2. Completing an Application Form – CommunityForce

Step 1: Log into the System
1. Access the site and click on Login
2. Enter email id and Password
3. Click the Login button.
Step 2: This will direct you to your dashboard

Step 3: Select the application you want to apply to:

You can view a listing of the funding sources or click the “search” tab to view a search screen where you can search for available funding.
Once you locate the funding you want to apply for click the “Apply” button located to the right of that funding’s details.

Step 4: Once you select apply, you will be navigated to that funding’s application form dashboard. If there are pre-qualification questions you will need to answer those prior to receiving access to the application form to begin applying. (otherwise skip to step 5)

If you have pre-qualification questions, you must answer those questions with the appropriate yes/no replies. Be sure to read each question carefully and answer the questions.
After you have answered all the pre-qualification questions, click the Submit

If you do not qualify for that specific funding you will receive a denial message with further instructions.
If you do qualify you will be directed to the application’s dashboard.

Step 5: You will now be direct to the Application’s dashboard. The Application Dashboard is the place where all the application’s sections and the status of completion for each section will be displayed. On this dashboard you will see the following items:

Your current status of the application form. Where you are in the process. This is shown in the upper right corner of the application form.
The deadline date for the application form to be submitted by.
The percentage of completion for each section. 100% means that the section is competed. Any percentage less means there are still required questions in that section to be completed.
Deadline: The deadline date for each individual section
Modified by: Who completed the last modification.
Modified on: What was the last date of modification.

2.1 Completing Sections in your application form

Step 1: Click on the section’s icon for the section to be completed

Step 2: The section will open showing all the available questions for that section. To complete a section, you must answer all the required questions that are marked with an *. If a required question is missed it will not show as 100% completed.

Step 3: Click on each field to enter data using the various input formats

Text fields: type your answer in the field
Dropdown or radio buttons: allow for one selection. Make your single selection
Checkboxes and checkbox listings: allow for a multiple choice selection, you can select one or multiple items in the listing.
Telephone: enter your phone number using the requried phone number format
Email: enter your email using the required email format.
Currency: fields with a currency symbol require a dollor amount to be entered.

Step 4: As you answer various questions, this may trigger additional questions to appear, be sure to answer all the questions that are required. (marked with an *)

Step 5: If a question has an information icon. Select that icon to view additional information about how to answer that specific question.

Step 6: Once you are done with a section please click on the “Save & Return to Dashboard” button to return to the application dashboard. It is good practice to click the Save button, periodically while in the section to save any data you may have already entered on the page so as not to lose any data you have entered.

Step 7: Once you return to the dashboard the section’s status will show the percentage of completion, if it is 100% you have completed that section. If it is not 100% then you have missed a required question that needs to be completed.

Step 8: You will need to complete all sections of the application form. Once all sections show as 100% complete you can submit your application.

2.1.1 Uploading Files to a question (Browse)

Browse is used to upload files like budget reports, 990s, etc..

Step 1: Select the Browse button next to the question

Step 2: A pop window will open where you can search and select the file on your computer.

Step 3: Select the file and click

Step 4: Once uploaded successfully, the file will appear in the field for the question it was uploaded to.

Step 5: Once you have uploaded a document to a question, click the Save at the bottom of the section, to save the upload prior to continuing to the next question to save the upload of the document.

Step 6: Once you click the Save, the File will be attached, if you need to delete the file simply click the Delete File to remove it and upload a new document.

2.1.2 Completing Essay Questions

Note: Prior to entering your essay question in the Essay Box for that question, write the essay in a word document and then copy and paste the essay into the essay box.

Step 1: Enter your essay in the box provided next the essay question requested.

Step 2: Make sure the essay falls within the required word count range.

Step 3: Once you enter the essay in the essay box, be sure to click “Save” on the section to save the essay question, prior to going to the next question. This will insure that no data is lost.

2.1.3 Completing a Signature question or section

Signature Sections are usually final sections where you need to enter your signature. (This signature field will be looking at your login account’s credentials to compare for correct signature)

Step 1: Locate the Signature question

Step 2: To enter your signature you will need to enter your First Name(space)Last Name exactly as it appears in your login credentials. This is case sensitive and use caution so as not to have any extra spaces at the end of the signature, as this will make your signature invalid and it will not accept the signature.

Step 3: Once you have entered you signature, a date and time of signature will appear next to your name.

Step 4: Click “Save” to save the signature information.

Step 5: Once you have completed answering all the required questions in the section (marked with an *) click “Save & Return to Dashboard” to return to the application dashboard.

Note: some individuals when creating their login accounts have accidentally entered a space after the First Name and have not been able to enter the signature until they have added that extra space in the signature field. If that is your case, you will need to add that extra space when entering your signature. If you still have difficulty entering your signature, please contact your site administrator.

2.1.4 Example of Conditional Questions:

Conditional questions are questions that are set to appear depending on how you answer other questions in the application. As you answer specific questions in the application form, this will trigger additional questions to appear for you to answer. Therefore, it is important to carefully watch how you answer specific questions so as not to have other questions missed.

Example:

In this example the question: “Please choose one investment area that your project will address” is the trigger question. Depending on which area the applicant chose then the appropriate result area for that investment area appears.

