diff --git a/src/views/ContactsView.vue b/src/views/ContactsView.vue
index 0ecb8d27..c6647bad 100644
--- a/src/views/ContactsView.vue
+++ b/src/views/ContactsView.vue
@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@
       </li>
     </ul>
   </section>
+  <div v-bind:class="computedAlertClassNames()">
+    <button
+      class="close-button bg-slate-200 w-8 leading-loose rounded-full absolute top-2 right-2"
+      @click="onClickClose()"
+    >
+      <fa icon="xmark"></fa>
+    </button>
+    <h4 class="font-bold pr-5">{{ alertTitle }}</h4>
+    <p>{{ alertMessage }}</p>
+  </div>
 </template>
 
 <script lang="ts">
@@ -126,7 +136,7 @@ import { AppString } from "@/constants/app";
 import { accessToken, SimpleSigner } from "@/libs/crypto";
 import { IIdentifier } from "@veramo/core";
 import { db } from "../db";
-import { Contact } from "../db/tables/contacts.ts";
+import { Contact } from "../db/tables/contacts";
 
 export interface GiveVerifiableCredential {
   "@context": string;
@@ -143,11 +153,11 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
   contacts: Array<Contact> = [];
   contactInput = "";
   // { "did:...": amount } entry for each contact
-  givenByMeTotals = {};
+  givenByMeTotals: Record<string, number> = {};
   // { "did:...": amount } entry for each contact
-  givenToMeTotals = {};
-  hourInput = 0;
-  identity: IIdentifier = null;
+  givenToMeTotals: Record<string, number> = {};
+  hourInput = "0";
+  identity: IIdentifier | null = null;
   errorMessage = "";
   showGiveTotals = false;
 
@@ -165,7 +175,7 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
     }
   }
 
-  async onClickNewContact(): void {
+  async onClickNewContact(): Promise<void> {
     let did = this.contactInput;
     let name, publicKeyBase64;
     const commaPos1 = this.contactInput.indexOf(",");
@@ -184,6 +194,13 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
   }
 
   async loadGives() {
+    if (!this.identity) {
+      console.error(
+        "Attempted to load Give records with no identity available."
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     const endorserApiServer = AppString.DEFAULT_ENDORSER_API_SERVER;
 
     // load all the time I have given
@@ -191,7 +208,7 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
       const url =
         endorserApiServer +
         "/api/v2/report/gives?agentId=" +
-        encodeURIComponent(this.identity.did);
+        encodeURIComponent(this.identity?.did);
       const token = await accessToken(this.identity);
       const headers = {
         "Content-Type": "application/json",
@@ -200,11 +217,12 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
       const resp = await this.axios.get(url, { headers });
       //console.log("Server response", resp.status, resp.data);
       if (resp.status === 200) {
-        const contactTotals = {};
+        const contactTotals: Record<string, number> = {};
         for (const give of resp.data.data) {
           if (give.unit == "HUR") {
-            const prevAmount = contactTotals[give.recipientDid] || 0;
-            contactTotals[give.recipientDid] = prevAmount + give.amount;
+            const recipDid: string = give.recipientDid;
+            const prevAmount = contactTotals[recipDid] || 0;
+            contactTotals[recipDid] = prevAmount + give.amount;
           }
         }
         //console.log("Done retrieving gives", contactTotals);
@@ -228,7 +246,7 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
       const resp = await this.axios.get(url, { headers });
       //console.log("Server response", resp.status, resp.data);
       if (resp.status === 200) {
-        const contactTotals = {};
+        const contactTotals: Record<string, number> = {};
         for (const give of resp.data.data) {
           if (give.unit == "HUR") {
             const prevAmount = contactTotals[give.agentDid] || 0;
@@ -244,27 +262,31 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
   }
 
   // from https://stackoverflow.com/a/175787/845494
-  private isNumeric(str): boolean {
-    return !isNaN(str) && !isNaN(parseFloat(str));
+  //
+  private isNumeric(str: string): boolean {
+    return !isNaN(+str);
   }
 
-  private contactForDid(contacts: Array<Contact>, did: string): Contact {
-    return R.find((con) => con.did == did, contacts);
+  private nameForDid(contacts: Array<Contact>, did: string): string {
+    const contact = R.find((con) => con.did == did, contacts);
+    return contact?.name || "this unnamed user";
   }
 
