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Admin dashboard — simple guide

Step-by-step membership workflow (Payment Received → Paperwork → Verified), orders, convention, transfers, and Operations Center.

← Site guide overview

Hello — this guide is written for you as the person who will use the Admin part of nsva.org. You do not need technical training: follow these pages in order the first few times, then use them as your checklist whenever you come back to the site.

If a screen looks slightly different (colors, exact wording), look for the same ideas: Sign in, Admin, Applications, Orders, and so on. The site is updated from time to time, but the flow stays the same.

When you need more detail (who receives which emails, every permission name, payments): Site guide — roles, admin tasks & email

What you are doing here

You already know how to use the public website as a member. Admin is the same website, with extra work queues opened to your account: lists of membership applications, store orders, convention sign-ups, and other items that need a human decision.

Your account only shows the areas you are allowed to use. That is normal. If something you need is missing, that is an access issue — see When to ask for help at the end.

Two ways you may hear about new work

  1. Email at a national office address (for example Secretary@nsva.org, MembershipChair@nsva.org).
  2. The notification bell at the top of the site when you are signed in.

Officers who only use email should not rely on the bell alone — see the full site guide.

Step 1 — Sign in and open Admin

  1. Open a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari).
  2. Go to https://nsva.org.
  3. Click Sign in.
  4. Enter your NSVA email and password. Complete two-step verification if the site asks for it.
  5. Go straight to Admin:
    • Type https://nsva.org/admin in the address bar and press Enter, or
    • Open Dashboard and use any Admin / Admin Panel link you see.

You are in the right place when: you see a dark blue header with Admin or Admin Panel, and a set of cards (tiles) below — each card is one work area.

Step 2 — Understand the Admin home screen

Treat this page as your desk.

What you see How to use it
Numbers across the top Quick counts (for example pending applications or orders). Use them to see what is waiting.
Cards (each with a title and short description) Each card opens one type of work. Click one card to start.
Help or Site guide Extra reading on this same website — optional.

To go back to this desk after you open a card, use the Back button in the browser or click toward Admin / home until this page returns.

Step 3 — Where to click for which job

Match your task today to the list below. Names may read slightly differently on screen; choose the card that matches the job, not every word.

Card / area (typical name) Use it when you need to…
Membership applications or Applications Review or decide on new membership applications.
Island transfers Approve or decline a member’s request to move to another island.
Island charter applications Review groups applying to form a new island.
Convention registrations Manage national convention sign-ups (status, payment notes).
Store orders or Orders Work on Ship’s Store purchases (paid online with card).
Members Look up a member, reset password, or use exports your access allows.
Analytics or Reports View numbers and summaries (sales, membership, queues).
Sponsorship Handle sponsorship or partnership inquiries.
Operations or Operations Center See queue counts and which office emails receive workflow mail.
Newsletter or News blast Send a bulk email to members who opted in (only if this card appears for you).
Roles & permissions Change who can do what on the site — use extra care.
Audit log Read a record of important actions (usually read-only).

Choosing where to start today: If you handle new members, open Applications first. If you handle the store, open Orders. For convention, open Convention registrations.

Public Donate on the menu goes to Zeffy outside nsva.org — that path does not show up in Admin the same way as store orders.

Step 4 — Walkthroughs (follow in order)

A. Membership applications (four-step workflow)

New applications move through four national steps. You only see the button for your step — that is intentional.

Your role Look for this button When it appears
Treasurer Payment Received Application is waiting on the Treasurer (after submit, or after the applicant paid online)
Admin / Secretary Paperwork Received Treasurer has confirmed payment
Membership Chair / Life Verified Paperwork is done; file is ready for eligibility check
(Any verifier) Reject Application If the case should not proceed

Training walkthrough — do this once per role

  1. From Admin home, open Membership applications or Applications.
  2. Use Needs action or the status filter that matches your desk.
  3. Click a row to expand it; read the applicant’s information and DD-214 if shown.
  4. Scroll to Audit history — you will see each step, date/time, and who completed it.
  5. Click Take action.
  6. Click only the button you are trained for (for example Payment Received). Add optional notes if the screen offers them.
  7. Wait for the success message, then go to the next application.

Treasurer note: For paid memberships, the applicant may pay on the website first. You must still click Payment Received after you confirm the money is actually in hand — paying online alone does not finish membership.

Membership Chair note: Verified creates the member account and sends the welcome email with sign-in instructions. Sending the physical membership card is still done by the Life Chair outside the website.

If you do not see a button

  • The application may be waiting on someone else (check the status label on the row).
  • Your account may need a permission added — ask an admin to assign Confirm Membership Payment, Confirm Membership Paperwork, or Verify Membership in Admin → Roles & Permissions.

The site emails the applicant when membership is verified. National offices receive email per the Digital operations SOP and the full site guide.

B. Ship’s Store orders

  1. Open Store orders or Orders.
  2. Find orders that still need work (often paid, not yet shipped).
  3. Open one order; add tracking if you are shipping.
  4. Update status (for example Shipped) and save.
  5. Continue with the next order.

Orders are paid through Stripe on the site; Treasurers and the Ships Store mailbox are notified when payment completes.

C. Convention registrations

  1. Open Convention registrations.
  2. Open a registrant; review meal/banquet choices and contact info.
  3. Update status or payment status as your process requires.
  4. Save changes.

New registrations on the site email Convention Chair, Events Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer, and Commander — and show an alert for admins who use the bell.

D. Island transfers

  1. Open Island transfers.
  2. Read the member’s reason and target island.
  3. Approve or reject; add notes if offered.
  4. The member receives an email about the decision.

Approving a transfer moves the member to the new island; it does not create a second membership account.

E. Helping a member who cannot sign in

  1. Open Members and search by name or email.
  2. Confirm the email on file is correct.
  3. Try Send Password Reset Email first.
  4. If email does not arrive (or the button reports failure), use Set Temp Password (no email) — the site shows a one-time password on your screen. Give it to the member by phone. They sign in at Sign in and must change the password when prompted.
  5. If needed, use Unlock account for lockouts.

F. Newsletter (only if the Newsletter card appears for you)

  1. Open Newsletter or News blast.
  2. Fill in Subject and message; proofread carefully.
  3. Use Send once — this reaches members who opted in.

When to ask for help

Reach out to national office staff or technical support when:

  • You cannot sign in (password, lockout, or lost two-step method).
  • A card or button you need is missing — your permissions may need updating (Roles & permissions).
  • You see an error message you cannot resolve: note the exact text or take a screenshot (no passwords).
  • Office email never arrives for site submissions — technical staff should verify Microsoft 365 sending; use Operations Center to see intended recipients.
  • Anyone asks you to change server settings, DNS, or production secrets — pass that to technical staff.

Habits that keep everyone safe

  • Sign out on shared or public computers.
  • Finish one task (save or submit) before jumping to another tab.
  • Do not export member data into personal email or personal files unless policy allows it.

The flow in one line

Sign in → nsva.org/admin → pick the card for today’s job → complete each item → return to /admin

You stay on nsva.org the whole time; Admin is a restricted section your account is allowed to open.