January 2025: Strict Compliance - updating your Impact Suite to meet federal requirements

Modified on Fri, 21 Feb at 1:00 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Deleting Member Fields and Field Data
Do you need to create new fields to replace the deleted fields?
Timesheet Subcategories
Staff, Group, and Site Profile Fields
Reviewing and Editing Survey (Report) Data
- Steps for Reviewing and Exporting Data
- Steps for Editing Survey Data
Restricting Access to Viewing the Communications History Panel
Updating Your Homepage News and About Us Content
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Introduction

AmeriCorps programs are responsible for ensuring compliance with federal regulations (relevant Executive Orders can be found here, here, here and here) while supporting their members in their service. To assist programs in navigating recent policy updates, we are providing two paths for managing Member Files:

Strict Compliance: This article outlines the steps necessary to fully align with the most recent federal Executive Orders, ensuring that all Member File data, including legal names and sex designation, meet current federal requirements.
Alternative Data Management: For programs that also operate non-federally funded initiatives and wish to maintain historical data while restricting access to certain fields, we have provided separate guidance on using Impact Suite features to manage visibility settings. Click here to view that guidance.

The following steps will help ensure that your Member Files remain fully compliant with federal regulations while maintaining accuracy and security in your records.

Deleting Member Fields and Field Data

There are several fields in your Member File that you will need to consider deleting to ensure your files are compliant:

Gender
Pronouns
Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you? or comparable fields
Legal Name (Please see this article for more information on this field.)
Legal Name Memo (Please see this article for more information on this field.)

Deleting these fields and data will ensure that your Member files are compliant and your Members are protected.

Here are the steps:

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Reporters, Staff, & Sites.
On the right, click Manage reporter accounts.
On the right, use the More drop-down menu and select Manage Fields and Profile Layout.
Locate the field you would like to delete and click the field name hyperlink.
A window will open. Scroll to the bottom of the window and click Delete This Field.
If any of your reporters have saved data in the field, you will see a message like this:
To delete the data, click I confirm that I want to delete this field and all data in it.
Then click the Delete This Field button to delete the field and data.

Do you need to create new fields to replace the deleted fields?

Before creating new fields in the member profile, consider whether the data is already captured in AmeriCorps systems such as eGrants or MyAmeriCorps. Replicating federally recorded information within the Impact Suite may not only be redundant but could also introduce additional complexities and unintended consequences for your program and members.

We strongly encourage program leaders to consult their AmeriCorps Program Officer, State Commission, or other funding advisor before adding new fields. These advisors can provide guidance on whether maintaining separate records is necessary and how best to align with compliance requirements while minimizing administrative and member burden.

If, after careful evaluation, you determine that creating new fields is essential for your program’s operations, follow the steps below to ensure compliance and secure data management.

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Reporters, Staff, & Sites.
On the right, click Manage reporter accounts.
On the right, use the More drop-down menu and select Manage Fields and Profile Layout.
On the top-right, click Create a Field.
A window will open.
Type your new Field Name.
Optionally, you can create a Field Description with help text available when viewing the field.
Next, click the Assign link and choose the Field Type.

Depending on your field type, you may need to make additional decisions.

For example, if you choose File Attachment, you'll need to select the total number of files that may be attached (up-to 10) and how many of those files are required.
Let the system know if the field should be required.
Choose the Column Width. Fields can take up one column or both.
Choose the panel you’d like to add the field to. (Only custom panels and the Name & Contact Details panel will be available.)
(Optional) Choose the sub-panel you’d like to add the field to.
Next, decide what types of access you would like your Reporters to have.

Super Important: When creating or modifying fields in the member profile, consider whether the member truly needs to see or edit this information. Program leaders have full control over which fields are visible to members and which are restricted to administrative access only.

Does the member really need to see or edit this field?
Some data fields are necessary for compliance and program management but may not need to be displayed to the member. If a field does not require member interaction, it can be restricted from their view to streamline their experience and reduce unnecessary exposure to sensitive information.

Additionally, while programs must ensure compliance with federal regulations, displaying certain fields may unintentionally impact a member’s well-being. Carefully consider whether making specific data visible aligns with your program’s approach to supporting members in their service.

If you decide to adjust visibility settings and have these fields only be staff-facing, DO NOT SELECT ANY CHECKBOXES in the screenshot above.
Now decide how this field should be treated upon enrollment and when revisiting individual reporter profiles:
Next, if you have turned on "Allow reporters to edit this field on their profile page..." decide if you would like add Reminder Alerts to Reporters.
Decide which staff members should have access to the data in this field.

Consider carefully which staff members need access to the data in this field.

Then, choose either:
- Grant access to all staff whose roles give them access to reporter profiles, or
- Limit access to staff with selected staff roles.
Click Create.

Remember you can move newly created fields to any custom panel (or to the Name & Contact Details panel just by clicking and dragging.

Timesheet Subcategories

(This section applies only to clients using the Timesheet Module.)

If your program uses Timesheet Subcategories, it is important to look over whether any existing subcategories, particularly within the Training category, may not comply with the latest federal requirements. Programs have two options for addressing non-compliant subcategories:

Updating the Subcategory Name
- If a subcategory can be adjusted to align with compliance requirements, you may choose to update its name.
- This change will apply to all past and future timesheets using this subcategory.
Hiding the Subcategory
- If a subcategory is no longer compliant, but you prefer not to update it, you can hide it from members moving forward.
- Hiding a subcategory does not retroactively change timesheets where it was used.
- If you choose this option, any timesheets with hours logged under the now-hidden subcategory may need to be returned to members for reallocation under a compliant category.

Updating Subcategory Names

Here are the steps for updating the name of a subcategory.

