Ask storytellers for an update
Request an update on an impact story by a due date, see who answered, and chase the ones that are late.
When you need fresh news from the field ("the well is finished, can someone post an update by Friday?"), ask for it from the impact story itself. The people you ask see the request in the Storyteller app on the To do tab of My work, get a notification, and answer it with an ordinary update.
Before you start: you need the Request updates permission on Impact Stories in your role (administrators have it). The people you ask need the Storyteller app and must be able to see the impact story.
Request an update
Open the impact story
Go to Impact Stories, open the story, then select the Update requests tab.
Choose who should add the update
Select Request an update. Under Who should add the Update?, choose People, Roles or Groups, or tick This Impact Story's storytellers to ask the people on the Impact Story's Storytellers list. The list below updates as you choose: it shows how many people will be asked, and how many were left out because they can't see this Impact Story, don't use the Storyteller app, or are no longer members. You can ask up to 50 people.
Pick a due date
Choose a Due date from today onward. The request is due at the end of that day in your organization's time zone.
Say what you'd like
Add a note under What would you like to see? if it helps. You can also pick an Update type or a Form so the app opens the right one.
Send it
Select Send request. Everyone you asked gets a notification.
The note is shown in the Storyteller app. Don't include personal details about the people in the story.
What happens next
- Roles and groups become a fixed list of people when you send the request. Someone who joins a group later isn't asked.
- The first update anyone sends for the request answers it for everyone. Updates sent for it later are still linked to it.
- A day before the due date, each person asked gets one reminder, if you sent the request at least two days before it was due.
- When the request is answered, or passes its due date without an answer, you get a notification in the bell at the top of Givable.
- Notifications on phones always say only "You have a new update request." or "An update request is due soon." They never name the impact story, your note or who asked.
Keep track
Every impact story's Update requests tab lists its requests. To see them across all your impact stories, select Update requests in the sidebar, under Fundraising (or select Update requests on the Impact Stories list, which shows how many are overdue).
-
The counts at the top, Open, Overdue and Missed, each open their view. The Open, Overdue, Due this week and Mine views show what's waiting, what's late, what's coming up, and what you asked for.
-
Filters also offer Requested form, Requested Update type, Person asked, Asked by and Answered by. The people listed are the ones on requests you can see.
-
The Requested form column shows the form or update type the request asked for.
-
Select a request to open its details: the impact story, the due date, the note, who asked, Who was asked (and whether through a role, a group or the story's storytellers), and Updates that answered, each linking to the update. Updates you don't have access to are counted, not shown.
-
To keep an eye on requests from your dashboard, add a Custom list widget and choose Update requests.
-
Edit changes an open request's due date, note, update type or form. The people asked stay the same.
-
Cancel request removes it from the Storyteller app. Nobody is notified.
-
Ask again starts a new request with the same people and note.
-
The Source column shows Manual for a request someone sent and Check-in for one from a check-in schedule. A check-in that closed unanswered when the next one went out shows as Missed; the Overdue check-ins and Missed check-ins views gather them.
An update that answers a request shows Answers an update request at the top of its page.
Ask on a schedule
For programs that run for months, you don't need to send each request by hand. Add a Start date on the Impact Story's Details (and, if you like, a Storytellers list), then select Set up check-ins on its Update requests tab: Givable sends an update request on the rhythm you choose, counted from the Start date. See Schedule check-ins for an Impact Story.
Troubleshooting
Related
Schedule check-ins
Ask for an Update on a regular rhythm.
Set up the Storyteller app
Choose what storytellers see and what notifications say.
Still stuck?
We're here for you, and no question is too small. Tell us what you were trying to do and what happened, and we'll help you get it sorted.