Black Spend Connect

Welcome to Black Spend Connect

Black Spend Connect is the Gulf Coast Region's tool for the Bigger and Better Business (BBB) program. Brothers log their spending with Black-owned businesses. Directors see live, rolled-up totals for their chapter, state, and the region. The app also maintains an A-Z directory of every Black-owned business entered by members.

No training required: every screen is designed to be self-explanatory on a phone.

Video walkthrough: signing up, the dashboard, logging a purchase, the roster, sponsors, leaderboard, settings, and claiming a business.

Getting Started: Signing Up & Signing In

Creating Your Account

You need your chapter's invite code to sign up. Ask your Chapter Director if you don't have one. The code looks like AAS-TX-531.

1. Go to blackspendconnect.com and tap Create an account.
2. Enter your full name, email address, and chapter invite code.
3. Tap Send me a sign-in link.
4. Open the email and tap Sign in, or type the 6-digit code from the email into the app. You're in, no password needed.

Left: creating a new account with your chapter invite code. Right: returning members sign in with just their email address.

Signing Back In

You stay signed in on your device until you sign out. To sign in again:

1. Tap Sign in and enter your email address.
2. Tap Send sign-in code.
3. The email has a Sign in button and a 6-digit code. Tap the button, or type the code into the box that appears in the app.

• Each code and link works once. The code expires after 15 minutes and the link after an hour. If yours has expired, request a new one.
• New codes are limited to one a minute. If you ask again too soon, the app reminds you to check for the email that's already on its way.
• Signing in never creates an account. If you see No account yet, that email address hasn't signed up. Create an account with your chapter's invite code first.

Your Dashboard

The dashboard is your home screen after signing in. The Log a purchase button sits near the top, followed by your personal spend totals, your chapter's progress toward its goal, and quick links to the rest of the app.

The member dashboard: platform sponsors, the Log a Purchase button, your personal totals, and goal progress.

• Platform Sponsors: businesses that sponsor the platform appear at the top. Tap Visit → to learn more about them.
• Log a purchase: the big blue button is the main action, placed above your totals so it's always within reach. Tap it whenever you make a purchase.
• Total spend / Purchases: your personal totals for the current tracking period. The Regional Director decides when a period starts, for example January 1 for a new year.
• Repeating: if you have any monthly repeating purchases, a link appears next to Purchases showing how many. Tap it to review or stop them. Nothing shows here until you set one up.
• By Category: tap the arrow to expand a breakdown of your spending by business type.
• Progress Toward Goals: tap to see your chapter, state, and region progress bars against their spend goals.
• Bottom row: Business Roster, Sponsors, Leaderboard.

Logging a Purchase

Every time you buy from a Black-owned business, log it here. The entry takes about 30 seconds.

The purchase form. Start by attaching a receipt photo, and the app fills in the details automatically.

1. Attach a receipt (optional but recommended): tap Take photo or choose file. Accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, PDF up to 3 MB. The app reads the receipt and fills in the amount, date, business name and address when it can make them out, so check them before you save.
2. Amount (USD): enter the dollar amount you spent.
3. Date: defaults to today. Change it if you're logging a past purchase; future dates aren't accepted.
4. This repeats every month (optional): tick this if the purchase is a monthly one, like a gym membership or an insurance premium. See Monthly Recurring Purchases.
5. Business name: type the name. If the business is already in the roster, it will match automatically. New businesses are added to the roster for everyone.
6. Address, City, State: helps identify the location. Address is optional.
7. Category: pick the closest match from the list.
8. Tap Log purchase.

If a receipt fails to upload, your purchase is still saved and counted. Keep the paper receipt in case it's needed.

Monthly Recurring Purchases

Some purchases are the same every month: a gym membership, an insurance premium, a subscription. Rather than logging them again each month, tell the app once and it will log them for you.

Setting one up

When you log the purchase, tick This repeats every month before tapping Log purchase. The note underneath tells you exactly what will happen, using the amount and date you entered, for example "Logs $45.00 at this business on the 15th of each month until you stop it."

