How can we help?

The navigation bar at the top of every page lets you move between sections. It's always visible, even when you scroll down.

1. Find the navigation bar

   It's the dark green bar at the very top of the page. It stays there even when you scroll.

2. Click on any page name

   Click "Scholars" to see supported children, "Ledger" to see finances, "Events" for upcoming activities, "Volunteer" to apply, or "Give" to donate.

3. Click "Big Sister Foundation" to go home

   The logo on the left always takes you back to the main homepage.

4. Discover more pages in the footer

   Scroll to the bottom of any page to find links to additional sections including Forums, Ideas, Donations tracker, Blog, and Sponsor pages.

The platform has three levels of access. Most features are open to everyone with no account required.

The homepage tells the story of the Big Sister Foundation through marketing content and an animated tree that grows as you scroll down the page. The tree serves as a metaphor for growth and impact.

1. Watch the tree grow

   As you scroll down the homepage, an animated tree grows from seeds into a full canopy. Each stage represents the foundation's growth: seeds (potential), sprout (early support), trunk (stability), branches (expanding reach), and canopy (full impact). Just scroll at your own pace and watch it unfold.

2. Read about the mission

   The page tells the story of BSF: who we are, what we do, and the children we support. Scroll through each section to learn more.

3. Take action with the CTA buttons

   The homepage has prominent call-to-action buttons: Donate takes you to the payment page, Volunteer takes you to the application, and Explore lets you browse the rest of the platform.

Voting is the simplest way to support an idea you care about. Anyone can vote — no account needed.

1. Go to the Ideas page

   Click "Ideas" in the navigation bar or footer links.

2. Find an idea you support

   Scroll through the idea cards. Each one shows a title, description, category, status, and vote count.

3. Click the up arrow

   On the left side of each idea card, there's a small up arrow (▲). Click it. It turns green when your vote is counted.

4. To undo your vote, click again

   Clicking the same arrow again removes your vote. The arrow goes back to its normal color.

Registered volunteers can propose new ideas for the foundation to consider. You'll need to sign in first.

1. Sign in as a volunteer

   Click "Volunteer Sign In" at the bottom of the Ideas page. Enter your email and password. If you don't have an account, click "Need an account? Sign Up".

2. Click "+ New Idea"

   Once signed in, a green bar appears at the top with your name. Click the "+ New Idea" button.

3. Fill in the form

   Title: A short, clear name for your idea (under 100 characters).
   Description: What's the idea? Why does it matter? How would it help?
   Pathway: Which group of children does this help? Categories: Difficult Backgrounds, Special Needs, Gifted & Talented, or General.
   Cost: Rough estimate in naira (optional).
   Resources: What would be needed? (optional).

4. Click "Submit Idea"

   Your idea appears immediately on the board with "Open" status for everyone to see and vote on.

1. Sort ideas

   Use the rounded buttons at the top: Top Voted shows the most popular first, Newest shows the latest, and By Status groups ideas by their progress.

2. Filter by category

   Below the sort buttons, click a category pill (e.g. "Special Needs") to only show ideas for that group. Click "All" to see everything again.

3. Understand status labels

   Each idea has a status: Open means it's new and collecting votes. Planned means admin has acknowledged it. In Progress means the foundation is working on it. Completed means it's been done.

Admins can edit, delete, and bulk manage ideas from the Ideas page or the Admin Dashboard.

1. Sign in as an admin

   Log in with your admin credentials.

2. Edit any idea

   Click the edit icon on any idea card to change its title, description, category, or status. Changing the status to "In Progress" lets the community know work has begun.

3. Delete ideas

   Click the delete icon to remove an idea. This action is logged in the audit trail.

4. Bulk manage

   Select multiple ideas and perform bulk status changes or deletions from the admin dashboard.

The ledger shows all money coming into and going out of the foundation. Anyone can view it — no sign-in needed. Income sources include Donations, Grants, and Fundraisers. Expense categories include School Fees, Food, Healthcare, Events, and Reserves.

1. Go to the Ledger page

   Click "Ledger" in the navigation bar.

2. View the Sankey flow diagram

   At the top of the page, a Sankey diagram visually shows money flowing from income sources on the left (Donations, Grants, Fundraisers) to expense categories on the right (School Fees, Food, Healthcare, Events, Reserves). Follow the flowing coloured lines to understand where money comes from and where it goes.

