CiviCRM_zh_CN

INTRODUCTION

什么是慈善通？

慈善通是一个功能强大的基于网页的CRM(Contacts Relationship Management)系统。它是一个能让组织记录和管理所有和它有关系的人员和组织信息的工具。慈善通不仅仅是一个通讯录，它可以让慈善组织和它的合作伙伴有更多的互动和交流，更甚者，它可以让那些有心想捐赠的人能利用网页进行捐赠。慈善组织可以将集中存放的数据信息在其他系统中进行共享和访问。

慈善通更注重的那些非盈利组织的需求。而大部分商业用的CRM注重的是商务管理，不像慈善通更着重于与个人的沟通、团体的参与、捐赠物资和会员的管理等方面。

慈善通是一个开源软件，这意味着当你下载，安装和使用这个软件时，你并不需要付任何的费用。仅当你有任何特别的需求而需要咨询时，你会需要付费。又或者有可能需要付一些网站空间租用费。

慈善通是网页式的，这意味着不同地方的用户可以在同时登录进去。它在开发时就已经将国际化的思维放进里面了，因此也支持翻译功能和多国语言的选项。

一个让你了解CRM的模型

一个能够帮助你了解CRM的办法就是把CRM比作一个具有强大功能的个人通讯地址本。想象一下，每次当你给一个人打电话时，你的通讯本会自动备注它，同时也会将你们的对话的主要内容进行摘录。它还可以让你决定你是否再次向这个人请求一个与一周前的一样的帮助，同时，它还可以在这个电话结束后帮你安排一个与她的后续会面。在使用了这个通讯地址本一段日子之后，你可以问它“在过去一段时间内我和老季都有哪些交互？”又或者是“这个月有多少人帮了我？”，这个软件就会给出一个你所参与活动的全部历史记录。

又例如你现在想举办一个晚宴，想邀请过去所有你见过的朋友来参加。然后写了一封邀请函让你的这个通信录把它通过电子邮件的形式发送出去。然后，你就不需要担心其他任何事情了（当然，你的那顿美味的晚餐除外！）。你的通讯录会帮你处理所有的回复，然后将他们的所有的信息整理好，包括谁是素食主义者，谁不是。它甚至能让你在两天前就知道，有多少人会来参加你的晚宴。

有这样一个“助理”帮助你是相当好的一件事，对吧？对于一个组织来说，它正需要一个甚至多个这样的助理。要把你所有的会议，所有打过的电话和其他形式的联系全部记住是一件非常困难的事情（尤其是过了一段长时间之后）。但是若你能越了解你的伙伴和客户，你的工作就越能成功开展和完成。这样一来，你就能给不同的用户组不同的信息，因为你知道谁会对这样的信息感兴趣，同样的，你也可以观察他们的反响然后去调整你和他们的下一个互动，进一步地改善你和不同客户组的沟通技巧。

慈善通和网站内容管理系统

慈善通是和一些其他通用软件一起使用的：网站内容管理系统（CMS）。 CMS是一个可以创建和管理网站的工具，而现在多数网站都是用它来创建的。

CMS和慈善通的结合提供了很多好处，尤为显著的有：

•        浏览者在浏览网页时可以同时进行很多其他操作，包括更新他们的会员期限，报名参加活动，更新电邮资料和捐款。
• 你也可以和那些浏览你网页的其他访问者分享你的部分资料数据，如活动的信息。

DDrupal 网站内容管理系统---------内容类型的屏幕

Drupal 网站内容管理系统---------内容类型的屏幕

实际应用案例

慈善通已应用于世界各地大大小小的各种机构。有些机构没有领取薪水的员工，而有些则可能有数百名之多。他们的需求各不相同，可能非常简单，也可能相当复杂。通过本章，我们来看看在实际中，这些机构是如何使用慈善通的。

在本章，您将会看到对慈善通各项功能的使用，如 CiviEmail（电子邮件管理），CiviMember（会员管理），CiviPledge（认捐管理），CiviCRM Profiles（数据透视图管理）等等。这些都是慈善通的组件，我们为您编写了关于它们的使用说明，这样您可以熟悉慈善通的语言；不过，目前的重点并不是对这些功能作详尽的理解。

出色的表现

这个例子表现了俱乐部如何使用慈善通来组织夏令营，常规课程，以及其他活动。

位于新西兰惠灵顿的惠灵顿马戏信托是一个完全由志愿者运作的组织。他们有一个包含500-600人的邮件列表，并且提供一些教授杂耍技巧的课程，如吊环和呼啦圈等。此外也组织活动。为了安全起见，他们需要收集学生的联系人信息，以备学生万一发生意外伤害时联络之用。他们一年大约招生200人。

在使用慈善通之前，该信托维护着一个Microsoft Access数据库，但数据录入很费时间，也难于保持信息的及时更新，而定时地向指导教师发送联络人信息也很困难。出纳员希望会员能够各自维护他们自己的详细信息，并希望指导教师和志愿者无论身处何处都能访问会员的详细联络信息。

 

他们的做法

经过调查研究，惠灵顿马戏信托发现慈善通能满足他们的需求。系统一建好，他们就开始尽可能地利用它。

l        他们用CiviEvent组件实现了杂耍技巧班的在线招生，并决定花钱使用付款处理公司的服务，以实现使用信用卡进行学费的在线支付。他们还利用CiviEvent组件来设定每个班级的最多招生人数。

l        为了追踪紧急联络信息，他们创建了自定义字段，并添加到用作活动登记表单的个人信息中。之后，这一信息将储存在慈善通系统中。

l        他们还将慈善通与一个内容管理系统平台Drupal集成到一起，并在数据库中为每个联系人建立用户帐户。系统指导用户如何在首次登录后修改密码从而获得系统的访问权限，之后更新其个人信息。

l        CiviMail则被用于与指导教师，志愿者，以及学生联系。

l        由于该信托的资金来自于从资金管理团体申请的资助，他们还使用了CiviGrant组件。

 

使用效果

通过使用慈善通，现在只要有互联网连接，指导老师和志愿者无论身处何处，都可以使用和管理系统中的信息。

带有付款处理和自定义数据字段的CiviEvent组件使人们可以注册课程，并完成在线支付学费，同时还可以提交重要的紧急联络人信息。在线注册的实现，大大减少了系统数据录入所花的时间。

通过集成慈善通与Drupal，以及建立用户帐户，联络人可以维护和更新他们自己的信息。这极大地减少了管理所需时间，并提高了数据的准确性。

CiviMail降低了给指导教师，志愿者以及学生发送邮件的难度。并且，由于联络人可以自己更新自己的数据，这就卸除了管理人员手动更新邮件清单和联络人信息的负担。而因为不再需要使用Microsoft Office邮件合并操作来发送邮件期刊，出纳员也从发送成百上千邮件的任务中解脱出来，

在使用CiviGrant之前，惠灵顿马戏信托无法有效地追踪资金申请状态。用了CiviGrant，他们现在可以一眼就看到哪个资金申请已经发出，以及每项申请的状态。

总的来说，根据惠灵顿马戏信托的估计，慈善通的安装在一年中已经给志愿者解决了成百上千小时的工作量。

移植到慈善通以后，该信托发现，联络人管理和课程注册都容易多了。他们遇到的一个问题是有些人对必须重设Drupal密码感到困惑。对此他们认为，改进网站上对此事的解释方式，会对这个问题有帮助。另一个问题存在于最初用作支付处理的标准Paypal界面；人们觉得这不好用，于是六个月后，他们投入资金开发了更适用于新西兰的支付处理系统。

他们还了解到，便宜的网站空间服务供应商未必最好：在浪费了相当多的时间以后，他们放弃免费服务，而换到了另一个供应商。这个供应商收取大约每月20新西兰元，却能提供好得多的服务。

 

减轻负担！

AFSC（American Friends Service Committee, 美国公谊服务会）是一个基于贵格会的大型和平主义与社会公义组织，有超过400名员工。他们在世界范围内运作，通过即时帮助和长期发展的方式，来减少和防止苦难，并且对置身于暴力纷争中的人们提供帮助。

他们的总部设在宾州费城，在全美国有9个区域总部，以及五十多个地区办公室，并在非洲，亚洲，欧洲，拉丁美洲，加勒比海地区和中东地区设有多个国际办公室。

每个办公室维护其委托人名单。每个办公室对CRM系统的要求都不尽相同，但共同的需求是：查找符合一定条件的委托人；发送电子邮件，期刊，邮政信件和通知；收集那些签署了在线申请和作过在线活动注册的人的联络信息。

AFSC信息技术部门的一个调查表明，AFSC工作人员使用一些不同的系统来追踪他们的委托人。很明显，这些系统并不有效：数据存储哪里都有，联络信息冗余，工作人员管理联络人非常困难，IT部门也无法提供足够的支持。

调查还发现，工作人员对他们所用的系统感到很不满，因为这些系统不能给他们提供有效沟通和对外活动所必要的功能。特别是：查找功能非常有限；系统无法发送大容量邮件，这意味着不能发送邮件期刊和通知；并且，系统也无法在线采集信息。

对几个数据库系统做过调查后，IT部门最终认定，考虑到方方面面，慈善通可能是最适合AFSC的CRM系统。

 

他们的做法

最初是在洛杉矶，罗德岛，旧金山和西雅图的办公室，由外部供应商搭建了带有CiviMAil的慈善通站点。洛杉矶办公室还选择了CiviEvent组件来追踪活动注册，和CiviMember组件用于追踪会员的联络信息。

