Templates are Word documents that you can customize with your own language and merge fields from CommunitySuite. Once templates are loaded to CommunitySuite, users can generate documents from various processes within the system. Templates must be run from an item in the system like a transaction, fund, or opportunity. General communications not related to these items can be done outside the system using mail merge.
This article gives an overview of what templates are available, as well as the high level process for creating and using templates. Click on the resource links for more detail on various parts of the process.
Templates Available in CommunitySuite
Check
- When one of the system defaults for check printing formats, found in Checks Settings, does not fit your check stock, you can design a custom check template. CommunitySuite can support multiple custom check templates, which are assigned at that account record.
- If you use a check with grant letter template, you can prevent the creation of grant and scholarship letters using the No Grant/Sship Letters setting on the template.
Envelope
- When you are generating fund statements, you can generate envelopes with address information for each applicable recipient.
- Different envelope templates may be assigned to funds, fund groups, subgroups, divisions, and segments.
Event Ticket Receipt
- When you need to send confirmation of event registration, you can assign an Event Ticket Receipt to a campaign.
- If the event ticket includes a donation amount, a tax receipt will also be generated. This is separate from the Event Ticket Receipt.
- Once the first Event Ticket Receipt is uploaded, it is set as a default and each subsequent campaign will automatically send that receipt. If the receipt has language specific to that event, consider updating the template when you do another event, or adding a new template and assigning that to the campaign.
Fund Statement
- Share information about a fund's activity with fund advisors. CommunitySuite can support multiple templates for different types of funds so you can share different information with fund holders in different groups.
- Fund statements need to be assigned to a fund statement format, and the fund statement format is applied to funds.
- Resources:
Grant Award Letter
- A grant award letter can be generated when a grant is created, which makes it useful for pre-communication to grantees. Grant award letters are found in the Grant Award Letter Bucket and can be emailed or printed.
Grant Card
- Grant Cards are digital gift cards that people can use to pay for items in the Online Donations page. This is the receipt for those transactions.
Grant Letter
- A grant letter is generated when the grant check is posted. This templated letter is not generated until that time; however, the grant award letter can be used for any pre-award communication. Once generated, the grant letter is found in the Grants Document Bucket and is attached to the grant record.
- There is an Advanced option for Grant Letters. When Advanced is applied to a Grant Letter template, the letter consolidates awards that are on one check.
- Regular and Advanced Grant Letter templates have different merge fields.
Internal Grant
- Internal grant letters notify fund advisors of the receiving fund that a grant has been awarded from another fund.
- Internal grant letters are processed individually from the check id.
Invoice
- Invoice templates are now required within CommunitySuite. If you do not have an invoice template, you will need to upload one to your site. An example can be found here: Invoice Example
- You can have more than one invoice template and you can assign logic for the system to select the appropriate template based on the fund on the invoice.
Loan Letter
- Generate a letter to notify loan recipients of loan terms.
- This template is not used for loan invoices, which use the normal CommunitySuite invoice template.
- Loan letters are processed individually from the loan record.
Opportunity Letter
- Generate a letter to profiles that have an open opportunity. This can be done individually or in bulk.
- Resource: Opportunity Letters
Pledge Payment
- Send a pledge payment reminder.
- Resource: Pledge/Promise Payment Reminder
Promise Payment
- Send a promise payment reminder.
- Resource: Pledge/Promise Payment Reminder
Scholarship Letter
- A scholarship letter is generated when the grant check for the scholarship is posted. Once generated, the scholarship letter is found in the Scholarship Document Bucket.
- There is an Advanced option for Scholarship Letters. When Advanced is applied to a Scholarship Letter template, the letter consolidates awards that are on one check.
- Regular and Advanced Scholarship Letter templates have different merge fields and are not interchangeable.
Tax Receipt
- A tax receipt will be generated for any donation, or payment with a donation amount, unless No Tax Receipt is selected on the donation.
- The Tax Receipt Templates setting in Donation Settings must be Yes to enable tax receipt templates.
- Online donations can have tax receipts set automatically, based on your Donations Settings.
- Resource: Process Tax Receipts
Tribute Honor
- Send a notification about donations that have been made in honor of a person.
- Resource: Generate Tribute Letters
Tribute Memory
- Send a notification about donations that have been made in memory of a person.
- Resource: Generate Tribute Letters
Yearly Tax Receipt
- Consolidates all donations from a single profile within a specified time frame into one receipt document.
- Resource: Generate Yearly Tax Receipts
Build Templates
There are several methods to create templates.
- Build templates from examples.
- Insert merge fields into your existing templates.
Resources:
- Build Templates: Learn where to find examples and lists of available merge fields per template type.
- Template Fields List: This tool in the templates area of the system can help clarify which CommunitySuite field relates to which merge field.
- Template Conditions: Learn to incorporate if/then statements to control text display in your templates.
- Custom Fields in Templates: Learn how to insert custom fields as template merge fields.
Upload Templates
Once you've created your template in Word, you can upload it to CommunitySuite.
Resources:
- Upload Templates: Learn how to upload your Word document templates to the system.
- Update Existing Template: Need to make edits to an existing template? This outlines how to overwrite a template.
- Assign Logic to Templates: Assign logic to tax receipts, grant letters, scholarship letters, and invoices. When you have multiple tax receipts, grant letters, or scholarship letters, you can use logic to define which letter should be selected based on select CommunitySuite criteria.
Test Templates
Be sure to test your template before sending out any letters.
Resource:
- Test Templates: Learn how to test your templates.
Common Template Issues
- Common Template Issues: Get guidance on some common template issues.