Keywords: Admin Page; Home Page; Navigation; Start Better Impact
Overview
When you sign in as an administrator, the Admin Home Page is the first screen you see. It provides an at-a-glance view of recent volunteer activity, pending tasks, and upcoming schedules. From here, you can quickly navigate to other areas of the software using the top navigation menu, the search bar, or your personalized Favourites section on the left.
The layout is flexible and adapts to your role permissions. Widgets on the page can often be reordered, and Favourites let you tailor the interface to the actions you perform most frequently.
General Account Information
At the very bottom of the Better Impact admin interface, you will see two helpful reference areas: Account name and account information.
The bottom left corner displays your organisation’s name (or the name of the specific site/location within your Enterprise). This remains visible on every page and help you quickly confirm where you are working
The bottom right corner displays a summary of key account details, including:
Client since - the date your organisation became a Better Impact client
Number of text messages sent
Account ID - the unique identifier for your organisation
The Account ID is especially useful when contacting the Better Impact Support Team, as it helps us locate your organisation quickly.
This information is visible only to administrators and cannot be moved or removed.
Top Navigation Menu
The top menu guides you to all primary areas of your account. This menu remains visible as you navigate through the system.
Menu Summaries
Menu Summaries
Home
Returns you to the Admin Home Page.
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People
The People menu is where administrators manage all individuals connected to the organisation, including volunteers, donors, clients, members, and administrators (depending on the features your organisation uses).
It centralises all tools related to adding people, reviewing applications, updating statuses, managing hours, and handling custom fields.From the People menu, administrators can:
Search for anyone in the database using the search tools provided.
Manage administrators, including adding new admins, adjusting permissions, and reviewing limited admin roles.
Work with volunteers by adding new profiles, reviewing applicants, managing those in process, archiving or removing volunteers, and performing bulk updates to statuses, committees, or interests.
Record and manage volunteer hours and feedback, including logging hours, editing or approving hours, managing running timeclocks, and reviewing text feedback.
Handle qualifications, such as approving new ones, updating qualifications in bulk, and monitoring upcoming or expired qualifications.
Manage users of other types (if contracted), including clients, donors, and members, with options to add, archive, remove, approve custom fields, or bulk-update their statuses.
Review and manage Connections, such as volunteer–client pairings or encounter records.
Use the Find a Buddy tool to match volunteers through the Buddy program.
In short, the People menu contains all the tools needed to manage individuals, track their progress, and maintain accurate records across your organisation.
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Communicate
The Communicate menu contains all the tools administrators use to send messages and share information with volunteers or other contacts. It centralizes email communication, list creation, automated message features, and other messaging tools.
From the Communicate menu, administrators can:
Send emails, view email history, and manage email templates.
Create mailing labels, phone lists, or export data for mail merge purposes.
Log notes onto profiles for internal team communication.
Send automated or template-based messages such as:
Birthday Messages
Volunteer Anniversary Messages
Post news items to share updates with volunteers.
Bulk update personal messages across multiple profiles when needed.
Overall, the Communicate menu helps administrators deliver messages efficiently, maintain consistent communication, and generate lists for printing or outside use.
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Assign
The Assign menu provides administrators with all the tools needed to schedule volunteers into activities and shifts. It offers several different views and workflows so you can assign people in the way that best fits your process.
From the Assign menu, administrators can:
Assign volunteers from the Unscheduled List, where you can place volunteers into shifts that currently have no one assigned.
Assign volunteers from the Scheduled List, where you can adjust or fill existing assignments.
Assign from the Calendar, giving you a visual, date-based view of activities and shifts.
Review and approve assignments from the Pending Signup List, where volunteer self-signup requests appear for approval.
Assign volunteers directly from a volunteer’s profile, useful for placing an individual into one or multiple shifts quickly.
Overall, the Assign menu helps administrators manage scheduling efficiently, whether they prefer list-based views or a calendar perspective.
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Reports
The Reports menu contains all of the reporting tools available to administrators. It provides detailed insights into volunteer hours, scheduling activity, feedback, donations, client services, and general account data. This menu allows you to view trends, generate summaries, and export raw data for deeper analysis.
From the Reports menu, administrators can:
Access saved reports they have previously pinned or customized.
Run hours reports to analyze service contributions by activity, category, volunteer, date range, or trend.
Review feedback reports, including totals, trends, efficiency, and raw data in row or column format.
Generate schedule reports, showing activity participation by date, category, month, volunteer, or as raw signup data.
Review donor reports such as donations by program, type, source, trends, and raw subscription or donation data (if donor features are enabled).
Analyze client-related reports, including client activity, encounters, or raw client reporting fields (if connections are enabled).
Access general reporting tools, such as personal profile exports, note log raw data, survey reports, and the Name Tag Wizard.
Overall, the Reports menu gives administrators a full set of tools to understand engagement, track impact, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making.
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Configuration
Where administrators configure account-level settings.
