Terminology
When talking about the Galaxy Link and site connections, there are a few important terms you'll need to know:
Sender—a "Sender" is the site sending content to another site
Host—a "Host" is the site receiving content from another site
Content—the events, initiatives, volunteer Needs, and agencies a Sender site shares with a Host site
Available Configurations
We offer a standard configuration option for setting up your Galaxy Link connection. In this configuration, Get Connected Center Sites can establish a connection with either a Get Connected Amplify site or a Get Connected Sustain site.
In this configuration, an Amplify or Sustain site will share volunteer Opportunities with a Center site. The Center site receives anonymized, aggregate reporting data. There are no communication or additional reporting abilities available between sites through the connection.
How to Turn on the Galaxy Link
Please contact us via the Messaging Widget in your Site Manager Dashboard to request enabling the Galaxy Link. You and the sites you wish to connect to must provide documentation—e.g., signed data-sharing agreements—that confirms all parties agree to the data-sharing relationship. Once we have received that documentation, we can enable the Galaxy Link for you. All content is shared from one site to another automatically once a site connection has been established; however, you can opt to block content as necessary.
How Others Interact with Shared Content
For all content, except initiatives, data sharing is usually one-way—i.e., a site shares content with another site but doesn't receive content back from them. This is dependent on how you and the other sites want to share and manage content and data. Initiatives are always accessible by both sites, regardless of how the site connection is configured, unless a Site Manager has blocked shared initiatives.
Site Managers
While other sites' Site Managers can't directly edit shared content, they can:
Block shared events, initiatives, Needs, and agencies from appearing on a site.
Assign shared Needs to their user groups.
Share the Sender site's initiative links with volunteers.
View the Sender site's custom initiative questions and the excluded agencies list.
Volunteers
When a Sender site's content is shared on another site, then the Host site's volunteers can:
View the Sender site's agencies' profile pages.
Search Needs by Initiatives.
View the Sender site's initiatives' banners and descriptions as applicable.
Receive notifications about the Sender site's initiatives—this is dependent on how the Sender site has set up custom messages for initiatives and notifications.
These same interactions apply to a Host site.
FAQ
Is it possible to remove shared content back to the date we set up the site connection, so I can pick and choose which pieces of content I want shared?
Yes. This is something we would have to do on our end. Please contact us via the chat widget in your Site Manager Dashboard if you'd like to discuss this further.
What do my tables have color-coded segments?
The color-coding lets you know the content is from a site connection. For example, if a volunteer responds to a Needs on a Host site, then the Sender site can review the responses from Volunteerism > Responses. The responses that are color-coded in the table are the responses that were made on the Host site.
Why aren't my agency fans appearing in reporting?
Data Explorers Reports only pull data from the site, not from connected sites. You can always review a list of agency fans by going to Volunteerism > Agencies > select the Agency Name > scroll to Agency Fans. The agency fans from the Host site are color-coded in the table.
Can I review data from connected sites through the site manager dashboard?
Yes. The widgets on the site manager dashboard pull data from any connected sites that your site has a reporting relationship with.
You can work with our team to get your relationship with a connected site set up however works best for you and your organization. Your access to data may be limited depending on the settings that you choose.