If the applicant answered a different investment area, then a different set of result area items would appear for that specific area.

2.2 Completing a Request Section

Request Sections require you to assign a designated person to fill out a specific section on your behalf.

This section is private and not viewable by you, but you can still see when the designee has completed this section or if the designee has rejected your request.

When you enter the designated person’s information in the request section, an email will go out to that individual with a link and access code that they can click on to be directed to the section they are to complete.

This is useful sometimes in requesting Fiscal Sponsorship Forms, Approval by Board President, Anti-Terrorism Compliance Measures form, etc.

If a request section is present in your application form the following section icon will appear on your application dashboard.

Step 1: Select the Request Icon.

Step 2: The Request section will open showing specific instructions on who to request the sections from. At the bottom of that section will be the sections that you will need to request a designated individual to complete.

Step 3: in the Request For column click on the section name.

Step 4: This will open the Contact Information screen where you will enter the contact information for the individual you need to request the section be completed by.

Name: Enter the full name of the individual you are requesting
Email: enter the email address of that individual (this is the address the request email will be sent to)
Optional: This field is optional but can be used to enter any additional instructions or message you would like to include in the email to the requested individual on why they are receiving this request on your behalf.

Step 5: Once you have completed the contact form click the Email Request Button. This will send an email to the requested individual with a link to access the requested section.

Step 6: Once you return to the Request section, the contact information will be populated with the contact information you entered, and the Requested Date will show the date the request was sent.

Step 7: you will need to click on each separate section and enter the contact information for each requested individual.

Step 8: Once the section has been completed by the designated individual an email will be sent to you notifying you that the section has been completed and the Received Date will be populated with the date the section was completed.

Step 9: Once you have completed requesting all the requested individuals, click the Return to Dashboard button to return to the application dashboard and complete the remainder of the application form.

Step 10: Once your return to the dashboard the Requested percentage should show as 100%. Once the requested individuals complete their sections, the Received will show as 100% also.

Note: you will be able to submit your application once the Requested shows as 100%. You will not have to wait for the Received to be 100% to be able to submit, however the administrator will see the status as Request Pending and may not approve the final submittal on their end until all requested individuals have completed their sections, therefore it is important to make sure you give those individuals plenty of time to complete those sections prior to the application deadlines. (If you are not able to submit this function has been turned off by your organization)

2.2.1 Resending Your Request Section

If you need to resend the request to someone you can simply return to the requested section and click on the Envelope icon located to the far right of the section that was requested.

2.2.2 Reassigning Your Request Section to Someone New

If a designated person does not want to complete the section they will have the option to deny the request once they have opened their assigned section. If they deny it, you will be sent an email notifying you of the denial and you will need to return to the request section to request another individual to complete the section.

If denied, return to the request section and click on the Section again, and overwrite the original requested individual’s information with contact information for a new requested individual.

2.3 Fund Eligibility Section

If you are completing an application form that is used to apply for several different funding sources using that one application form, you may see a section that shows you the funding you have been matched to and are eligible for.

Step 1: When you click on that section you will see a question asking you to update the listing of eligible funding.

Step 2: You will need to click the Update List to see all funding that you have been matched too. If the ability to select and unselect is activated, you can then unselect/select funding you wish to apply to. Otherwise, you will only see those that you have matched to.

Important Note: The items listed are showing based on questions that you have already answered in your application form. Therefore, if you have not completed your entire application form then this may not be a complete listing. Be sure to answer all eligibility questions and then return to this section and select the Update List button.

If the site provider has activated the View Matching Process you can then use that feature to see a detailed description of the funding listed. Please see the section on How Does and Applicant Apply Using the View Matching Process.

Step 3: After you have Updated this listing, and all questions have been completed on that section, click Save or Save & Return on that section to complete it and return to your dashboard.

The section should then show 100% Completed.

Step 4: Once your return to your dashboard, confirm that there are not any additional questions that have now been activated due to your being eligible for specific funds that now require the replies to additional questions.

2.4 - 2.5 Submitting an Application Form

Once all sections in your application’s dashboard show as 100% complete you can submit your application.

Step 1: To submit your application click the Final Review and Submit button.

Step 2: You will receive a message notifying you that you will need to review the application form and confirm that you did review it.

Step 3: Click the Continue with Review button to proceed to the application review page.

If you wish to print out a copy of your application form. Select the Printer Icon and this will allow you to print a copy of the application form.

Note: if when reviewing, you realize that something was not entered correctly, you can click the Cancel & Exit to return to the application dashboard to make any corrections prior to submittal, and then click the Final Review and Submit button again to return to the review page.

Step 4: Once you have reviewed your application form and have confirmed that all is correct, select the checkbox to confirm that you have reviewed your application form.

Step 5: After you select the box, click the Submit button to finalize the submittal of your application form.

Step 6: You will receive an online message confirming your submission, click OK.

Note: you will also receive an email correspondence to confirm the submittal.

Step 7: You will now return to the application’s dashboard. At the top of the page your application status will now show as Application Status: Submitted or Request Pending, if you still have a pending Request section to be completed by the nominee.

Step 8: When you click on the My Applications link this will direct you to your My Applications tab where you can see the status of all the application forms you have applied to and this application will also show as Submitted or Request Pending in the Status Column.