For a PowerPoint Presentation go to: https://reliefdb.org
On the right, you will see the link for the presentation!!
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There are several key lists in the database:
- FACILITIES/ORGANIZATIONS
- AVAILABILITIES/NEEDS (What the facilities/orgs need or have available)
- CATEGORIES (the categories of "items" that are tracked)
- ITEMS (the actual items that are tracked for each facility)
You can see any of these lists by choosing any of the blue links in the first gray box on the top.
* A. TO SEE INFORMATION IN THE DATABASE
A. 0. Go to https://reliefdb.org
A. 1. Choose a "List Type" from the top gray box. List Types:
+ List of Facilities: Choose "Facilities/Organizations"
+ List of Items that are Needed or Available: Choose "Availabilities/Needs"
+ List of Items that are tracked in the database: Choose "Items"
+ List of Instructions and Database Administrative Notes: https://reliefdb.org/facilities/list?preset=64
* B. TO "SORT" and "SEARCH" THE LISTS
The facility lists are first shown (by default) in alphabetical order, sorted by the facility name. The "availabilities" lists are sorted by date, so you can see the last entry first.
You can SORT THE LISTS in different ways by clicking on the name of the column, on the grey bar, that you want to sort by. For example in the Facilities/Organizations list, a useful "sort" is the "last item update" list, where you can see the last "facility" modified. So to get this list, you click on the word "last item update" in the gray bar above the table. HOWEVER, once you choose a column to sort, then the next column you choose to sort by, will sort the lists "within" the first list you chose.
If you want to "clear all sorts", then in the gray bar above the list, choose "CLEAR SORT" (red link) next to the word "Sort".
You can also "FILTER" the lists to include or not include certain types of facilities/needs by going back using the "ADVANCED SEARCH" or "SEARCH AGAIN" button, where you can choose to eliminate/include various things on the lists. Like you can eliminate/include various types of facilities (if you're on the facilities list) or you can eliminate/include various types of needs/availabilities (if you're on the availabilities/needs list).
Sorting by the following columns can be very useful:
The first "sort" orders the list in an "ascending" or "descending" manner according to that column's data. Ascending means "A to Z" for alpha data, or "oldest to newest" for date data. Hit the column heading twice to change it from "descending" to "ascending" or vice versa.
To SEARCH, use these instructions:
https://reliefdb.org/shelters/3020
In the "Facilities/Organizations" list:
B. 1. Sort by "Update Date": to find the most recent items entered.
B. 2. Sort by "Name" of the facility: to get an alphabetical listing. You can also do this by choosing to eliminate all sorting criteria.
B. 3. Sort by "State": there is a pull down menu so you can choose a state to look at, or you can click on the top of the State column to sort by State.
B. 4. Sort by "Region": this function is not working well, please ignore.
In the "Availability/Conditions" list, to find items/services that are available or needed:
B. 5. Sort by "Update Date": to find the most recent items entered.
B. 6. Sort by "Urgency": to see what is most urgent
B. 6. Sort by "Availability": to group items that are "available" separately from items that are needed ("needs"). You can also do this by using the "search again" filter and choosing to show only "availabilities".
B. 7. Sort by "Facility Type": To list just certain facilities types, like a "volunteer camp" or a "medical facility", choose "search again" and check off the facilities that you want (uncheck those you don't want to see) and hit "search" (on the upper right, you may need to scroll).
* C. TO ENTER a New Facility (you may want to print out these instructions or open a new window to refer to them easily)
C. 1. If not already logged on, log in. (See "J", below for instructions about how to Log In for the first time.)
C. 2. Look to see if your organization is already listed in the database.
Choose "Facilities/Organizations" (upper left hand corner) Scroll down and look for your facility. Be sure to be thorough in looking for your facility. Someone may have entered it using a "nickname" for your facility/organization.
To search the database, choose "Advanced Search" or "Search Again" in RED in the gray box atop the list. Scroll down and check "advanced search" and adjust the search parameters. Select the column to search for "Name". Select the "condition" to search for "contains". Then enter into the block at the right a "recognizable" part of the name of the facility that you are searching for. Then hit "search". If the list does not come up with the facility that you're searching for, then chances are, it's not there. And you can enter the facility.
NOTE: Don't forget to search for names that your facility "might" be called. We don't want double entries.
