Upload Field - re-using old documents

Amy Kuuskoski · March 13

I am seeing a major shortcoming with the Upload field in the updated system and I'm wondering if anyone has a solution or workaround. I hope I am misunderstanding something about the new Upload field that can be clarified.

In the IGAM platform, we collect several attachments from the applicant (letters of recommendation, other documents) at the end of the request. The Upload field has been “empty” and allows the user to upload the necessary document(s) we require. We used the same Upload field 3 to 4 times in an application, renamed, so that the applicant knows what to provide.

We also collect 1-2 attachments with our requirements (up to 4 requirements per year).

Applicants can apply yearly using the same forms. That means we receive an average of 8 unique attachments from one user each year. Our applicants can re-apply yearly, and some may apply upward of 7 times. This means one applicant could possibly provide 56+ unique attachments to our program over a lifetime.

From what I see in creating and testing the new forms, there are 15 Upload fields to choose from. It seems like you could add 15 separate upload fields to an application, so the applicant could upload 15 unique documents to one application.

However, I am finding that if you re-use an Upload field across multiple forms and requirements (Progress Report in the new system), the applicant-side keeps the last document you uploaded.

Example: I used bbgm_FileUpload__S_1 in a Request, and since I also need a different attachment in a Progress Report, I reused the same field there. The original document uploaded in the Request carried over into the Requirement automatically.

This means if an applicant reapplies once per year, their subsequent applications will have previously-attached documents uploaded to their application. We require updated documents (i.e. the next year's tax form) each time an applicant applies. With this new format, applicants will no doubt submit the same documentation multiple times, prompting a lot of back end work to request updates from us.

How can we set up our forms so that the user must actively select a document each time they complete a request form or requirement/progress report? We do not want the system auto-filling the attachments for our students, pulling old data from other forms/previous years.

Sarah Bartak · March 19

@Amy Kuuskoski
I noticed that too when I was testing my forms - a ridiculous problem that must be sorted out!

Liz Gearing · March 19

@Amy Kuuskoski I agree this must be fixed. It's unworkable for organisations who use requirements to request documents. Needs to be escalated before too many start to use the new system. I suggest you add this to the Ideas forum as it needs more people to vote so BB do something about it.

Valerie Marshall · March 26

@Amy Kuuskoski I haven't gotten as far as you have with testing requirement forms, but your description caught my eye. Can you more fully describe “if an applicant reapplies once per year, their subsequent applications”? How are you processing subsequent applications? It doesn't sound like you are starting a whole new application because you wouldn't have the file reference issue. Are you using the renewal feature? Do you have a single Grantmaking request with follow-on “applications” that are really requirements? I'd love to learn more about your process. If it's easier, my email is vmarshall@williamsburghealthfoundation.org. Thank you!

Amy Kuuskoski · March 26

@Valerie Marshall We are using this platform as a scholarship application for students - in our case, students complete an application (request) each year. We have two request options - one for the first time a student applies, and a “renewal” request that is for all following years applied. Some students stay with us for many years and must apply each year. It seems to work best, and has been easiest to navigate, having the student complete a request record every year.

We tried using requirements for the returning students but it became much more labor intensive - publishing forms to the accounts, students who may have taken a year off didn't get the forms, applicants had trouble finding the forms, etc. It is much simpler for us to drive applicants to our website and have them begin the process themselves by starting a request.

With the updated Blackbaud platform, those student who return and complete our “renewal” request multiple times, my testing is showing that the attachment fields will be pre-populated with the last upload, from the last year they applied. I suspect many of our students will not realize their attachments are outdated and we will get old information, prompting us to need to collect updates. Please feel free to email me if you'd like more details: amy@wispinc.org

Amy Kuuskoski · March 26

@Amy Kuuskoski Thanks for everyone's feedback on this thread. I reached out to our rep and got the following feedback (bad news for us). Note - I noticed that the fields in our Requirements (progress reports) were ALSO auto-filled with the last response/entry. We collect 3-4 requirements per year to release payments, and use that requirement information to confirm eligibility/payment amount. So if it isn't updated properly by the user (they don't realize they need to change their autofilled answers), we will have a mess on our hands regarding receiving correct information/releasing correct funding amounts.

This is an unfortunate consequence of the new applicant portal. This is how the system was designed and as of right now there's no way to "turn it off."

If you were to publish out the same requirement form for the 2nd payment, the system would treat that second requirement as a REVISION request of the first requirement submitted. You would have published it from a separate requirement record, so the data that comes into the system would be separate from the first requirement, but the system would email the applicant asking them to REVISE the progress report and that second requirement would NOT be reflected as a unique requirement from an applicant's perspective.
Therefore, you would want to have a different progress report from for each payment. This also means that if you used the "Payment #1" progress report from for the second year of payments, the system would ALSO treat that as a revision, so you would need to (potentially) have 16 forms if you were doing 4 years of quarterly payments.
Another complicating factor is that if you use the SAME requirement FIELD on more than one progress report form, that field will prepopulate with data from a previous submission, even if it's a completely separate requirement record (in BBGM) and a completely separate progress report from that is published. In order to avoid this, you would need to create a unique requirement field for each and every requirement that you publish out.
Similarly with attachments, if you use Single File Upload 1 on a request form, but then ALSO use Single File Upload 1 on a progress report form, the most recently uploaded file to that specific upload field will prepopulate. The only way to avoid this is to use a different upload number field. Unfortunately, the system is currently limited to 15 single file upload fields, and 5 multiple file upload fields.
The above issues have been complications for a number of organizations and unfortunately there's not currently much we can do other than create unique fields.

Natalie Smith · March 31

@Amy Kuuskoski I completely agree with your concerns. We structure our grants similarly and version control is already an issue in the current system. We haven't used the new system yet due to all the issues. We may have 50-75 attachments for one grant as well. Following this thread for updates.

Upload Field - re-using old documents

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