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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Organization Settings

Configure organization-wide settings, module features, and branding options in PEARS.

Organization Settings is the home for nearly all administrative tools in PEARS. The page is laid out as a single-page application with a left sidebar that groups related tools, and a main panel that loads the selected tool. Settings, lists, templates, and per-module configuration all live here.

Permission required: Organization administrator. Users with more limited permissions still see Organization Settings, but only the sections and items they are allowed to access appear.

Getting Started

To access Organization Settings, click the cog icon in the top navigation bar and select Organization Settings.

The sidebar is grouped into four sections:

  • General — Global settings, reporting periods, AI tools, and API keys.

  • People & Access — Users, directors, board members, and authentication.

  • System Lists & Templates — All lookup lists plus event form templates and SNAP-Ed Custom Data Templates.

  • System Modules — Per-module settings for Plan, Engage, and Reflect modules, including Events.

TIP: Each section and item in Organization Settings has its own URL — bookmark or share a link to jump directly to a specific list, panel, or settings page.

General

Global Settings

Global Settings controls organization-wide options for the system, Extension, SNAP-Ed, and Event Management.

System

  • Unit Default — Set the default unit for new records

  • Crisis Impact Fields — Enable crisis impact tracking fields

  • Allow all users to add sites — When enabled, all users can add new sites (not just site administrators)

  • Prevent Enabling the Legacy Homepage Dashboard — Block users from switching to the legacy dashboard

Extension Settings

  • Program Area Default — Set the default program area for new records

  • Use Critical Issues — Enable the Critical Issues list across the modules that share it. When off, the Critical Issues field is hidden on action plans, quarterly efforts report no percent-of-effort against them, the list is unavailable in list management, the column is dropped from the action plan export, and the critical-issue dashboards are hidden

  • Show Grand Challenge Language with Critical Issues — Display Grand Challenge terminology alongside critical issues

TIP: Some Extension settings like Program Areas and Extension Modules are system-managed and cannot be toggled from this page.

SNAP-Ed Settings

  • Use Intervention Name — Enable the intervention name field in SNAP-Ed modules

  • Use Intervention Topics — Enable intervention topic selection in SNAP-Ed custom data

Event Management

  • Create new CRM Contacts Automatically by Default — Automatically create CRM contact records for event registrants

  • Use Payment for Events — Enable payment collection for events

  • Track Taxable Amount for Event Payments — Track taxable amounts separately

  • Use Advanced Accounting for Event Payments — Enable advanced accounting code allocation

  • Use Partial Refunds for Event Payments — Enable per-member refunds on group registrations. Enabled by PEARS Support rather than from this page, because each payment provider is verified first. See Refund a Group Registration.

Reporting Periods

View and edit the open and close dates for each reporting period. See Manage Reporting Periods for details.

AI Tools

When enabled, AI Tools exposes granular controls for each AI-powered feature:

  • Use AI Tools — Master toggle. When off, all AI features are disabled.

  • Module Builder AI — Enable the AI module planner for generating custom modules from natural language descriptions

  • Survey Analysis — Enable AI-powered survey response summaries

  • Story Summary — Enable AI-generated summaries for success stories

  • Public Value Editor — Enable AI assistance for writing public value statements

  • AI Entry — Enable AI Entry for drafting CRM contacts and interactions from dictated or typed descriptions

For details on how each feature works and what data is sent to OpenAI, see AI Tools.

TIP: The master Use AI Tools toggle must be enabled before per-feature toggles appear. Disabling the master toggle turns off all AI features at once.

API Keys

Generate and manage API keys that grant programmatic access to your organization's data.

People & Access

  • Users — Create and manage user accounts, roles, and permissions. See Manage Users.

  • Directors — Add and edit Extension Unit directors. See Directors. (Extension only)

  • Board Members — Add and edit board members for performance reviews. See Board Members. (Extension only, when the Performance Reviews module is enabled.)

  • Authentication — Configure authentication options for your organization, including a Require MFA for all members toggle. When enabled, any non-SSO member without a two-factor authentication factor is redirected to the Account Security setup pages at sign-in and cannot use the rest of PEARS until they enroll. SSO users and staff are exempt. If your organization signs in through an identity provider, this panel shows your SSO status instead of the toggle — your identity provider controls multi-factor authentication, so the PEARS setting would have no effect.

System Lists & Templates

This section contains every lookup list and template set your organization can edit. Each list appears as its own item in the sidebar.

Lists

For full descriptions of each list, see Manage Lists.

  • Accounting Codes

  • Cities

  • Competencies (Extension only)

  • Critical Issues

  • CRM Categories

  • Curricula (SNAP-Ed only)

  • Direct Contact Date Ranges (sidebar label: "Direct Contact Dates")

  • Event Categories

  • SNAP-Ed Funding Sources (sidebar label: "Funding Sources")

  • Interventions (SNAP-Ed only)

  • Keywords

  • Payment Methods

  • Priority Indicators (SNAP-Ed only)

  • Program Areas

  • Projects

  • PSE Changes

  • Target Audiences

  • User Positions

  • Youth Delivery Methods

  • Youth Project Areas

Templates

System Modules

Per-module settings are grouped by workflow category.