C. 3. IF the facility is not listed:
C. 3. a. Choose "New Facility" (there are "New Facility" buttons in various places. If you are looking at the facilities list, it's in the first green bar at the top (blue link))
C. 3. b. Enter data about your facility.
Do your best to choose the right categories. Don't worry, they can be changed later. If certain "fields" don't apply, skip them. Note: Anything NOT marked "(private)" is visible to the public over the web. (Only people w/"write-access" to that facility get to see "(private)" info.) So don't worry about putting in cell phones and/or personal email addresses in the "private" sections, because only a few very responsible people have access to this information. The people that have "full read" access are core disaster relief workers.
For more tips on entering facility data, see:
https://reliefdb.org/shelters/1573
C. 3. c. Scroll down and click "Create" (on the left side).
C. 3. d. Go to "Facility/Organization" and find your record. Check your work. To find your new facility, "sort" the list by "item update", which will bring your new facility to the top of the list. To sort the list, click on the blue link at the top of the column called "item update"...it's one of the right hand columns.
C. 3. e. Add your Facility Record to your browser's "favorites"!
* D. TO EDIT an existing Facility Record:
NOTE: If you have not "created" this facility yourself using "Enter New Facility" then you can not edit this facility, unless you have been granted "write permission". You need to email us and ask to be granted "write-permission". Choose "Contact" and email us. (Please include the link to your facility and your User ID.)
If you have permission to edit your facility record...and you want to edit it...
D. 0. Log in, and go to "your facility record".
If you don't know the URL for it, go to "Facilities/Organizations", choose "advanced search" or "search again", click on "advanced search" at the bottom. Change the pull down menu to read "facility name" and "contains" and then type in the first few letters of your facility. Go up to the top and choose "search" (on the right, it's read, you may have to scroll right).
D. 1. Click on facility's name (add to your favorite places for easy access).
D. 2. Scroll down and look at your facility"s "record."
D. 3. If you want to change it, scroll down past "Notes" and choose "Edit." The button is on the left after "Notes". It is vital that your contact information is current!!
D. 4. Scroll up and down and edit.
D. 5. When you’re done, scroll down past "Notes" and choose "Save Changes."
D. 6. If you have not already saved the URL for this web page, please do so, so that updating it will be quick.
NOW...MAKE SURE TO UPDATE YOUR FACILITY's Needs and Availability lists.
You can use "Qty/Urgency Editor" (the green button just above the needs list) to remove items, or change quanities.
To add more items, see below under "E".
If you do not have Needs or Avail lists setup already, please do it. It's the only real way that orgs with extra supplies and surivors needing services can find you.
* E. LISTING YOUR FACILITY's NEEDS
It is VERY important to list what your facilities needs, so that donors and warehouses/PODS can see what you need.
E. 1. Go to your Facility Record and scroll down past "Notes"
E. 2. Choose "Quick Needs Creator". (green link in the middle)
It takes a couple minutes to load.
E. 3. Scroll to the right to see the different categories of items
that you might need. Scroll up and down to see all of the items in each category.
E. 4. Check off all the boxes of the things you need
E. 5. If you need something not on the list, and you are SURE it"s not already listed, scroll to left/down to find the "New Items" box.
E. 5. a. Use ctrl/F & enter keywords to check (2-3 options)
E. 6. Enter your new item into the box for "New Items",scroll to bottom,left.
E. 7. When you are finished adding things to your "Needs" list, scroll down and click on "Create."
Or, you can go below the needs list and choose "new need" and do it one item at a time.
* F. LISTING YOUR FACILITY's AVAILABILITIES
You can also list what your facility has "available" to show other relief workers and survivors what supplies your facility is able to share, or services your facility provides to survivors of disaster/crisis.
You can list relief supplies that you can share with survivors and/or other relief groups. You can list "services" that are available, like "advocacy" or "training".
- AVAILABLE SUPPLIES
List items that you can share with survivors. List excess items/supplies, so that other facilities can help move excess items, or to entice other relief groups to call you to talk about a potential trade.
Also list things that "normally" are distributed through your facility. Do not worry if you don't get much of that item, or if the item is already "taken" by a group that expects to take all of that item. It's important to give survivors and relief workers "an idea" of what types of supplies move through your facility. If your facility doesn't give out any supplies, no worries...just list the services you provide.
By stating that you normally get an item/supply to share with survivors serves two purposes:
* people can call you and ask to be put on the list to get that item someday maybe. You will be better able to assess the need in your region.
* big donors know that you are capable of handling large shipments of that item.
- AVAILABLE SERVICES
List services that your group provides to survivors. Services might be training, or housing referrals, or it could be medical services. By checking off many service "items", you allow people to find you in many ways. People sort the database by "category" of item, by the items themselves, or they do a "match" of their own needs to find needed services.
