Best Practice for GOapply Users Registering for Multiple Organizations
Current GOapply functionality allows a GOapply user to register one time with a unique email address. Once this email address has been used for registration, the GOapply user cannot register on behalf of additional organizations. The most typical case where this is an issue is a grant writer may only have one unique email address, but they need to apply to the foundation on behalf of several different organizations. This Knowledge Article will walk you through that scenario.
GOportal Database
When a user registers through GOapply, the registration process will first check if their email address exists in the GOportal Identity Database. This is a user database for the GOsuite of products – GOapply, GOfund, and GOdonate. All of these products utilize a single login experience for users. Each user (email address) may only appear once in the GOportal Identity Database.
If the user has already registered through another foundation's GOapply UI, they can simply login with their credentials. This will take them to the registration page where they can enter the necessary individual or organization information to complete the registration process.
If the user has already registered through your foundation's GOapply UI, but now needs to register on behalf of a second organization, they will follow the steps below.
Alias Email Best Practice
If an individual's email address already exists in the GOportal database, such as a grant writer submitting applications for multiple organizations, they can use what we refer to as the email address "plus trick." This causes the GOportal database to recognize the same email address as a new registrant. Grant writers can still have one address where all automated GOapply emails are sent. This is also a good trick for foundation staff testing an Opportunity who need to register as both an individual and an organization.
For our first scenario, let's use a grant writer named Sarah. Sarah's email address is grantwriter@akoyago.com
Sarah is applying to my foundation on behalf of two different non-profits.
She can use her email address to register on behalf of Non-Profit 1 as: grantwriter@akoyago.com. Once she registers with this email address, the GOapply user will be tied to Non-Profit 1's constituent record in akoyaGO. The email address grantwriter@akoyago.com now exists in the GOportal Database.
However, if Sarah needs to apply on behalf of Non-Profit 2, she needs to register again on behalf of a second organization. For Non-Profit 2, Sarah can register again, but this time she will enter her email address as grantwriter+2@akoyago.com. This will allow Sarah to register on behalf of a second organization, even though she is truly using the same email address.
The GOportal database will recognize this as two different email addresses, but GOapply automated emails and other correspondence will both be sent to the correct email address. Any combination of numbers or letters can appear after the plus sign symbol (so they could write the actual name of the non-profits after the plus sign.)
*IMPORTANT: The key is the "+" needs to be put in before the "@"
For a second scenario, let's say I was using the email address jennnifer.tenn@akoyago.com. I used this email address to register on behalf of akoyaGO. Now I need to apply on behalf of Perfect Tenn Academy. My alias for registering on behalf of Perfect Tenn Academy could be jennifer.tenn+PerfectTennAcademy@akoyago.com
This is our current best practice for GOapply with connections to multiple applicant organizations. We may undertake a larger initiative in the future to restructure GOapply user accounts, but this is not currently part of our upcoming product road map.