The checkbox sits just under the date. The note beneath it updates as you fill in the amount and date, so you can see exactly what will repeat before you save.

• The purchase you are logging right now counts straight away, as normal.
• From the following month onward, the app logs the same amount at the same business automatically.
• It repeats on the same day of the month as the purchase date you chose.
• If you pick the 29th, 30th or 31st, shorter months use their last day, so the 31st becomes the 30th in June and the 28th in February. It is never skipped.

Seeing and stopping them

Once you have at least one, a repeating link appears on your dashboard next to Purchases. Tap it to open Recurring purchases.

The Recurring purchases screen. Each repeat shows its amount, the day it repeats on, and a running total of everything it has logged.

Each one shows the business, the amount, the day it repeats on, and how much it has logged so far, for example "2 logged so far, $90.00 in total." That running total is worth a glance now and then: it is the quickest way to spot a repeat for something you have since cancelled.

Tap Stop next to any of them and confirm. It stops immediately and nothing further is logged.

• Stopping keeps your history. Everything already logged stays and still counts. You are only stopping future months.
• Automatic entries have no receipt. Only the first purchase, the one you logged by hand, has the receipt you attached.
• The amount is fixed. If your monthly cost changes, stop the old repeat and set up a new one at the new amount.
• Changing chapters is handled. If you transfer, future months count toward your new chapter automatically.

Business Roster

The roster is an A-Z directory of every Black-owned business that members have logged spending with. It builds itself: every new business name entered on the spend form automatically appears here.

The roster lists businesses alphabetically with category and location. Filter by state or category using the dropdowns.

• Search: type any part of a business name to filter the list.
• Filter by state or category: use the two dropdowns to narrow results.
• This is my business: if you own one of the listed businesses, tap this button to claim it and take control of the listing.
• Manage (directors only): a link at the top of the roster for cleaning up listings. See For Chapter Directors.

Claiming Your Business

Business owners who are also members can claim their listing to add a description, logo, website, and contact info, and to access sponsorship and ad options.

1. Find your business on the Business Roster.
2. Tap This is my business next to your listing.
3. Your claim goes to the Regional Director for review. Your listing shows Claim pending until they decide.
4. There's no message when it's approved, so check back on the roster. Once approved, a Manage button appears next to your business in place of the claim button.

Managing Your Business Listing

Once your claim is approved, tap Manage next to your business on the roster. That opens your Manage My Business page, where you edit your profile, purchase sponsorships, and create ads.

The business profile section. Keep your name, city, category, and description up to date; this is what members see.

Editing Your Profile

• Business name: the name that appears everywhere in the app.
• Address / City / State: helps members find you.
• Category: pick the one that best describes your business.
• Description: write a short pitch. This appears on your sponsor card if you're a Gold or Platinum sponsor.

Tap Save changes to update your listing immediately.

Becoming a Sponsor

Sponsoring gives your business more visibility to members across the Gulf Coast Region. Choose a tier from the Become a Sponsor section on your Manage My Business page.

The three self-service sponsorship tiers, each with its own Become a Sponsor button.

How payment works. Online payment is paused for now, so a tier's button (for example Become a Gold Sponsor) opens a short sponsorship request form. It goes to the Regional Director, who will contact you to arrange payment and set up your sponsorship. When online payment returns, the same button will open a secure card checkout instead.

Renewing or Upgrading

Platinum sponsorships are in perpetuity, with no renewal needed. For Gold and Silver, a Renew button appears on your Manage My Business page when it's time to renew. You can upgrade to a higher tier at any time; the new tier's term starts from the payment date. While online payment is paused, Renew and upgrade buttons open the same request form.

Platform sponsors see their current status and a note to contact the Regional Director for renewal.

Creating an Ad

Ads are image banners that run in the app for 30 days. Choose a placement from the Create an Ad section on your Manage My Business page, then upload your banner there. Every member who opens the pages listed below sees your ad.