实施后，一名洛杉矶办公室的工作人员发现，CiviMember导出组件缺少了一些功能，这妨碍了他们编制会员目录。AFSC于是与慈善通核心开发组交流，并且与他们签约以添加这些功能。这是一个双赢的局面：AFSC获得了他们需要的功能，而这些功能又是集成在慈善通产品中，因此整个慈善通团体也都能从中获益。对AFSC来说，另一个好处是，因为这些功能成为了慈善通的标准组成部分，他们就不必为将来升级后的兼容问题担心了。

 

使用效果

结果表明，由外部供应商提供和管理站点不是一个好选择，因为这些供应商有时会遇到困难，不能实现承诺按时响应系统运行和服务问题，好比定期为慈善通升级。一旦服务问题得到解决，工作人员就可以充分利用慈善通的功能，做到他们以前无法实现的事情。

洛杉矶办公室正在全面使用慈善通，以其作为追踪委托人，委员会，会员和志愿者的主要储存系统。他们的委托人可以在线进行活动注册和申请提交，工作人员可以使用大容量邮件来发送邮件期刊和通知。

对慈善通应用稍迟的科罗拉多办公室的主要目的是希望抛除旧系统，能够发送邮件月刊。他们现在可以识别邮件期刊订阅者，并通过慈善通来向其发送期刊了。他们为此高兴得不得了。

AFSC目前已有了9个慈善通站点，而IT部门正在向所有的办公室推荐慈善通作为“数据库的不二之选”。慈善通团体提供很棒的支持服务，而随着越来越多功能的添加，慈善通也在日益完善。现在，AFSC工作人员可以在任何一个有互联网接入的地方使用他们的数据，运行复杂搜索，管理在线活动登记，发送电子期刊和邮政期刊。慈善通让他们得以更好地管理委托人。这让他们工作起来更方便，而因此对AFSC也就大有好处。

 

活跃社区

HEAL（The Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, 犹他健康环境联盟）是一个致力于保护犹他州免受核废料与有毒废料伤害的草根环境组织。在转到慈善通之前，他们勉强地用着Microsoft Access数据库。虽然称作数据库，实际上只是一个几乎不能辅助日常工作的表格。慈善通项目的目的是将这个组织的所有信息集中到一个系统中，包括邮件清单，志愿者追踪，捐赠历史等等。作为一个宣传和社区活动组织，有效地保持与支持者的交流，并对在过去的时间里与居民建立起的关系进行追踪，对他们的来说就非常重要。他们需要很多的支持来完成这个任务。

 

他们的做法

HEAL在慈善通早期就开始使用它了，现在慈善通已经成为HEAL追踪所有捐赠者，志愿者，立法委员，基金会的中心。他们用慈善通来进行捐赠管理，email沟通，活动管理，志愿者追踪和宣传。

l        为了宣传目的，他们对选举者的立法选取作监看，这样当有问题产生，需要采取行动时，HEAL就能基于各个选区发动他们的成员。

l        系统追踪志愿者，及其参加的活动和他们的兴趣。

l        HEAL组织一些免费入场的大型募捐活动，通过这些活动来募集捐赠。CiviEvent负责所有的在线登记和数据收集，如来客姓名和兴趣。活动邀请，提醒，以及跟进信息都通过邮政邮件和CiviMail组件发送。

l        CiviContribute组件让HEAL在接受在线捐赠的同时，也可以运行捐赠报告。

 

使用效果

毫无疑问，慈善通精简和巩固了犹他HEAL的数据管理工作，并为他们节省了宝贵的资源。有趣的是在过去的几年中，他们的宣传活动越来越成功，而且社会影响也越来越显著 – 可能部分原因是他们得以将有限的资源更多地集中在实际的工作中，而不是花费在管理协调上。

慈善通带给HEAL最大的教育是，迫使他们考虑技术在对外交流和组织工作中应该起什么作用。

 

CRM教育 

SHS（Schoolhouse Supplies）是位于美国俄勒冈州波特兰的一个非营利性机构，他们收集并向学生和老师分发学校用品。

在使用慈善通之前，SHS是将一些包括Exceed, EROI, Constant Contact, Salesforce, Auction Pay（用于在线捐赠），当然还有成百上千的电子表格，结合起来的软件和程序。此外，SHS还有一个自定义网页应用，用于管理在线商店库存和处理非现金捐赠。

 

他们的做法

改用慈善通之后，SHS将运作和管理所有委托人数据集中化，这就可以将他们的几个核心业务统一和协调起来。每个来源的数据都被移入CiviCRM独立版（这是一个没有集成到Drupal或Joomla!CMS的安装）中。CiviContact和CiviContribute组件取代了Exceed和Auction Pay。CiviMail取代了EROI和Constant Contact。Salesforce数据则被转移到慈善通和它所支持的自定义电子商务应用。最近，库存和非现金管理系统也集成到慈善通中。电子表格也被导入进去。

 

使用效果

现在，SHS的每项业务过程都可以利用他们的数据库，业务活动也容易组织了。更重要的是，SHS正处理手工业务流程（如志愿者协调），将其移入慈善通。现在正在计划和执行一些过去无法从事或过于昂贵的新活动。

 

提高的满意度

NYSNLA（The New York State Nursery Landscape Association, 纽约州园艺协会）是一个会员制的协会。他们为全纽约州的园艺师提供资源和宣传支持。

这个组织旨在通过推进健全的商业实践，扩展州里和当地市场，以及运用在社区发展过程中的领导力等方面的努力，在纽约州促进园艺生意和提升园艺师的利益。

在移入慈善通之前，该协会使用过好几个会员管理方案，从起初的一系列电子表格文档，到后来的Microsoft Access数据库。统一数据存储，为成员实时的提供联系人的详细信息，以及生成可搜索的成员目录以供可能需要查找园艺师的网页浏览者使用 – 正是这些需求促进了协会转向使用慈善通。

 

他们的做法

在慈善通咨询人员的帮助下，NYSNLA开始了分析现有数据库结构和内容，并将不同的功能映射到慈善通结构的进程。他们决定要使用CiviMember，CiviEvent，CiviContribute及CiviMail，来满足核心数据库的需求，并考虑在将来的某个时候使用CiviPledge来为他们所关联的非营利性园艺师基金会募捐。

一个需要特别注意的数据区是他们的CNLP（Certified Nursery Landscape Professional program, 注册园艺师项目）。CNLP是一个为提升园艺工作人员技能而设计的集中、持续的培训项目。这个项目在康奈尔大学的协助下，由从事园艺业的成员设计。感兴趣的人必须经过申请参加项目，并通过一个有效期两年的认证考试，到期后还需要重新认证。

NYSNLA使用慈善通的会员管理功能来追踪CNLP成员的状态。这种规定滚动制会籍，并估算会籍到期时间的能力极好地满足了他们的管理需求。初始申请是必须仔细追踪的，通过CiviEvent来控制，基本上是参加一个半年度考试的申请。

协会也利用慈善通的开放式源代码平台来对某些界面作自定义，从而改进查看联络人记录的方式。因为CNLP项目的重要性，他们希望能够查看某个园艺公司的所有成员，并迅速获知是否其中有当前或者曾经的CNLP成员。他们还需要方便地了解哪些员工被许可管理公司的记录。

 

 

使用效果

协会已经努力地就使用合格园艺师的重要性与公众进行交流。其中必不可少的是在网站上提供可搜索的成员目录。使用慈善通，他们可以生成包括地理细分的搜索页（协会将成员按州分成8个区域），以及一个会员所提供服务的列表（使用慈善通的标签功能）。这样形成的搜索工具，因为直接与联络人数据相连，就确保网页访问者总是看到当前的信息。协会也可以让会员直接访问他们自己的联络信息，这样会员就可以更新和维护他们的可提供服务列表以及其他信息。

 

效率运动

在过去十年间的大多数时候，绿党都是新西兰政坛的第三大政党。它来源于二十世纪七十年代早期的价值党（世界上第一个全国级绿党）。1996年他们获得了议会代表，到2008年选举后，他们有了9名议员，5000个金融成员以及50000个联络人。新西兰绿党有超过50个分支结构分布在全国各地，并且在上次大选的全部67个选区中都参选。

在使用慈善通之前，新西兰绿党和它的议会单位使用过一些不同的系统来管理会员，捐赠，联络人，活动，媒体和宣传。

绿党政策声明：

l        发展IT必须是有社会责任的和可持续的。

l        应鼓励使用免费和开源软件。

 

他们的做法

新西兰绿党使用慈善通是在2007年(第1.7版)，当时使用CiviCRM是与移植到Drupal上并行开展的。这个做法是受到了加拿大绿党开发的一个用于Drupal上的选民拉票模块的启发。绿党用慈善通建立了全党数据库，并且实现了在线捐赠，会员和活动登记。

绿党要就超过100个问题制作媒体报告。这些问题被重新构建，形成选项框形式的自定义字段，再建成群组，以供通过CiviMail发出媒体报告时之用。

由于绿党对高度复杂的访问控制的需求，就有必要开发另一种使用ACLs（Access Control Lists 访问控制清单）的方法来作为替代，从而提供一种更易于管理的高粒度化系统。这个方法现在已经被合并成为核心代码中的一个钩子（一种开发者可以用来扩展慈善通的东西）。

为了2008年的选举活动，他们开发了一个查找功能。有了这个功能，当新的联络人添加进数据库，系统会在一个包含选民名册的表中查找其地址，当找到匹配时，就生成一个链接。“大致吻合”的匹配也会被记录。

 

