Just Constituent Queries?

Jamie McDowell

For Appeal Mailings, can we only use queries that were started and written as constituent queries?  We have tried to community using membership or program queries, but haven't had luck.  Are we missing something?

Maria Sainz

Jamie,


Yes, only Constituent Queries can be used in the Appeal Mailings. But you can reference a Member or Program queries using the Selections tab in the Query Builder, as long as those other queries were saved as a dynamic selection and the checkbox "Show this Selection in the Query Designer" box is checked.


It then has that Member/program query in the Includes records where: and you can either include or exclude those who are in that Query. 


It is a second query without needing to completely rebuild the original.

Jamie McDowell

Maria Sainz:

Jamie,


Yes, only Constituent Queries can be used in the Appeal Mailings. But you can reference a Member or Program queries using the Selections tab in the Query Builder, as long as those other queries were saved as a dynamic selection and the checkbox "Show this Selection in the Query Designer" box is checked.


It then has that Member/program query in the Includes records where: and you can either include or exclude those who are in that Query. 


It is a second query without needing to completely rebuild the original.

Thanks,Maria!  That was a little Greek to me, but I'll try it step-by-step.  Still, it's goofy to me that you can't use any query to create a mailing as long as it as contact info.

Devendra Shrikhande

Hello Jamie


For setting up any mailing list in the Altru Appeals communication process, the query selection has to be based on constituent source view. However that is only the source view. You can still query against additional fields associated with a constituent such as the membership status, constituency or transaction inform. 


Hope this KB articles are useful:
Constituent Query Node Chart
I need to find patrons who purchased tickets to multiple programs
I need to pull a list of active members for a mailing


Friendly reminder the neat feature of the Altru communications processes are that you do not need to include contact information in the query. Just focus on building the list and then allow the Altru communications process to pull in the address (and even addressee/salutations)  automatically as part of the communications process. 


Hope this helps!

Devendra

Lori Elder

I just had the same complaint!  I was trying to send an appeal to the folks who have purchased timed tickets to see if they wanted to apply the ticket amount toward a membership, however the query was built in Sales Orders and couldn't be used in the Appeals section.

Devendra Shrikhande

Hello Lori


What a clever idea of tapping Timed Admission patrons for memberships!  I do hope the link i shared above (copied below for convenience) :
I need to find patrons who purchased tickets to multiple programs

Will make it easy for you to convert/adapt the sales order query into its constituent-based version for a specific program such as Timed Admission.  The advantage of a constituent-based query is that it makes it easier to rope in other advantages of Altru's communication processes such as eliminating duplicate communication within the same mailing and following any specific instructions related to mailing preferences and solicit codes.


Friendly reminder

• The constituents need to be identified on the sales order for us to pull them into an appeal process in Altru.  The constituent-based query will automatically narrow that field down for you.  If you have some anonymous sales orders for which you only have an email address, you would need to send out the email blast through a different application. 
• I also recommend focusing on tickets that are in active status so you exclude anyone that may have refunded or exchanged from their original order.

Hope the above tips make it easier to adapt to your queries to a constituent version. 


Thanks!