Online payment is paused for now, so tapping the placement's button (for example Purchase Header Ad) opens a request form for the Regional Director. They'll contact you to arrange payment, and you send them your banner image to put up for you.

Uploading your banner

This applies once online payment returns. The placement's button then opens a secure card checkout, and you upload the banner yourself. After you pay, the placement shows an Awaiting banner badge with an upload form. Choose your image, add your website if you want members to be able to tap through to it, and tap Upload banner and go live. Your ad starts appearing right away.

A paid Header Ad waiting for its banner. Choose your image, add your website if you like, and tap Upload banner and go live.

• Image: JPG, PNG, or WebP, up to 2 MB. A wide image works best, about 4 to 1 (for example 1200 × 300 pixels).
• Website: optional. Typing yourbusiness.com is fine.

Changing or renewing your ad

Running ads show an Active badge, a preview of your banner, and the expiration date. Tap Change banner or website to swap the image or link at any time; the expiration date stays the same. Tap Renew to add another 30 days to the end of your current ad. Your banner carries over, so there's nothing to upload again.

If your ad shows Paused, the Regional Director has turned it off. Contact them to have it turned back on.

Sponsors Page

The Sponsors page shows all active business sponsors, organized by tier. Filter by category or state to find sponsors in your area or industry.

Platform sponsors appear at the top with their full logo and description. Gold sponsors show a card with logo and contact info.

Leaderboard

The leaderboard ranks members and chapters by total spending logged. It covers the full region and breaks down by state and chapter.

Top members and chapters: region-wide, then by state, then by chapter. Member names are blurred in this guide; in the app you see them in full.

Privacy

You control whether your name appears on the leaderboard. Go to Settings → Leaderboard and switch it from Visible on leaderboard to Hidden from leaderboard to take part privately. Your spending still counts toward chapter, state, and region totals; you just won't appear by name.

Settings & Role Preview

Tap Settings in the top-right corner of any page to access your account settings.

Settings: leaderboard visibility, push notifications, a link to this guide, and (for directors and admins) Role Preview.

Leaderboard Privacy

Use the switch to choose whether your name and spend total appear in the rankings. It reads Visible on leaderboard or Hidden from leaderboard.

Help

The Help section has an Open User Guide button that brings you back to this guide.

Role Preview (Directors & Admin only)

Directors can switch their view to see the app exactly as a Brother sees it, without needing a separate account. The Role Preview selector appears in Settings only for users with a director or admin role.

When a role preview is active, a yellow banner at the top of your dashboard reminds you which role you're previewing. Tap Change role in the banner or go back to Settings to switch back. Signing out also ends a role preview, so whoever signs in next on that device always sees their own view.

For Chapter Directors

Chapter Directors get a chapter dashboard in place of the member dashboard, with totals for everyone in the chapter.

The chapter dashboard: chapter-wide totals, the chapter goal and the form to set it, and the same quick links members have.

• Chapter totals: Total spend and Purchases count everyone in your chapter, not just you. To see your own personal totals, use Role Preview → Brother in Settings.
• See who has signed up: tap Members at the top of your chapter dashboard, next to Settings. It lists every Brother who has joined with your chapter's invite code, with the date they joined. Use it to see who still needs to sign up.
• Run a spend report: tap Reports at the top of your chapter dashboard. Pick a start and end date, or tap a shortcut for year to date, the last completed quarter, this quarter so far, the previous full month or this month so far. You'll see your chapter's total, then each Brother who logged spend in that range, highest first. Tap a Brother to see where the money went: each business with the combined amount, and a number in brackets when there was more than one purchase there. The report only ever covers your own chapter. To keep or share a copy, tap Export to PDF under the chapter total: it downloads a formatted report with your chapter name, date range and the fraternity crest at the top, each Brother's businesses and subtotal, and a grand total at the bottom. On a phone, the PDF opens with a share button so you can save it to Files or send it.
• Set your chapter's goal: enter a dollar amount in the goal form and tap Set goal. The chapter progress bar on every member's dashboard tracks against it.
• Clean up the roster: on the Business Roster, tap Manage at the top to verify, edit and merge business listings your chapter's members have logged.
• Invite new members: share your chapter's invite code. New members need it to sign up.