使用效果

在2008年选举活动中，绿党充分利用了在线募捐，并极大地超越了以前的在线收入。随着在线续订的增多，会员续订也精简了。

到2009年5月，绿党还在用Drupal5上的2.0版慈善通，因此还没有从2.1和2.2版本发布的新功能中获益。这个时候升级正在进行中。

在绿党这样复杂的组织中，培训可能是一个制约发展的因素，对培养更多内部高级用户的需求也是这样。慈善通的新功能引起了对绿党使用自定义数据字段的重新思考，尤其是关于利用CiviMail进行媒体发布。嵌套组和Drupal有机群组的新选项都表明，很快就可能出现更节省时间的方法。

 

追求成功

QuesBridge致力于帮助聪明，积极而家境清寒的高中学生申请大学并得到资助。QuesBridge在全美招收高二学生，邀请他们填写QuestBridge在线申请。他们还与美国最难申请的学院和大学合作，目的是提高这些学校学生成员社会经济情况的多样性。QuestBridgede 学院合作伙伴接受QuestBridge的申请，以其代替他们自己的录取申请。

 

他们的做法

QuestBridge的大部分业务流程都已经是围绕慈善通建立的。他们用慈善通写在线录取申请，并用PHP脚本语言将其扩展。他们还用慈善通储存学生的生物信息，申请信息，以及沟通历史。

 

使用效果

在2008-2009学年，QuestBridge帮助超过1200名学生从它的25所合作学校中得到录取和经济资助。他们以非常有效的方式实现了自己的目标，而这部分地归功于慈善通的有效应用。QuestBridge现在正计划升级到慈善通的最新版本，以便更充分地运用新的电子邮件功能。

如果从头再来一遍，QuestBridge会愿意在预先对员工进行的培训慈善通培训上做更多投入。

 

与时俱进

SFS（The SanFrancisco School）是一所从幼儿园到8年级，男女同校，学生成员多样，有大约270名学生的学校。如同所有的学校一样，学校与家长之间的交流非常重要。是否及时地更新学生的家庭电话号码，电子邮件地址或过敏信息，这对满足学生的需求是非常重要的。学校负责人从一开始就是项目的强烈支持者，这使得学校工作人员和学生家长能够下决心协助项目推进。

 

他们的做法

他们用慈善通生成家长门户网站：

l        要求家长登录，来查看他们的联系信息和孩子的学校信息

l        有自动系统来安排家长会

l        用计算机记录课后班的签到与签退

l        管理课后班注册（如，音乐，烹饪，运动）,并查看孩子的课后费用

为了学校社区的易于过渡，上面的各项功能是逐渐地向家长展示的，而不是一次都出现。

 

使用效果

使家长/监护人能够查看他们的联系信息就意味着他们可以确认校方所见的信息，因此有任何变化时都可以通知校方。并且，他们可以看到孩子的课后费用，查看孩子所注册课程的记录。在线注册使家长可以根据自己的时间，灵活地安排家长/教师会议以及课后班。将现有的学校系统转换成在线系统，这使家长和学校工作人员可以一起工作，查看家长门户网站以保证即时的联系信息，及时的家长会，并且易于访问信息。

CiviCRM是谁?

慈善通拥有一个专门且多样的社区来负责软件的开发、使用、记录工作。我们的社区包括：慈善通的核心团队、在非盈利性组织中的慈善通用户、与大量非盈利性组织共事的顾问、程序员和开发人员、高端用户、志愿者以及社区组织者。而且，我们还和许多开源计划有着紧密联系。

团队中的每一员都以自己的方式参与到慈善通中来，致力改善软件以及我们的组织架构。这个团队的力量来源于它的多样性，另外还因为加入我们是一件很方便的事情，这意味着我们的社区会不断地改变、改善，而且常常超乎想象。

和在其他团队里一样，你的会员资格和你的交流情况相关。如果你对其他用户友善，能在其中得到乐趣并帮助他人，那么你就可以获得慈善通团队的会员资格。但如果你喜欢抱怨，或在交流时语气不当，或者你仅仅把这个社区当做资源，而不是一群非常友善、慷慨、聪明的朋友，那么你就不大可能获得很多呼应。请对其他人友善，这样你就可以在慈善通社区里发现快乐与意义。

历史

慈善通是在2004年由Dave Greenberg, Donald Lobo还有Michal Mach创建的。这些创始人在之前有很多与非盈利性组织和工具相关的工作经验。起初，Zack Rosen和Neil Drumm让这个团队坚信应该使用Drupal作为慈善通的核心。这个决定意味着开发者们可以利用Drupal所提供的许多功能，让团队可以更多注重于CRM所需的功能上。

在2005年，慈善通第一次发布，当时有两个核心模块：CiviMail和CiviContribute(在下文将会介绍）。

从早期开始，慈善通建立了一个拥有很多用户和贡献者的大型社区（现在有超过8000个安装完成的站点），这个软件的功能也越来越多（现在有8个核心模块，以及其他第三方组件），而核心团队也扩充到了8人。在这个计划周边还有一个很大的免费软件贡献者圈子，还有很多知名的非盈利性组织在使用慈善通,比如维基百科(Wikipedia)、 CC(Creative Commons)、莫兹拉(Mozilla，火狐浏览器开发者）以及Amnesty International。

参与到讨论中来吧

慈善通是一个开放且互相交流的社区，而人们已经准备好来听听你的意见了。如果你有一个好的想法，就应当将它实现，但最好的开始方式，就是开始讨论。

如果你不知道从哪里参与讨论，那么最好的地方就是社区论坛了(http://forum.civicrm.org/)。要主动问问其他人对你的想法有什么观点。社区论坛里有很多其他的人的经历可以借鉴，如果运气好的话，或许有人就已经实践过类似的想法了。慈善通人都十分友好，而且他们都愿意合作。

根据你的想法，或许会有人指引你去另一一些好地方，或许是社区博客里(http://civicrm.org/blog)的一篇日志，或许是社区百科里的一个页面(http://wiki.civicrm.org/)，或许是和其他成员进行一个视频会议，甚至是当面会议！是的，就是当面的！

因你而不同

现在你有了一个好想法，现在你应该做的，就是要为这个想法做一个同样好的行动方案。虽然慈善通社区十分友好且乐于帮助，而且也很愿意参与你的计划，甚至为此发布更新，但你需要指引大家。你要如何去获得计划所需的资源？你要如何协调你的日常工作？为此，你最好要找一个既能达成你的目标，又能为慈善通社区做出贡献的路径。

最后......

如果假设你已经有了一位长期的顾问，你也可以成为社区里的一名活跃分子。社区的的确确从终端用户的反馈中受益良多（记住你的顾问也只是一个人或者一个组织而已），在论坛上提问可以让你开放自己的视野，并从整个社区中获益。

GETTING PREPARED

Is CiviCRM for You?

This chapter will help you to decide whether CiviCRM is the right tool for your organisation.

CiviCRM is powerful software and has the potential to help your organisation reach its goals - but it won't be the right choice for every organisation. Here are some ways that you can find out whether CiviCRM is right for your organisation:

• read the book! (you might be doing that right now)
• play with a demonstration site
• install a test database
• talk to others who use CiviCRM
• talk to a CiviCRM consultant.

Demonstration sites

CiviCRM hosts several demo sites - there is at least one for each of the two supported Content Management Systems (CMS) - Drupal and Joomla!. The demo sites present a working copy of the latest stable version of CiviCRM with sample data. You can use them to play around with CiviCRM but be aware that they are publicly viewable so you shouldn't enter personal data.

A list of the available demos can be found at http://demo.civicrm.org/

Other people are likely playing on the demo sites at the same time as you, so they may be configured strangely, missing functionality or appear in different languages.

The demos have some limitations - you can't send emails from them, you can't set permissions for Drupal users or do a full exploration of online payment options.

If you are having trouble working on a demo site, contact the CiviCRM core team via the forum or IRC.  If you want a more controlled environment for exploring CiviCRM, install your own test site.

Test installations

If you have technical skills or are feeling adventurous, you can download and set up a local version of CiviCRM, that is a version that is stored on your local computer rather than on a server on the internet. You'll still access it through a browser, but it will only be visible on your computer. The advantage of a test installation is that you can configure CiviCRM in the way that you want to use it, and experiment with your data.

Up-to-date information for installations (including troubleshooting tips) is maintained at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Installation+and+Upgrades.

Talking to others who use CiviCRM

If you know of another organisation that uses CiviCRM, talk to them about their experience. Obviously the more similar they are to your organisation, the better. If you don't know anyone that is using CiviCRM, have a look on the CiviCRM forums, at case studies on the community site, or try your local non-profit technology mailing list.

The CiviCRM forums (http://forum.civicrm.org) have a few boards for people who are new to CiviCRM, such as "Pre-installation Questions" (http://forum.civicrm.org/index.php/board,5.0.html). Remember that the forums are staffed mainly by volunteers so you will get a better response if you spend some time formulating an easily answerable question. You can also search the forums and browse for questions that others have asked. If you wish to ask questions or contribute to the discussions you must register first.

Talking to CiviCRM Consultants

Another option to help you understand CiviCRM is to make use of a professional. The CiviCRM website lists professional vendors and consultants that can walk you through CiviCRM (http://civicrm.org/professional), and there are many others; you may find a local website company who has experience with CiviCRM. Consider hiring a consultant for a day to discuss with you how CiviCRM could help your organisation.

Identifying Your Needs

This chapter covers some basic strategies for identifying your organisational needs, and how they could be met by CiviCRM. It doesn't go into detail about CiviCRM functionality or how CiviCRM stores data (you will find that in other chapters). Instead, we encourage you to first take a step back and think about your organisation.

Your organisational goals and practices

For now, forget about technology and focus on your organisational goals and processes. Here's a list of questions to start you off:

• What are the high level goals of your organisation?
• What tasks are staff involved with on a day to day basis?
• What activities do staff carry out with your contacts (members, constituents, clients)?
• What different teams and roles exist within your organisation?
• What services do you provide to your contacts?
  
