What's new

CoolPay Hub is your new home for recurring gifts that are ready for a decision.

Find it in CoolFocus under Give → CoolPay Hub.

We built Hub so your team can see what is pending, understand each charge before it goes out, and stay in control — without guessing what the system might do next.

Why we built it

Recurring gifts should never feel like a black box. CoolPay Hub puts the next charge in front of you with the context you need, then waits for an explicit decision from someone on your team who has permission.

If you take no action, no payment is submitted.

That is by design. Hub gives you insight into what is waiting and control over when money actually moves.

What you can see

In CoolPay Hub you get a clear queue of recurring billing periods, including:

• How many gifts are ready to decide, coming up, processing, held, or failed

• Amount, frequency, covered period, and due date for each item

• Recent payments on that gift so you can spot catch-up or duplicate risk before you approve

• Failed attempts with enough detail to choose approve again, skip, or hold — instead of retrying blindly

Use the view tabs (Ready to decide, Upcoming, Processing, Held, Failed, All) so you are not scrolling through everything at once.

What you can control

• Approve a single payment when you are ready for it to go out

• Select eligible clean, due payments and approve them together when the list is straightforward

• Review riskier or historical items one at a time so they never slip into a bulk action by accident

• Keep upcoming periods visible (up to about 30 days ahead) without being able to charge them early

Approval uses your existing Recurring Contributions → Update permission. Only authorized staff can submit payments from Hub.

How this changes day-to-day CoolPay

CoolPay Hub is the path forward for recurring charges that need a human decision. Instead of waiting for surprises or piecing together status from multiple screens, your team works from one queue:

1. Open Give → CoolPay Hub

2. Start on Ready to decide

3. Review the evidence on each row (or open the detail dialog)

4. Approve what should go out — or leave it pending until you are ready

Pending items stay pending until someone decides. Nothing auto-submits from this queue.

Tips for a smooth first week

• Make sure at least one active staff user has Recurring Contributions Update and can sign in to CoolFocus

• Check Hub on a regular cadence (daily is ideal while you learn the queue)

• Use Select eligible for clean current-period gifts; use the row Approve flow when a gift needs individual attention

• Confirm recent payment history before approving anything that looks like a catch-up month

Help

Step-by-step staff guide: CoolPay Hub: Reviewing and Approving Recurring Payments

Questions or something unexpected in the queue? Reply to support and we will help you walk through it.

The heart of every organization

Staff and volunteers are the heart of what makes an organization work. They greet guests, staff the front desk, mentor families, run events, and show up when it matters. In CoolFocus, those people have always lived in the same Serve records — we are making the language match that reality.

What changed in Serve

We are combining the concept so you are not hunting for “volunteer hours” when you mean staff time cards (or the other way around).

Same people. Same hours. Clearer names — whether your team says staff, volunteers, or both.

Why this matters

• One roster for everyone who serves: employees, volunteers, interns, and team members.

• Time Sheets make hour tracking obvious for payroll-minded orgs and volunteer coordinators.

• Batch Entry still works the same way — it now lives under Time Sheet Batches for rapid hour entry.

• Scheduler Positions and Serve Staff stay aligned: the same people you schedule are the people whose hours you log.

What you need to do

Nothing special for day-to-day use. Open Serve → Staff and Serve → Time Sheets. Old bookmarks to Volunteers / Volunteer Services redirect to the new names.

If your training docs still say “Volunteer Services,” update them to Time Sheets — your help center articles have already been refreshed.

Looking ahead

This rename is part of a longer alignment: Staff and Volunteers are the same people in CoolFocus. Clearer language today sets us up for stronger attendance, shift, and reporting experiences tomorrow — without a second parallel “employee hours” system.

Thank you for everything your people do. Serve is built for them.

We’ve made client portal sign-in simpler, safer, and more realistic for the people you serve.

Clients now begin their portal login by entering their phone number. They’ll receive a text code, then confirm their birthdate before getting access to their portal.

This change helps because real life does not always fit neatly into one-person, one-phone. Some clients use a shared family phone. Some may be experiencing homelessness or housing instability and may not have a personal cell phone. Others may share a phone with a friend, partner, shelter contact, or another person who is also a client at your center.

With the new phone-first flow, shared phone numbers no longer automatically block everyone from logging in. The birthdate step helps the portal match the right person to the right record before any private information is shown.

It also reduces frustrating login failures caused by nicknames, misspelled names, name changes, or small data-entry differences.

Why this is a win

Clients get a login experience that better matches real life. Staff get fewer “I can’t get in” calls. And centers can support shared-phone situations more safely, without forcing every client to have their own personal cell phone.

Staff tip

Keeping phone numbers and birthdates up to date will help clients sign in smoothly.

Moving data into a new system is one of the highest-trust moments in a rollout. The new CoolFocus Importer is designed to make that moment calmer.

Start with a spreadsheet from your old system, choose whether you are creating new records or updating existing records, and tell CoolFocus where the data came from. The Importer walks you through mapping columns, matching lookup values, and previewing every row before anything is saved.

If something needs attention, you can edit rows in preview, skip rows intentionally, or download an issue report and come back when the data is ready. After the import runs, Import History gives your team a clear record of what happened: the original file, field mappings, imported rows, skipped rows, failed rows, error reports, and re-run options.

