Google Workspace

Request an account

fill in this Google Form to request a Google Workspace account.

Get started

1. Set up 2-factor authentification if it is a personal account such as [e-mail].

2. check out which Google Groups you're in. This determines which Google Drive Shared Drives / folders you have access to.

3. Read the Google Drive "Get started".

4. Read the Google Mail "Get started".

Accounts

Personal accounts vs. group accounts

personal email: [e-mail]

group email:

• [e-mail]

• [e-mail]

• [e-mail]

• ...

Gmail

Starting July 2022, we use Gmail through our Google Workspace for Nonprofits for emails.

With your Google Workspace account, you get a personal email address that you can use for your CorrelAid activities, e.g. reaching out to Nonprofits.

Get started

1. Log into your Google account

2. Head to https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox. Make sure you're still logged into your CorrelAid account by checking top right.

3. If you need access to group email (e.g. local chapter or another team address), read below.

4. send a test email, e.g. to your personal email address.

5. optional: set up your favorite email client

6. optional: Set up labels/folders to stay organized. Check out the keyboard shortcuts to get more productive in gmail.

Accessing personal mails

You can access your personal emails via one of the following ways:

1. Gmail browser client: Just log into your Google workspace account and go to https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/ . You might need to switch from your personal gmail account if that's set up as default.

2. All email clients such as Thunderbird or Outlook should support Gmail. Googling around - "set up gmail in [client]" - should give answers. If you need help or run into problems or want to set up something more complicated, ask Frie.

3. on smartphone: similarly, it should be easy to set up the google mail on your mobile phone.

• Android

• iPhone

Local chapter/group emails

You get access to the emails of a group such as a local chapter or the podcast team, if you are member of the corresponding heads google group. You can check whether you're member of this group by going to https://groups.google.com/my-groups.

There are two ways you have access to this email/account:

1. access to emails is delegated to you because you are part of the heads Google group: Delegated access is a tool from Google that is typically used in a boss/assistant scenario, e.g. the assistant needs access to their boss' emails why the boss is on holiday. You can watch this short video if you want to understand the background. CorrelAid uses this tool to delegate access to group emails to the respective heads Google group. For example, access to [e-mail] is delegated to the Google group group-lc-berlin-heads.

2. access to account credentials through Keepass file: Unfortunately, delegated access only works in the browser in Gmail directly. If you want to access the emails on your mobile phone or through an email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird, you need the credentials. You get access to the credentials of your group account through a Keepass database file that is shared with the members of the heads group. For example, all members of the Google group group-lc-berlin-heads have access to the berlin.kdbx keepass file which contains the credentials for the Google account [e-mail]. Members can use those credentials to set up email access on their phone or in their favorite email client.

Accessing LC/group emails

1. Gmail browser interface

Log into your personal account in the browser and go to https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/. Go to the account dropdown on the top right and click on it. The group account should show up with a little key next to it. Switch to it to access the group account emails.

Check FAQ for troubleshooting.

2. Mobile

1. Follow the instructions to get the credentials for the group account

2. Sign into Gmail (google around if you are using the built-in mail app)

3. Outlook, Thunderbird etc.

1. Follow the instructions to get the credentials for the group account

2. Set up your favorite email client (Googling around - "set up gmail in [client]" - should give answers). If you need help or run into problems, ask Frie.

Tips to work together on emails

1. Use labels to assign conversations to each other: you can use Gmail labels to "assign" conversations to each other. This way, the other person/people know(s) that you're on this and that they don't have to take it on.

FAQ

See FAQ.

Google Groups/Users

What is a Google Group?

Groups such as project teams, departments, or classmates can communicate and collaborate using Google Groups. If you want to invite a group to an event, or share documents with a group, you can send a single email to everyone in the group. (Source)

How do we use Google groups?

We use Google groups to arrange our volunteers into different groups, according to their interest and level of involvement and responsibility in CorrelAid. For example, each local chapter has two groups:

• lc-konstanz: all people involved in the local chapter. They get access to the CorrelAidX shared drive where they can work on documents.

• lc-konstanz-heads: the heads of the local chapter. They can manage members of the lc-konstanz group, and get access to the [e-mail] email address/account.

