TechSoup 101: Becoming an Authorized Agent

This blog post is part of a series focused on managing accounts at TechSoup.org. So far, we've discussed registration, qualification, and updating your account and forum profiles. Watch for more posts to come!

Updated on 10/15/2015

As mentioned in the first post in this series about Registration, joining TechSoup as a member is the first step before registering an organization as well a required step for all individuals wishing to be associated with an organization's TechSoup account.

Being associated with your organization's account will allow you to request donated and discounted products for your organization. The Join TechSoup link is available on TechSoup's home page.

We often get questions about this process and what we suggest as the best practices. Here are some suggestions to help you.

Choosing the Right Information for Your Profile

• Email address: The email address on the member profile is used as the login ID and for a few specific things and should be the most appropriate email for the following: password reminders, donation request confirmation emails, and TechSoup newsletters.
• Member name: Individuals can create a personal member name to be displayed while logged into the TechSoup website and posting in our community forums. This is really up to the individual. Some people prefer something specific to the organization if they intend to transfer responsibility of the account at some point, but ultimately the choice is yours! Member names cannot be changed once created.
• First and last name: Even if an email address and member name reflecting the organization is selected, it is best to provide the name of the individual that will be managing the account. It is very helpful for us to know who we are talking to! This information can easily be changed at a later date.

Becoming an Authorized Agent for an Existing Organization Account

• The individual who initially registers an organization creates an association code. This is used exclusively as security information that allows additional individuals to become associated with an organization. This information is also sent by email with the organization registration confirmation. Check first to see if the previous or existing authorized agent has it handy.
• To start the process of becoming an authorized agent, individuals must Join TechSoup or login to an existing member account and click on the Register Organization link.
• On the next page you will need to select the status of (501(c)(3) nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public library, or non-501(c)(3) public library) and enter the Employer Identification Number for 501(c)(3) status or the FSCS number for non-501(c)(3) public libraries.
• Next, click on the Find Your Organization button.
• On the next page you can enter the association code, select your title, and click Submit Code!

Voila! You are now an authorized agent for your organization. Every time you log in with your email address and password, you'll have access to update the account, view the donation history, and place donation requests. For individuals taking over for a previous agent, the first thing you'll want to do is update the organization profile.

Looking Up Your Organization's Authorized Agents

Not sure who to ask for the association code, or want to get the list of authorized agents currently associated with your organization? There are two ways to find this information.

Option 1: During Organization Registration/Find Your Organization

• Log in to an existing member account and click on the Register Organization link.
• On the next page you will need to select the status of 501(c)(3) nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public library, or non-501(c)(3) public library and enter the Employer Identification Number for 501(c)(3) status or the FSCS number for non-501(c)(3) public libraries.
• Next, click on the Find Your Organization button.
• On the next page, you will find a list of the current authorized agents.

Option 2: Already an Authorized Agent/Through the Organization Profile

• Log in to an existing member account and click on the gear icon at the top of the page.
• On the My Account page, you will need to select the name of your organization under My Organizations.
• On the next page, you will find the organization's profile information, as well as the list of the current authorized agents.

If you are unable to locate the association code or need to remove previous authorized agents, please contact Customer Service and we'll be happy to help!

Check Out All the Posts in This Series

• TechSoup 101: Registration
• TechSoup 101: Getting Qualified
• TechSoup 101: Updating Your Account Information
• TechSoup 101: Benefits of Your Member Profile
• TechSoup 101: Becoming an Authorized Agent
• TechSoup 101: Managing Your Donation Requests

If you'd like to keep on top of more of TechSoup's happenings, sign up for one of our regular newsletters on our home page (see the Subscribe button in the lower right-hand corner).

Image: highwaysengland / CC BY

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