3. Browse the transaction table

   Below the diagram, entries are grouped by month. Each entry shows the date, fund category, income or expense type, a description, the amount, and who added it. Green amounts are money coming in. Orange amounts are money going out.

4. Filter by type

   Use the tabs at the top: "All Transactions" shows everything, "Money In" shows only income (donations, grants, fundraisers), "Money Out" shows only expenses.

Signed-in volunteers can record financial transactions to keep the ledger up to date.

1. Sign in on the Ledger page

   Click "Volunteer Sign In" and enter your email and password.

2. Click "+ Add Entry"

   A form pops up asking for the transaction details.

3. Choose "Money In" or "Money Out"

   Click the toggle at the top of the form. This changes the available fund categories.

4. Fill in the details

   Date: When the transaction happened.
   Fund Category: For income: Donations, Grants, Fundraisers. For expenses: School Fees, Food, Healthcare, Events, Reserves.
   Description: Brief explanation of the transaction.
   Amount: The amount in naira.

5. Click "Add to Ledger"

   The entry appears immediately in the ledger, visible to everyone. Your name is recorded as the person who added it.

Admins have full control over the ledger, including editing, deleting, bulk operations, and CSV export.

1. Edit any entry

   Click the edit icon on any ledger row to modify the date, category, amount, or description.

2. Delete entries

   Click delete to remove an entry. All deletions are recorded in the admin audit log.

3. Bulk manage

   Select multiple entries for bulk deletion or category reassignment.

4. Export to CSV

   Click the export button to download all ledger data as a CSV file for accounting and reporting.

The Scholars page shows all children currently supported by BSF. At the top you'll see a dashboard with Total Scholars, Average Performance, and Total Investment figures.

1. Go to the Scholars page

   Click "Scholars" in the navigation bar.

2. Check the dashboard numbers

   At the top, see at a glance the total number of scholars, the average performance rating, and the total amount invested.

3. Browse the table

   Each row shows a scholar's anonymized name (first name + last initial), age, grade, school, performance rating (1-5 stars), status, and amount invested. On mobile, this appears as cards instead of a table.

4. Use the filters

   Status: Active, Graduated, On Hold, or Withdrawn.
   Search: Type a name to quickly find a specific scholar.

5. View update history

   Click on a scholar's row to expand their full profile, including their update history showing changes over time.

1. Sign in as an admin

   Click "Sign In" and enter your admin credentials.

2. Click "+ Add Scholar"

   A form appears with all the fields for a new scholar.

3. Fill in the details

   First Name & Last Initial: For privacy, we use first name + last initial only (e.g., "Amina K.").
   Age: The child's current age.
   Grade: e.g. "JSS 2" or "Primary 5".
   School: Select from the dropdown or add a new school.
   Status: Active, Graduated, On Hold, or Withdrawn.
   Performance Rating: 1-5 scale.
   Amount Invested: Total spent on this scholar's support.

4. Manage schools

   Admins can add, edit, and remove schools. Each school can have notes and teacher information attached.

Each scholar has a financial breakdown showing exactly how much has been invested in their support.

Anyone can start a discussion — no account needed. Just enter your name and start talking.

1. Go to the Forums page

   Click "Forums" in the navigation links or footer.

2. Click "+ New Thread"

   The green button near the top of the page. A form will pop up.

3. Enter your name

   Type whatever name you'd like to be known by. Email is optional and never shown publicly.

4. Choose a category

   General: Anything that doesn't fit elsewhere.
   Volunteering: Tips, questions, experiences.
   Programs: Questions about BSF's programs.
   Fundraising: Ideas about raising funds.
   Stories: Personal stories and experiences.

5. Write your message and post

   Type your message and click "Post Thread". It appears immediately.

1. Click on any thread

   From the forums list, click on a thread title or card to open it.

2. Read the discussion

   The original post appears at the top, followed by all replies in order.

3. Scroll to the reply form

   At the bottom, you'll see "Leave a Reply" with name, email, and message fields.

4. Enter your name and message

   Type your name (it may already be filled in), write your reply, and click "Post Reply".

1. Upvote a thread

   Click the up arrow (▲) on any thread card. Votes are stored in your browser.

2. Like a reply

   Inside a thread, click the heart (♡) next to any reply to like it.

3. Search for threads

   Use the search box to find threads by title, content, or author name in real time.

4. Sort threads

   Newest: Most recently created.
   Most Active: Latest replies first.
   Top Voted: Most upvoted first.

