Overview
Manual tasks let you create your own to-dos inside AwardSpring's Task Board—for scholarship work, donor follow-ups, or any other action item that isn't automatically generated by the system.
Every task you create can be assigned to a specific Owner and given a Visibility setting, turning the Task Board into a shared workspace your whole admin team can rely on.
How to Create a Manual Task
In the main navigation, click Tasks to open the Task Board, then click + Add New.
Fill in the required fields:
Task—A brief description of the work (e.g., "Review eligibility waiver for Smith Scholarship")
Type—The kind of work this is (To-do, Phone Call, Email, Meeting, Review, Document)
Status—Where the task currently stands (Pending, In Progress, Complete, etc.)
Priority—Low, Medium, or High
Owner—Who is responsible for the task (see below)
Set the Owner—who is responsible for completing this task:
Choose All Admins, a Department, or a specific admin
Assigning to a Department means every admin in that Department shares ownership and sees the task in their My Tasks tab
Set the Visibility—who can see this task exists:
Visibility can be set independently from ownership
The task creator and all owners always retain visibility, regardless of this setting
Optionally fill in:
Notes—Use this to capture what "done" looks like, relevant context, or links
Due Date—Tasks with a due date appear in the Overdue tab when past due
Click Save.
Your task will now appear in the Task Board and in the My Tasks tab of whoever is set as Owner.
Editing an Existing Task
On the Task Board, click any task row.
A slideout panel opens showing the task details.
Click the pencil icon next to the field you want to change, such as Owner, Visibility, Status, Priority, Notes, or Due Date.
Update the value, then click the check mark to save it, or the X to discard the change.
Task Fields Reference
Field | Required? | Description |
Task | Yes | Short description of the work |
Type | Yes | Category: To-do, Phone Call, Email, Meeting, Review, Document |
Status | Yes | Current state of the task |
Priority | Yes | Low, Medium, or High |
Owner | Yes | Who is responsible—a specific admin, a Department, or All Admins |
Visibility | Yes (defaults to All Admins) | Who can see this task exists |
Notes | No | Free-text context or instructions |
Due Date | No | Enables overdue tracking |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Owner and Visibility?
Owner determines who is responsible for the task—it appears in their My Tasks tab. Visibility determines who can see the task exists. A task owned by one person can be visible to a broader group, and vice versa.
Can a Department own a task?
Yes. When you assign a Department as the Owner, every admin in that Department becomes an effective co-owner. The task appears in all of their My Tasks tabs simultaneously.
Can I create a task without a due date?
Yes—due date is optional. Tasks without a due date won't appear in the Overdue tab regardless of how long they've been open.
Can I change the Owner after creating a task?
Yes. Open the task from the Task Board, click the pencil icon next to Owner in the slideout, choose the new owner, and click the check mark.
Who can see a task if I set Visibility to a narrow group?
The task creator and all owners always retain visibility, even if the Visibility setting is narrower. The system prevents you from assigning a task to someone who can't see it.