A chapter report for January to June, with one Brother opened to show spend grouped by business.

Video walkthrough: the chapter dashboard and vendor roster management (verify, edit, merge).

For State Directors

State Directors get a state dashboard with totals rolled up across every chapter in their state.

The state dashboard: state totals, the chapter list, and the state goal with the form to set it.

• State totals: Total spend and Purchases across every chapter in your state.
• Chapters: expand the list to see each chapter's total, then tap one to drill into it. From a chapter's page, Reports shows that chapter's spend by Brother for any date range, the same report its Chapter Director sees.
• Set your state's goal: enter a dollar amount and tap Set goal. The state progress bar on members' dashboards tracks against it.
• Clean up the roster: the same Manage link on the Business Roster that Chapter Directors use.
• Use Role Preview → Brother in Settings to see the member view and your own totals.

Video walkthrough: the state dashboard, drilling into a chapter, and vendor roster management.

For Regional Directors

The Regional Director has full visibility into every chapter across Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. The dashboard's Admin panel button opens these tabs: Counter, Ads, Sponsors, Claims, Directors, Reports and Notifications. Each is covered below.

The Regional Director dashboard shows the region total, per-state drill-down, goal progress, and quick access to the Admin panel.

Region Dashboard

• Total spend & purchase count: live region-wide totals.
• By Category: expand to see the breakdown by business type across the entire region.
• Progress Toward Goals: the region goal bar tracks against the configured target.
• States: tap any state to drill into its chapter-level breakdown.

Counter & Goals

Counter settings: pause/resume, set goal, set counter start date, and reset.

Go to Admin panel → Counter to manage the region-wide counter:

• Pause / Resume: freeze or unfreeze the public counter display.
• Set Goal: set the region-wide spend goal that drives the progress bar on every dashboard.
• Set Counter Start Date: pick a specific date (e.g., January 1 for a new year) so dashboards only show entries logged after that date. Use this instead of a full reset when starting a new tracking period.
• Clear Start Date: remove the start date to show all-time totals again.
• Reset Counter: sets the start date to right now. Entries are never deleted; only the displayed totals are affected.

The counter settings page shows who last changed the settings and when.

Managing Ads

The RD ad management screen: add, edit, delete, and toggle individual ads.

Go to Admin panel → Ads to add, remove, or toggle individual ads. Upload an image, set a destination URL, assign a slot (Header, Footer, or Inline), and toggle each ad active or inactive.

Managing Sponsors

Go to Admin panel → Sponsors to add, edit, or deactivate sponsors at any tier (Platform, Platinum, Gold, Silver). Upload logos, enter contact info, and set expiration dates. Sponsors expiring within 30 days are flagged so renewals aren't missed.

Business Claim Approvals

When a member submits "This is my business," you'll need to approve or deny the claim. Claims appear in Admin panel → Claims. Once approved, the owner gains access to their Manage My Business page where they can edit their listing, purchase sponsorships, and create ads.

Appointing Directors

Go to Admin panel → Directors to appoint Chapter and State Directors, or step them back down, without any technical help.

• The page lists every sitting Chapter and State Director. Search by name or email to find any member.
• One tap moves a member between Brother, Chapter Director and State Director, in either direction.
• A director's reach comes from their chapter: a Chapter Director oversees that chapter, and a State Director oversees every chapter in its state. So a member needs a chapter before they can be appointed.
• The change takes effect the next time the member opens a page. They don't need to sign out.

Reports

Go to Admin panel → Reports. The page has two reports.

• Spend by date range: pick a start and end date, or tap a shortcut for year to date, the last completed quarter, this quarter so far, the previous full month or this month so far. You'll see the region total, then each state, then each chapter, highest spend first.
• Chapter participation: tap to open it. The heading shows how many chapters have at least one member signed up (for example, 18 of 63). Inside, chapters with members are grouped by state with a member count beside each. At the bottom, tap the line about chapters with no members to see which ones still need outreach.

