Book Image

Using CiviCRM - Second Edition

By : Erik Hommel, Joseph Murray, Brian P Shaughnessy
Book Image

Using CiviCRM - Second Edition

By: Erik Hommel, Joseph Murray, Brian P Shaughnessy

Overview of this book

CiviCRM provides a powerful toolbox of resources to help organizations manage relationships with constituents. It is free, open source, web-based, and geared specifically to meet the constituent relationship management needs of the not-for-profit sector. Beginning with broader questions about how your organization is structured, which existing workflows are critical to your operations, and the overarching purpose of a centralized CRM, the book proceeds step by step through configuring CiviCRM, understanding the choices when setting up the system, importing data, and exploring the breadth of tools available throughout the system. You will see how to best use this software to handle event registrations, accept and track contributions, manage paid and free memberships and subscriptions, segment contacts, send bulk e-mails with open and click-through tracking, manage outreach campaigns, and set up case management workflows that match your organization’s roles and rules. With specific emphasis on helping implementers ask the right questions, consider key principals when setting up the system, and understand usage through case studies and examples, the book comprehensively reviews the functionality of CiviCRM and the opportunities it provides. With this book, you can help your organization better achieve its mission as a charity, industry association, professional society, political advocacy group, community group, government agency, or other similar organization and position yourself to become a power user who efficiently and effectively navigates the system.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
Using CiviCRM - Second Edition
Credits
About the Authors
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Configuring cases


At this point, you should have a good idea where you want to go with the case management tools and be ready to begin the configuration process. As alluded to earlier, CiviCRM's case configuration is more involved (and a bit more complicated) than other components. This is because each case type is highly customized to the types of activities, workflows, and roles involved in the resolution process. That customization, and the flexibility CiviCRM provides, adds a level of complication.

Your first step will be to define a case type and configure the activities, workflows, roles, timelines, and other elements that may be part of the case. Each case type will have its own configuration.

Define your case type by going to Administer | CiviCase | Case Types:

Give a name in the Title field to your case type, and optional description. CiviCRM will populate the Roles and Activities sections with default settings, which you will want to review and modify.

Note

FPAGM periodically applies...