Search Filter Helpful Tips
Administration > Manage Search Filters
Helpful Tips
Here is some information to think about prior to creating search filters and how the search filters relate to each funding source you have defined on your site:
This is an optional feature. If you do not want to use search filters you can turn this feature off by selecting No in Administration > Manage Site Settings > General Settings: Enable Search by Eligibility Criteria. Otherwise, make sure Yes is selected to enable the feature.
The next setting you need to adjust is the Administration > Manage Site Settings > General Settings: Default Page before Login or Default Page after Login. This determines where the Search Screen will display in the login process.
It is recommended that you first create all the search filters needed for every funding source that will be active on your site, before creating the actual funding source. Once the search filters are created you can then assign all the active criteria to all of your funding sources.
Since you are limited to 20 search filters, it is important to first review all your funding sources, and then determine how you will group them by the individual search filters. Once you have determined the criteria you will be having your applicants search on, you can then begin building the search filters for all the funding sources.
If using search filters, it is important to remember that these filters are used to search for specific funds. Therefore, every funding source that applicants need to search for must have a reply added for every search filter created in order to be returned in search results.
Think about each criteria you set up on a fund asking “If the applicant selects only this filter to search, should the fund display in the results to the applicant?”
Example:
You have only two search filters created for your site:
State (the state filter contains values for every state)
Major (you have a listing of majors that are for eligibility in only specific funds)
Fund 1 – Applicants from Virginia are eligible no matter what major is declared. (This is the only eligibility criteria required for this fund.)
When setting the search filters on Fund 1
State - Since the only state for eligibility is Virginia, you would only select Virginia.
Major - Since the fund does not limit majors, every major in your listing would need to be selected so that when the applicant from Virginia also selects a major in the search, this fund would display as they are allowed to apply to this fund if they live in Virginia.
Fund 2 – Applicants that are majoring in Business Administration are eligible for the fund no matter what their state of residence. (This is the only eligibility criteria required for this fund.)
When setting the search filters on Fund 2
State – Since the fund does not limit states, every state in your listing would need to be selected so that when the applicant with a business administration major also selects a state in the search, this fund would display as they are allowed to apply to this fund if they are majoring in Business Administration.
Major – Since the only major for eligibility is Business Administration, select only Business Administration.
Fund 3 – Applicants from Virginia, majoring in Health Care are eligible for this fund.
When setting the search filters on Fund 3
State – Since the only state for eligibility is Virginia, you would only select Virginia.
Major – Since the only major for eligibility is Health Care, select only Health Care.
Below is an example of the Search Screen that the applicant sees when entering the CommunityForce system.