The Chapter participation report, opened. If any members have no chapter set, an amber note says how many; the Admin can fix that under Admin Config → Users.

Sending Push Notifications

Go to Admin panel → Notifications to send an announcement to members' phones and browsers.

1. Choose who receives it: All members, a Specific state, a Specific chapter, or Directors only.
2. Write a short title and a message of one or two sentences.
3. Optionally, enter the page it should open when tapped, such as /spend/new. Leave it blank to open the dashboard.
4. Check the preview, then send.

Only members who have turned on notifications in Settings receive them. Past notifications are listed under the form with their audience and how many devices they reached.

For the Admin

The Admin account has access to everything the Regional Director has, plus a separate configuration area at /admin-config with these tabs: Reports, Ads, Sponsors, Users, Directors and Notifications. Directors and Notifications work exactly as described for the Regional Director above.

Admin Config: Reports

Date range spend reports let you answer questions like "what was total spend for Q1?" Quick shortcuts for year to date, the last completed quarter, this quarter so far, the previous full month, and this month so far. Results show region total → state subtotals → chapter breakdowns, sorted by spend (highest first).

The reports page with date range picker and quick-range shortcuts.

Admin Config: Ads

Controls ad placement settings that are separate from the ad content the Regional Director manages:

• Master Toggle: enable or disable all ad rendering globally. When off, no ads appear anywhere in the app.
• Per-Slot Toggles: independently enable or disable Header, Footer, and Inline ad slots. Per-slot toggles only apply when the master toggle is on.
• Sort Order: set the display order for each ad within its slot (lower number = shown first).
• Pin: pin one specific ad per slot to always show it instead of rotating. Pinning a new ad automatically unpins the previous one in that slot.

Ad settings: master toggle, per-slot toggles, sort order, and pinning controls.

Admin Config: Sponsors

Controls Platform and Platinum sponsor placement:

• Dashboard Count: set how many Platform sponsor cards appear on the brother dashboard, from 1 to 6.
• Sort Order & Pinning: control display position for Platform sponsors on the dashboard and Platinum sponsors on the Log a Purchase screen.

Sponsor sort order, pinning, and dashboard count settings.

Admin Config: Users

The full member list. Search by name or email, and see when each member was last active.

• Edit a member's name, email address, role and chapter. This is the only place the Regional Director and Admin roles can be granted.
• Changing a member's email address changes the address they sign in with.
• Delete removes a member and signs them out on every device at once.

Role Preview

The Admin can preview any role in the app (Regional Director, State Director, Chapter Director, or Brother) using Settings → Role Preview. This lets you see exactly what each role sees without needing separate test accounts. The admin has full data access when previewing any role, so dashboards will show real data at whatever scope the previewed role would see.

Push Notifications

Black Spend Connect can send push notifications to your phone or desktop browser. To enable them:

1. Go to Settings (tap the link in the top-right corner of any page).
2. Under Push Notifications, tap Enable Notifications.
3. Your browser asks for permission. Tap Allow, and Settings then shows Notifications enabled on this device.

Notifications are set up per device, so turn them on separately on your phone and your computer if you want both. To turn them off, use your phone's or browser's notification settings for Black Spend Connect; there's no off switch inside the app.

Getting Help

• Forgot your invite code? Ask your Chapter Director.
• Can't sign in? Request a new code. Each code and link works once; codes last 15 minutes and links an hour. On iPhone, type the code instead of tapping the link.
• Seeing "No account yet"? That email address hasn't signed up. Create an account with your chapter's invite code.
• Receipt didn't upload? Your purchase is still saved and counted. Keep the paper receipt in case it's needed.
• Need to stop a monthly purchase? Tap repeating next to Purchases on your dashboard, then Stop.
• Business not on the roster? Log a purchase with that business name and it will appear automatically.
• Want to claim your business? Find it on the roster and tap This is my business. The Regional Director will review your claim.
• Technical issues? Contact your Chapter Director or the Regional Director.