Custom Fields in Templates

Custom fields can be created and added to some templates, allowing for custom data to automatically populate when your templates are generated. Custom fields are supported in the template types listed below.

• Checks
• Fund Statement
• Grant Award Letter
• Grant Letter
• Opportunity Letter
• Scholarship Award Letter
• Scholarship Letter
• Tax Receipt 
• Tribute Letter
• Yearly Tax Receipt

This article details the steps to add an existing custom field to a template. 

Define Merge Field

Once the field has been created, it can be used in a template. Donation, fund, grant, scholarship, and profile custom fields are available in templates.

Many things factor into how a custom field merge field is formatted and how it should be placed in a template. Template Fields List provides a helpful way to determine the proper merge field structure.

1. Create the custom field with the import code.
2. Navigate to the Templates page and click Template Fields List in the left-side menu.
3. Click the template type name.
   
    
4. Enter an ID that contains a populated custom field, and then click Refresh.
    
5. Review the custom field merge field in the list for proper formatting.

Placement in Template

The Template Fields List also defines how the template should be placed in the template. 

Example 1

In this grant letter template fields list, fund and grant custom fields are displayed.

The grant custom field color, which has an import code of gt_color, could be embedded in the template. Review the bolded text in the example template below. Notice that the foreach fields that surrounded the custom field in the Template Fields List have been included.

Example 2

Fund and grant custom fields are also available in the advanced grant letter.

The placement of the grant custom field color will be different in this template. Review the bolded text in the example template below. 

Notice that the foreach fields that surrounded the custom field in the template fields list have been included like they were above, but it is also within the opening {{foreach_check}} and the table {{#foreach grant}}.

This guide can also be used to determine the merge field and placement of custom fields in templates. In each example, "import code" refers to the import code set in the custom field.

Check

Fund, grant, and voucher custom fields can be included in check templates. Fields are always placed inside the foreach voucher.

• Custom field on fund: {{cf_fund.import code}}
• Custom field on grant: {{cf_grant.import code}}
• Custom fields on voucher: {{cf_voucher.import code}}

Fund Statement

• Custom field on fund statement is for: {{cf_fund.import code}}
• Custom field on profile of fund advisor receiving statement: {{fund_advisor.cf_fund_advisor.import code}}
• Custom field on donations that are in the fund statement: {{#foreach cf_donations}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_donations}}
  • Place inside foreach donation section.
• Custom field on grants that are in the fund statement: {{#foreach cf_grants}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_grants}}
  • Place inside foreach grants section.
• Custom field on vouchers that are in the fund statement: {{#foreach cf_vouchers}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_vouchers}}
  • Place inside foreach vouchers section.

Grant Letter and Scholarship Letters

Fields are the same for basic and advanced grant and scholarship letters. Fields are always placed inside the foreach grant.

• Custom field on grantee profile: {{#foreach cf_grantee}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_grantee}}
• Custom field on sponsored org profile: {{#foreach cf_student}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_student}} (Student profile) · {{#foreach cf_sponsored}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_sponsored}}
• Custom field on grant advisor profile: {{#foreach cf_advisor}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_advisor}}
• Custom field on grant beneficiary profile: {{#foreach cf_contact}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_contact}}
• Custom field on scholarship profile: {{#foreach cf_scholarship}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_scholarship}}
• Custom field on granting fund: {{#foreach cf_fund}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_fund}}
• Custom field on grant: {{#foreach cf_grant}}{{import code}}{{/foreach cf_grant}}

Opportunity Letter

• Custom field on opportunity: {{cf_opportunity.import_code}}
• Custom field on profile that opportunity is assigned: {{cf_profile.import code}}
• Custom field on donation linked to opportunity: {{cf_donation.import_code}}
  • Place inside foreach donation section.

Tax Receipts

• Custom field on donor profile: {{cf_profile.import code}}
  • This is for the donor, not the donation advisor.
• Custom field on fund receiving donation: {{cf_fund.import code}}
• Custom field on donation: {{cf_donation.import code}}

Tribute Letter

• Custom field on donation: {{cf_donation.import code}}
• Custom field on donor profile: {{cf_profile.import code}}
  This is for the donor, not the donation advisor.

Use Switches and Custom Fields in Templates Video

The video below provides information on using switches in Word documents to format merge fields in a template as desired. It also includes information on how to find custom fields in the template fields list and add a custom field to a template.

• Using Switches to Format Dates (:17) - Add a switch behind a merge field to control how dates display on a template, such as pulling the full month name instead of a numeric format. 
• Using Switches to Format Currency (1:52) - Apply a currency switch to an amount field to display a dollar sign and two decimal places. 
• Using AI to Write Switches (2:45) - Use AI to generate custom switches for uncommon date or currency formats. 
• Using the Template Fields List (3:14) - Access the template fields list in CommunitySuite to preview how fields will populate on a template using a specific record, including custom fields. 
• Adding Custom Fields to a Template (5:05) - Locate custom field syntax using the template fields list and insert the field into a template document.