• How do you communicate with your contacts? (include information flows into and out of your organisation)
• What happens when you receive someone's contact information?
• In what ways does money flow in and out of your organisation?
• Does your organisation have a membership structure?

Understand your "contact relations"

The CRM in CiviCRM stands for Contact Relationship Management. By contact, we mean an individual, household or organisation that your organisation has contact with (you may call them members, constituents, clients or some other term).

Many organisations make the mistake of not thinking about who their contacts actually are. Spend some time identifying all the people involved with your organisation. What different types of people do you interact with, and how do they differ from each other? The better you understand them and their interactions with your organisation, the better you can model them in CiviCRM. Anecdotal or systematic feedback from your contacts may be useful here.

Take advantage of institutional knowledge

In thinking about your contacts and their interactions with your organisation, talk to your co-workers, including those who have been around the longest and those who have just joined. Talk to as many people as possible to get a complete picture of their interactions with all kinds of contacts.

As well as talking to people, look at your organisation's data repositories: your databases, spreadsheets, file servers, address books, and any existing stored information you may have that can help you understand who your contacts are and how they interact with your organisation.

Map your needs to CiviCRM

CiviCRM has been designed to be flexible and adaptable, based on feedback from many different non-profits, but it may not map exactly to the ways that your organisation currently works. Doing things the CiviCRM way could mean adapting your workflow and adopting best practice in non-profit technology. Be pragmatic and flexible and consider whether your current working practices need to change.

It's worth remembering that CiviCRM offers many opportunities to interact with your contacts in ways that you have not previously had. Taking advantage of these new possibilities can lead to positive changes and improvements.

Transitioning to CiviCRM

This chapter outlines the parts that typically make up a CiviCRM project and should be read by people about to embark on a CiviCRM project. Some of this information may be obvious to experienced project managers. A comprehensive guide to project management is beyond the scope of one chapter but we have outlined things that are typically encountered in a CiviCRM project and provided pointers on some things to watch out for.

First, some pop philosophy courtesy of Cynthia Tarasco:

"Life is a series of making decisions. Some decisions are easy because they do not require a substantial investment of time or money. Deciding which flavor ice cream to buy fits into this category: if you get vanilla today you can always get chocolate tomorrow. Other decisions are much more difficult because they require substantial investments of resources, and you will be living with your choice for the foreseeable future. Adopting a new CRM fits into this category, so planning and project management are vital".

When you start out on a new CiviCRM project you should spend time thinking about:

• the people who will be involved in the project
• what the business goals of using CiviCRM are
• how you will approach the initial development
• what ongoing support you will need
• the costs associated with hosting and your IT infrastructure
• training and documentation
• change management

People and the project team

Including a wide range of people that represent the different parts of your organisation will help with delivery of your project. A mixture of management and day-to-day staff helps the team to keep an eye on the big picture as well as ensure that the project is ultimately useful to frontline staff.

You'll be exploring new territory with your CiviCRM installation and this can sometimes be stressful. It might be helpful to share project management of the project with others who can give you a different perspective and moral support when you need it!

Managing a CiviCRM project will require a major time investment from people within your organisation, even if you employ an external consultant. Organisations often under-estimate the amount of time that will be required from their staff in implementing an IT project - such as training, modifying existing processes and providing new or updated information to relevant people. It's not something that can be tacked on to the end of an already busy schedule and this should be taken into consideration.

Goals

You should have a good idea of the goals for implementing CiviCRM. This could be something like: reduce administrative work in managing events by 25% or manage 25% more donations with the same staff. The goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely)!

These business goals will help you in directing and managing your project. For example, if the project group for example want some customization that requires budget and effort, your business goals will help you decide one way or the other. The business goals will help you to focus on why you are implementing CiviCRM and what you want to achieve in the long run.

Development

It often makes sense to break development up into smaller more manageable sections, which can be implemented in discrete stages or iterations. A common first phase of development is to choose something simple to implement in CiviCRM, or specific functionality for a team who can then act as CiviCRM evangelists within the organisation.

Implementing in stages allows staff to get used to changes gradually without feeling overwhelmed, and gives the developer or implementer the ability to be responsive to feedback from users during the development process.

Another reason that people choose to develop iteratively is that it is very hard for users to correctly or fully articulate their requirements at the start of the project. Giving users hands-on experience of an early version of the system helps them understand how it works and what is possible. They can then provide valuable feedback and might articulate requirements that they haven't thought of previously.

Implementing your CMS (Drupal or Joomla!) either before or after implementing CiviCRM is another convenient way to split up a CiviCRM project. As well as the normal advantages of breaking up the development into manageable chunks, this helps staff understand the important differences between a CMS and a CRM.

Pilot projects

Pilots help to reduce risk during a project implementation. For example, rather than moving your organisation's entire event management infrastructure to CiviCRM, run one pilot event using CiviCRM and evaluate it. You can then incorporate the learning back into the development process.

Ongoing support and development

It is a mistake to think about a CiviCRM project as a one-off development that will meet the needs of your organisation for the foreseeable future. Organisations constantly change and evolve and your CRM should evolve with you, otherwise it will eventually become out-of-sync with the organisation.

Once you have been using CiviCRM for a while and staff are comfortable with it, you will likely want to take advantage of other functionality. Each improvement or new piece of functionality that you decide to implement in CiviCRM will take resources, so you'll need to plan for these.

Even if your organisational needs don't change, there are ongoing support implications, including:

• keeping your site up-to-date with security patches
• upgrading to the latest version of CiviCRM (not necessary, but CiviCRM is improving all the time and your users will thank you for the improved usability and functionality each time you upgrade)
• upgrading the CMS (Drupal or Joomla!)
• hosting

Training

Training is a significant aspect of most CiviCRM projects. Your training could take many shapes and sizes depending on your users, but it often makes sense to spend resources on formal and reusable training resources (user guides, lesson plans and so on).

CiviCRM's range of functionality can be overwhelming at first (especially to the less technically-minded). Remember that staff who were not involved in the project's early stages will need to have concepts explained clearly to them - things that are obvious to you may be quite foreign to others. 

Trying to cover everything in one training session probably won't be effective; your staff will need time to digest the new ideas. Instead, hold smaller training sessions that introduce concepts and specific functionality, followed by periods of testing, piloting and feedback. Tailor your training for your audience: not everyone needs to sit through a two-hour training session on how to manage events if there is a single person responsible for event management and planning. And where possible, involve staff in training other staff members as this increases the sense of ownership and helps to embed learning.

Training is also ongoing. New staff will need to be trained, users familiar with the system can benefit from learning about more advanced topics, and staff will need further training when there are significant upgrades or new functionality added. If you plan to use CiviCRM for any large or mission-critical events, allow adequate time for additional staff training and testing. 

Hosting and infrastructure

Hosting is a key aspect of any CiviCRM project. You will need to provide maintenance of the server on which CiviCRM is stored, and have someone available to fix problems that inevitably occur from time to time. If your site needs to be accessible 24 hours a day, you should have a support agreement with your ISP that covers this. Ensure that your budget is sufficient for appropriate hosting, and that effective backup procedures and policies are in place.

Keep in mind that in the hosting provider world, you get what you pay for. In many cases, cheap hosting providers keep their prices down by limiting the services or flexibility they provide. CiviCRM doesn't work well on poor hosting, and under-budgeting for hosting may lead to other problems. Similarly, make sure that the computers your staff are using are powerful enough to provide a good experience with CiviCRM.

Change management

Introducing a new (or the first) CRM will cause changes in work flow and processes at your organisation. These changes may be "political", practical or technical. Either way, a lot of change at the same time can be difficult and stressful.

To mitigate this, give staff time to accept and support each change so that they share in ownership of the new system rather than feeling as if something has been forced on them. Focus on simple tasks at the beginning of deployment and introduce more difficult tasks as staff understanding of the system grows. Show staff how the new system will make their work easier and where their feedback has been incorporated.

Good planning can minimise the risks around change, but it is important to be flexible within your plan; unforeseen things often occur, and a rigid plan could prevent you from reaching the best solution.

BASIC SET-UP

Installation & Basic Set-up

Before reading further, please be aware that much of the information contained here is intended for technicians and may be difficult to understand if you have little or no experience in setting up web applications. If you don't understand this topic, you may wish to either seek help, or point your organisation's technical staff to this material.

Prerequisites

CiviCRM must be installed on a computer that has been configured with a web-server (such as Apache or ngnx), PHP 5.2 or later, and MySQL. Some people prefer to try out CiviCRM on their own local computer before installing it on a dedicated web-server. If you are doing this and don't have the per-requisites just mentioned, you can download packages from the Internet such as WAMP, XAMPP, MAMPP and LAMP, which will quickly install an Apache web server, PHP, and MySQL. (The first two packages are for Windows and the second two are for the Macintosh and Linux respectively).

Before you can begin installation, you need to decide whether you are going to use CiviCRM integrated with Drupal or Joomla!. Refer to the appropriate section in the online CiviCRM Installation Guide for the latest system requirements and specific installation steps:
http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Installation+and+Upgrades

Network Access

Once you are ready to start using CiviCRM in your organization, you'll probably want CiviCRM to be available on the Internet. However, some organizations only want internal staff to have access. In this case they may choose to install CiviCRM on an intranet or local area network.

Upgrades

New versions of CiviCRM are released two or three times a year, and you will need to apply upgrades to your CiviCRM site periodically in order to take advantage of new features and improvements. Some upgrades contain security fixes and it is crucial that these are applied in a timely manner. It's important that you plan for the resources (people and time) required to apply upgrades to your site. You need to plan on testing upgrades on a copy of your live site to make sure the process runs smoothly. It's also critical to make backups of your site and database prior to running an upgrade on your live site even if you had tested the process on a test site.

