Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in.
Click on the User Groups tab and you will be taken to a new page where you will find a User Groups box on the left hand side of the page. Under the FOR USER GROUP LEADERS section click on the Add User Group link.

A new page will open with some guidelines and a link to User Group Leader Profile Form.

You will find a registration form on the next page; fill in your user group's information and click on the Submit button. A success message will be displayed and an e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address and to the e-mail address you provided for the user group.

The user that adds a user group to UGSS is set as that group's Leader by default.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Click on the User Groups tab. A new page will open where you will find a Favorites box, and your user group will be displayed under the Leader of section.

Click on the name of the user group to go to your user group page; from here you will be able to access the functionality and areas of the site available to user group leaders.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Edit User Group Data.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you can change your user group data and then click Submit (please note that if your user group has not been approved yet then you cannot change some of the values, such as INETA membership, group name, regions, etc). Please note that changing the answer for questions marked with an asterisk (*) will require re-approval by an evangelist .

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and the link User Group Speakers under the SPEAKERS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where speakers in your region are displayed (please note that your user group has to be approved in order to find speakers).

If there is a speaker you wish to contact, click on the Contact Speaker button next to the name. You will then be able to insert a message and send it directly to the speaker you have chosen.

If the Speaker agrees to respond to your message, you will be able to exchange contact information.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and the link User Group Sponsors under the SPONSORS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you will find a list of potential sponsors (please note that your user group has to be approved in order to find sponsors).

If there is a sponsor you wish to contact, click on the Contact Sponsor button next to the name. You will then be able to insert a message and send it directly to the sponsor.

If the Sponsor agrees to respond to your message, you will be able to exchange contact information.

The option to request sponsorship for your user group is useful if you do not know which sponsor to contact.
Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and the link Request Sponsorship for User Group under the SPONSORS section.  

Click on the link and a new page will open where you can insert a message and click on Submit (please note that your user group has to be approved in order for the sponsors to see your request).

Your entry will be added to the repository of sponsorship requests, and interested Sponsors will be able to view it and contact you.

UGSS offers content for your events through an integrated content portal. Accessing this content can be done in two ways.
Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in. Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to User Group Event Content. Click on this link and you will see text titled "Click HERE to directly access the UGSS Content Portal". If you are the leader of an approved user group, you will be directed to the UGSS Content Portal in Connect and will be able to access the content.
If you want to see what is available, click on the link "Refer to the editorial calendar HERE to find content that is available now or in the near future". You will see a content calendar and can access individual pieces of content directly from here.
(Note: You will need a Microsoft Live ID to access the Connect site. To associate your UGSS leader account with your Microsoft Live ID, please refer to the How to associate my UGSS account with my Live ID account section on how to do this. If you want to be logged into Connect automatically, please log into UGSS with your Live ID directly).

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Add New Member under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you will have to insert the email address and First and Last Name of the person you wish to add as a member of your user group.

You can add a person who already has a UGSS account as well as one who does not. Once you click Submit, an email will be sent to that person and he/she will be added to your group.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Import Members from File under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you will be able to import your members using an .xml or .csv file.

Click on the Browse... button next to the field, select the appropriate file and click Open (please make sure the data in the file is in the correct format).

Click on the Import button to import your members (Note: if your member list is very long – for example more that 1000 – please save the list into separate files and import them one by one).
Once completed, you will see a success message and all the members you have just imported will receive an email with their login data and information about the user group.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link for Member Management under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the members of your user group. Next to each member there is a Set as Co-Lead button.

Simply click on the button next to the member you wish to set as co-leader and that member will now have leader rights as well, and he/she will be able to access all functionality and areas of the site available to group leaders.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link for Member Management under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the members of your user group. Next to each leader there is a Remove from Co-Leads button.

Simply click on the button to remove this member as co-leader. He/she will now be a group member and will not have access to the functionality and areas of the site available to group leaders.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link for Member Management under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the members of your user group. Next to each member there is a Remove button.

Simply click on the button next to the member you wish to remove, click OK to confirm, and the member will be removed from your group (Note: removing a member from a user group does not remove that member's account from UGSS).

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Contact Members under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and you will find a list of your members.

Select the members you wish to contact and click on > button to move them to the box on the right. If you want to send the message to all members you can check the All box and click on > button. Insert a message (you can use all the available tags if needed), and if you want to see what the message looks like before sending click on Preview. Once you click on Submit, all selected members will receive an email with your message.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link for Member Management under the MEMBERS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the members of your user group.

Click on Export users list and it will open as a .txt file.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Add New Event under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you will need to fill in the required data for your event. You can also choose some additional options: if you want to invite a speaker or a sponsor, if you want the event to be displayed in the public upcoming events calendar, or if you want to request funding from Microsoft (the last is available only for approved user groups).
Once you have completed the form, click on Submit.

Important note: please make sure you set the correct time zone for your event according to what country the event will be held in. Users who have selected a different time zone in their profiles will see the event start and end times automatically converted to their respective time zone.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events.

Please note that some buttons (Search for Sponsor, Search for Speaker) are only visible if you have chosen the corresponding checkboxes while creating or editing your event.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events.

Click on the Edit button next to the event and you will be able to change the event data on the page. Simply click on the Submit button to save the changes.

Please note: the option is available only for approved user group.
Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a Request Event Funding link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you will need to add a new user group event. Please note you can also request event funding for an existing event by editing the event details, or you can add a new user group event and choose the additional option to request funding for that event. Please make sure you review the EVENT FUNDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS at the top of the page.
If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find a section for Advanced properties. Select the Request Funding from Microsoft checkbox.

