Purim Campaign - Email (Rich Text and Mailbuilder) Communication

After a campaign is closed in Shulcloud, the email system can be used to send follow up messages to participants. This guide explains how to build and send those messages using both the Rich Text editor and the Mail Builder, using a Purim campaign as an example.

Open the Closed Campaign

1. Navigate to Fundraising > Campaigns.

2. Locate the closed campaign (for example, a Purim campaign).

3. Confirm that the campaign shows as completed and that reciprocal amounts have been calculated.

Start a New Email From the Campaign

1. Navigate to Communications > Legacy Mail

2. Select the option to create a new mail in the top right corner of the page.

3. Keep the message type as Email.

4. Choose the campaign in the Campaigns dropdown.

5. Review the note that some accounts may not have email addresses.

6. Check the box “If no email available, send paper version of confirmation message” if printed confirmations are needed.

   This setting generates email copies for accounts without email addresses so they can be printed and sent by regular mail.

7. Click Continue.

 

Choose the Campaign Recipients

1. Select the Subscriber Group:

   Not Yet Registered People is generally used before closing a campaign to encourage signups.

   Already Registered People is used after the campaign is closed, for confirmations and follow up.

2. Choose Already Registered People.

3. Add all recipients to the email.

4. Review the list:

   Names with an email address appear in black.

   Names without an email address appear in gray and will be included in the paper version list.

   Accounts with nothing associated may appear in red to indicate missing data.

5. Click Continue.

Building the Email with Rich Text

Configure the Rich Text Email

1. Confirm that Rich Text is selected as the editor.
   

2. Select the sender email address and add the Sender Name in the From field.

3. Enter the subject line, for example:

   • “Purim Baskets Confirmation”

4. Begin the email body with a greeting, for example:

   • “Dear” followed by the First Name token.

 

Add Personalization and Tokens in Rich Text

1. Locate the token list for the campaign.

2. Insert recipient name tokens, for example:

   • [first_name]

   • Combined name options from field templates if combined names are preferred.

3. Write the main body of the message, such as:

   • “Thank you for your contribution to our Purim campaign.”

4. Scroll to the campaign tokens section.

5. Insert tokens for:

   • Campaign sending to list

   • Campaign sending to me list

   • Versions with counts or list formatting using dashes

   Example token usage:

   • “You are sending to the following people” followed by a list token.

   • “You are receiving from the following people” followed by a list or count token.

6. Add line breaks between token sections as needed for readability.

7. Include a closing line, such as:

   • “Thank you for your participation. Happy Purim and a happy holiday to the entire community.”

Add Images in Rich Text

1. Click the Image option in the Rich Text editor.
   

2. In the Image Properties popup, Select Browse Server.
   

3. Select an image from the library, such as a Purim themed image or a synagogue logo.

4. Adjust the size, keeping it at a reasonable width.
   

5. Click OK to insert the image into the message body.

Images help make the email more visually appealing, even though Rich Text is simpler than Mail Builder.

Preview and Test the Rich Text Email

1. Review the entire message with tokens included.

2. Check that names, lists, and other token-based data appear correctly in the preview.

3. Select the option to Send Test Email.
   

4. Open the test message in the email client.

5. Confirm that:

   • The image displays correctly.

   • Tokens resolve correctly to actual names and lists.

   • Formatting looks as expected.

If everything appears correct, the Rich Text email is ready for use.

Building the Email with Mail Builder

Start a Mail Builder Version

1. Navigate to Communications > Legacy Mail

2. Select the option to create a new mail in the top right corner of the page.

3. Select Email as the message type.

4. Choose the Campaign in the dropdown.

5. Check “If no email available, send paper version of confirmation message” if needed.

6. Select Already Registered People > Continue.

7. Choose Mail Builder as the editor.
   

8. Click Continue.

Choose Template and Layout in Mail Builder

1. Launch the Mail Builder.
   

2. Select a basic template if no Purim-specific template exists yet.
   

3. Plan to save this layout as a template for future Purim campaigns if it will be reused.

Add Content and Images in Mail Builder

1. Click on the Image block or section.

2. Click Choose Image in the menu on the right side of the page.
   

3. Select the same Purim image or logo used previously, or another appropriate image.

4. Insert the image and adjust positioning as needed.

5. Add text blocks for greeting, body text, and closing message.

6. Type the main message, such as:

   • “Dear [First Name]”

   • “Thank you for participating in our Purim campaign.”

7. Insert campaign tokens similar to the Rich Text version, including:

   • Lists of people the recipient is sending to

   • Lists of people sending to the recipient

   • Options that include everyone on the list

   

Tokens in Mail Builder may appear in a different order than in Rich Text, but the same information is available.

Add Links and Calls to Action

1. Highlight text such as “Click here to volunteer” or “Donate additional funds”.

2. Click the Link option.

3. Paste the URL for:

   • Volunteer forms

   • Donation pages

   • Event or spiel registration forms

4. Apply the link.

Mail Builder is especially useful for these linked sections and more advanced designs.

Save, Preview, and Test the Mail Builder Email

1. Click Save regularly while editing.

2. Save the design as a template for future Purim campaigns if desired.

3. Click Done to exit the editor.

4. Continue to the preview screen.

5. Send a test email to confirm:

   • Layout, images, and colors display correctly.

   • Tokens populate correctly.

   • All links point to the correct forms or pages.

Send the Final Campaign Email

1. Review the final version in either Rich Text or Mail Builder.

2. Confirm that all content, tokens, and links are correct.

3. Send the email to all selected recipients from the campaign.

The Mail Builder template can be reused in future years to simplify communication for recurring campaigns such as Purim.

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