SharePoint Folder Organization

This page explains where committee materials belong, how committee members work with SharePoint files, and how staff/admin users keep shared folders visible in OneDrive.

Short Version

Every committee has two official places for committee-related materials:

• An Office folder for staff-facing committee work.
• A SharePoint folder/site for committee, volunteer, Board, and shared working materials.

Those folders provide a consistent structure so staff, volunteers, committee members, and Board members know where to find information. To make that system work, committee-related materials need to stay in those locations.

If there are office-only working documents, separate issues, drafts that do not belong in the committee record, or staff-only administration files, those should have their own workspace outside the committee folders.

Sharing A File With The Board Or A Committee

Do not use the Share button to give a Board or committee group access to a file. Instead, move the file into the SharePoint folder that belongs to that group. Access comes from membership in the group's SharePoint/Microsoft 365 group.

This matters because many Board and committee members use personal email addresses, such as Gmail. The Share or Copy link method works reliably only for users with @sandiahomeowners.org accounts. External members should access group files through the appropriate SharePoint site.

File-Sharing Decision Flow

Who needs the file?	Where should it go?	What should you do?
Office staff only	Board - Office or the matching committee Office folder	Move the file there. This is internal office working space.
Board members, including members using personal email addresses	Board - SharePoint	Move the file there. Board members open it from the Board SharePoint page.
Committee members, including members using personal email addresses	The matching committee - SharePoint folder/document library	Move the file there. Members open it from their committee SharePoint site.

The Reliable Board Workflow

1. Find the file in OneDrive or the Office folder.
2. Move it into Board - SharePoint.
3. Tell Board members to open the Board SharePoint page and locate the file.
4. If helpful, email the Board the folder name and file name. Do not use Share to create separate individual permissions.

Remember: Board - Office is for office staff work. Board - SharePoint forms the Board SharePoint document library and is the correct place for files Board members need to access.

The advantage of this slightly peculiar Microsoft arrangement is a clear separation between files intended for a specific group and files intended for general internal office use. The disadvantage is that Microsoft has once again made a folder name carry the emotional weight of a small policy manual.

Why This Matters

The goal is boring in the best possible way: people should know where things are.

When committee files live in predictable places:

• Staff can find the current working file without asking three people.
• Volunteers and committee members can use the same SharePoint links over time.
• Board members can review materials without hunting through personal folders.
• Role transitions are less painful because files are not trapped in one person's OneDrive.
• The committee record stays coherent.

What Belongs In Committee Folders

Use the committee Office folder or SharePoint folder for:

• Meeting materials
• Minutes and agendas
• Committee reports
• Working drafts that the committee needs
• Reference documents
• Photos or supporting materials for committee work
• Files that future committee members should be able to find

Do not keep committee materials only in a personal OneDrive folder, email attachment, desktop folder, or private side folder.

What Should Live Somewhere Else

Use a separate workspace outside the committee folders for:

• Office-only working notes
• Staff-only administration files
• Personnel or confidential documents
• One-off issues that are not part of the committee record
• Drafts that are not ready to share with the committee
• Separate projects that should not clutter the committee folder

If in doubt, ask: “Will a future committee chair, staff member, or Board member reasonably expect to find this in the committee record?” If yes, use the committee folder. If no, use a separate workspace.

Documents Shared With Board

To help preserve institutional knowledge and make important committee information easier to find, each committee SharePoint site now contains a folder called Documents Shared with Board.

These folders are linked from the Board SharePoint site, so Board members can access committee reference materials from a single location.

This area is for documents that should be available to Board members but are not necessarily appropriate for public distribution. Useful examples include:

• Legal analyses
• Committee procedures
• Information related to ongoing disputes or projects
• Committee charters
• Resident welcome materials
• Other enduring reference documents

At launch, these folders may be empty. Committee chairs should add useful files as they identify them. Office staff can also assist.

In general, use this space for enduring documents that Board members may need to reference months or years later. The goal is to keep important information from being buried in monthly meeting folders or old email threads.

Committee members have full read/write access to their respective committee SharePoint sites and can add documents as needed.

For the full list of direct links to committee SharePoint sites and document libraries, visit the Quick Links & Directory page and scroll to SharePoint Sites (Committee Document Libraries).

If you encounter issues or have suggestions for improvement, contact Anna or Heidi.

How Committee Members Add Or Remove Files

Committee members can create, upload, edit, move, and delete files within their committee's SharePoint document library. That includes members using SHHA Microsoft accounts and approved external accounts, as long as they are members of the committee's SharePoint/Microsoft 365 group.

