You don’t need third party survey tools to capture survey data in Apricot. Use Apricot’s secure web form tool to capture data from your target audience.

Use surveys for feedback from clients, participants, or stakeholders, then analyze the survey results using Apricot custom reports and graphs.

Web form surveys can be anonymous or they can capture identifiable information.

Design considerations:

• Use masked value fields and other scoring fields to quantify survey data in reports
• Use form logic to streamline data entry and improve navigation on the form
• Arrange the form vertically so the user can follow data entry steps sequentially down the page

Capture incoming program referrals from community organizations or partner agencies. Instead of accepting fax, mail, or email referrals, accept referrals via an Apricot secure web form on your website.

Secure web forms ensure that referrals get into your system and save the time you would normally spend entering the referral in Apricot.

You may also find that you can request more information for a referral using a secure web form because the data is automatically entered into your Apricot database.

Design considerations:

• Add fields you would normally require on a paper based referral
• Add an email trigger to the web form that notifies a staff member of a new referral
• Link each referral to a client profile or intake form after the referral is accepted

The primary goal of a secure web form is to streamline data entry for internal staff and Apricot users. Instead of walking a new client, program participant, or even a job applicant through an application 1-on-1, ask them to complete an Apricot secure web form.

Application forms aren’t limited to program participants. You can use Apricot web forms for job applications at your organization, scholarship opportunities, special programs, or even promotions (marketing and fundraising activities).

Design considerations:

• Add instructions to the form with HTML label fields
• Use form logic to streamline data entry for the web from user
• Separate fields into sections, especially long forms

Consider adding an Apricot secure web form to your website for standard website inquiries. This application can be especially valuable if you track development, fundraising, communication, and marketing data in Apricot software.

Design considerations:

• Add an email trigger so a member of your staff can respond quickly
• Use the embed style secure web forms to place the contact us form in an existing page on your website

Your organization may host program events and fundraising events. Secure web forms are great in both cases. Set up secure web forms for event registrations that capture the names of registrants and any special details about their registrations like meal choices, guest information, or registrant demographics.

Aggregate event registration data into reports that count the number of registrations, summarize the characteristics of attendees, or export data for nametags and seating assignments.

You could also use Tier 2 forms beneath the event registration form that assign registrants to event tables (seating assignments). Seating can be managed using the batch record creation tool for Tier 2 records. You can also use Tier 2 attendance records to count the number of attendees after event.

Design considerations:

• If guests will be registered, consider separate records for guests rather than fields
• Build secure web forms for non-paid event registrations; use a different platform for paid events

Secure web forms aren’t just for external users. Secure web forms can also be used for data entry by internal staff members. Users with access to Apricot can enter records in the database directly without a secure web form, but secure web forms are an immediate way to gather data.

Set up a secure web form for report requests. A staff member or even a board member could submit an entry through a web form that requests a particular report. Those submissions could then be managed with a workflow in Apricot until your Apricot report writer or Apricot database administrator resolves them.

Design considerations:

• Add a field on the form that identifies the status of the request so you can track progress
• Add note fields to the form so a web form user can explain their request in a narrative
• Add a date field to the form so a web form user can identify a due date

Like the report requests web form, you may also implement a form for end-user questions. Users of your Apricot database can submit inquiries or requests through this form. Then your Apricot database administrator can triage and prioritize each request.

There are two benefits of using secure web forms for user questions, requests, and inquiries.

1. First, you can keep a history of all inquiries made by your users.
2. Second, you can set up workflows so every inquiry is resolved.

Design considerations:

• Add two sections, one for user feedback and one for administrator feedback
• Add an email trigger that notifies the administrator when user feedback is submitted
• Add an email trigger that notifies the user when the inquiry has been resolved (or updated)