From here, administrators can:
Set up organization details such as contact information, security preferences, alerts, and dashboard settings.
Customize branding for public-facing pages, including banners, themes, and fonts.
Define what appears on volunteer profiles, including custom fields, qualifications, badges, and committees.
Configure recruitment settings, such as application forms, public page settings, interests, and MyImpact Portal options.
Set options for activities and scheduling, including templates, schedule rules, feedback fields, and hour-tracking preferences.
Manage resources such as eLearning modules, document libraries, surveys, and calendar subscription options.
Set up connection or client-related tracking fields (if your organization uses Connections).
Manage donation-tracking settings (if donations are enabled in your account).
Overall, the Configuration menu contains all the core setup tools that shape what users see, how data is collected, and how administrators manage their workflows.
The Search Bar
The Quick Search Bar at the top of the admin interface allows you to quickly find people, pages, or accounts without navigating through menus. It is designed for fast access to the most common areas you use.
How the Quick Search Works
The search will try to match what you type with first name or last name fields.
If you include a space (e.g., “jo sm”), it will try to match:
the beginning of the first name, and
the beginning of the last name.
The search returns up to the top 10 matches.
If many people share the same name and the one you need doesn’t appear, you may need to use People → Search for more filtering options.
Archived profiles are not shown in Quick Search results, except when searching by ID.
When to Use Quick Search
Use Quick Search when you need to:
Quickly open someone’s profile
Navigate straight to a specific area of the software
Switch to another organisation
Find someone using their email, phone number, or ID
For advanced filtering, lists, or searching by criteria, use People → Search.
Search Options in the Navigation Bar
Search Options in the Navigation Bar
1 - Person Search
Select the Person icon to search by:
First name
Last name
A combination of both
Useful for quickly opening a volunteer, client, member, donor, or administrator profile.
Specific Field Search
Click the Field icon to search by:
Email
Phone number
User ID (includes archived profiles)
Shortcuts:
Instead of clicking the icons, you can type directly:
e: for email
p: for phone
id: for Database User ID
Example:
e:[email protected]
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2 - Page Search
Click the Page icon to quickly navigate to a page or feature in the system.
Typing a keyword (e.g., “activities”, “qualifications”, “application form”) will show matching pages you can jump to immediately.
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3 - Account Switcher
If you are an administrator of multiple organisations or part of an enterprise/collective account, you can use the Account icon to switch between them.
Admin Dashboard
The Admin Dashboard is the first screen you see after logging in as an administrator. It provides a quick overview of important activity within your organisation and highlights items that may require your attention. The dashboard is designed to help you stay informed without needing to run reports or navigate through multiple menus.
Status Update Widget and Items needing attention
Section | What It Shows |
Birthdays | Number of people with upcoming birthdays (clickable list, based on your alert settings). |
Anniversaries | Number of people with an upcoming anniversary (clickable list, based on your alert settings). |
Volunteers / Clients / Members / Donors / Administrators Tabs | Switch between different user types used in your organisation - this will allow you to see different status circles for each user type. |
Status Circles | Applicant, In Process, Accepted, Inactive, Archived counts for the selected person type. |
Section | What It Shows | What You Can Do |
Custom Field Approvals | Number of custom field submissions waiting for review/approval. | Open the list, review submissions, and approve or decline them. |
Qualification Approvals | Number of qualifications waiting for review/approval. | Review the qualification details and approve decline them. |
Expiring / Expired Qualifications | Qualifications approaching expiry or already expired. | Contact volunteers, request updates, or update qualifications as needed. |
Background Checks (Sterling / First Advantage Related) | Background checks on hold, to review, expiring, or expired. | Review the check status, follow up with volunteers, or complete the necessary approval steps. |
Hours Approvals |
Hours that need approval. | Review submitted hours, make corrections if necessary, and approve or delete them. |
Pending Signups | Self-signup requests that require review. | Approve or decline the signup based on your activity rules. |
Volunteers on the Clock | Number of volunteers currently clocked in. | Monitor active timeclock entries and clock volunteers out if needed. |
Tips
Use the Home icon in the top navigation bar to return to the dashboard quickly, no matter where you are in the software.
Switch between user-type tabs (Volunteers, Clients, Members, Donors, Administrators) to instantly change the dashboard context.
Click any number or label to open a filtered list — the dashboard works as a shortcut to deeper pages.
Use the dashboard as your daily check-in to see what requires attention before navigating elsewhere.
If a tab doesn’t appear, your organisation may not use that user type or your admin role may not include it.
Refresh the dashboard if you are monitoring real-time activity like timeclock use.
Use Recognition Opportunities (birthdays and anniversaries) to strengthen volunteer engagement.
Dashboard content adjusts to your organisation’s setup, so administrators may see slightly different items depending on their configuration.
The dashboard is a summary, so for deeper analysis you can jump to the Reports menu.