Refer to the appropriate section of the online CiviCRM Installation Guide for specific upgrade procedures. Be sure to select the procedure that is targeted for the environment you are running (Drupal or Joomla!), and the version you are upgrading to.

Configuration

Now that you have CiviCRM installed and running on your web-server, it's time to review the initial configuration tasks which allow you to customize CiviCRM for your organization.

You can easily access each of the configuration screens described in the following screen from the Configuration Checklist. Log in to your CiviCRM site and navigate to Administer CiviCRM > Configure > Configuration Checklist. This section will cover the general tasks, while component-specific configuration will be covered in each component section.

Localization

Localization involves adapting CiviCRM for use in a specific country or language by translating the text displayed on the screen and setting region specific formats for dates and money (including currency). By default, CiviCRM is localized for the United States. If you are using CiviCRM in a different country, need to store contact addresses that appear in countries other than the United States, or want to use CiviCRM in another language, you will need to review and update the values on this screen.

CiviCRM has been translated into a number of different languages. These translations are contributed by community members. So your first step is to determine if a complete translation exists for the current version by visiting the Translation Server home page at http://translations.civicrm.org/. If you find a completed translation, you can download it and select it on this screen. Otherwise you will need to consider whether you have resources for contributing a translation.

It is also possible to configure your site to support multiple languages. In this mode, your users will be able to choose from a list of available languages after logging in. You can also create and store multi-language versions of text. Examples include custom field labels, an online contribution page, campaign information, and event descriptions.

Further reading:
Localization overview - http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviCRM+Localisation

Domain Information

Use this screen to enter identifying information for the organization or entity which "owns" this CiviCRM installation. The organization name and address are used to identify your organization in CiviMail mailings when you include the domain.name and domain.address tokens.

You should also enter a valid email address belonging to your organization, which will be used as the From field in system-generated (automated) emails.

Site Preferences

This screen allows you to modify the screen and form elements for the following tasks:

• Viewing Contacts - Controls the tabs displayed when viewing a contact record. EXAMPLE: If your organization does not keep track of Relationships, deselect this option to simplify the screen display. Tabs for Contributions, Pledges, Memberships, Events, Grants and Cases are also hidden if the corresponding component is not enabled.
• Editing Contacts - Controls the sections included when adding or editing a contact record. EXAMPLE: If your organization does not record Gender and Birth Date for individuals, then simplify the form by deselecting Demographics.
• Contact Search - Controls the sections included in the Advanced Search form. EXAMPLE: If you don't track Relationships, you will not search for that section. Simplify the form by deselecting this option.
• Contact Dashboard - Allows your constituents to view the groups they are subscribed to, their contribution history, event registration information and more. You can control the sections that should be included in the dashboard here. EXAMPLE: If you don't want constituents to view their own contribution history, deselect that option.
• WYSIWYG Editor - The editor provided to users to enter text in fields that allow HTML formatting (such as the introductory section for your online contribution pages). You can choose either CKEditor or TinyMCE. It's a good idea to try out both and see which is more comfortable for you and your users.
• Individual Display Name - Display name format for individual contact display names.
• Individual Sort Name - Sort Name format for individual contact sort names.

Address Settings

CiviCRM allows you to modify the default fields for adding and editing contact and event address data. You can also change the address field layout used for screen display and mailing labels. Review the out-of-the-box defaults by adding a new contact record and noting the address fields provided on the form. Save the record and note the order in which the fields are displayed on the Contact Summary screen. If you plan on generating mailing labels for contacts, review the label layout (select Mailing Labels from the -actions- drop-down after doing a search using the Find Contacts menu option).

After reviewing the default fields and layouts, review the Address Settings screen and make changes as needed.

• Mailing Labels - Controls formatting of mailing labels here. The default format is:
  {contact.addressee}
  {contact.street_address}
  {contact.supplemental_address_1}
  {contact.supplemental_address_2}
  {contact.city}{, }{contact.state_province}{ }{contact.postal_code}{contact.country}
  You must include the {contact.addressee} token here in order to include the name of the addressee in your labels. Users will be able to select from a variety of label types corresponding to the label manufacturer code when they generate the labels from a list of contacts. It's a good idea to test your format with the type of label and printer you plan on using to verify spacing.
  
• Address Display - Controls the layout of contact and event location addresses displayed on CiviCRM screens. The default format is:
  {contact.address_name}
  {contact.street_address}
  {contact.supplemental_address_1}
  {contact.supplemental_address_2}
  {contact.city}{, }{contact.state_province}{ }{contact.postal_code}{contact.country}

  This format applies to event locations, despite the use of the contact record type in the layout. The {contact.address_name} token is particularly useful for events where you need to include a location name (e.g. "Smithson Hall").

• Address Editing Fields - Modify the available address editing fields here. You can hide fields that you don't plan on using in order to simplify the forms. EXAMPLE: If you don't plan on recording OpenIDs for contacts, you can deselect that field.
  • Street Address Parsing - CiviCRM uses the US Postal Service's (USPS) Postal Addressing Standards to parse an address into fields to hold the address elements: Street Number, Street Name, and Apt/Unit/Suite. It's best \to enter address information that conforms to the Postal Addressing Standards, not only for consistency in your data, but also to best take advantage of the the Street Address Parsing function. You can edit and or view the parsed address by clicking on Edit Address Elements next to the Street Address field of the Address Area of the Summary tab when viewing a contact record.  You can learn more about USPS' Postal Addressing Standards at http://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/welcome.htm.
• Address Standardization - CiviCRM includes an optional feature for interfacing to the United States Postal Services (USPS) Address Standardization web service. You must register to use the USPS service at http://www.usps.com/webtools/address.htm. If you are approved, they will provide you with a User ID and the URL for the service. The URL provided by USPS will not be prefixed with "http://". When entering this URL into the CiviCRM settings field, you must prefix it with "http://".

Mapping and Geocoding

CiviCRM includes support for both the Google and Yahoo mapping services. These services allow your users to display contact addresses and event locations on a map. To enable this feature, select your mapping provider and obtain a key for your site from that provider.

Once a mapping provider is enabled, your contact and event records will be automatically geocoded (the latitude and longitude for that address is inserted) as you add or edit address data.

Search Settings

These let you adjust search behaviors such as the use of wildcards and which data to include in quick search results. Adjusting search settings can improve performance for large datasets.

A wildcard character is a special character that can be used to substitute for any other character or characters in searches. CiviCRM allows you to use the percent (%) character to substitute for zero or more characters, and the underscore (_) character to substitute for any single character. Wildcards are useful for broadening your search results.

For example, typing 'Volunteer%' as your Activity Subject will match any record whose subject starts with "Volunteer" (e.g. "Volunteer for Open House" or "Volunteering Opportunities").

• Automatic Wildcards - By default, when users search for contacts by Name, the Search interface treats the text as if it was surrounded by percent signes. EXAMPLE: Searching for 'ada' will return any contact whose name includes those letters - 'Adams, Janet', 'Nadal, Jorge', etc. Disabling this feature will speed up searches significantly for large databases, but will make users explicitly use wildcard characters ("%" or "_") for partial name searches.
• Include Email - By default, when users search contacts by Name, the Search interface also searches for the text in email addresses. Disabling this feature will speed up searches significantly for large databases, but users will need to use the Email search fields (from Advanced Search, Search Builder, or Profiles) to find contacts by email address.
• Include Nickname - By default, nicknames are automatically not included when users search by Name. Change this value to Yes if you want nicknames to be included.
• Include Alphabetical Pager - If disabled, the alphabetical pager will not be displayed on the search screens. This will improve response time for search results on large datasets.
• Include Order By Clause- If disabled, search results will not be ordered. This will improve response time for search results on large datasets significantly.
• Default Contact Search Profile - You can select a Profile to override the columns displayed by default in Find Contacts search results.
• Smart group cache timeout - Smart groups are basically saved searches. The list of contacts for each smart group is cached in the database in order to avoid running the saved search every time you access a smart group. This field determines the number of minutes to maintain the cache before refreshing it. The default value of 0 means the cache is emptied immediately when any contact is edited or a new one is added. If your contact data changes frequently, you may want to try setting this to a value of 5 minutes (or even longer) to reduce processing load on your server. The drawback of delaying the refreshing of the cache is that old data will still be served up to users for a few minutes after new data is added.
• Autocomplete Contact Search - If enabled, selected fields will be displayed in auto-complete dropdown lists and the "Quick Search" box on the navigation menu. The contact name is always included.

Miscellaneous: Version Checking, reCAPTCHA, Use Trash, Logging

Use the Miscellaneous Settings screen to configure and control the following behaviors:

• Dashboard Cache Timeout - The number of minutes to cache dashlet content on the dashboard.
• Contact Trash and Undelete - If enabled, deleted contacts will be moved to the trash (instead of being destroyed). Users with the proper permission are able to search for the deleted contacts and restore them (or delete them permanently).
• Logging - If enabled, all actions performed on non-cache tables will be logged (in the respective log_* tables). By default, these tables will be created in the same database. However you can configure CiviCRM to write logging tables to a different database by editing your site's civicrm.settings.php file. Specify the separate logging database in the CIVICRM_LOGGING_DSN setting. After enabling this feature you can review changes to contact records using the Contact Logging Report. Go to Reports > Reports Listing > Contact Logging Report (Summary).
• Version Checking and Statistics Reporting - This feature automatically checks the availability of a newer stable version of CiviCRM. New version alerts are displayed on the main CiviCRM Administration page. Statistics about your CiviCRM installation are also reported anonymously to the CiviCRM team to assist in prioritizing ongoing development efforts. The following information is gathered: CiviCRM version, versions of PHP, MySQL and framework (Drupal/Joomla!/standalone), and default language. Record counts (but no actual data) are also reported. You can set this field to No if you are not comfortable with having this information reported for your site.
• Attachments - You can increase or decrease the maximum number of files (documents, images, etc.) that can be attached to emails, activities, and grant records. The default value is 3.
• File Size - Maximum size of a file (documents, images, etc.) which can attached to emails or activities. Note that your PHP configuration files, php.ini, should support at least as big a file size as the value specified here.
• reCAPTCHA - reCAPTCHA is a free service that helps prevent automated abuse of your site by requiring users to read a random pair of words and type them into the form. To use reCAPTCHA on public-facing CiviCRM forms, sign up at recaptcha.net, enter the provided public and private reCAPTCHA keys here, then enable reCAPTCHA under the Advanced Settings section in a Profile where you want it used.

