People & Connections Report: Know Who to Reach Out To

Every form submission tells a story. A baptism sign-up might mean someone’s ready to take a public step of faith. A volunteer application could signal a desire to serve. A connection card might reveal a newcomer exploring your church for the first time. But without a way to see the people behind the data—who’s new, who’s returning, who’s deeply engaged, and who might need a pastoral check-in—those stories can slip through the cracks.

Why People Tracking Matters for Pastoral Care

Church leaders know that connection happens one person at a time. A first-time form submitter who receives a warm welcome call within 48 hours is far more likely to return than one who never hears from anyone. A long-time giver who suddenly submits a prayer request form might be going through a crisis worth a personal follow-up. Someone who used to submit regularly and then went quiet for months, only to reappear with a new form submission, is sending a signal: “I’m back.” That moment deserves acknowledgment.

The People & Connections report is built for exactly these scenarios. It shifts the focus from “how many submissions?” to “who submitted, and what does that mean for our ministry?” By surfacing first-time submitters, multi-form connectors, returning members, and people flagged by the Stewardship Care system, the report gives pastors and staff a clear picture of who to prioritize for follow-up.

Connection Opportunities Across Your Ministry

Not every connection opportunity looks the same. A first-time submitter might be brand new to your church or simply engaging with a form for the first time. A “silent supporter”—someone who has given three or more times but never submitted a form until now—represents an established donor discovering a new way to participate. A “forms-only” person has submitted forms but has no giving, payment, or other platform activity; they may be on the fringe of your community and ripe for a personal invitation. The report surfaces each of these segments so you can tailor your outreach accordingly.

For multi-campus churches, the report respects your campus structure. You can view engagement for a specific campus or aggregate across all campuses. Date ranges are flexible: use quick links like Last Week, Last Month, Last 90 Days, or Year to Date, or pick a custom range. The report compares the current period to the prior period of equal length, so you can see whether first-timers, re-engaged members, or multi-form people are trending up or down.

In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org People & Connections Report.

People & Connections Report User Guide:

The People & Connections report is a people-focused analytics tool that answers the question: Who is engaging with your custom forms, and what does that mean for pastoral follow-up? Unlike form-centric reports that rank forms by submission volume, this report ranks people by engagement patterns. It surfaces first-time submitters, multi-form connectors, returning members, care-priority individuals, silent supporters, and forms-only people. Every section is designed to help you know who to reach out to and why.

Key Takeaways

• People-First Design: The report focuses on WHO submitted, not just what forms received submissions. Every section highlights actionable connection opportunities.
• Pastoral Care Spotlight: People flagged as “critical” or “high” priority by the Stewardship Care system appear in a dedicated section for urgent follow-up.
• Engagement Segments: First-time submitters, multi-form people, returning after absence, silent supporters, and forms-only people each get their own tables with links to user profiles.
• Engagement Funnel & Analytics: Funnel stats, re-engagement velocity, first-timer trend, day-of-week analysis, and engagement score distribution help you understand patterns at a glance.
• AI Connection Advisor: An AI panel analyzes people patterns and surfaces who the pastor should know about, with insights tailored to pastoral care and follow-up workflows.

Table of Contents

1. Accessing the Report
2. Snapshot Cards (At a Glance)
3. First-Time Submitters Table
4. Multi-Form People Table
5. Returning After Absence Table
6. Pastoral Care Spotlight (Worth Noticing)
7. Silent Supporters
8. Forms-Only People
9. Engagement Funnel
10. Re-engagement Velocity
11. First-Timer Trend
12. Day-of-Week Analysis
13. Engagement Score Distribution
14. Geographic Summary
15. Top Forms
16. Anonymous Ratio
17. AI Summary Panel
18. Filters & Date Range
19. Campus Filtering
20. Scheduled Email Reports
21. Frequently Asked Questions

Accessing the Report

The People & Connections report is available from the Custom Form Reports hub. To open it:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. In the left navigation, expand “Custom Forms”.
3. Click “Reports” to open the Custom Form Reports hub.
4. Locate the “People & Connections” report card.
5. Select a date range and campus (if applicable), then click “View”.