Keep your browser zoom at 100% for the best display of the status circles and counts.
Admin Badges
The Badges section on the Admin Home Page highlights achievements related to your engagement with Better Impact. These badges recognise milestones, participation, and contributions within the platform or Better Impact’s wider community.
Badges can represent things like:
Length of time as an administrator
Participation in Better Impact initiatives
Engagement with user groups or community events
Completion of recommended learning
Security awareness
Contributions to feedback or reviews
Badges that are earned will appear in full colour, while badges not yet earned will appear greyed out. This allows administrators to easily see both what they have achieved and which badges they may earn in the future.
What You Can Do in the Badges Section
View the badges you’ve already earned.
See which badges are still available to earn.
Hover over a badge (in the live system) to see the criteria associated with it.
Use badges as a fun, motivational way to explore more of the system or engage with Better Impact’s community and learning resources.
Where the Badges Appear
The badge strip appears below the Dashboard/Status Update widget on the Admin Home Page. It is visible only to administrators logged into the account.
Badge | What It Means | How It Is Earned |
Administrator | Shows how long you have been an administrator in Better Impact. | Automatically awarded and updated each year based on your admin start date. |
Agency | Indicates how many years your organisation has been part of the Better Impact family. | Automatically awarded and updated based on the organisation’s join date. |
Ambassador | Recognises administrators who share Better Impact with others. | Mention Better Impact at a conference, show someone how you use the software, or act as a reference. If not displayed, you can request it using the form on the badges page. |
Reviewer | Highlights administrators who have shared a review about their Better Impact experience. | Leave a short review on TrustPilot or a more detailed one on G2. |
Buddy |
Shows participation in the Better Impact Buddies program. | Become a Buddy or participate in the program. (Availability depends on your Admin Role) |
Champion | Awarded to administrators who complete the Champions training program. | Complete the 5-week Champions Training Program. |
Security Conscious | Shows that an administrator has enabled Two-Factor Authentication. | Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in your profile. |
Announcements
Below the Dashboard and other widgets you can add to your admin home page, administrators will see several system-provided information panels. These panels appear in the same location for all accounts and cannot be moved, customised, or removed. They provide important updates and feedback opportunities.
Panel | What It Shows | What You Can Do |
System Message | Recent software upgrades, release notes, feature summaries, and other announcements from Better Impact. | Scroll through announcements, click links to read full update details. |
Feedback | Links to product suggestion submissions and review opportunities on TrustPilot or G2. | Submit improvement ideas, rate your experience, or leave a review. |
Refer a Friend | Information about the referral program and a link to share Better Impact with peers. | Click the Refer a Friend button to submit a referral. |
Note
If you have any suggestions, feel free to submit it in the Feedback widget or email support at [email protected].
Support Options
Administrators can access Better Impact Support at any time using the chat icon located in the bottom-right corner of the screen. This is the central place for all help resources.
Chat Icon (Bottom Right Corner)
The chat icon opens the Better Impact Support window, where you can:
Search the Knowledge Base
Start a support conversation with the Support Team
Submit a support request outside chat hours
Review past support conversations
This is the fastest way to find answers or get help directly from Support.
Note
Availability of live chat depends on your region and support hours. If live chat is not available, you can still submit your question through the message form.
If you miss one of our messages while troubleshooting, it will be automatically send to your email address as well.
System Status (Left-Hand Panel on the Home Page)
The Current System Status box lets administrators quickly check whether all Better Impact systems are operational.
You can also:
Click to view detailed uptime information
Subscribe to system status updates
This is helpful to check before submitting a support request if you suspect a widespread issue.
Find Your Community
The Find Your Community button appears on the left-hand side of the Admin Home Page, just below Recent Pages. It provides quick access to the Better Impact Community Hub, where administrators can connect with other users, share ideas, and learn from peers.
What It Does
Selecting Find Your Community opens a window with opportunities to connect, learn, and collaborate with other Better Impact administrators.
Better Impact Buddies
Find a peer mentor or become a Buddy to support other administrators through experience-sharing (not technical support).
User Groups
Join online groups to discuss best practices, explore updates, and hear how others run their programs. Registration link included.
Webinars
Browse and register for upcoming webinars on volunteer engagement and software topics.
Coming Soon
Preview upcoming community offerings and programs planned for future release.
Why It’s Helpful
The Find Your Community feature supports administrators by offering:
Additional insights beyond the knowledge base
Real-world examples from other organisations
A place to connect with peers who use the same tools
Opportunities for networking and shared learning
It complements Support by giving you access to the collective experience of the Better Impact administrator community.
That’s your Admin Home Page at a glance.
These tools and sections are designed to help you navigate quickly, stay informed, and manage your work efficiently.
The Home Page brings together the information you need to get started, stay organised, and keep track of what matters most.
If you ever have questions or need assistance, you can reach Support at any time using the chat icon in the bottom-right corner.
We're here to help.