How Letters Are Created
Donor Wrangler contains a mail-merge style letter generating system so you can record and respond to gifts all in the same place. Each letter is made up of two main components: a Page Layout and a Template. The Page Layout instructs the system about the margins, header/footer elements, and other elements that will generally remain consistent. The Template is the body text of the letter. Optionally, a letter added to a donor’s profile can also be modified to contain unique Version Text that is specific to that donor. To better understand this, take a look at this example letter:
The areas highlighted in blue represent the Page Layout. Generally, an organization will have just a few page layouts. For instance, an organization may have the following page layouts:
- A blank page with no images, text, or other elements, only half inch margins.
- Electronic letterhead that contains your organization’s logo, contact information, and other elements.
- A layout designed to fit specific margins of a pre-printed letterhead. (IE larger margins at the top for the organization’s logo)
The areas in red represent the text generated by the Template. Organizations often will often have multiple templates for different purposes. Here are some examples:
- A standard donor thank you letter that includes a receipt.
- A specific thank you letter for donations received for a specific program or restricted purpose.
- A thank you letter without a receipt or with specific receipt language. (IE for in-kind gifts or the purchase of a product or ticket to an event)
- A thank you letter for those who give gifts in memorial of a deceased loved one.
These templates will generate the same text for every donor, with the elements such as address, donation amount, etc. pre-filled in. Occasionally, as letters are updated, the organization would hide the old templates and generate new ones so they had an accurate record of what was actually sent to donors.
Letters can also have specific Version Text, represented by the green shaded area. This text is specific to the letter on this donor’s profile only, and won’t affect the overall template used for all other donors.
For more specific information on these elements, please refer to the following articles: