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Letter Export Efficiency

Ally Nauer

What used to take me literal minutes in E-Tap is now taking up 4 times that or more in Raiser's Edge. In E-Tap, I would update a query, use that query in letters, then it would email the letters with emails and export the rest as a Word document. I would edit that document, print, and that's it.

Now, in RE, I email in the web view. This is MOSTLY ok, except I have to have a second window open to see the appeal, in order to determine what letter I'm sending them,

To mail, I have to go to Mail in Database View to export a list for a manual mail merge. I've had saving issues where the file doesn't exist where it says it saved, so then I am forced to backtrack and do many manually and make other small fixes.

To me, this seems like a step backward. Please tell me if a better solution is in the works to make this process more efficient.

Maybe a mail/address list export could be added to gift receipts in web view to streamline sending letters?

Does anyone else struggle with this?

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Comments

Alex Wong

@Ally Nauer
the mail export where you say “file doesn't exist where it says it saved” situation is likely your confusion of where it is saved on the REMOTE server, not sure where you “browse” to save the file, but assuming you browse to save the file to the “Desktop" or “Download” or “Document” folder, it is actually the folder that exist in Blackbaud's remote hosting system, NOT your local laptop/desktop machine. The way remote system works, it connects to your desktop via network share. You can read more about this here:

As for the default letter sending option, it is limited for sure on the NXT webview for sure (in my opinion as well). I use SKY API to develop our own org's way to do letter, receipt, pledge invoice, etc.

Karen Diener

@Ally Nauer I've done TONS of work on acknowledgment letters in database view with clients, and haven't really seen an issue where the file does not save, or saves in a different location.

The more you change while running this process, the longer it will take and opens everything up to error. Keep it simple and it won't be too cumbersome:

If you are careful about marking gifts as Acknowledged (which mean you may need to globally change old gifts to update them) you don't even need a Query or date ranges built in the process.
Always save the exported data with the same name and in the same place every single time you run the letters. Pay really close attention to where the data is being saved. Once you do the merge, go ahead and save your merged letters with a different name and in a different location.
Consider not marking the gifts as Acknowledged the first time you run the process. If you have errors, you may be able to more easily troubleshoot how they are occurring. If the data run great, then run the process again just to mark the gifts as acknowledged.

I am appalled that Blackbaud is so behind the game when it comes to acknowledgements, considering that it is a core business function for all nonprofits. But I've also seen a lot of users overcomplicate it unnecessarily. If you take a light hand, you can allow the system to work for you and not against you.

Karen

Ally Nauer

@Alex Wong That's likely the issue. Thanks!

Ally Nauer

@Karen Diener Thanks - I think the file location issue is what Alex described below. I'll have to do trial and error - with what you suggested.

We are transitioning from E-Tap and I used to get letters done so quickly. One aspect is each appeal gets a different letter, so having so many steps with RE has been admittedly overwhelming, especially if we are exporting for 4-5+ appeals.

I'm hoping Blackbaud improves their system for letters - even having the export system in Web View (with a preview function and clearer file path system) would be immensely helpful.

Karen Diener

@Ally Nauer:
@Karen Diener Thanks - I think the file location issue is what Alex described below. I'll have to do trial and error - with what you suggested.
We are transitioning from E-Tap and I used to get letters done so quickly. One aspect is each appeal gets a different letter, so having so many steps with RE has been admittedly overwhelming, especially if we are exporting for 4-5+ appeals.
I'm hoping Blackbaud improves their system for letters - even having the export system in Web View (with a preview function and clearer file path system) would be immensely helpful.

I think you're right that Alex gave you a much more concise - and probably correct - answer!

Based on the April PUBs, it looks like Blackbaud is going to be working on acknowledgements at the end of 2023 / beginning of 2024. I don't know if they will start Discovery then, or how it will ultimately function - which is always the biggest concern - but at least they are naming it.

Karen