The report loads at the Custom Form Reports hub under the People & Connections card. You can also navigate directly to the engagement report URL with optional parameters for date range and campus.

Snapshot Cards (At a Glance)

At the top of the report, four snapshot cards summarize key people metrics at a glance:

• Unique Submitters: Total number of people who submitted at least one form during the period. Click to open the Who Submitted report with the same date range and campus.
• First-Timers: People who submitted a form for the very first time during the period. Each may be new to your community or engaging in a new way.
• Multi-Form People: People who submitted two or more different forms during the period. Engaging across multiple forms is a strong signal of growing involvement.
• Re-engaged: People who came back and submitted a form after a gap of 90 days or more. These re-engagement moments are worth celebrating.

The Unique Submitters and First-Timers cards may show a percent change vs. the prior period (e.g., “+12% vs prior period”). This helps you see whether new faces and overall engagement are trending up or down.

First-Time Submitters Table

The First-Time Submitters section lists everyone who submitted a form for the very first time during the selected period. These are people who have never submitted any form before—they may be new to your church, new to your forms, or engaging in a new way for the first time.

Each row shows the person’s name, email, the form(s) they submitted, and a link to their user profile. People who are also flagged as at-risk by the Stewardship Care system display an “At Risk” badge. A personal welcome call or email within 48 hours can make a significant difference for first-time submitters.

Use this list to build welcome workflows: assign names to staff for follow-up, export to CSV for mail merges, or click through to the user profile for full context before reaching out.

Multi-Form People Table

The Multi-Form People section lists people who submitted two or more different forms during the period. These are your most engaged form submitters—they’re connecting across volunteer sign-ups, event registrations, small group interest, prayer requests, or other forms.

Each row shows the person’s name, email, the number of forms they submitted, and clickable form pills that link to the Single Form Detail report for each form. An “At Risk” badge appears if the person is flagged by Stewardship Care. Multi-form engagement is a strong signal of growing involvement; consider inviting these people into leadership, small groups, or deeper ministry opportunities.

Returning After Absence Table

The Returning After Absence (Re-engaged) section lists people who submitted a form again after a gap of 90 days or more. These are people who were active before, went quiet, and have now returned. A simple acknowledgment—“We noticed you’re back”—can reinforce their return and signal that your church cares.

Each row shows the person’s name, email, the form they submitted this period, the gap in days since their last submission, and the previous form they submitted. Use this list to prioritize re-engagement follow-up and celebrate returns.

Pastoral Care Spotlight (Worth Noticing)

The Worth Noticing section (also called Pastoral Care Spotlight) surfaces people who submitted a form this period and are already flagged as “critical” or “high” priority by the Stewardship Care system. The Stewardship Care system analyzes giving patterns, engagement scores, overdue touchpoints, and year-over-year decline to identify people who may need pastoral attention.

When someone in that care list also submits a form—a prayer request, connection card, or volunteer sign-up—the combination may signal a need for personal follow-up. The report shows up to 10 people, sorted by care priority score (highest first). Each row displays the person’s name, the form they submitted, their care level (critical or high), and a link to their profile. A link to the full Stewardship Care (At-Risk) report is also provided for deeper context.

This section is designed for pastors and care team leads who want to prioritize who to reach out to first.

Silent Supporters

The Silent Supporters Engaging section lists first-time form submitters who have made three or more lifetime giving transactions. These are established givers who are now engaging with forms for the first time. They’ve been supporting your church financially but may not have filled out a connection card, volunteer form, or event registration until now.

Each row shows the person’s name, their giving history (e.g., “Gave 5x”), the form they submitted, and a link to their profile. These supporters are worth celebrating and acknowledging—a simple thank-you for both their giving and their new form engagement can deepen their connection.