If you want to use reCAPTCHA protection for online contribution, membership signup or event registration forms, you'll need to configure a Profile with reCAPTCHA enabled, and then include it in those forms.

Contact Types

Here you can modify the names of the built-in contact types (Individual, Household, Organizations), and create or modify "contact subtypes" for more specific uses (e.g. Student, Parent, Team, etc.).

Sending Emails

CiviCRM will use the default From address defined here when sending automated emails. If you've already entered an email address in the Domain Information screen, that address will be listed here (as illustrated on the leftmost field of the following screenshot).

When users send an email using CiviCRM, their primary email address is used as the From address by default. However, they can also select one of the general email addresses defined here as an alternative.

Outbound email

If you are sending emails to contacts using CiviCRM, you need to enter settings which allow CiviCRM to connect to your mail server. Such emails include sending receipts to contributors, sending confirmations to people registering for events, and using CiviMail to send bulk mailings.

CiviCRM supports three different methods of connecting to a mail server: mail (the built-in PHP mail function); SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol); and Sendmail. Each method requires that you enter specific settings. If you're unfamiliar with these terms, or unsure of the correct values for these settings, check with your system administrator, ISP or hosting provider.

You should always send a test email after you enter or modify the settings. Simply click "Save and Send Test Email"(shown in the following screenshot). An email will be sent to the email address associated with your user login account. The From email address will be the default From address you've configured in the previous section.

If CiviCRM is unable to send the test email, you will see a message on your screen with the specific error and some suggestions for trouble-shooting the problem.

Disabling outbound email

If you do not want users to send outbound emails from CiviCRM at all, select "Disable Outbound Email". However, if you disable outbound email, and you are using Online Contribution pages or online Event Registration, you will need to turn off the automated receipting and registration confirmation features (these are enabled by default). Otherwise your constituents will see error messages after they've completed a contribution or registration.

See Email System Configuration for more details.

Payment Processors

Payment processors are companies that handle credit card transactions for merchants and non-profit organizations and that transfer funds to the organization's bank account. If you plan on using CiviCRM to accept online contributions, online membership signup and renewal or online event registration, you will need to select and configure a payment processor for your site.

CiviCRM includes support for several different processors, and provides a way for third-party developers to add support for additional processors based on their clients' needs. Each processor has their own pricing structure and features, and you will want to investigate each available option to determine the best fit for your organization. Refer to the "Contributions" section for a list of factors to consider in selecting a processor.

The actual steps involved in configuring and testing your payment processor connection are different for each processor. For more information, visit:
http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviContribute+Payment+Processor+Configuration 

Permissions for anonymous users

Note: This section applies to Drupal sites only.

If you are using CiviCRM with Drupal, you will need to review Drupal's user permissions to ensure that people can get to your signup forms, contribution pages, membership pages and event registration pages.

You must be an administrator for your Drupal site to review and modify user permissions. Log in to your Drupal site, and navigate to Administer > User Management > Permissions.The following screen is displayed.

Review each of the permissions listed. You should enable them for the anonymous user role if you want these features to be accessible to people who visit your site without logging in--outsiders registering for membership or events, for instance:

• Make online contributions:
  If you plan to use CiviContribute and want to allow online contributions, enable this permission by checking the box.

• View event info and Register for events:
  If you plan to use CiviEvent and want to allow online event registration, enable both of these permissions.

• Profile listings and forms:
  If you want to collect contact information from constituents or expose a searchable directory using a profile, you must enable this permission.

• Access all custom data:
  You must enable this permission for any role which you want to view or for which you want to edit custom data fields. This permission sounds like one that should be given out with care, but in reality most sites give this permission to anonymous users because it is required for simple tasks like filling in information about themselves in the data fields you include in the event registration process. If your site uses Profiles that include custom fields, make sure the roles that need to access these Profiles have this permission.

Now that you have reviewed all the basic configuration tasks, you're ready to begin exploring the ways in which you can record and use contact data.

System Workflow Templates

Review and modify the templates used for system-generated emails, including contribution receipts and event registration confirmations.

Email System Configuration

This chapter covers system configuration necessary so that CiviCRM can send and receive email.  This is a complex task which requires system administrator level skills.  Correct configuration is crucial to keep your server off spam lists and black lists. See Set Up of the Email section for tasks necessary to set up the sending of messages once the server settings have been configured.

Some parts of the configuration are core CiviCRM functionality (basic sending and receiving of emails) whereas others (mass mailings) require that the CiviCRM component be enabled.

You will need to be able to change the configuration of your DNS, create email accounts, configure a cron job, read the headers of email messages, and possibly change the configuration of your SMTP server.

This chapter assumes you are running CiviCRM on a Linux server and that you are comfortable working with the shell and running some simple commands.  Most of these steps will be similar on other operating systems, but you will need to adapt them to your system and tools. 

The configuration described works fine for mailings to up to about 10,000 people. If you plan on sending email to hundreds of thousands of contacts, you should benchmark several options and consider a dedicated SMTP server. This more complex configuration is outside the scope of this book.

In this chapter we'll use an external Gmail mailbox address to test configuration. So the first step is to create a Gmail account if you don't have one already; alternatively, you can use another address for testing the procedures in this chapter, but you will need to be able to view the source of the mails you receive.

Once your system is properly configured, you are going to run periodically (for instance every 10 minutes) two different programs:

• EmailProcessor.php to check if you have received new bounces, and flag the invalid contacts
  

• civimail.cronjob.php  to send all the emails that might be queued for sending.
  

Configuring outbound email

Outbound email setting are configured at: Administer > Configure > Global settings > Outbound Email. The choices here are:

• mail().  This is the default option and if it works for you, you should use it.
  
• SMTP.  If you have a dedicated external mail server, specify its details here. Bounce messages generated with SMTP are slightly more complete than the ones from mail(), but there is no practical benefit to using SMTP if you can use mail().
  
• Sendmail.  This option is kept for compatibility with older CiviCRM versions.
  
• Disable Outbound Email. Works as expected.
  

After making a choice, send a test email to your account on Gmail and verify that you receive it.

If you receive the following error message, you'll need to configure a default FROM email address (covered in the chapter on CiviMail configuration).

Sorry. A non-recoverable error has occurred.
The site administrator needs to enter a valid 'FROM Email Address' in Administer ->
 Configure -> Domain Information. The email address used may need to be a valid
 mail account with your email service provider.

Once you have received the email, you will need to view the source.  This is done in Gmail by clicking on "Show original" in the email you receive.

The email should contain headers that resemble the following.

Received: from yourmailserver.example.org (xxx.example.org [12.45.120.30])
        by mx.google.com with ESMTP id e31si4519230wej.3.2010.04.26.00.38.16;
        Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:38:17 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: best guess record for domain of
    youremail@example.org designates 12.45.120.30
    as permitted sender) client-ip=12.45.120.30

In particular:

The "Received: from" header should correspond to your mail server and be properly configured.  It might contain information about your hosting provider instead of your domain name. This is not a problem as long as the mail server is properly configured.  If you have a dedicated IP address for your server, you should try to configure a reverse DNS that represents your organisation instead of the default name.

The "Received-SPF" header should list "pass" or "neutral".  Sender Policy Framework is described later in more detail.

Sending mass mailing is resource intensive.  We don't recommend sending email messages from budget hosting providers.  The time you will spend troubleshooting will often cost more than upgrading to a more professional host.  Check with your hosting provider to find out whether they limit the number of email messages you can send and whether they run PHP in safe mode.

Some of your recipients' mail servers use DNS based blacklisting services (DNSBL) which keep a blacklist of IP addresses likley to send spam.  Mail from these servers will be flagged as spam and not reach its intended destination.  If your server is blacklisted (for instance, because enough of your recipients flagged your email as spam, or because another website on your server has been flagged as spam), you will need to contact the organisations that have blacklisted you and convince them to unlist you.

They are several websites that help you testing whether you are in a DNSBL. A web search for "blacklisting email" will turn some up. Test regularly to find whether you are on a blacklist.

Configuring Sender Policy Framework (SPF)

By default, the Internet allows any mail server to send any email claiming to be from anyone. This makes it easy for spammers to forge addresses and send spam using your email address (or any other). SPF allows you to create a special DNS record listing the IP addresses of the mail servers that can legitimately send email from @yourdomain.org.

If your domain name already has an SPF record, make sure that it includes the IP address of your CiviCRM mail server (which might be a different from the host used for the web server or from your mail servers), and if it doesn't, add this IP address.

If you don't have an SPF record, consider adding one. You will need to add at least your mail server and CiviCRM server (if they are different) to the SPF record.

You can read more about SPF at http://www.openspf.org.

Configuring inbound email

This section explains the configuraiton of the handling of incoming emails for 1. handlings bounces or 2. autofiling emails.

