The new Directory makes it easier to manage school community information, student details, and family connections in one place. It supports an adult-and-child family model, gives contacts more control over what they share, and adds a student view with grade and classroom filtering.
Overview
The Directory starts with contacts and can be turned on for your organization or limited to admins only.
Admins can decide whether the Directory is visible only to admins or to contacts with Directory access.
The Contacts view can be searched and filtered.
Contacts can also be filtered by Lists.
Families use an adult and child model.
Adults appear as contacts.
Children can be added to a family and shown in the Students tab once the Student Directory is enabled.
Contacts now manage their own Directory visibility.
Contacts can opt in to the Directory.
Contacts must choose to show those fields in their own Directory Settings.
There are three ways to keep directory information up to date.
An admin can update it manually.
An admin can import it.
A contact can update their family information in the Givebacks app or through their profile.
Note: When a brand-new contact is created, an admin can add them to the Directory. That contact will still need to opt in through the new Directory Settings option in their profile before they appear in the live Directory.
Viewing the directory
From the left navigation, click Directory to open the Directory page.
Use the Contacts tab to view adult contacts, family members, and list associations.
Use the search bar to find a contact by name or email.
Use Filter to narrow results.
Use the download icon to export directory data if needed.
If the Student Directory is enabled, click Students to view student records.
The Students tab shows student name, family members, grade, and classroom.
You can search by student name and filter by grade or classroom after those values are set up.
Click a student name to open their student details. You can see the student’s linked family members and assigned directory properties, such as classroom.
Turning on the Student Directory
Open Directory, then click Settings.
Choose who can view the Directory, then turn on Student Directory.
After you enable the Student Directory, set up the values you want to use for Grade and Classroom.
Click Edit next to Grade, add each grade option you want to use, and then save your changes.
You can enter simple values like K, 1, 2, and 3, or use names like 5th Grade.
You can click Add Property Value to add more options.
You can drag and reorder values if needed.
Click Edit next to Classroom, add each classroom option you want to use, and then save your changes.
Use teacher names, room names, or another naming format that works for your organization.
If you rename a classroom option later, that update applies to students currently assigned to it.
Click Save Changes in Directory Settings to make the Student Directory live.
Return to the Directory and confirm the Students tab now appears.
Note: The Student Directory adds a separate student view, but the Contacts tab still remains available.
Adding contacts to the directory
Go to Contacts, then select All Contacts.
Review the Directory column to see each contact’s current status.
In Directory means the contact is included.
Not Listed means the contact has not been included.
Opted Out means the contact is not currently visible.
To add a new contact, click Add Contacts, then select Add New Contact.
Enter the contact’s information, then turn on Add Contact to Directory if you want them added right away. Note: The contacts will still need to opt in to be visible in the directory.
Note: Contact imports now include an In Directory column, so you can manage Directory inclusion as part of your import process.
Adding and updating students
Add a child to a family from the contact record.
Once the child is added, you can assign a grade and classroom.
The child will then appear in the Students tab.
In the Students tab in the Directory, open the row menu for a student and select Edit Student Directory Properties Values.
To update multiple students at once, select one or more students using the checkboxes, then use the Actions menu.
This is helpful for end-of-year updates, like moving all 1st grade students to 2nd grade.
Importing contacts and student directory data
Go to Directory, click the 3 dots, and select Import & Update Roster.
Download the sample template or the current directory roster. Enter your data, save it as a .csv file, and upload the it.
Sample Directory Coster CSV Template - use for your initial import or for only new students.
Download Current Directory Roster CSV - use for updating your current roster.
Note: Downloading the current directory roster includes all student, their primary contact, and grade and class values. When editing the file, keep the Student Directory ID unchanged to update existing student records when you re-upload the roster. This prevents the duplication of students. New students can be added to this file without a student directory ID. It will be assigned after the import.
Managing directory visibility
Contacts can open their Givebacks account and go to Account, then Directory Settings.
They can choose the organization they want to manage and turn on Visible in directory.
They can also choose whether to show their email address and phone number.
These fields are off by default.
The contact must enable them if they want other Directory users to see them.
After making changes, they should click Save Changes.
Managing family and student details as a parent or contact
From Directory Settings, click Manage Family.
Select the family you want to manage.
Select a child to update.
Update the child’s organization, grade, and classroom, then save your changes.
Good to know: Parents and contacts can help keep student information accurate, but admins still control the grade and classroom options that appear in the Directory.
Questions? Click the "?" icon to contact Givebacks Support.