Forms-Only People

The Forms-Only People section lists people who have submitted forms but have no other activity on your platform: no giving, no payments, no chatbot interactions, and no other sessions beyond a minimal baseline. These are people on the fringe of your community—they’ve engaged with a form (perhaps a connection card, event sign-up, or prayer request) but haven’t yet given, shopped, or interacted in other ways.

A personal connection could bring them deeper into community life. Consider assigning these names to staff for a welcome call, small group invite, or invitation to a next-step event. The report shows up to 10 people; use the Who Submitted report with appropriate filters to build a fuller list if needed.

Engagement Funnel

The Engagement Funnel shows how deeply form submitters are connected to your church across channels. It displays four segments:

• Identified Submitters: People who were logged in or matched to a known profile when they submitted. This is the full base.
• Also Give: Form submitters who have also made at least one gift or donation.
• 3+ Channels: People active across three or more channels (forms, giving, payments, chatbot, shop, sessions).
• At Risk: Form submitters flagged by the Stewardship Care system as potentially disengaging.

Each segment shows a count and percentage. Use the funnel to understand the health of your form engagement: Are most submitters also givers? How many are deeply connected across multiple channels? How many are at risk?

Re-engagement Velocity

The Re-engagement Speed section answers: How quickly do first-time submitters submit again? It breaks down first-timers into four groups:

• Within 7 days: Submitted again within a week.
• 8–30 days: Submitted again within a month.
• 31–90 days: Submitted again within 90 days.
• Didn’t return: Never submitted again within the period.

A stacked bar shows the distribution. Use this to gauge whether your first-time submitters are getting re-engaged quickly (e.g., through follow-up) or if many never return. High “Didn’t return” numbers may indicate a need to strengthen welcome workflows.

First-Timer Trend

When you have four or more first-time submitters, the report displays a First-Timer Trend chart. This line chart shows the weekly count of new first-time submitters over the period. Use it to spot spikes (e.g., after a sermon series or event) or dips that might warrant investigation.

Day-of-Week Analysis

The When People Submit section shows submission volume by day of the week (Monday through Sunday). A bar chart visualizes each day’s count, with the peak day highlighted. The report also shows total submissions, daily average, and active days (how many of the seven days had at least one submission).

Use this to plan follow-up timing: If Sunday is the peak day, consider scheduling welcome calls for Monday or Tuesday when submissions are fresh. The pattern can also inform when to promote forms (e.g., in weekend services vs. midweek).

Engagement Score Distribution

The Engagement Depth section (when first-timer data is sufficient) shows a histogram of engagement scores across unique people. Scores are bucketed into:

• High (70+): Highly engaged.
• Moderate (40–69): Moderately engaged.
• At-Risk (<40): Low engagement, potentially disengaging.

Engagement scores are computed from form submissions, giving, payments, chatbot activity, and other platform interactions. Use this distribution to understand the overall health of your form-engaged population.

Geographic Summary

The Where Your People Submitted From section shows the geographic distribution of form submissions when address data is available. A map displays submission locations with proportional circles. A “Top Locations” list shows the top areas by submission count and percentage. Stat cards display unique cities, top area, geo coverage (percent of submissions with location data), and identified people with location data.

Use this to understand where your form-engaged people are located. It can inform campus strategy, regional events, or outreach planning. If no geographic data is available, the section shows a message explaining that location data is captured automatically from form submissions in production.

Top Forms

The Top Forms section lists the top 10 forms by submission volume during the period. Each row shows the form name (linked to the Single Form Detail report), submission count, unique people, and a bar indicating the form’s share of total submissions. Use this to see which forms are driving the most engagement and to drill into form-specific analysis.

Anonymous Ratio

The Anonymous vs Identified section shows the breakdown of submissions from identified people (logged in or matched to a profile) vs. anonymous submissions. When all submissions are identified, the report displays a “100% Identified” badge with a note that this is great for pastoral care. When some submissions are anonymous, a doughnut chart shows the split. High identification rates mean you can follow up with most submitters; high anonymous rates may indicate a need to encourage sign-in or profile matching on forms.

