To build a form letter in FundRaiser, you compose a template as you would a letter in any word processor. When you come to a point where you want to merge in some bit of data (current date, address block, salutation, amount of last gift, taxable listing of all gifts for the year, etc.), you simply click on that item in the listing of mergeable data. FundRaiser inserts a "merge function" that looks like:
%[AddressBlock]
into the letter. Then when you print the letter, FundRaiser looks for those merge functions and inserts the appropriate text from whichever donor it is printing the letter for. It's so easy!
FundRaiser can also use other data to highly personalize your letters. For example, you could insert a line of text into a letter that comes from a Category Code identifying that donor as having a particular interest that you wish to address. Personal touches like this will increase the response rate, which means bigger and more frequent donations coming in.
Now that you know you want to be able to make letters as personal as possible, you'll be glad to know that all three FundRaiser programs automate your correspondence. The most common correspondence should be your thank-you letters (or receipts). "Thank before you bank" should be your motto, and FundRaiser makes that goal easy to achieve. Just enter the donations, leaving in place the checkmark on "Send Letter", then batch-print all of the letters, with labels or envelopes to match, in one quick operation.
And if you use the Pledge, Membership, Tribute, Product Sales, or other modules available for FundRaiser Select (and included as standard in Professional), you'll find that those associated letters are just as easy to produce.
All three FundRaiser programs do general mailings. First you compose a letter template, including the desired merge functions. When you're ready to print, select the group for which the letter is to be printed by creating a Grouping. Once your group is chosen, print the letters and matching labels or envelopes . . . that's all there is to it!
In FundRaiser Professional (or Select with optional modules), you can also print Membership renewal letters, Pledge thank-yous, reminders and overdue notices, Tribute notification letters to the next of kin, and other specific correspondence.
And if you need just one letter (to a specific donor, rather than a group of people), all three FundRaiser programs can quickly and easily merge data into one of your form letter templates.