Which groups am I in?

You can see your group membership(s) at https://groups.google.com/my-groups. Each group has a description which describes what members of this group can do/what they get access to.

Where can I see all groups?

You can find an overview of all groups at https://groups.google.com/all-groups. Each group has a description which describes what members of this group can do/what they get access to.

User Management/Admin

If you are manager of a Google Group, you can add/remove members by going to https://groups.google.com/my-groups and then clicking on the group you want to manage. In the sidebar on the left hand side, you'll find "People". There you can add/remove members.

Google Drive

Tip: Download Drive for Desktop (MacOS / Windows) to also access your files via your file explorer.

Get started

1. Go to https://drive.google.com and make sure you are logged into your CorrelAid Google Workspace account.

2. This will redirect you to your "My Drive". There are three ways to interact with Google Drive which are accessible via the sidebar on the left:

   1. ⚠️My Drive: your personal Drive. It shows the most recent documents you worked on and gives you the option to create new files. Do not create files here unless they are really just for you - they will not be shared with anyone by default.
   2. ✅ Shared Drive: The shared drive system where people have access to files relevant to them. If you create/edit/delete files here, your teammates can directly access them as well. The shared drive system replaces NextCloud (with exceptions for sensitive project data, see below).
   3. ✅ Priority: a new way of creating your own personal "view" of what is in Shared Drives. You can "pin" documents and sort them into workspaces - which won't affect the way things are organized in Shared Drive. You can use this freely as you like. Just remember: this is just for you. You can make Priority your default Drive landing page by changing it in the settings (⚙️ in the top right).
3. Go to Shared Drives and explore. You should have access to the 00_assets drive where you can find template slides, the CorrelAid logo and other useful templates and documents.

4. If you have CorrelAid files/content somewhere else/on your personal laptop: Read the "What (not) to store on Google Drive" subsection below. Then, migrate any files you have on your personal laptop / your personal Google account. For the latter, see the FAQ.

5. Setting up a local chapter? There is a suggestion for how to structure your local chapter folder in the 99_example_chapter. Copy-paste that to your own chapter folder to get going!

6. Check out this article to learn more about how you can optimize your personal drive setup / find things faster! :)

What (not) to store on Google Drive

****❌You must not:

• store project data from NPO partners if it is GDPR relevant

• store any other project data from NPO partners

• don't store/write down special characteristics (ethnicity, religion, political beliefs...) of other people (also incl. Google Docs/Google Sheets) -> for those cases, please use NextCloud or a private CodiMD.

⚠️Under certain circumstances

• for meetings/information concerning/including external partners: ask them beforehand whether it is OK if you use Google Docs to write meeting minutes/plan things including them. Some organizations/partners might not want information about them on US servers. Respect that and use NextCloud or a CodiMD instead.

• avoid storing personal data from CorrelAiders on Google Drive. Names and CorrelAid email addresses should be ok, but for instance, if you need to collect postal addresses, use a Kobo form instead of Google Forms.

• you can use Google Drive to transfer/store non-GDPR relevant data from the partner organization under the condition that the project partner consented to this in written form.

✅ You can keep on the Google Drive:

• meeting minutes for internal purposes, e.g. discussing the planning of an internal event

• additional material such as certificates of attendance or data privacy agreements

• use Google Drive to transfer/store Open Data

Guidelines & Best Practices

Avoid link sharing when possible

• ✅ Copy the link from the browser line and share with your team. They should be able to open the document because they have access to the Shared Drive folder where you put the file.
• ❌Avoid sharing the document via the "Share" button, especially changing permissions from Restricted to something more permissive. If you find yourself repeatedly sharing files via the Share functionality with the same people, consider requesting Google Workspace accounts for them instead.
• ⚠️Of course, sometimes it makes sense to share documents via the "Share" functionality, e.g. with an outside partner (partner organization, guest speaker, ...). In that case, you have to:

  • Click the "Share" button

  • Click on "Get Link"

  • Change "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link" (for outside people) or "CorrelAid e.V." (e.g. for internal memos)

Use Shared Drives instead of My Drive

Files in MyDrive are not shared in the Shared Drive system, so other people won't be able to access them. This hinders collaboration. Hence, make sure to always create new documents from a Shared Drive location/folder.