AI Summary Panel

The Connection Advisor (AI Summary Panel) appears near the top of the report. It analyzes the report data and generates plain-language insights about who the pastor should know about. The AI considers first-timers, multi-form people, returning members, care spotlight, silent supporters, forms-only people, funnel stats, top forms, anonymous ratio, and geographic summary. The subtitle summarizes key highlights (e.g., “5 flagged for care · 12 new faces · 3 re-engaged”).

The panel may take a few seconds to load. Use the “View Full Analysis” button to expand the full text. A “Save Briefing PDF” button lets you download the AI analysis as a standalone PDF for pastoral briefings. The AI can make mistakes, so double-check important findings before acting on them.

Filters & Date Range

The filter bar at the top of the report lets you control the date range and campus. Use the date picker to select a custom range, or click quick links: Current (this week to date), Last Week, Last Month, Last 90 Days, Last Year, or Year to Date. Click “Run Report” to apply your selection. The report compares the current period to the prior period of equal length for percent-change calculations on snapshot cards.

Campus Filtering

For churches with multiple campuses, a campus dropdown appears in the filter bar. Select “All Campuses” to see aggregated data, or choose a specific campus to scope the report to that campus only. The campus selection is preserved when you use quick date links. CSV exports and email schedules also respect the campus filter. If your church does not have campuses configured, the campus selector will not appear.

Scheduled Email Reports

You can schedule the People & Connections report to be emailed automatically. Click the “Email” button in the page header to open the email settings modal. Configure recipients (admin users or form admins), frequency (e.g., weekly, monthly), and the period or date focus. Save your settings and the report will be sent on the schedule you choose. This is useful for pastors and staff who want regular people-focused digests without logging in each time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should use the People & Connections report?

Pastors, care team leads, assimilation directors, and anyone responsible for follow-up workflows. The report is designed to answer “who should I reach out to?” with clear segments: first-timers, multi-form people, returning members, care-priority individuals, silent supporters, and forms-only people.

What is the difference between People & Connections and Who Submitted?

People & Connections is engagement-focused: it surfaces specific segments (first-timers, multi-form, returning, care spotlight, etc.) and provides funnel stats, re-engagement velocity, and day-of-week analysis. It highlights ministry opportunities and pastoral follow-up priorities. Who Submitted is a straightforward list of everyone who submitted, with filters and search. Use People & Connections for strategic engagement insights; use Who Submitted for building follow-up lists or finding specific people.

How does the Pastoral Care Spotlight (Worth Noticing) work?

The Stewardship Care system (accessible via the At-Risk report) analyzes giving patterns, engagement scores, overdue touchpoints, and year-over-year decline to assign care priority scores. People with “critical” or “high” priority who also submitted a form this period appear in the Worth Noticing section. The combination of care flag + form submission may signal a need for personal follow-up.

What are “forms-only” people and why do they matter?

Forms-only people have submitted forms but have no giving, payments, chatbot, or other platform activity (beyond minimal sessions). They’re on the fringe of your community. A personal connection—a welcome call, small group invite, or next-step event—could bring them deeper into community life.

Can I export the People & Connections data?

Yes. Click “Export CSV” in the page header to download a CSV of submitters. The export respects the current date range and campus filter. You can also use the Who Submitted report with filters to build more targeted export lists (e.g., first-timers only, multi-form people only).

How do I use the Pastoral Briefing PDF?

The “Pastoral Briefing PDF” button downloads the AI Connection Advisor analysis as a standalone PDF. Wait for the AI analysis to finish loading before clicking. Use this for weekly pastoral briefings, staff meetings, or sharing with leaders who need a quick summary of who to follow up with.

Why don’t I see the First-Timer Trend or Engagement Depth sections?

The First-Timer Trend chart appears only when you have four or more first-time submitters. The Engagement Depth section appears when there is sufficient first-timer data. If your period has few or no first-timers, these sections may not display.

Need help setting up the People & Connections report or interpreting the data? Contact us at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000. OnlineGiving.org provides courtesy setup assistance to help you get the most from your form analytics.