New to Activities? If you'd like to understand what an Activity is and why they matter before going further, see What is an Activity?
How Activities and opportunities work together
Every opportunity you post must be linked to an Activity. When you're posting an opportunity, you have three options:
Link to an existing Activity - your first step. Check whether an Activity that fits already exists, and link your opportunity to it. This keeps related work grouped together.
Create a new Activity inline - if nothing existing fits, you can create a new Activity directly within the opportunity form.
Create an Activity on its own, ahead of time - if you're planning in advance, you can create Activities separately so they're ready when you or your team post opportunities later.
Always look for an existing Activity first. Creating a new one should be the fallback, not the default - otherwise you'll end up with duplicate Activities and a cluttered record.
Option A: Link to an existing Activity (when posting an opportunity)
Use this when an Activity that fits your opportunity already exists.
Step 1: Start posting an opportunity
Click the Post Opportunity button in the top-right corner of the homepage, or open the profile dropdown menu and select Post Opportunity.
Step 2: Select your opportunity type
The opportunity form will open. Depending on your organisation's app settings, you may see different opportunity types - Volunteering, Learning, or Sponsorship. The type is pre-selected as Volunteering; change it if needed.
Step 3: Link to an existing Activity
Under Link to Activity, click the dropdown and search for or select one of your existing Activities.
Once selected, the Activity's details will appear below the dropdown - including its dates, host, cause, and beneficiary groups.
Step 4: Review the inherited fields
Once an Activity is linked, several fields will be automatically populated:
Host - inherited from the Activity. You can edit this if needed - remove the inherited host and select a different one for this opportunity.
Beneficiary groups - inherited from the Activity. You can remove groups here if needed, but to add new ones you'll need to update the Activity first - they'll then appear on this post opportunity form.
Cause is no longer a field on the opportunity form. It's inherited from the Activity and shown as a badge on the Activity card.
Step 5: Complete and post
Fill in the remaining fields - skills, schedule, your involvement, capacity, location, and a visual - then click Post Opportunity to publish.
Option B: Create a new Activity inline (when posting an opportunity)
Use this when you've checked existing Activities and none fit. Before creating a new one, scan the Link to Activity dropdown - an existing Activity may already cover what you need.
Step 1: Start posting an opportunity
Same as Option A, Step 1 - use the Post Opportunity button on the homepage or the profile dropdown.
Step 2: Create a new Activity
Under Link to Activity, click the dropdown and select + Create new Activity. An inline form will appear. Fill in:
Activity name
Host
Description
Start and end dates
Location
Cause
Beneficiary group
Initiative (optional - link the Activity to an existing initiative if relevant)
Click Create Activity. Your new Activity is saved and automatically selected, and its details populate the relevant fields on the opportunity form.
Step 3: Complete and post
Review the inherited fields (host and beneficiary groups), complete the remaining opportunity fields, and click Post Opportunity. If you need to add new beneficiary groups, do that on the Activity before posting.
Note that cause is no longer a field on the opportunity form - it's inherited from the Activity and visible as a badge on the Activity card.
Option C: Create an Activity on its own, ahead of time
Use this when you're planning ahead. Activities can be created standalone, without any opportunities attached yet. Opportunities can be linked to them later, either by you or by others on your team.
Step 1: Open the Create Activity form
Open the profile dropdown menu and select Create Activity.
Step 2: Fill in the Activity details
Complete the following fields:
Activity name
Host
Description
Start and end dates
Location
Cause
Beneficiary group
Initiative (optional)
Step 3: Save
Click Create Activity to save. Your Activity is now live.
When you or someone on your team posts an opportunity later, this Activity will appear in the Link to Activity dropdown, ready to be selected.
And that’s it!
Your opportunity is now published and linked to an Activity. Cause stays inherited and fixed; host and beneficiary groups reflect either the inherited values or your edits. The opportunity appears under the Activity on your app's admin panel.
💬 Need more help? Contact us anytime at support@goodsted.com, we're happy to assist!