Template slides & documents

We have added templates and will add more in the future, e.g. the Slide Master.

How to use a template:

The "proper way"

Choose an option:

• From the Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, or Sites home screen, at the top, select one of the featured templates. Click Template gallery to see additional templates. Note: If you can't find Template gallery, go to Display or hide Template gallery.

• If you already have a file open in one of the Docs editors, click FileNewFrom template and select the template you want.
• From Drive, click New and next to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, or Sites point to the Right arrow and click From a template.

Source: https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9308885?hl=en

Make a copy

Go to the template, click on "File" and then "make a copy". Make sure to store in the Shared Drive.

Migration

See the Migration pad for questions & answers related to the Migration from Nextcloud / personal Google docs to Google Drive.

How do I migrate Google Docs/Sheet/Slides from my personal account?

Only transfer CorrelAid-related files to the Google Workspace.

1. Go to MyDrive of your personal Google Drive

2. Select the files you want to transfer to your CorrelAid Workspace account (you can select multiple files by holding Cmd respectively CTRL).

3. Right-click and download. This will download a zip file. Unzip it.

4. Delete the files from your personal Google account (right click > Move to bin) to avoid confusion with multiple files floating around.

5. Switch to your CorrelAid account on Google Drive. Click ⚙️ on the top right, open the Settings and make sure the "Convert Uploads" tickbox is set. This ensures that the downloaded files are automatically converted to Google Docs/Slides/Sheets.
6. Go to the Shared Drive location where you want to dump your files. Right-click > folder upload. Select your unzipped folder in your Downloads folder.

7. After the upload has completed, move the files by right-clicking > "Move to". Alternatively, download Drive for Desktop to move files more quickly using your file explorer.

8. Update links to files, e.g. pinned in Slack channels.

How do I migrate a CodiMD pad?

did you know you can also use Markdown in Google Docs now? You can enable Markdown support by going to Tools -> Preferences -> Tick "Automatically detect markdown"

1. In your CodiMD, click on the "eye" to only show the formatted text.

2. Use CMD (mac) / Ctrl + A to select all the text

3. Copy (ctrl/cmd + c)

4. Create new Google Doc

5. Paste (ctrl/cmd + v)

6. Delete the Pad from CodiMD via the permission dropdown

FAQ

See Google Drive FAQ in the overall FAQ.

Google Forms

Events / Signup and Feedback forms

Due to GDPR concerns, please avoid using Google Forms for anything requiring a sign up/personal data. Instead use:

• Pretix for events -> Frie or Isabel can give you access

• KoboToolbox for forms such as feedback surveys or signup for internal events (e.g. a summer party) -> Frie or Isabel can give you access

Google Calendar

Introduction to Google Calendar

Personal calendar

You have your personal CorrelAid calendar(s) which you can find at calendar.google.com.

You can also subscribe to your personal calendars from other accounts (e.g. Outlook, Google, Posteo) so that you already have your other appointments in view when planning your CorrelAid volunteering. A quick Google search should help you out:)

Visibility of your calendar / sharing of your personal calendar

By default, your personal CorrelAid calendar can be seen by other CorrelAiders as well - they can't see the details of the event(s), just when you're busy. You can change this setting in the sharing & permissions settings of your calendar(s). See this page for the how-to and other things you can do (e.g share with specific person or group)

Add CorrelAid calendar to personal Google calendar

Optional: If you use Google calendar to manage your personal life outside of CorrelAid, you can add the CorrelAid calendar to it - this way you don't have to switch accounts in calendar.google.com. To do this, share your CorrelAid calendar with your personal Gmail address. Google around whether this is also possible for other calendar solutions (Outlook, Posteo, ...)

Arrange a meeting

You can arrange a meeting with someone else by using the "Meet with" box.

