GivingData software versions 4.7.0 and later provide an updated framework for user authentication across all GivingData installations.
With the release of version 4.7.0, all grantee contacts working with US-based foundations will have just one password associated with their username (email) for logging in to all GivingData grantee portals.
Most grantees will experience minimal to no changes in their login experience. In certain scenarios, grantees might experience new behavior, which is detailed below.
Help text to clarify this process for grantee portal users appears on the login page starting with version 4.7.4.
The following scenarios could change the login experience for grantee portal users upon logging in or registering their account for the first time.
Enabling a New Portal Account for a User who has used GivingData Previously
When enabling a new grantee portal account, if that contact is already a registered portal user with another GivingData client, then the link in their portal activation email will take them directly to the sign in page. The system will not prompt the user to activate an account for your specific site/portal.
To log in, the grantee portal user should use their existing GivingData grantee portal username and password. By logging in, they will now be registered in your organization’s grantee portal (specified by your foundation’s grantee portal URL). Once logged in, the grantee portal user's experience has not changed since the version update; users will not have to select a specific portal site.
User Doesn’t Remember their Portal Account Details
If a registered grantee portal user's password is not working or if they are unsure whether they have an existing GivingData account, we recommend that they reset their password using the “Forgot your password” link on the login page. This allows the grantee portal user to reset their password across all of the GivingData grantee portals with which they are registered.
User had Registered Portal Accounts with Different Passwords in Multiple GivingData Portals Prior to the Upgrade
If a grantee portal user has had different passwords in different GivingData systems prior to the site’s upgrade to version 4.7.0, they may have trouble logging in. Logging in, whether it's through a new portal or a portal they're already registered for, will prompt the user with the message "You must reset your password to log in with the account: [email]".
In this case, registered users need to reset their password to resolve the issue. To do so, they should click “Forgot your password?” on the login page. If the grantee portal user is still showing as Unregistered within the GivingData site, they will need to be re-invited to the portal.
User is Registered with US-based GivingData Sites and EU- or UK-based GivingData Sites
If a grantee portal user has GivingData portal accounts with US-based foundations and foundations based in the EU or the UK, they will still have different passwords based on the continental location of the foundation, not the location of the grantee portal user.
Registered grantee portal users need to be aware of where the foundations they have portal accounts with are based and need to keep a record of these passwords. Users needing portal accounts with foundations in both continents will need to register for the grantee portal once per continent.
User has Portal Accounts in different GivingData sites with Different Usernames (Emails)
If a grantee portal user has different usernames (emails) across GivingData sites, then these accounts will continue to have different passwords, as there is no way for the updated GivingData site to associate these accounts.
These grantee portal users will continue to operate as they did prior to the 4.7.0 upgrade as long as they are not using the same usernames (emails) across different sites.