Bounces

CiviCRM can automatically receive the bounced email notifications and flag your contacts accordingly. Based on the type of errors (mail server is unreachable, mailbox full, mailbox doesn't exist, dns error...), CiviCRM will either directly set the contact as on hold or wait until several mailings are bounced with the same error for the same contact.

You need to set up two things: a mailbox to receive bounced email messages, and a cronjob that will read periodically this mailbox, and update your contacts and your mailing reports in civicrm.

The bounce email address is an "invisible" email address visible only in the email message's envelope (hidden fields that precede the headers and message added by the user). Choose any name you like that is meaningful to you. In this example we have chosen return, so the email address we need to set up on a mail server for example.org is return@example.org.

Verify that your account is properly set up by sending a test email from Gmail to the return account.

CiviCRM handles bounces as follow: for each email sent, a new unique "invisible" sender address is created using the variable envelope return path (VERP). When CiviCRM receives a bounce, it looks at the invisible sender address to decide which email bounced. Contacts will be marked as on hold when their email bounces. Further messages to those addresses won't be sent.

Autofiling emails

CiviCRM can automatically retrieve email from a specified inbox and file it as an email activity against contacts corresponding to sender and recipients of the email. New contacts are created for emails not already in the database.

There are two ways to do this that can be used one or both at the same time.
Option 1) Set up a special email address for your organization, e.g. civiemails@mysite.com. Users can then add this address in the Bcc field for your outbound emails they will get autofiled in CiviCRM as described above. No one who receives the email will see this special address if the Bcc field is used.

Option 2) Set up a folder in your IMAP Inbox where you can drag emails that you want filed in CiviCRM.  This works with both inbound and outbound emails. (Option 2 requires that your email be set up using IMAP.)

See the wiki page for further emails http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC40/Autofiling+email+activities+via+EmailProcessor.

Types of email accounts for incoming email

There are several ways of configuring your bounce mailbox:

• Sub-addressing: Your mail service might allow you to append a +tag or  -tag qualifier to your e-mail address (e.g., return+test@example.org). Several mail servers, including Gmail, Yahoo! and Postfix provide this sub-addressing by default.

  Try to send yourself an email, adding a +tag or -tag. If you received received the mail you sent with a tag, it means that you can directly use the mailbox you created (return@example.org  in our example)  as the VERP.

• Catch-all address: If sub-addressing doesn't work on your mail server, you need to define the mail account you created (return@example.org) as the "catch-all" account. Every mail sent to an address that isn't a real mail account will end up there, including all the bounced email messages.

• External address: If neither of the preceding methods works, consider creating a new account on a service such as Gmail and use it to receive the bounced emails. You will have to set filters in this account so it doesn't discard as spam all the bounced email it will receive.
  

Adding an incoming email account for handling bounces or autofiling to CiviMail

Once you have created your email account to receive bounces or emails for autofiling, you need to set up CiviMail so it knows how to read it: Administer > CiviMail > Mail accounts as the default email address.

• Specify the mail server, username, and password you used when creating the account.
• The local part is the account you created with '+' appended , e.g., "return+".
• The email domain is the domain of your email address (example.org).
• You can leave the return path empty.
• If your mail server supports it, specify IMAP protocol and check SLL, otherwise use POP.
  
• You can speficy an IMAP folder in the source field using the syntax INBOX.CiviMail. Note: Some exchange servers may not be configured in a compatible way. In that case, you can configure a script like fetchmail and use Maildir.
  
• In the Used for? field you can choose whether you want to use the email account for Bounce Processing or Email-to-Activity Processing (or Autofiling). You can have multiple accounts specified for autofiling but only one for bounce processing. This will be marked as default.
  

Once the Bounce Processing mailbox is configured, you will need to configure CiviMail to empty it, read all these bounced messages and identify the related bounced contacts. This is performed by the bin/EmailProcessor.php program. We recommend testing the bounce process by running this program directly before setting up CiviCRM to process the bounced email messages automatically. For instance, try entering the following URL into a browser to test the program, substituting the details for your invisible email account:

http://example.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/bin/EmailProcessor.php?name=username&pass=password&key=your_site_install_key

Read the chapter on cron for the details of these parameters.

If CiviCRM can't properly connect to the mailbox, it displays an  error message:

ezcMailTransportException: An error occured while sending or receiving mail.

followed by some extra information about the precise problem, such as:

• Failed to connect to the server

• The POP3 server did not accept the password: -ERR [AUTH] Username and password not accepted
• The IMAP server did not accept the password: -ERR [AUTH] Username and password not accepted

Once you have verified that CiviCRM can properly handle the bounce, you can set it up to automatically process the replies and bounces on a regular basis.

The different options to set up this periodical task are described on the Scheduling the job section below.

Configuring cron jobs for scheduled mass mailings

Mass mailings are generated via the web interface and queued to be sent by a background cron job, a process that periodically checks whether there are any mailings waiting to be processed. The program that cron runs is bin/civimail.cronjob.php. This section explains how to schedule it to run on a regular basis

If you need to send some email from CiviCRM right away, without waiting for the cron job, you can trigger the sending process by visiting the http://example.org/civicrm/mailing/queue&reset=1 URL. Use this capability sparingly. It could utilize a lot of server resources and cause CiviCRM to slow down noticeably. The administrative settings for sending email are usually configured to minimize the load on the server, and the cron job is a more efficient way to send mass email.

Scheduling the job

To handle both outgoing email and bounced email, you should run a process several times an hour. On Linux and other Unix or Unix-like systems, this is done by configuring a cron job.

The cron job needs to run using an account recognized by your Drupal or Joomla! server. Create an account dedicated to this task (e.g., mailprocess), give it a long, secure password (e.g.,seol-lzprm42amv-psyc) and grant it access on CiviCRM and CiviMail. Do not change the account password without changing the password in the configuration files of this cron job.

To set up your cron job, you need to understand how cron works specifically on your CiviCRM server. But as example of setting up cron, you can log in as your dedicated cron user and type the following in the shell:

 crontab -e

and then enter the following line:

*/5 * * * * php absolute_path_to_civimail.cronjob.php

Press CTRL-D to save the job and exit crontab. This example runs the PHP file every five minutes.

The civimail.cronjob.php program has two modes: one for running the file directly from the shell and one for loading the program from the web server. Use the direct shell method whenever you can. But if for technical reasons (not enough access rights, non-working php-cli, etc.) you can't run the programs from the shell, use the web server method.

From the shell

First, find out whether php-cli is installed. From the shell, type php -v. If you see (cli) in the result, as in:

PHP 5.2.3-1ubuntu6.5 (cli) (built: Feb 11 2009 19:55:53)
Copyright (c) 1997-2007 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v2.2.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2007 Zend Technologies
    with eAccelerator v0.9.5.3, Copyright (c) 2004-2006 eAccelerator, by eAccelerator

This means you have php-cli installed and you should use it, because it has several advantages:

• You can run a PHP script at a lower priority than your web server, so that even if it takes a lot of CPU, it won't interfere with the regular users of your site.
• You can set different memory limits for the php-cli process and the PHP process used by your web server.
• You avoid the overhead of the web server and the HTTP layer.
• You won't have any timeout problems.

The following is complete cron configuration to handle CiviCRM's mail requirements:

# This must be set to the directory where civicrm is installed.
CIVI_ROOT=/var/www/civicrm
USER=www-data
MAILTO="you@example.org"
# Location of the PHP Command Line Interface binary. nice -19 forces to run at a
lower priority than the web server
PHP=nice -n19 /usr/bin/php

#line to be modified according to the informations below
PARAMS= -sdefault -umailprocess -pseol-lzprm42amv-psyc
#cronjob send
# m h  dom mon dow   command
*/5 * * * * cd $CIVI_ROOT;$PHP  bin/civimail.cronjob.php $PARAMS
*/15 * * * * cd $CIVI_ROOT;$PHP bin/EmailProcessor.php $PARAMS

The user that run the scripts (www-data in this example) needs to be able to write into the temporary folder. Your configuration might specify a different user.

You don't have to run both scripts at the same frequency. The preceding crontab file verifies every 5 minutes whether mail messages need to be sent, but only every 15 minutes whether bounced email needs to be processed.

PARAMS contains:

1. The site you used, which is -sdefault on Drupal. If you run multiple CiviCRM sites on a single server, you need to specify your site's domain, such as -sexample.org.
2. The user login account (-umailprocess).
   
3. The password you defined (-pseol-lzprm42amv-psyc).

From the web server

You can access the two processes from pages on your web server using commands such as:

wget -O - -q -t 1  --post-data='name=mailprocess&pass=seol-lzprm42amv-
  psyc&key=yoursiteinstallkey' http://www.example.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm
  /bin/civimail.cronjob.php

wget -O - -q -t 1  --post-data='name=mailprocess&pass=seol-lzprm42amv-
  psyc&key=yoursiteinstallkey' http://www.example.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm
  /bin/EmailProcessor.php

This works like visiting the web pages in your brower, but can be run automatically as shell commands.

For security reasons, you need to add an extra key parameter, defined in your civicrm.settings.php file. Read the chapter on the REST interface for more information about this parameter.

TAKING CARE OF SECURITY

Because CiviCRM is a web based solution, it requires webserver to run. It's most common situation that webservers are used for serving publicly available data, so some attention is required, when setting up CiviCRM for storing sensitive data. Recommended approach in such situations is using some kind of VPN (Virtual Private Network) solution, which will encapsulate data transfers over public networks using secure cryptographic methods. One of non-complicated methods of assuring VPN functionality is using SSH tunneling - blocking most kinds of access to the server and leaving only possibility to access services via secure, encrypted SSL tunnel. 