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Timesheets.
On the right, click Create & manage timesheet templates.
Near the bottom, select the template that you’d like to edit.
Find the Time Allocation Categories section and click the Edit link next to category you need to update.
A window will open. Identify the subcategory you would like to update and give it a new name.
Scroll to the bottom of the window and click Update to save your changes.

Hiding Subcategories

Here are the steps for hiding a subcategory.

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Timesheets.
On the right, click Create & manage timesheet templates.
On the right, select the template that you’d like to update.
Find the section of the template called Time Allocation Categories and find the category under which you would like to hide subcategories. Click Edit.
Find the subcategory you would like to hide temporarily and click Hide on Template.
You will see this pop-up message (click OK):
Once you're done click Update to save your changes.

Identifying and Returning Sheets with Non-Compliant Subcategory Data

If you choose to hide any non-compliant subcategories, run a report to identify affected timesheets (January 20, 2025 - Present) and return any submitted timesheets that include hours logged under those subcategories. Please see this article on how to run a Daily Report.

Staff, Group, and Site Profile Fields

Certain fields within Staff, Group, and Site Profiles may contain data that is no longer compliant with recent federal requirements. Program administrators should review these profiles to determine if any fields need to be adjusted or removed.

For step-by-step guidance on how to delete fields or clear field data, please refer to the following articles:

Ensuring compliance with these updates will help maintain accurate and federally aligned records within your program.

Reviewing and Editing Survey (Report) Data

(This section applies only to clients using the Data+ Module.)

As part of maintaining compliance with recent federal regulations, it may be important to review any survey (report) data that may contain non-compliant content. Programs can evaluate past survey responses and report fields to ensure alignment with current policies.

This process involves two key steps:

Reviewing and Exporting Data – Identify and extract existing survey data to determine if any fields or responses require modification.
Editing Survey Data – Make necessary updates to ensure compliance while preserving the integrity of historical records.

Follow these steps to review and edit survey data:

Steps for Reviewing and Exporting Data

Please note that you’ll only be able to view Program-wide data after at least one reporter submits a report.

To view Program-wide data:

On the left, in your Mission Control, click the Report Data link on the left.
On the right-hand side of the page, click Program-wide data.
Step 1 - Choose View Data, and click Set to move to the next step.
Step 2 - Select your date range by using the drop-down menus to select your start (From) and end dates (To).

If you need to export data from specific reports during a given period of time, enter that time in the To and From menus, and then select the specific reports by clicking Select specific reports from this period (optional).

To move to the next step, click Set.
Step 3 - Select the data include by choosing an option (All Data or Saved Selections or Customize).

Click Set to save your selections.
To see your selection, click the View Data button.

Need to Export data to Excel? Checkout this article.

Steps for Editing Survey Data

Please review this article for more information on how to edit data.

Restricting Access to Viewing the Communications History Panel

If your program has used the Communications Portal to send messages that may contain non-compliant content, you may need to restrict staff access to the Communication History panel in member profiles. Limiting access ensures that only authorized staff can review past communications while maintaining compliance with federal requirements.

You have total control over what messages your staff members see in the Communications History (Outbound) panels for reporters, staff, and Group identifiers.

By default, here are the settings for Staff:

Main Administrators: Access to all messages sent by all staff. (If you would like to change this, please send us an email at support@americalearns.net.)
All Other Staff Accounts: Access only messages this staff member has sent. (These folks won't have access to messages sent by other staff.)

For each module, you can:

Block access to messages.
When viewing profiles, access only messages this staff member has sent. (These folks won't have access to messages sent by other staff.) Or,
When viewing profiles, access all messages sent by all staff.

To update these permissions, follow these steps:

On the left, in your Mission Control, click the Reporters, Staff, and Sites.
On the right, click Manage staff roles.
Find the role you would like to change and click the Edit link.
When the window opens, make the updates you'd like.
To update what staff sees in the Communication History (Outbound) panels, find and update these sections:
- Reporter Account Management
  - See the permission called: Accessing Communications Portal messages sent to reporters.
- Staff Account Management
  - See the permission called: Accessing Communications Portal messages sent to staff.
- Group(s) Management
  - See the permission called: Accessing Communications Portal messages sent to identifiers.
To save your changes, scroll to the bottom of the window and click Update.

To find out more about Staff Permissions: check out this article.

Updating Your Homepage News and About Us Content

With recent federal policy changes, it is important to review and update publicly displayed content on your organization's homepage, including the Homepage News section and About Us content, to ensure compliance with current regulations. This guide will help you assess and revise these sections as needed.

Step 1: Review Existing Content

Start by reviewing all text, images, and references in the following areas:

Homepage News: Any announcements, program updates, or highlighted stories.
About Us Content: Mission statements, program descriptions, and references to service values.

Check for any language, references, or data points that may no longer align with the latest compliance requirements.

Step 2: Identifying Necessary Changes

Consider the following when determining updates:

Language Alignment: Ensure terminology used is consistent with federally recognized definitions.
Program Descriptions: Verify that descriptions reflect only approved activities and designations.
Member Representation: Assess whether profiles, testimonials, or spotlights comply with new policies.

Step 3: Updating Content
Once necessary changes are identified:

Edit text to align with current regulations while maintaining the integrity of your organization’s message.
Remove or replace any outdated images, testimonials, or references.
Verify links to external resources to ensure they direct users to compliant information.

Step 4: Approval & Implementation

Before publishing updates:

Review changes internally or with your compliance officer.
Ensure updates are aligned with any guidance from your AmeriCorps Program Officer or State Commission.
Publish the revised content and confirm that all sections display correctly.

Need a Thought Partner?

This stuff is hard. If you need a thought partner to work with on how to best support your members right now, we're here for you. Give us a call: 310.693.6698 or send us an email at support@americalearns.net.