Simplify Internal Data Collection with Microsoft Lists Forms

Today, let’s tackle travel requests! Instead of scattered emails and lost paperwork, we’ll create a Travel Request Form with an Approval Workflow—all within Microsoft Lists, with zero tech headaches. Utilize this template to make customized versions for your nonprofit’s many needs! (Please note, this process currently only works for internal organization members. To automate forms to a Microsoft or SharePoint List designed to include external users you can do so in Power Automate. Blog coming soon.)

✈️ The Use Case: Travel Request Form with Approvals

Your nonprofit’s employees travel for conferences, donor meetings, and outreach programs. Managing travel requests manually? No thanks! With Microsoft Lists Forms, you can:

✅ Collect travel details effortlessly 📝
✅ Automate approvals with built-in workflows ✅
✅ Keep everything neat and organized in one place 📂

Let’s build it step by step!

✍️ Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Travel Request Form in Microsoft Lists

Step 1: Get Started with Microsoft Lists

• Go to Microsoft365.com > sign in with your organizational credentials > Open Microsoft Lists from your Microsoft 365 app launcher in the upper left corner.

• Click + New List and select the "Travel Requests with Approvals" template.

• Name your list "Travel Requests" and hit Create.
  
  

🎉 Why this template? It comes pre-configured with the necessary fields and an approval workflow—so you can skip the manual setup!

Step 2: Create Your Form in Just a Few Clicks

• Click Forms in the toolbar to open the pre-made travel request form.

• Select New Form
  
  

• Customize your Form

o   Give it a title, add a logo, show or hide certain fields, choose a new theme and pick your settings.

o   Preview your form by selecting Preview in the top right corner.

• When you are ready to share your form select Send Form in the top right corner.

• Click Copy Link to generate a shareable form link.

• Share it via email, Teams chat or post it on SharePoint so employees can easily submit requests.
  
  

Step 3: Collect & Store Responses Automatically

• Employees fill out the form, and their responses automatically populate your “Travel Requests” list.

• No more messy email chains—everything stays in one place!
  
  
  

Step 4: Approvals on Autopilot with Power Automate ⚡

Since we used the Travel Requests with Approvals template, the approval workflow is already built-in. Here’s how it works:

• When an employee submits a request, the list admin can submit the request for approval and the designated approver gets notified automatically.
• The list admin will go to the list item and select the Not submitted button under approval status.
• Fill out the approver details and select submit. The Approval Status will change to Requested

• Approvers can approve or reject with a single click from Teams, email, or Power Automate.
• The Approval Status field updates in real time in the list.
  
  

Step 5: Manage and Analyze Requests Like a Pro

Now that everything’s flowing smoothly, here’s how you can use the data:

📊 View and track all travel requests in one place
🔎 Sort, filter, and analyze requests to see trends
🔔 Get automatic updates when approvals are completed

🎯 Why Nonprofits Will Love This!

💨 Efficiency: The pre-built template means you can start using it immediately without having to build in Power Automate.
📏 Consistency: Collect standardized travel request data with pre-set fields.
🎭 Customization: Tailor workflows to match your nonprofit’s policies.

By leveraging Microsoft Lists Forms, your nonprofit can automate travel requests, eliminate bottlenecks, and focus on what matters most—your mission!

🚀 Ready to transform how your nonprofit handles travel approvals? Try it today and make administrative headaches a thing of the past!