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16.2. Template Editor

Tutorial: Letter Templates

 

In this tutorial, you will learn how to:

Lesson 1: Modify an existing template.

Lesson 2: Create a new template

Lesson 3: Add Merge Fields

Lesson 4: Use Letter Templates with the custom report generator

 

Lesson 1: How to Modify an Existing Template

 

To find your letter templates, go to Settings and Template Editor.

 

1. Click Modify next to the letter you wish to modify.

2. Once you click modify, you will see your letter.

3. Once you have completed your changes. Click Save.

 

Lesson 2: Create a new template.

 

Go to Settings and select Template Editor, click +New.

 

You will see the +Create New Template Screen.

1. At the top of this screen you can set the Title, Description (optional), and what this Template can be used for. You can set this Template to be available in Direct Mail, Mass Email, Online Pages (Donation Pages, Web Forms, etc), or any combination of the three.

2. The next box is Page Style, which allows you to enter HTML formatting for things like background color, font, themes, etc.

3. The next three areas are for your Template Content. There are separate boxes for the Header, Content, and Footer. All three fields allow full formatting, Merge Fields, inserted images, etc. If you want to copy and paste from another source which includes formatting, or want to directly edit the formatting of the text, use the <Source> button to display the full formatted text and make any desired changes.
   

4. Once you have typed your letter into the textbox, click on Save Changes.

 

Now that we understand how to put most of our message into the letter, let's see how using Merge Fields can personalize our letters and make our jobs easier.

 

Lesson 3: Merge Fields

 

Merge Fields allow us to add personal information onto our letter. This is how we can merge the name and addresses or the user's name and title onto a group of letters.

 

Below is the text for a letter we want to send out to verify the information we have on file and to request for missing information:

 

Thank you for your contribution to the Karen Gomez Campaign. California Law requires that we obtain a contributor's name, address, occupation and employer.  Please provide this information below and return this letter in the enclosed envelope.   We are missing your Occupation and Employers information. Please complete the following so we can comply with California State law.     Occupation:                                                                                                          Employer's Name:                                                                                                        Very truly yours,

 

We want to add the current date, the name and address, the salutation, and the most recent contribution. Since all this information exists in the database, we know that these are merge fields.

 

To insert a merge field:

1. Put your cursor where in the letter you wish to insert the merge field. For current date, put your cursor at the top of the letter.

2. Click on the Add Merge Field dropdown from the toolbar above Template Content.

3. From the Available fields, select Current Date (Long) (note that fields are sorted alphabetically).

4. Now our letter should have a merge field for the current date at the top.

5. Go ahead and put the remaining fields in the letter. Remember to put your cursor where you want the fields to appear.

6. Find the field Individual Full Name.

7. Find the field Individual Salutation.

8. Find all the lines for the address under Preferred Address.

9. Find the latest contribution under Latest Receipt Amount and Latest Receipt Date.

10. Makes sure you click Save Changes.

 

 

Lesson 4: Use Letter Templates with the Custom Report Generator

To print a letter based on a Custom Report, you will need to create your query under Reports > Custom Reports, and make sure the query is saved. Once the query is saved, you can go to Direct Mail, and while creating your letter, select the Template you previously created in the Content step, and the Saved Query you created in Custom Reports under Recipients. This will print a letter based on the Template you built only for those records in the query you saved.