Online Facility Reservations FAQs: Using Online Platforms to Reserve Troop Meetings and Service Unit Events

Several school districts in the GSNorCal council area now use online platforms, such as, Civic Permits, Facilitron, or SchoolDude to manage facility reservations for their schools. When a volunteer creates an account and makes a reservation with one of these services for their Girl Scout meeting or activity, it makes them liable for any damages made on the property during their event. We have created a system to redirect the liability to GSNorCal by adding volunteers as users of the Girl Scouts of Northern California Council account. 

In order to be added to accounts for Civic Permits or Facilitron, please email insurance@gsnorcal.org with the following info:

  • Your name and role in your Troop or Service Unit (i.e. Troop Leader)
  • Troop/Service Unit Number
  • The email address you would like associated with your online account
  • Your phone number
  • Name of your school district
  • Name of the school you would like to create reservations at

If you already have an online account with your school district, email insurance@gsnorcal.org to inform the Risk Management team that you already have an account so that some adjustments can be made to make your account compliant.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between the different online facility reservation platforms?

A: Each district dictates which platform is used for the use of their facilities. The two main platforms used by districts in our Council are Facilitron and Civic Permits. For Facilitron, you will be an authorized user of the GSNorCal council account. For Civic Permits, you will have your own account that GSNorCal must maintain access to in order to keep your Certificates of Insurance up to date and make sure your account is in compliance. If you are unsure which platform your district uses, email insurance@gsnorcal.org and we can help you sort it out.

Q: My reservation is flagged because of an issue with my Certificate of Insurance (or a missing Certificate of Insurance). What should I do?

A: Please email insurance@gsnorcal.org with your reservation number and account login email so that we can assist you with the Certificate of Insurance.

Q: Does GSNorCal dictate what fees I will be charged for my reservation?

A: The fees presented during checkout on the online reservation platforms are calculated per the school district’s policy for their particular schedule, time, and date of a request. These estimates may include services not specifically requested, but required by the school district – such as custodial, supplies, or utilities. These are set by the district and GSNorCal is not able to request changes to the fees. Facilitron charges a non-refundable application fee. Your troop/service unit will still be expected to pay this fee, even if you cancel or change your reservation. If you have questions or concerns about the fees charged for reservations, you should contact your school district or site contact directly.

Q: Once my account is created or brought into compliance with GSNorCal’s policies, will I have full access/control over my reservations?

A: You will manage your own reservations with the exception of Certificates of Insurance, which in most cases, the Risk Management team will upload directly for you. We ask that you do not make any changes to the information added to your account by GSNorCal (i.e. contact information, address, etc.), as these items are required to match what is listed on the Certificate of Insurance in order to remain compliant and to ensure that your reservation is not canceled. 

Q: If I already have my own account, will I need to recreate reservations when I am added to GSNorCal’s account?

A: Sometimes, there is a flaw in the system (specifically Facilitron) when an existing user is added to the GSNorCal umbrella account that prevents existing reservations from being transferred over. If this is the case, the Risk Management team may ask you to recreate the reservation if you have not already paid, or may provide the Certificate of Insurance to you directly to upload into the reservation.

Resources

Planning Your Troop Meeting

Safety-Wise: Meeting Place Considerations

Money: Contracts and Certificates of Insurance