-  async onClickAddGive(fromDid: string, toDid: string): void {
+  async onClickAddGive(fromDid: string, toDid: string): Promise<void> {
     if (!this.hourInput) {
       this.errorMessage = "Giving 0 hours does nothing.";
     } else if (!this.isNumeric(this.hourInput)) {
       this.errorMessage =
         "This is not a valid number of hours: " + this.hourInput;
+    } else if (!this.identity) {
+      this.errorMessage = "No identity is available.";
     } else {
       this.errorMessage = "";
       let toFrom;
-      if (fromDid == this.identity.did) {
-        toFrom = "to " + this.contactForDid(this.contacts, toDid).name;
+      if (fromDid == this.identity?.did) {
+        toFrom = "to " + this.nameForDid(this.contacts, toDid);
       } else {
-        toFrom = "from " + this.contactForDid(this.contacts, fromDid).name;
+        toFrom = "from " + this.nameForDid(this.contacts, fromDid);
       }
       if (
         confirm(
@@ -275,16 +297,22 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
             "?"
         )
       ) {
-        this.createAndSubmitGive(fromDid, toDid, parseFloat(this.hourInput));
+        this.createAndSubmitGive(
+          this.identity,
+          fromDid,
+          toDid,
+          parseFloat(this.hourInput)
+        );
       }
     }
   }
 
   private async createAndSubmitGive(
+    identity: IIdentifier,
     fromDid: string,
     toDid: string,
     amount: number
-  ): void {
+  ): Promise<void> {
     // Make a claim
     const vcClaim: GiveVerifiableCredential = {
       "@context": "https://schema.org",
@@ -302,15 +330,15 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
       },
     };
     // Create a signature using private key of identity
-    if (this.identity.keys[0].privateKeyHex !== null) {
+    if (identity.keys[0].privateKeyHex !== null) {
       // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
-      const privateKeyHex: string = this.identity.keys[0].privateKeyHex!;
+      const privateKeyHex: string = identity.keys[0].privateKeyHex!;
       const signer = await SimpleSigner(privateKeyHex);
       const alg = undefined;
       // Create a JWT for the request
       const vcJwt: string = await didJwt.createJWT(vcPayload, {
         alg: alg,
-        issuer: this.identity.did,
+        issuer: identity.did,
         signer: signer,
       });
 
@@ -319,7 +347,7 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
       const payload = JSON.stringify({ jwtEncoded: vcJwt });
       const endorserApiServer = AppString.DEFAULT_ENDORSER_API_SERVER;
       const url = endorserApiServer + "/api/v2/claim";
-      const token = await accessToken(this.identity);
+      const token = await accessToken(identity);
       const headers = {
         "Content-Type": "application/json",
         Authorization: "Bearer " + token,
@@ -327,12 +355,12 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
 
       try {
         const resp = await this.axios.post(url, payload, { headers });
-        console.log("Got resp data:", resp.data);
+        //console.log("Got resp data:", resp.data);
         if (resp.data?.success?.handleId) {
           this.errorMessage = "";
           this.alertTitle = "";
           this.alertMessage = "";
-          if (fromDid === this.identity.did) {
+          if (fromDid === identity.did) {
             this.givenByMeTotals[toDid] = this.givenByMeTotals[toDid] + amount;
             // do this to update the UI
             // eslint-disable-next-line no-self-assign
@@ -359,7 +387,6 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
             this.alertMessage = JSON.stringify(serverError.toJSON());
           }
         } else {
-          console.log("Here's the full error trying to save the claim:", error);
           this.alertTitle = "Claim Error";
           this.alertMessage = error as string;
         }
@@ -368,5 +395,32 @@ export default class ContactsView extends Vue {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  alertTitle = "";
+  alertMessage = "";
+  isAlertVisible = false;
+
+  public onClickClose() {
+    this.isAlertVisible = false;
+    this.alertTitle = "";
+    this.alertMessage = "";
+  }
+
+  public computedAlertClassNames() {
+    return {
+      hidden: !this.isAlertVisible,
+      "dismissable-alert": true,
+      "bg-slate-100": true,
+      "p-5": true,
+      rounded: true,
+      "drop-shadow-lg": true,
+      absolute: true,
+      "top-3": true,
+      "inset-x-3": true,
+      "transition-transform": true,
+      "ease-in": true,
+      "duration-300": true,
+    };
+  }
 }
 </script>