Some additional fields will be displayed on the page.

Fill in the required information on this form and click Submit. Your funding request will be sent to Microsoft to be reviewed.

Please Note:
Event funding transitioned from GITCA to Microsoft in October of 2008. Event funds are limited and thus Microsoft has had to set tighter guidelines in order to ensure that the available money is distributed on a fair basis to user groups worldwide. Therefore, Microsoft may not be able to fund all requests, and may fund events at less than the requested amount. Please be aware of the following restrictions:
1.  Only one request per quarter per user group will be funded.
2.  Events will be funded at a maximum of $500 per event.
3.  Each user group is limited to a maximum of $1000 per group per Microsoft's fiscal year (July 1 – June 30, for example July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009).
4.  Exceptions to these guidelines will be made on a case by case basis, but a detailed business case should be submitted for funding requests which exceed this annual restriction. User groups are allowed to ask for one exception per fiscal year. Each exception will be reviewed by the User Group Support Services Regional Leads.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events.

Click on the Notify Users button by the event you want to notify your members about.

Select the members you wish to notify and click on > button to move them to the box on the right. If you want to notify all members you can check the All box and click on > button. Insert a message (you can use all the available tags if needed), and if you want to see what the message looks like before sending click on Preview. Once you click on Submit, all selected members will receive an email with your message.

How to select only those members who have been previously notified about my user group event
If you have already sent a notification email to your members, a new checkbox for Notified will be available next to the All checkbox.

If you select Notified, only those members who have been previously notified about the event will be highlighted. Click on > if you want to send them an additional message.

How to select members who have registered for my user group event
If at least one member registers for your user group event, a new checkbox for Registered will be available next to the All and Notified checkboxes.

If you select Registered, only those members who have already registered for the event will be highlighted. Click on > if you want to send them an additional message.

How to select members who have been previously notified but have not yet registered for my user group event
1) Check "Notified" and notified members will be highlighted
2) Click on > button to move those members to the box on the right.
3) Uncheck "Notified"
4) Check "Registered" and some members from both lists will be highlighted
5) Click on < button to move registered members back to the box on the left. The remaining list on the right will have members who were previously notified but have not yet registered for your user group event.

How to add a user group event to the public Events Calendar

Please note: the option is available only for event of approved user group.
Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events.
*  To add an existing event to the public upcoming events calendar, click on the Edit button next to that event.
*  To add a new event to the calendar, simply click on Add New Event, fill in the required information, and then continue with the steps below.

On the bottom of the next page under Advanced properties you will see the checkbox Display event in Events Calendar.

Select the option and click on Submit. Your request will be reviewed by a local Evangelist, and if approved, your user group event will be added to the Events Calendar found under the Events Calendar tab.
Important note: if you select this option, your event details will be made public on the site and will be visible to all users.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events.

Click on the Record Attendance button by the event you want to track. A new page will open where you will be able to choose between different options to record attendance for your event. Each option has a short description to help you choose which one suits you best.

Please Note:
Per the Event Funding Terms and Conditions, recording attendance is a required action item for user group leaders who wish to receive funding on an on-going basis. To receive event support a user group must:
1.  agree that their information will be provided to Microsoft in order to process the request
2.  be a GITCA, INETA or PASS Member Organization registered in UGSS
3.  ensure the information on the funding request form is complete
4.  confirm the number of expected attendees at the event
5.  be able to receive funds or support via http://www.AlertPay.com
6.  not have any outstanding event surveys from previous funding requests

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events. Next to the event you want you can click on the buttons to either Search for Sponsor or Search for Speaker (please note: if you did not mark these checkboxes when you created the event then the buttons will not appear here. In order to make the buttons visible, edit the event and select the options).

If you click on either button, a new page will open where you will find a list of speakers or sponsors. Next to each name there is a button to contact the speaker or the sponsor.

Click on the button and you will be able to insert a message.

Once you submit it, a success message will be displayed and an email will be sent to the speaker or sponsor with your proposal. If he/she agrees, you will be able to exchange contact information.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a User Group Events link under the EVENTS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of user group events. Next to each event is a button for deleting the event (x)

If you click on the (x) button next to the event in question, a confirmation popup will appear and you must click OK to permanently delete the event.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Add New Poll under the POLLS section.

Click on the link and a new page will open where you can set up a new poll for your user group members by filling in the form.

If you want to notify your members about the poll, you can select the option to send a notification email and some additional data will be displayed on the page. 

Select the members you want to notify - or check the All option - and click on > button to move them to the box on the right. You can edit the message in the space provided (you may use the available tags if needed), and if you want to see what the message looks like before sending click on Preview. Once you click on Submit, your poll will be created and an email will be sent to your members.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Poll Management under the POLLS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the polls you have set up.

Click on the Edit button next to the poll you want to change and click on Submit to save the changes you just made.

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Poll Management under the POLLS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the polls you have set up.

Click on the Stop button next to the poll you want to discontinue and it will no longer be active (the Stop button will be replaced with a Start button).

Go to http://www.usergroupsupportservices.com and log in (if you have multiple accounts, log in with the account you set your user group up with as the leader). Go to your user group's page. On the right hand side of the page you will see the Group Activities box and a link to Poll Management under the POLLS section.

Click on the link and you will see a list of the polls you have set up.

Click on the Delete button next to the poll and it will be deleted.