How long does the initial dashboard setup take?

The core setup — community profile, first members imported, payment configured, first announcement posted — takes 2–4 hours for most administrators. Advanced configuration (all membership fields, sub-groups, event templates) can take another half-day spread over the first week.

Do I need technical knowledge to set up the admin dashboard?

No. The Mera Samaj admin dashboard is designed for community leaders without technical backgrounds. If you can use WhatsApp and Google Forms, you can set up the dashboard. Our onboarding team is available at 9100003300 to guide you through every step.

Can multiple people manage the admin dashboard?

Yes. You should have at least 2–3 admins with appropriate permissions. Mera Samaj supports role-based access — you can give your secretary full admin access, your event coordinator access only to event management, and your treasurer access only to financial features.

Setting Up Your Community Leader Dashboard: A Complete Walkthrough

You have made the decision to digitize your community on Mera Samaj. The platform is set up, your account is active, and you are looking at the admin dashboard for the first time. What now?

This walkthrough takes you through every section of the Mera Samaj leader dashboard in order of priority — so you can get from “just signed up” to “ready for members” in a single focused session.

Overview: What the Admin Dashboard Gives You

The Mera Samaj admin dashboard is your command center for everything that happens in your community. From here, you:

Manage your community’s profile and settings
Add, edit, and organize members
Post announcements and create events
Manage dues collection and fundraising campaigns
View financial reports and member statistics
Configure privacy and permission settings
Moderate matrimonial listings and marketplace entries

Think of the dashboard as the backroom of your community’s digital home — members see the polished front end; you operate everything from here.

Section 1: Community Profile Setup

The first thing to configure is your community’s profile. This is what members and prospective members see as the face of your organization.

1.1 Basic Information

Navigate to Settings → Community Profile and fill in:

Community Name: Use your official registered name. If you have a common shortform (e.g., “Mumbai Jain Samaj” commonly called “MJS”), use the full name here — the shortform can be used in descriptions.

Description: Write 2–3 sentences describing your community: what it is, when it was founded, and who it serves. Example: “The Patna Aggarwal Samaj is a community organization serving Aggarwal families in and around Patna since 1952. We organize cultural events, manage matrimonial services, and support members through charitable initiatives.”

Founded Year: If known, add this — it adds credibility and history.

Category: Select the most appropriate category for your community (Caste/Community Samaj, Residents Welfare Association, Alumni Association, Religious Organization, Cultural Club, etc.)

Geographic Reach: Indicate whether your community is local (single city), regional (multiple cities in a state), or national.

1.2 Visual Identity

Logo: Upload your samaj’s official logo. If you do not have a digital version, use your mobile camera to photograph a clean printed version. Minimum recommended size: 400×400 pixels.

Cover/Banner Image: Upload a high-quality photo from a recent community event — your annual mahotsav, a cultural program, a group photo. This image appears prominently on your community profile. Good photos here dramatically increase the professional feel of the profile.

1.3 Contact Information

Add:

Primary phone number (usually the secretary’s number or a dedicated community number)
Email address (ideally a community-specific email, not a personal Gmail)
Mailing address
Website (if any)
Social media pages (if any)

Section 2: Member Fields Configuration

Before importing your member list, configure the custom fields you want to track. Navigate to Settings → Member Fields.

2.1 Standard Fields

Mera Samaj includes these standard fields by default:

Full name
Mobile number
Email address
Date of birth
Profile photo
City/location
Gender
Membership status

2.2 Community-Specific Custom Fields

Add the fields relevant to your community. Common additions for Indian samaj communities:

Gotra (for communities where this is relevant)
Native Village/District (useful for large communities spread across cities)
Profession/Occupation
Business name (if applicable)
Spouse name
Children’s names and ages
Anniversary date
Membership ID (if your samaj assigns member numbers)
Chapter/Region (for multi-city samaj organizations)

For each custom field, configure:

Field type: Text, number, date, dropdown, yes/no
Required or optional: Make only truly essential fields required
Visibility: Who can see this field — all members, admins only, or the member themselves

2.3 Membership Tiers (if applicable)

If your samaj has different membership categories (Life Member, Annual Member, Honorary Member, Youth Member), configure these in Settings → Membership Types. Each type can have different:

Annual dues amount
Renewal frequency
Visibility permissions
Dashboard display

Section 3: Import Your Member List

Navigate to Members → Import Members. This is the most time-consuming but most critical setup step.

3.1 Download the Import Template

Download the Mera Samaj Excel import template. It shows all the columns your import file should have, matching the fields you configured in Section 2.