Whether you are migrating donor records, cleaning up contacts, or preparing phased data moves, the Importer gives you a repeatable process instead of a one-off spreadsheet handoff.

What is new

• Guided import workflow: Upload file, map columns, match lookups, preview, import, and review results.

• Create and update modes: Create new records or update existing records when your file includes Id or DistinctImportId.

• Source system tracking: Record where data came from so supported related imports can match back to the right source records.

• Smart column mapping: Suggested mappings, required-field progress, sample values, and cleansing options.

• Mapping templates: Save and reuse field mappings for repeat imports from the same file format.

• Lookup matching: Review unmatched lookup values, map them to existing records, or create new values when the lookup type and your permissions allow it.

• Preview before import: See valid, invalid, edited, matched existing, and skipped rows before the import runs.

• Fix-in-preview tools: Edit cell values, skip rows, and download issue reports.

• Background processing: Watch queued and processing imports with live row counts.

• Import history: Review original files, mappings, imported rows, skipped rows, errors, and re-run failed rows.

Why it matters

• Less manual cleanup before data reaches CoolFocus.

• More visibility into what will be imported before it is saved.

• Reusable templates for teams that import from the same source more than once.

• Better migration confidence through source system IDs, preview validation, and history.

How to try it

1. Open a record list where Import is enabled.

2. Choose Actions.

3. Choose Import.

4. Upload a CSV, XLSX, or XLS file.

5. Follow the steps: Map columns, Match lookups, Preview, and Import.

Best first import

Start with a small sample file of 25 to 50 rows. Include common rows, rows with blanks, rows with lookup values, and at least one row that should match an existing record. Once the preview and results look right, save the mapping template and move on to the full file.

New help center resources

A new Migrating Data help category is staged with articles for planning and running successful imports:

• Migrating Data Into CoolFocus

• Prepare for a Data Migration

• Prepare Your Import File

• Import Your Data

• Fix Import Issues and Re-Run Rows

• Importer Best Practices

Look for Actions > Import on supported record lists when your team is ready to start.

What improved

• Inbox now shows the SMS phone number in the contact panel, handles deep links more reliably, and closes conversations faster in bulk.

• CoolPay staff notifications now follow notification preferences, and donor portal URL setup includes clearer path guidance.

• Donation form setup has clearer helper text and more reliable preset amount handling.

Fixes and polish

• BrightCourse searches and client lookups are more resilient.

• Saved filters with invalid values now return an empty grid instead of an error.

• Reminder opt-outs and conversation phone matching were tightened so messages land with the right record.

What improved

• Scheduler received more practical appointment setup controls, staff filters, calendar feed filters, and clearer coverage previews.

• Appointment reminders now use the center's local time and display more clearly in Inbox and staff workflows.

• Client care pages got cleaner headers, better visit flow labels, and more reliable case detail saving.

• Giving and recurring contribution views now show clearer missed-payment actions, deductible amounts, and statement resend options.

Fixes and polish

• Inbox conversation links, reminder reply loading, and multi-window behavior are more reliable.

• Household address copy behavior and dependent client creation were tightened.

• Scheduler staffing now recognizes volunteer-marked people when building appointment coverage.

Client communication used to live in a dozen places — a phone, a texting app, an email thread, a sticky note. The CoolFocus Inbox brings it into one workspace, tied to the client record, and now it updates live as your team works.

The latest release rebuilt the Inbox on a realtime foundation. Messages, assignments, and conversation status update instantly across everyone's screen — no refreshing, no wondering whether a teammate already replied.

What's new

• Realtime everything: new messages, assignments, and status changes appear instantly for the whole team.

• Typing and presence indicators: see when a teammate is active in a conversation before you both reply.

• Optimistic sending: your message appears the moment you hit send, so the conversation never feels laggy.

• Bulk actions: select and close conversations in bulk to keep the queue clean.

The complete communications hub

• Text and MMS: two-way SMS with picture messaging, tied to the client.

• Browser calling: place and take calls on your CoolFocus number without a separate phone system.

• Voicemail with transcription: voicemails arrive as playable, readable messages in the Inbox.

• Secure portal messaging: reach clients through the secure client portal, not just open text.

• Assignment and routing: assigned, unassigned, and all-conversation views keep work owned and visible.

Why it matters

• One workspace replaces several disconnected communication tools.

• Every conversation stays attached to the right client record.

• The team sees the same live state, so nothing gets answered twice or missed.

How to try it

Open Inbox from the sidebar. Assign yourself a conversation, start a text or a call, and watch updates land live as your team works alongside you.

This is a grouped customer-facing update drawn from several smaller releases.

What improved

• Contact and phone updates are more consistent across the client portal, donor portal, scheduler booking, and Inbox.

• Visit workspace forms are easier to read with improved scrolling, previous field values, cleaner labels, and vitals trend charts.

• Inbox messages can be divided by day, show clearer teammate assignment context, and include links in staff SMS notifications.

• Consent forms render more accurately in both the client portal and visit workspace.

Fixes and polish

• SMS opt-out handling no longer treats "CANCEL" as a global opt-out.

• Recurring giving alerts are quieter when no action is needed.

• CoolPay onboarding and duplicate-business recovery are more reliable.