In Nonprofit Cloud's Program Management module, tracking how services are delivered to constituents is handled through Benefit Disbursements. When dealing with "drop-in" programs—where participants may arrive without a prior appointment or a recurring schedule—the system uses Ad Hoc Benefit Disbursements.
Step-by-Step implementation for Drop-in Programs:
Identify the Benefit: The consultant first ensures a Benefit record exists (e.g., "Daily Hot Meal" or "Walk-in Counseling").
Bulk Logging: For drop-in scenarios, the organization typically uses the New Ad Hoc Bulk Disbursement tool. This allows a staff member to select multiple individuals who showed up that day and record the benefit delivery in a single action.
Walk-in Processing: Within the Ad Hoc tool, there is a specific "Walk-in" functionality. When a staff member records a benefit for someone who isn't yet enrolled in the program, the system can automatically create the Program Enrollment, Benefit Assignment, and the Benefit Disbursement simultaneously. This is the hallmark of a "drop-in" workflow, as it reduces the administrative burden of manually creating three separate records for every new visitor.
Why other options are incorrect:
Anonymous Benefit Disbursements (Option A): This is used only when the organization wants to track the quantity of benefits given (e.g., 50 coats distributed) but does not record who received them. The question specifically mentions tracking "participants," implying that their identities should be recorded.
Benefit Schedule Assignments (Option B): This is intended for structured, recurring sessions where you know who is coming in advance (e.g., a 10-week GED course). Drop-in programs by definition lack a rigid pre-assigned schedule for specific participants.
Using Ad Hoc Benefit Disbursements ensures that the organization maintains a complete history of every interaction a participant has with their programs, which is vital for calculating the "Total Units Delivered" and evaluating the individual's progress over time.