Displaying calendars from others

Example use case:

• you want to see the calendar of one of the CorrelAid employees to send them a meeting invite*

You can find and display calendars of individual people by clicking the plus next to “Other calendars”, then “subscribe to new calendar” and then typing the name of the person

*don’t just send people meeting invites out of the blue - that’s rude. Always ask first, e.g. via Slack DM :)

Group calendar

Create shared / group calendars

Example use cases:

• CorrelAidX chapter calendar

• global CorrelAid event calendar

• Calendar for Mentoring Program

You can create a group calendar and share it with individuals or group(s) within the workspace as described here. You can find the list of all groups here. You can give different groups different permissions, e.g. the lc-heads group editing rights and the lc group reading rights.

You can also share the calendar with the public.

Displaying group calendars

Example use case:

• you want to display a group calendar, e.g. the calendar of your local chapter

1. Ask one of the group admins (e.g. the local chapter head) to send you the calendar ID, as described here.

2. Then click the ➕next to "Other calendars" and click on "Subscribe to new calendar". Enter the calendar ID and hit Enter. The calendar should now appear in your "other calendars" section.

CorrelAid Events Calendar

Different teams might have different calendars to organize themselves (e.g. the remote office has a team calendar). For the whole of CorrelAid, there exists an events calendar which provides an overview over events organized by the remote office, the association, local chapters, participation of CorrelAid at external events etc.

To add the calendar to your CorrelAid Google account:

1. make sure you're logged into calendar.google.com with your CorrelAid account

2. Click on this link. This should open a pop-up in your browser.

Everyone can add events to the calendar. Please use this responsibly and make sure not to add personal events to it. Use a very distinctive color for the calendar (e.g. black, brown) to make sure that this doesn't happen.

Google Meet

See page on Video conferences.

Admin

Set up a new chapter/team with email address

use case: new chapter or new team that might need:

• a shared email account (collaborative inbox)

• a digital workspace, i.e. a shared drive in Google Drive

• ...

Create the Google user

First we have to create the google user.

1. Go to the user management console

2. Create a new user. The first name should be "CorrelAid(X)", the last name indicative of the group's purpose, e.g. "Community Team" or the city name if it's a CorrelAidX account.

3. Take note of the password but don't send it via plain text / Slack to anyone.

Optional: Then we create the corresponding groups. This is necessary if we want a group of people to be able to access the emails or give them a shared drive

Create google groups

explanation. for team accounts there are:

• group-[teamname]. members of the team/chapter. They typically get access to the shared drive, but not to group email.

• optional for larger groups or local chapters: group-[teamname]-heads. this group will only contain the leading people of the team/chapter who'll get access to the mails etc.

1. go to the group management console

2. create the group for the team/chapter. all but a few groups start with group prefix. Check existing groups for the naming conventions. The description should clearly state what access rights are associated with the group. For example: "Podcast. Gives access to shared drive(s)/folders: 04_podcast, 05_pr." or for a heads group: "Heads of Podcast Team. Access to Google Workspace User [e-mail] (via password database file in 08_vaults).access to password to Soundcloud, managers of Google Group group-podcast"

3. add members to the group(s).

Create vault

The password from step 1 can be shared with the team or its heads. You can do so with a keepass vault. Check out the documentation over on the page. Specific instructions:

• for step 2: give the file a short name. see the files in this drive for inspiration

• for step 3: in Bitwarden, there is a secret note "keepass" which contains instructions how to generate a password.

• for step 4: upload to this drive and share the file (not the drive!) with the heads group you created earlier (right-click -> share). if you didn't create a heads group, then with the normal group.

Delegate email access

Finally, you need to give the "heads" (or everyone if a small group) access to the emails. They can either use the credentials from the vault or use the delegated access in the browser (read here for more information and instructions for users).

To delegate email access:

• log in to the group account (e.g. [e-mail]) with the credentials in the vault

• go to gmail.com and then to settings -> all settings -> accounts

• under "Grant access to your account:" click on "add another account". an old-school looking window with yellow background will open. there you have to enter the groupname + @correlaid.org, .e.g [e-mail]. then click on invite.

• send the people the instructions on how to access the mail.

Optional: Set up shared drive

if they also need a shared drive, you can create a new one for them.

1. go to https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/shared-drives

2. click the big "new" button

3. name the drive. then share it with the group-office and the group(s) you created earlier. give them the content manager role.

4. done. :)