3.2 Prepare Your Data

Open your existing member data (from an Excel file, paper register, or WhatsApp group) and map it to the template columns. Tips:

One row per member (not per family)
Mobile numbers should be 10 digits without country code or leading zero
Dates should be in DD-MM-YYYY format
Remove any completely blank rows
De-duplicate entries (one member should appear only once)

3.3 Run the Import

Upload your completed Excel file. The system will:

Validate each row for formatting issues
Show you a preview with any flagged errors
Import valid rows after your confirmation

For any rows with errors, fix them in Excel and re-import. Common errors: invalid mobile number format, duplicate entries, required fields left blank.

3.4 Review and Assign Roles

After import, review the member list and assign admin roles:

Super Admin: Yourself (full access)
Admin: Secretary, joint secretary
Finance Manager: Treasurer
Event Coordinator: Relevant committee member

Navigate to Members → [Member Name] → Edit Role to assign these.

Section 4: Configure Payment and Dues

Navigate to Finance → Settings to set up payment collection.

4.1 Link Your Bank Account

You will need:

Your samaj’s registered bank account number
IFSC code
Account holder name (as registered with the bank)
A verified UPI ID linked to this account (recommended)

Complete the verification steps — this may include a small test deposit of ₹1 that you confirm you received.

4.2 Configure Membership Dues

Navigate to Finance → Dues Configuration:

Set the annual dues amount for each membership tier
Set the dues period (financial year: April 1 – March 31 is most common for Indian organizations)
Configure the renewal reminder schedule: recommended triggers are 30 days before, 7 days before, and on the due date
Set the grace period (if any) — the period after the due date during which members can pay without being flagged as lapsed

4.3 Test a Payment

Before going live, create a test event with a ₹1 ticket and purchase it using a committee member’s account. Confirm:

The payment processes successfully
The payer receives an automatic digital receipt
The transaction appears in the Finance dashboard
The amount is correctly recorded in your payment account

Section 5: Create Your First Announcement

Navigate to Announcements → Create New. Your first community announcement sets the tone. Make it welcoming and informative.

What to Post

Write a welcome announcement for the new platform. Include:

A warm greeting to community members
What the new app provides (“Now you can find any member’s contact in seconds, RSVP to events, and pay dues online”)
Simple instructions for members: download the app, complete their profile, and verify their membership
Who to contact for help (your name and phone number)

Announcement Settings

Title: Keep it short and clear — “Welcome to the [Samaj Name] Community App!”
Push notification: Yes (this will notify all existing members via push)
Pin to top: Yes — keep this announcement at the top of the feed for 2 weeks
Visibility: All members

Section 6: Create Your First Event

Navigate to Events → Create Event. Creating an event immediately shows members the platform’s value.

Event Setup Fields

Title: Clear and specific — “Annual Mahotsav 2026” or “Monthly Committee Meeting — March”
Date and time: With timezone (IST)
Location: Physical address for in-person events, video conference link for online events
Description: 2–3 sentences about what the event is and who should attend
RSVP deadline: At least 3 days before the event for planning purposes
Maximum attendees: Set a cap if venue capacity is limited
Ticket type: Free or paid; if paid, set the amount and enable payment through the app

RSVP Reminder Schedule

Set automatic reminders for:

7 days before the event: “Event reminder — RSVP by [date]”
1 day before: “Tomorrow! Don’t forget [Event Name]”
Day of event: “Today’s the day — see you at [Event Name]!”

Section 7: Configure Matrimonial Module (If Applicable)

If your samaj provides matrimonial services, navigate to Features → Matrimonial → Settings.

Privacy Settings

This module requires careful privacy configuration:

Profile visibility: Matrimonial profiles should be visible only to verified, logged-in members — never to the public
Contact sharing: Enable contact details sharing only after mutual interest (both parties express interest before contact information is exchanged)
Photo visibility: Configure whether profile photos are visible to all members or only after interest is expressed
Admin approval: Enable admin review before new matrimonial profiles are published

Required Profile Fields

Configure which fields are required for a matrimonial listing:

Name, age, education, occupation, city
Family background (gotra, native village, parents’ names and occupations)
Physical description (height)
Horoscope details (if relevant to your community)
A brief “about” section
Minimum 1–2 photos

Section 8: Dashboard and Analytics

Navigate to Dashboard → Overview to see your community’s health at a glance.

Key Metrics to Monitor

Members: Total members, new members this month, members by city, members by status (active/lapsed)

Engagement: Monthly active users, announcement open rates, event RSVP rates

Finance: Dues collection progress (% of members paid), total collected this period, outstanding dues, recent transactions

Events: Events this month, RSVP counts, attendance rate vs. RSVP

Set a habit of reviewing the dashboard once a week — ideally before your regular committee meeting so you can report current numbers to the committee.

Quick Reference: First Week Checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your setup is complete before announcing to the full community:

Need Help?

Setting up a community platform for the first time always raises questions. Our onboarding team is here to help.

Call 9100003300 to speak with a Mera Samaj onboarding specialist — in Hindi or English — who will walk you through any step of the setup process at no extra cost.