NOTE: Program Activities, PSE Site Activities, Indirect Activities, and Success Stories each have two partner section toggles — one for the current Partners module and one for the legacy Partnerships module. The setting that used to read "Use Partners Section" is now named after the module and the generation it belongs to, for example Use Program Activities Partnerships Section for the legacy one. The new Partners sections are off for existing organizations. Action Plans has no such toggle — its Partners field follows the Use Partners Module setting. See Partnerships and Coalitions as Legacy Modules.

Plan

Events

  • Use Events Module — Enable the Community Events module

  • Event Site Title — Set a custom title for your public events site

  • Event Site Footer — Set custom footer content for your public events site. This is a rich text field, so you can apply bold, italic, and underline formatting and add hyperlinks (for example, to your organization's website or an antidiscrimination statement)

  • Default Listing Thumbnail — Set a default thumbnail for event listing cards

  • Default Cover Image — Set a default cover image for event pages

Action Plans

  • Detailed Action Plan Outcomes and Indicators — Enable detailed outcome and indicator tracking

  • Include Related Data for Reports — Include related module data in action plan reports

  • Show Denominator on Action Plan Indicators — Display denominator values on indicators

Surveys

  • Use Surveys Module — Enable the Surveys module

  • Hide "Thank You" Pear Image — Remove the pear image from survey completion pages

Professional Development (Extension only)

  • Use Professional Development Module — Enable the Professional Development module

Performance Reviews (Extension only)

  • Use Performance Review Module — Enable the Performance Reviews module

Engage

Community Relationships (CRM)

  • Use Community Relationships (CRM) Module — Enable the Community Relationships module

TIP: Organization Administrators can now turn the CRM module on and off themselves. This previously required PEARS Support.

Partners

  • Use Partners Module — Enable the Partners module

  • Use Partner Reports Module — Enable the Partner Reports module. Appears as a sub-setting beneath the Partners toggle

Direct Contacts (Extension only)

  • Use Direct Contacts Module — Enable the Direct Contacts module

  • Allow More Granular Direct Contacts — Enable detailed direct contact tracking

  • Use Action Plans Field — Link direct contacts to action plans

Program Activities

  • Use Program Activities Module — Enable the Program Activities module

  • SNAP-Ed Funding Source — Enable funding source field (SNAP-Ed only)

  • Use Program Activities Partners Section — Enable the Partners section

  • Use Program Activities Partnerships Section — Enable the legacy Partnerships section

  • Target Audience Field — Enable target audience selection (Extension only)

  • Always Require Program Activity Site — Make the site field required

  • Require 5-17 Age Subcategories — Require detailed age subcategories for the 5-17 age group (SNAP-Ed only)

  • Use Evaluation Section — Enable the evaluation/survey section

PSE Site Activities

  • Use PSE Site Activities Module — Enable the PSE module

  • Use PSE Site Activities Partners Section — Enable the Partners section

  • Use PSE Site Activities Partnerships Section — Enable the legacy Partnerships section

  • Use Reflection Section — Enable the reflection section

  • Use Individual Effectiveness Section — Enable individual effectiveness tracking

Social Marketing Campaigns

  • Use Social Marketing Campaigns Module — Enable the Social Marketing Campaigns module

Indirect Activities

  • Use Indirect Activities Module — Enable the Indirect Activities module

  • Use Indirect Activities Partners Section — Enable the Partners section

  • Use Indirect Activities Partnerships Section — Enable the legacy Partnerships section

  • Require Site for Indirect Activity Intervention Channels — Make sites required for intervention channels

Partnerships (Legacy)

  • Use Partnerships Module — Enable the Partnerships module

  • Use the Partnership Importer — Enable the Partnerships importer

  • Use Meetings & Events Section — Enable meeting and event tracking in partnerships

Coalitions (Legacy)

  • Use Coalitions Module — Enable the Coalitions module

  • Use Meetings & Events Section — Enable meeting and event tracking in coalitions

Reflect

Success Stories

  • Use Success Stories Module — Enable the Success Stories module

  • Use Success Stories Partners Section — Enable the Partners section

  • Use Success Stories Partnerships Section — Enable the legacy Partnerships section

Quarterly Efforts (Extension only)

  • Use Quarterly Efforts Module — Enable the Quarterly Efforts module

  • Hide Quarterly Effort Contacts Section — Hide the contacts section

  • Report Project Effort in Percentages — Track effort as percentages

  • Report Project Effort in Hours — Track effort as hours

Branding Options

Branding controls live under Global Settings and customize the appearance of your organization's PEARS instance and public event pages:

  • Theme Color — Set a custom hex color for site branding

  • Logo — Upload your organization's logo

  • Card Image — Upload a card/banner image

  • Default Listing Thumbnail — Set a default thumbnail for event listing cards

  • Default Cover Image — Set a default cover image for event pages

TIP: Settings changes take effect immediately. Disabling a module hides it from users but does not delete any existing data.

NOTE: Some settings are only visible based on your organization type (SNAP-Ed, Extension, or both). Settings that require other settings to be enabled first will appear conditionally.

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