To add a file:

1. Open the committee SharePoint site.
2. Open the Documents library.
3. Open the correct folder.
4. Use Upload for an existing file, or New to create a new Word, Excel, PowerPoint, folder, or other supported file.
5. Confirm the file appears in the committee folder, not in a personal OneDrive folder.

To edit, move, rename, or delete a file:

1. Open the file or select it in the Documents library.
2. Use the toolbar or right-click menu for actions such as Rename, Move to, Copy to, or Delete.
3. For shared committee materials, prefer Move to over downloading and re-uploading. That keeps version history and links more intact.

Small caution: because committee members have write access, deleting or moving files affects everyone. If a folder looks old but might be part of the committee record, ask before tidying it into oblivion. SharePoint has a recycle bin, but “let's not test the recycle bin today” is usually the happier workflow.

Adding A SharePoint Folder To OneDrive

Use this when a committee chair, staff member, or volunteer wants a SharePoint folder to appear in OneDrive for convenient access.

1. Navigate to the committee SharePoint site.
2. Open the Documents library.
3. Select the folder you wish to add.
4. Click Add shortcut to OneDrive on the toolbar.

The folder will then appear in your OneDrive alongside your other files and folders. This does not create a copy of the folder. It creates a shortcut to the original SharePoint location, so everyone is still working from the same committee files.

Microsoft sometimes changes labels. If you see Add shortcut to My files instead of Add shortcut to OneDrive, that is the same basic action.

Committee SharePoint Permissions

Each committee SharePoint site is managed through a SharePoint/Microsoft 365 group. Members of that committee group have write access to the committee's document library, whether they use an SHHA account or an approved external account.

Changes to committee group membership automatically update access to the committee's SharePoint documents.

Office staff can manage committee membership and access permissions through Microsoft 365 by:

1. Opening the committee SharePoint site.
2. Selecting Site permissions from the Settings menu.
3. Adding or removing members from the committee group as needed.

If staff cannot see Site permissions, or if a member still cannot access the folder after being added, contact IT Help.

How The Shared Folders Are Created

Anna's Microsoft account is currently the practical starting point for these shared folders because she is the de facto Microsoft administrator for day-to-day SHHA work.

The normal pattern is:

1. Anna creates or owns the shared folder.
2. Anna shares it with the users who need to stay in sync, such as Trish and Admin.
3. Each recipient accepts or opens the shared folder.
4. Each recipient adds the shared folder to their own OneDrive workspace so it stays easy to find.

This avoids everyone keeping separate copies of the same folder.

How A Recipient Adds A Shared Folder In OneDrive

Use this path when Anna or another user has shared a folder directly with you, rather than when you are starting from a SharePoint site.

1. Go to onedrive.com and sign in with the correct Microsoft account.
2. In the left sidebar, click Shared.
3. Open Shared with you.
4. Find the folder that was shared with you.
5. Select the folder.
6. Choose Add shortcut to My files.
7. The folder should now appear in My files in OneDrive.
8. If the OneDrive desktop sync app is running, the shortcut should also appear locally through OneDrive.

The important action is adding a shortcut. That creates a shortcut to the shared folder. It does not make a separate copy.

Important OneDrive Notes

• Do not download the folder and re-upload it somewhere else.
• Do not make a separate copy unless there is a specific reason.
• Do not rename or move the top-level shared folder shortcut casually; it can confuse everyone trying to use the same structure.
• Work inside the shared folder so everyone sees the same current files.
• If the folder does not appear under Shared, ask Anna to confirm it was shared with the correct account.
• If the shortcut does not sync locally, open OneDrive on the web first and confirm the folder appears under My files.

Office Folder Versus SharePoint Folder

Use the Office folder for staff-centered committee support work that needs to stay coordinated among office/admin users.

Use the SharePoint folder/site for committee-facing materials and documents that volunteers, committee members, Board members, or future role holders need to access.

Both matter. The main rule is not “everything goes everywhere.” The rule is “committee-related materials belong in the official committee structure, and unrelated/private work belongs somewhere else.”

If Something Looks Wrong

Contact ITHelp@sandiahomeowners.org if:

• You cannot see a shared folder Anna said she shared.
• You accidentally made a duplicate copy and are not sure which one is current.
• A committee folder seems to be missing expected files.
• A folder appears under the wrong account.
• OneDrive sync is showing errors.
• A committee member was added but still cannot access the SharePoint site.

Include the folder name, the account you are signed in with, and a screenshot if possible.