+ To list Available Items:
F. 1. Go to your Facility Record and scroll down past "Notes"
F. 2. Choose "Quick Availability Creator" (green link on right)
It takes a couple minutes to load.
F. 3. Choose AVAILABLE services (services that your facility has "available") by scrolling right and left to find the different categories of items. Scroll up and down to look at all the items in that category. Check all that apply to this particular facility/org.
F. 3.1 You can also use "Ctrl-F" on your keyboard to find the appropriate items. You hit the "Ctrl" button on the lower left of your keyboard at the same time you hit the "F" button. A window will pop up, and you can enter a "key word" to help find appropriate items to list as "available". For example, if you are entering a "food pantry", use the Ctrl-F function to look for the word "pantry". For more key words to look for in the Availability list, go to: https://reliefdb.org/shelters/3560
F. 4. One of the first categories on the left is "Affiliations". Check off the names of groups that you are closely affiliated with or partnered with. If you don't know of any, just skip it. This is useful if we want to quickly find what groups are associated with x, y, z "big charity" or national group.
F. 5. When you are done checking things off that describe what is "Available" from this facility/org, scroll down and to the left and choose "enter" or "create". Usually, we like to see at least a few items in the AVAILABILITY list that describe what the facility has available. Be creative. At the very least, if it's a social service organization, there are some general social service items under the category "Services" all the way to the right.
HINT: When you are in the "Quick Needs Creator" or the "Quick Availabilities Creator", you can look for items quickly by using the "find" function in your browswer. Choose "Ctrl-F" (push the control button on the bottom left of your keyboard at the same time you push the "f" button) and then enter the item you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for the items that describe "food pantry", hit Ctrl-F and then enter "pantry". When it comes to the item that describes "food pantry", check that item. Keep hitting return to find them all. There are several ways to describe something. Choose all of them.
G. TO QUANTIFY AND SELECT URGENCY for each item
(this is for advanced users only. if you are a beginner, you can skip this step)
G. 1. Go to your Facility Record and scroll down past "Notes"
G. 2. Choose "Qty/Urgency Editor."
G. 3. Select Urgencies
G. 4. Enter quantities needed/available
G. 5. Scroll down and choose "Save Changes"
Note: Donors will better understand your most urgent needs, if you keep this up to date. It will also help the government to understand the need. Understanding the scope of the need is the first step to understanding how to fill the need.
* H. TO REMOVE ITEMS from your Needs/Availability lists
H. 1. Go to your Facility Record and scroll down past "Notes"
H. 2. Choose "Qty/Urgency Editor."
H. 3. Check off items that you don"t want listed, in the "Remove Item" column.
H. 4. When you are done, choose "Save Changes".
* I. MATCHING:
I. 1. TO SEE WHAT FACILITY HAS WHAT YOU NEED
I. 1. a. Choose "Show Needs Matches."
Warning: the information may be outdated, so it is best to call or email the facility to see if they still have the item. But the "item update date" is no indication of what a facility has available. Often if the item is "always" or "usually" available the item's update date may not have changed in months, but the org may still have the item available. The intention of the avail list is to show what sites "often" get "what type" of stuff. If you need the type of stuff that they've got listed as available, you should call and get your name on the list for future "availabilities."
REMEMBER TO BE NICE!!! Just because a facility has listed something as available, does NOT mean that you are entitled to it. Nicely say that you heard that they might have some extra of this or that and see if they can help you. Often they only can help certain people...like those that live in their town. But just as often, you might have stuff that you can trade with them, or you may know of a location that can trade with them. So use these lists judiciously, and use them as a way to network and make friends, rather than just taking.
I. 2. TO SEE WHAT FACILITY NEEDS WHAT YOU HAVE
I. 2. a. Choose "Show Availability Matches." Warning: the information may be outdated, so it is best to call or email the facility to see if they still want that item.
TIP: Scroll right to check when facility was last updated. Also be sure to CLEAR all filters for a complete listing.
UPDATES ARE CRITICAL!!
Thank-you for keeping up the integrity of your database!!!
Please contact us if you would like for a "tour & training" to use the database!!
* J. Log In
Choose "Log In" from the upper right hand corner. If you are not already registered, follow instructions to register. Please expect an e-mail confirmation to verify your registry!! You NEED to follow this link to "verify" your user ID. You can NOT enter new facilities or change facility information without being "verified".
* K. Scrolling.
You can scroll really fast by "grabbing" the gray bar in the scrolling area to the right of the browser window. Grab that gray bar by "clicking" on it and holding the button down so that you can move that bar up and down to scroll really fast.