Compass FAQs

KaraAdams (Former Community Manager)

Compass Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is Compass? 

Compass is Foundant’s online community for philanthropy. It is your destination for connecting with peers in the field, exchanging best practices, and learning helpful tips and tricks. There are conversations relevant to grantmakers, scholarship providers, community foundations and nonprofits. To join the conversation, visit community.foundant.com.   

2. Where can I find Compass?  

Visit https://community.foundant.com/. You can also access Compass from the compass icon in the top right menu of CSuite, GLM and SLM, or on www.foundant.com under Resources, About Us, and in the footer links. 

3. How do I join the community?  

Visit https://community.foundant.com/ and click “Register”. If you’ve already joined Compass, click “Sign In”. You do not have to be a Foundant customer to join Compass. The community is open to any person supporting the philanthropic sector as funder, grant manager, scholarship provider, volunteer, board member, etc. 

4. Why do I have to use my full name as my username?  

Using your full name helps others find you by your name and optimizes our community’s search functionality. If your username were BBK312 or PhilanthropyisFun, it would be difficult for others to know who you are or to find you! Having no space in your username (ex. JaneDoe instead of Jane Doe) also prevents you from being tagged in posts referencing anyone named Jane.

5. I forgot or need to reset my password.

Utilize the "Forgot?" link on the Sign In page. If you're still experiencing difficulties, contact community@foundant.com for assistance.

6. Why do I have to wait to be approved to access Compass?  

All community members are currently manually approved by Foundant so we can ensure you have proper access to all the categories, groups and resources in the community that are relevant to you. Registrations are approved between 9am and 5pm Mountain Time during business days (Monday-Friday) but occasionally approvals occur outside of those hours.  

7. After I login, I only see certain parts of Compass.  

Depending on your role, you may only see or be able to contribute to certain categories in Compass. For example, only current Foundant funder customers are able to view the Foundant Product Q&A category within Funders & Community Foundations, which contains product-specific discussions on GLM, SLM, and CSuite. If you think you should have access to an area of Compass that you do not have access to, please make you are signed-in, or contact community@foundant.com. 

8. Will Compass work on my smart phone or tablet? 

Yes! You can bookmark Compass on your mobile devices for easy access to the community on-the-go. Compass is mobile-responsive and looks great on your phone! Visit this post to learn more: https://community.foundant.com/funders_community_foundations/discussion/201 

9. How do I edit my profile?  

When logged in to Compass, visit your Account Details - click on your emoji/profile picture at the top right of the page. Click "Account & Privacy Settings” or “Edit Profile” (option varies depending on location in site) and click Save when you’re finished. Be sure to upload a profile picture so we can put a face to your name!  

10. My name and/or email address has changed. How do I update that in Compass? 

Username and email address updates must be made by a community administrator. Please send your request to community@foundant.com.  

11. How do I customize the email notifications I receive from Compass?  

When logged in, visit your Account Details - click on your emoji/profile picture - at the top right of the page. Click "Account & Privacy Settings” or “Edit Profile” (option varies depending on site). Under your profile photo or emoji, select “Notification Preferences”. 

Here you can opt to receive an email or a popup for new discussions and comments in the main categories that are most relevant to you. Popups only appear if you are logged in and looking at Compass at the time of the notification, similar to the temporary banner notifications on many mobile devices. We recommend email notifications. Emails are sent from community@foundant.com so be sure that email is added to your Safe Sender list. Be sure to click SAVE! 

12. Can I follow a specific discussion? 

Yes! To follow a specific discussion thread, locate the original post at the top of the thread. There is a star on the top right of that post. Clicking the star will “bookmark” that post. Then, you’ll be able to access your favorite, bookmarked discussions from the "Shortcuts” menu on the left side of your page. 

13. Can I follow a specific category? 

Yes! In the category, right under the title of the category (i.e. “Grants & Scholarships” or “CSuite Q&A”), locate the bell icon. Click the bell icon to see your options for receiving notifications from that category. Then, revisit FAQ #11 to make sure your notification preferences are set-up! 

14. How do I search for specific topics or people in Compass? 

Just start typing in the search bar on the Compass homepage and click “Search”, or visit the search page: https://community.foundant.com/search. You can filter by Member to locate other Compass members, and narrow down keyword searches by date range and more. 

15. Can I follow other Compass members?  

Everyone is friends in Compass! While you cannot follow or “friend” a specific user, you can include them in your discussions, questions and comments by including an @ before their name, example @KaraAdams. 

16. What are Groups? 

Groups are a feature in Compass that allow members to create an area outside of the standard categorized discussions for collaboration around a specific topic or event.  Any Compass member can create a group! Explore this sample group and its resources to learn more: https://community.foundant.com/group/48-sample-group 

Access Groups by clicking “Groups” at the top of the site, or in the Shortcuts menu on the left side of the site. 

17. I received an email saying I’ve been invited to a Group. What does that mean?  

If you receive an invitation to join a Group in Compass, it is likely because you are part of a specific event, training, on a board of directors, are a volunteer at a nonprofit or are collaborating with other Compass members on a project.  

To join and access a Group you have been invited to, you will have to be signed-in to Compass. If you have questions, contact the individual who sent you the Group invitation, or send an email community@foundant.com. 

18. How do I send a direct message to another member?  

Visit a Compass member’s profile by clicking on their name and selecting “View Profile”. and click “Message” on the upper right of their profile. This will create a private message thread between you and the person you selected. You can add people to the conversation if needed by entering names into the “Add People to this Conversation” field on the left of your message. Direct messages are not monitored by community admins. 

19. How do I engage others in a discussion?  

Include an @ before their name (example: @JaneDoe) and click on the appropriate name from the options that appear. The person you selected will receive a notification once you’ve posted your comment. If they are not a member of Compass yet, invite them and earn the Referral Badge! 

20. Is there a "member directory"?

There is no "catalog" of members, but you can easily view, peruse and search Compass members by going to the search page and clicking the MEMBERS filter underneath the search bar. Scroll through the pages or type in all or part of a name to search.

21. How do I indicate that my question has been answered? 

When you post a question in Compass and receive replies, you will see at the bottom of the reply “Does this answer the question?” You can select Yes or No. If you select Yes, that community member’s reply will appear at the top of the discussion thread as a “Best Answer”, making it easier for others with the same question to locate a good solution. 

22. How do I request badges?  

Visit the Badges page located at the top of the site or https://community.foundant.com/badges. Click on a badge to learn more about it. Some badges can be requested, like the Dog Lover badge. Other badges must be earned by completing certain actions, and some badges must be verified first.  

23. How do I climb the Compass leaderboards?  

Compass has a monthly Top 10 leaderboard and an all-time leaderboard. Both leaderboards are visible on the Badges page located at the top of the site or https://community.foundant.com/badges. Every action in Compass carries a certain number of points. Every time you start a discussion, respond to a discussion, post a question, create a poll, like or promote someone else’s post or request/earn a badge, you earn points!  

Each month, a Compass member is randomly selected from the Top 10 Leaderboard and receives a gift from Foundant as a thank you for engaging with our community for philanthropy. 

24. How do I earn CARAMELS? 

You can earn a bag of Montana-made Bequet caramels by leaving at least 25 comments in Compass to earn the Caramels for Comments badge. Visit the Badges page located at the top of the site or https://community.foundant.com/badges and locate the Caramels for Comments badge to learn more! 

25. I have questions or feedback regarding Compass. Who do I contact? 

Send us an email at community@foundant.com! 

GrettaKraus

So helpful!