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

Customizing system workflow messages


In Chapter 3, Installing, Configuring, and Maintaining, we outlined how to set up CiviCRM to send e-mails. Once that is done, CiviCRM sends a number of messages automatically as part of its workflow. For example, if someone registers for an event, you will want them to receive an e-mailing detailing their registration selections; if you assign an activity to another staff member, they will receive an e-mail notifying them of the assignment. The text and formatting of these message templates provided in the standard installation is basic and serviceable. During your initial configuration, you should consider customizing these messages to fit with your organization's communication style. As you use the system, you should also be aware as to how these messages are triggered, so you can identify those that don't have quite the right tone, polish, or design as the rest of your organization's communications, and modify them accordingly.

The process begins by...