5. Look for pinned threads

   Pinned threads always appear at the top, marked with a pin icon and gold border. These contain important announcements.

Anyone can apply to volunteer with BSF. The application takes about 2 minutes.

1. Go to the Volunteer page

   Click "Volunteer" in the navigation bar, or click "Apply Now" on the homepage.

2. Read the volunteer expectations

   Before applying, review the expectations: commit to 4 hours/month minimum, no photos on social media of children, listen before you lead, report safeguarding concerns immediately, and communicate — don't disappear.

3. Fill in your details

   Full Name and Email are required. Phone and Location help us place you with nearby programs.

4. Tell us why you want to volunteer

   Write a short message about your motivation. 500-character limit — keep it genuine.

5. Share your skills and availability

   Skills: teaching, counselling, medical, tech, driving. Availability: Weekdays, Weekends, Evenings, or Flexible.

6. Click "Submit Application"

   You'll see a confirmation message. The BSF team will review and respond via email.

Once approved, you'll be directed to the Volunteer Registration page at /volunteer/register/ with onboarding steps.

The registration page also restates the volunteer expectations and provides quick links to Scholar profiles, the Ideas board, and the Open Ledger so you can start contributing right away.

The Give page (/donate/) uses Paystack to securely process donations. No account needed.

1. Go to the Give page

   Click "Give" in the navigation bar, or "Donate" on the homepage.

2. Choose a fund category

   Select where you want your donation to go: School Fees, Food, Healthcare, Events, or Reserves (general fund).

3. Enter your amount in NGN

   Type the amount you'd like to donate in Nigerian Naira.

4. Add your name and email (optional)

   If left blank, the donation is recorded as anonymous. If you provide an email, you'll receive a receipt.

5. Click "Pay with Paystack"

   You'll be redirected to Paystack's secure payment portal. Choose your method: card, bank transfer, or USSD.

6. See your confirmation

   On success, you'll see a reference number and receipt. Your donation is automatically added to the public ledger.

The Donations page at /donations/ is a dedicated tracker for recording and managing all donations, including offline ones (cash, bank transfers, checks).

1. Log a donation

   Click "+ Add Donation" and fill in: donor name, email, amount, type (cash, transfer, check, or online), date, and notes.

2. Generate a receipt

   Each donation has a receipt button. Click it to print, download as PDF, or share via email.

3. Filter by type or month

   Use the filter pills to show specific donation types or select a month from the dropdown.

4. Export data (admin)

   Admins can export all donation data to CSV and edit or delete any entry.

The Events page lists all upcoming and past BSF events — community meetups, fundraisers, workshops, and celebrations.

1. Go to the Events page

   Click "Events" in the navigation bar.

2. Browse upcoming events

   Each event card shows the name, date, location, and description. Upcoming events appear first.

3. RSVP to an event

   Click "RSVP" on any upcoming event and enter your name and email to confirm attendance.

4. View past events

   Scroll below upcoming events to see past events with summaries of what happened.

The Blog at /blog/ features stories about our scholars, updates on foundation activities, impact reports, and volunteer experiences.

1. Browse blog posts

   The listing shows all posts with title, date, author, and preview. Newest posts appear first.

2. Read a post

   Click on any post card to open the full article.

3. Share a post

   Use the share buttons on individual posts to share via social media or email.

The Sponsor page at /sponsor/ explains how you can set up recurring monthly support. Unlike one-time donations, sponsorships provide consistent funding that allows BSF to plan ahead.

1. Visit the Sponsor page

   Navigate to /sponsor/ through the footer links.

2. Learn about sponsorship

   The page explains what your monthly contribution covers and the impact of consistent support.

3. Browse scholars being sponsored

   See links to scholar profiles that are currently being sponsored or need a sponsor.

4. Set up your sponsorship

   Follow the instructions to set up recurring payments. Contact the BSF team to coordinate.

Most things on the platform do NOT require an account:

1. Find the "Volunteer Sign In" button

   On the Ideas, Ledger, or Scholars pages, look for the "Volunteer Sign In" button near the bottom.

2. To sign in: enter email and password

   Type your email and password, then click "Sign In".

3. To create a new account: click "Sign Up"

   Click "Need an account? Sign Up". Fill in your name, email, and password.

4. To sign out

   Once signed in, you'll see your name in a green bar. Click "Sign Out" to log out.