Estimated read time: 5 minutes
Overview
This article answers the most commonly asked questions we receive from Community Responders and Community Champion Leaders regarding CarePortal.
Intended audience
Included in this article
Why does CarePortal always put the Local Church at the Point of Care?
What’s the difference between Providing and Funding a request?
What happens if a request is not fulfilled, or a church does not respond?
If I have more questions about a request, who should I contact?
- Going Deeper
1. Who does the CarePortal network serve?
CarePortal serves any child in crisis.
CarePortal unites diverse partners — government agencies, churches, businesses, schools, and nonprofits — to support children and families in crisis regardless of race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, or political belief.
If any partner is found to be discriminating against those they are meant to serve, they are removed from the network.
2. Who are Community Responders?
Community Responders are individuals who have the ability to respond to requests on the CarePortal platform and who are:
- Not approved members of a Church's Response Team, or
- Approved Response Team members, but are not responding to a request that is local to their Church (CarePortal Network Leaders define the distance that makes a Church "local" to a family)
Responses from Community Responders are sent to Connecting Churches that are local to the family. These Churches have been trained and approved by local experts to Take the Lead in arranging direct engagement between the family and the resources offered by the Community Responder.
3. What are Community Champions?
Community Champions are organizations (businesses, universities, teams, or families) that create and manage their own CarePortal accounts. They include many of the same features offered to Churches — such as Response Team management, a branded public landing page, and more.
Responses from Community Champion Leaders and their responders are treated the same way as responses from Community Responders.
4. Where do CarePortal requests come from?
Each request originates from a child-serving professional within a CarePortal-approved Agency.
These Agencies are carefully selected by local CarePortal Network Leaders. Examples include:
- Government child welfare agencies
- Crisis pregnancy centers
- Nonprofit organizations
- Schools
With the family's consent, the professional enters the request, which then requires approval from a leader within their Agency before it becomes visible to Churches and responders.
5. What types of needs can a request be made for?
Requests must fit one of CarePortal's purpose statements (e.g., Help Prevent a Child from Entering Foster Care, Help Improve a Child's Well-Being, etc.). Some relational or placement needs require background checks and Agency approval.
6. Why does CarePortal always put the local Church at the Point of Care?
CarePortal was created to empower the Local Church to serve children and families in crisis. Placing the Local Church at the Point of Care allows them the best opportunity to serve the most vulnerable in their community and share the love of Jesus with them.
7. How does CarePortal define a local church?
A "local church" is a fellowship of believers worshiping, serving, and living in accountable community.
8. Is CarePortal specifically for Christian churches?
CarePortal mobilizes Christian churches while uniting diverse community partners to serve vulnerable families.
9. How do I find requests?
There are several ways to discover open requests on CarePortal, whether you're logged into your account or just browsing publicly.
In addition to what the video said, you can also find requests:
-
CarePortal Dashboard (requires an account)
Once you're logged in, your dashboard is your personalized hub for viewing and responding to requests that match your role and location. From here, you can look for specific kinds of requests or requests that meet specific criteria using the Filters button. -
Email Alerts (based on your settings and role)
Stay in the loop with real-time or daily summaries of new requests — customized to your preferences and the roles tied to your account. -
CarePortal.org Interactive Map (public)
Explore requests visually by zooming in on specific areas across the country. It's a great way to see where needs are popping up in real time. -
CarePortal.org “Browse Needs” List (public)
Prefer a simple list view? This page gives you a running list of open requests that anyone can view — no login required. -
Organization’s Public Page (public, with a custom URL)
Each Church and Champion has a public-facing page where their community can see the requests they’re connected to. You can find this custom URL in your Church or Champion Dashboard, or reach out to your Church Leader or Champion Admin for the link.
Whether you're checking in on your own dashboard or just exploring ways to help, these tools make it easy to see where needs exist — and how you can respond. 🧡
10. How do I respond to a request?
Check out our How to Respond to a CarePortal Request as a Community Champion or Responder Help Center article for a step-by-step walkthrough of how to respond to a CarePortal request!
11. What's the difference between Providing and Funding a request?
When you respond to a request, you can choose to Provide or Fund the items listed.
Provide: You already have or will purchase the item yourself. A Connecting Church must also accept the request to coordinate delivery. You'll receive an email with next steps when this happens.
Fund: You give financially through CarePortal so a Connecting Church can purchase items for the family. You may Fund using a credit or debit card or your CarePortal Fund.
Both options meet real needs — choose the one that fits how you want to serve.
12. When I respond to a request, what am I responsible for?
Your responsibility depends on the type of response:
Funding: Your part is complete once you submit payment. A Connecting Church handles the rest.
Providing: A Connecting Church must accept the request before you take action. Once they do, you'll receive instructions and contact information to coordinate item drop-off.
CarePortal never expects responders to deliver items directly to a family without a Church.
13. When I Fund a request, where does the money go?
- Your donation is offered to local Connecting Churches.
- When a Church accepts it, available donations are transferred to the Church's CarePortal Card.
- The Church purchases needed items and connects with the family.
- If no Church claims your donation, the money returns to your CarePortal Fund.
14. Why are some requests Fundable and others aren't?
Requests are Fundable only when a Connecting Church with a CarePortal Card is available nearby.
15. How long do requests stay open for a response?
The requesting Agency determines the duration based on the urgency level.
16. What happens if a request is not fulfilled, or a Church does not respond?
If a need isn't met, Agencies are encouraged to continue exploring other community resources in order to get the need met.
17. Who follows up to make sure the request is fulfilled?
Local Connecting Churches lead the follow-up process.
18. Is there some kind of scam prevention?
Yes. Only verified Agency users can submit requests, and each request requires internal approval.
19. Is CarePortal secure?
Yes. CarePortal is securely hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
- All servers are protected behind firewalls and encrypted connections.
- Administrative access is restricted to specific IPs via secure authentication.
- The database is encrypted and replicated in real time for backup and reliability.
- All user connections use SSL encryption to keep data private in transit.
20. If I have more questions about a request, who should I contact?
You can reach us:
Using the chat widget in the lower-right corner of your Dashboard
By emailing support@careportal.org
21. Going Deeper
Responding to one request is just the beginning. Watch this video for a few more ways to stay involved with CarePortal — and why the relationships you build along the way matter as much as the help you provide.
A few ways to take it further:
- Enroll your church. If you're part of a church, talk with your leadership about enrolling with CarePortal. Enrolled Churches are trained to build Response Teams that meet children and families in crisis at the Point of Care — bringing love, hope, and encouragement, not just resources.
- Become a Community Champion. If you're part of another kind of organization that wants to serve your community by meeting real-time needs together, enrolling as a Community Champion lets you use CarePortal to shape your team's culture around service. Visit www.CarePortal.org to learn more and start the enrollment process.
Technology can connect people who want to help with those who need it — but genuine, meaningful connection can't be automated. Collaboration, kindness, patience, and giving people the benefit of the doubt are what build trust in the vulnerable situations behind every CarePortal request. Approach each one with intentionality and openness, and you may find you grow just as much from serving as the families you're helping.
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