In this training, we dive deep into the new data model and how the relaxed data restrictions open up opportunities to expand FieldDoc’s use within your organization and across your grants. This session is a great starting point—once you understand the system’s core capabilities, the rest of the series will inspire fresh ideas about how to leverage your nature-based data, not just for funder reporting but for broader impact and insights.

Recap & Keep Learning!

Data Model

One of the biggest updates in FieldDoc 2.0 is the new data model, and it’s a game-changer. In the past, you had to create a project within a program before you could enter any data. That meant all your records were automatically visible to the program managers, and your attribute data was limited to what they had curated for their programs. We restructured the data model to make FieldDoc a true amplifier for your restoration and conservation efforts, helping you get more value and impact out of your data.

Now, everything starts in your organization account. You’ll build out your portfolio there, complete with all the relevant attribute data. When the time comes, you can choose which records to share with a funding program—no more creating duplicates or being locked into someone else’s structure.

This shift makes your data more reusable, scalable, and interoperable. For example, if you’re working with multiple funders in FieldDoc, you can easily share the same records without re-entering anything. It’s also a huge boost for smoother data entry and management, which I’ll show you in just a moment.

Portfolio

Head to Portfolio Essentials to learn more

Portfolios serve as the hub for your organization’s metrics, projects, and activities. They also include Pacts, a powerful feature that lets you share specific parts of your Portfolio with third-party program managers—like funders or investors.

Metrics

Head to Metrics Essentials to learn more

In the legacy version of FieldDoc, the power of metrics flew under the radar, playing a secondary role to other features. But in FieldDoc 2.0, they’ve stepped into the spotlight. In fact, building out your metrics first is now a smart strategy—it sets a solid foundation before you start creating activity records.

The new metrics feature in FieldDoc lets you create and track organization-specific metrics directly at the activity level. This means you can easily track whatever matters most to your organization—like the number of trees planted or miles of fence installed—right in FieldDoc.

For the first time ever, you can include your own organization-specific metrics directly in the system. You can assign target values at both the organization level and within individual activity records.

As you start assigning values, you’ll be able to track your progress in overview summaries and atlas views—making it easier than ever to see the big picture of your work’s impact.

And don’t worry—programmatic metrics aren’t going anywhere! You’ll still be able to assign and track those after creating a Pact. The best part? Your programmatic metrics will remain separate from your organizational ones, giving you clarity and control.

Projects

Head to Project Essentials to learn more

In FieldDoc 2.0, Projects have taken on a completely new role. They’re no longer tied directly to grant agreements. Instead, they’re now an optional organizational tool—a way to group and manage a batch of activity records within your organization.

Projects are no longer constrained by funding opportunities, so you can structure them however suits your needs. When does it make sense to use Projects?

• If your organization runs multiple initiatives—like a tree planting program and a fence installation program—you might want to track metrics specific to each initiative or you want to be able to filter your activity lists by program when applying for grants. Using Projects can help with that.
• If your team operates in distinct regions, you might want to organize activities into projects that align staff with those regional responsibilities.

Activities

Head to Activities Essentials to learn more

In your activity records, you’ll define activity types, which unlock access to relevant environmental models. It’s also where you’ll enter your metric targets, as we discussed earlier, and add geospatial footprints indicating the location of your efforts on the landscape.

Pacts

You’ll be maintaining a single source of truth of your own portfolio and then sharing portions with funders. Funders have the benefit of standard and simplified reporting.