Encrypted data transfer

CiviCRM, being server based software accessed through the browser (client), requires internet connectivity. All the communication that's happening between the server and the client is not encrypted by default in non-configured, default installation, which means that somebody can intercept it and gain unauthorised access to your CiviCRM installation. In order to ensure security of communication, you need to make sure that your webserver (or hosting company) supports so called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Once that condition is met, you will need to create or obtain an SSL certificate from trusted issuer and put it on your server and than enforce encrypted communication (through HTTPS protocol) by changing configuration options in administration section.

Backups and their security

All of the computer systems are prone to failures - both hardware and software. The way to make sure that data is not lost is creating backups - periodically made copies of all the data and sometimes software as well. Making backups serves two important purposes: recovery and retention. In case of recovery, it helps organisation make sure that data gathered and stored in databases isn't lost in case of any failure. It can also help make sure that service continuity is assured - sometimes it's important that data gathering or analysis operations are not ceased due to lack of functioning database system - in such cases recovering working tool from backup minimises downtime. Second purpose: retention, is useful when organisation needs to be able to check the state of data gathered in given time in past. It might be quite important for human rights oriented organisation, especially around projects where data gathering process can be sabotaged by introducing unneeded modifications. Being able to verify the state of database in given moment in time (and compare to current state) can help in discovering any inaccuracies.

There is one more important issue to remember about when thinking about data backups. It sometimes happens, that the backed up system itself is well protected and there is a lot of attention being paid to its security, but the very backup security is forgotten. For example, it's important to have off-site backups (a copy of data that's stored in physically different location than original data - in case of natural disaster or fire), but it should be remembered that they contain all of the sensitive data. Therefore, it's a good practice to use strong encryption and physical protection (e.g. keep them in safe) for all the backups.

Data storage jurisdiction

As mentioned before, CiviCRM can be run from the server or from the cloud. When working with issues around human rights, or if an organisation is gathering sensitive information about a country's government or its officials, it is quite important to know where your data is stored. This is especially important when data is stored "in the cloud", when it's not obvious where the data is physically stored. Not getting into details, it might be good to have detailed information about where the servers are physically located, and which country's jurisdiction is used in case of governmental requests for information.

Other security concerns

It should be remembered that many successful attempts of unauthorised access don't have too much to do with IT systems security. It's often social engineering, physical access to server and client machines or using violence against people who have authorised access to data that are responsible for break-ins. Therefore, making sure that data is secure requires also extensive, on-going training of system users and making sure that they are familiar with all the necessary precautions.

ORGANISING YOUR DATA

概述

 （第八章首句）

This chapter covers the main building blocks that CiviCRM uses to store data, and describes their intended usage. It is recommended reading for working out how you should organise your data in CiviCRM.

能否成功地使用慈善通，取决于是否能恰当地储存数据。以下介绍慈善通如何处理联系人数据，如何按照默认方法存储与联系人相关的数据，以及如何添加字段以保存其他数据。本章将介绍以下概念：联系人，关系，群组和分类标签，活动，自定义字段，以及数据透视图。这也将帮助你理解为什么数据是存储在这里，而不是那里。

联系人

慈善通把联系人记录作为联系人数据的中央枢纽。一共定义有三种不同的联系人类型，每一种类型都适用于你的机构需要跟踪的联系人中的一类：

• 个人：你的机构想要记录的任何人。
• 结构：可以是其他非营利性组织，公司，你的机构的一个分会，或委员会。一般来说，你会要创建至少一个机构类型的联系人，以代表你的机构。配置会籍时，这会特别有用。
• 家庭：一个家庭或一群有共同实际地址的人。

慈善通根据你对每种类型的联系人可能需要跟踪的数据而提供不同的字段。例如，性别只适用于个人联系人，而不适用于机构联系人和家庭联系人，所以只有个人类型或子类型的联系人才有性别这个字段。也可以根据需要收集的数据额外定义字段，并将其赋予某一种联系人类型。你可以选择创建一个自定义字段来记录主席或CEO的姓名，然后将这个字段指定给机构联系人。

***********以下为原第八章内容，（24页末） ****************

Relationships

关系是将两个联系人互相关联的途径。Two default relationship types in CiviCRM are the "employer - employee" and the "parent - child" relationship types.

There are always two ways to describe a relationship in CiviCRM: one describes the relationship of A to B, and the other of B to A. For example, Adam is Bernard's son and Bernard is Adam's father. Sometimes both descriptions will be the same: Charlie is Diane's friend and Diane is Charlie's friend.

CiviCRM comes with a number of relationship types in the standard installation. You can define further relationship types to meet your needs, for example you might define a relationship type of "vicar - church".

It may be helpful to compare relationships to groups: relationships connect two contacts, while groups contain two or more contacts who have something in common.

Groups

Groups are useful to identify two or more contacts with something in common. For example, the advisory board of your organisation could be modeled as a group.

Groups are often used as mailing lists. For example, you could create a group containing all your newsletter subscribers, then use the group to send an email newsletter.

Groups are also used in many other situations. For example, a search can be saved as a group (known as a smart group) which means that it will automatically update as more/fewer contacts match the search criteria as you put updated information in your database.

Groups can also be used to provide permissions in Drupal. To find out more about groups and how they are used, read the chapter on groups and tags.

Tags

Tags are in many ways similar to groups, but as well as being used to identify contacts they can also be applied to activities and cases that have something in common. To find out more about tags, and how they are different from groups, read the chapter on groups and tags. 

Activities

Activities are a key concept in CiviCRM. Activities track interactions between the organisation and its clients or contacts at a specific point in time. While all of CiviCRM's components make extensive use of activities, such as recording contributions, event attendance, membership subscriptions, and emails, you can also create additional activity types to define specific activities that your organisation carries out, for example, training, review, support etc.

***********以上为原第八章内容，（第25页） ****************

Custom Fields

慈善通允许收集和追踪默认设置之外的数据信息。  

根据需要，你可能希望增加一些慈善通没有提供的字段。例如，作为活动管理流程的一部分，你或许需要输入关于参加者饮食偏好的信息。慈善通允许你添加自定义字段，来收集这些数据，并将其与参加者的记录相连。

更多详细范例，以及如何添加自定义字段，请阅读本部分指南。 

数据透视图

 慈善通允许为了到一定的目的，将一系列字段取出放在一起，以此帮助减少管理人员的工作量。这样的字段集合也叫做数据透视图。

以下是几个必须使用数据透视图的例子：收集信息或让人们通过在线表单加入你的邮件列表，辅助活动登记并取得关于登记人的所需信息，或为志愿者创建数据输入界面其中只包括那些他们需要看见的字段。

关于如何使用数据透视图，请阅读“数据透视图”章节。 

慈善通组件  

除了这些基本的构件之外，慈善通还提供不同的构件，以简化与活动管理，会员，发送讯息，接收捐赠和捐款，个案挂历，举办活动，管理拨款项目，以及更多任务相关的管理工作。

本书对每个组件都用单独的一个部门来介绍。这些组件有：CiviEvent，CiviMember，CiviMail，CiviContribute，CiviCase，CiviCampaign ，以及CiviGrant。

关于调查，申请，和CiviEngage（后者实际上是一个Drupal模块）的部分与CiviCampaign关系密切，他们的特别功能将在相应那一章中介绍。

还有一个单独的报告部分，是专门关于使用报告及数据分析来不断对工作进行评价的。 

联系人

联系人是慈善通的重要组成部分。在一个标准慈善通安装中，默认地有三种核心联系人：

• 个人：你的机构想要保存其记录的任何人
• 机构：可以是其他非营利性组织，公司，你的机构的一个分会，或委员会。一般来说，你会要创建至少一个机构类型的联系人，以代表你的机构。配置会籍时，这会特别有用
• 家庭：一个家庭或一群有共同实际地址的人

每个联系人记录都拥有一些联系信息，包括:

• 姓名，昵称，称呼，头衔
• 网址，email地址，电话号码，即时讯息帐号名称
• 街道地址
• 联系方式偏好（希望你以何种方式与之联系，以及不希望的联系方式）

所有其他慈善通构件，如关系，捐赠，及群组都以某种方式与联系人相关联，这样就可以看到某个联系人所出席的活动，或是作了哪些捐赠。

 你还可以根据需要进一步定义联系人类型，例如“学生”，“农场”，“教堂”。你所定义的每种联系人类型都是基于三种核心联系人类型之一。例如，学生属于个人类型，农场可能是机构类型，也可能是家庭类型，这取决于具体情况。

一个联系人只能有一种联系人类型。例如，不可能既是学生也是老师（但联系人类型并不是区分联系人的唯一方法）。

你的CMS的全部用户都同时存储在慈善通中，作为个人联系人。他们在慈善通中的联系人记录与他们在CMS（Drupal或Joomla!）中的用户记录相关联。请注意，只有个人联系人可以与CMS中的用户记录相关联。而慈善通中的机构和家庭联系人则不能直接与CMS中的用户记录相关联。

添加一个联系人

添加单个联系人，最简单的方法是使用任何非公共页面顶部都有的导航菜单。要新建一个个人联系人，选择：联系人 > 新个人：

请注意，“联系人”菜单项允许创建任何种类的联系人或联系人子类型。

点击“新个人”，进入新个人表单。所有的创建联系人的表单都是类似的：上方为基本信息（姓名，email等），下面是比较特别的字段，并分类或按内容分组排列（如地址，倾向于以何种方式联系，还有你已经为该联系人类型添加的自定义字段）。

原则上可以填写这些字段中的任意多个，但最好至少填上姓名和email地址（表单只要求了姓和名，或email地址）。请记住，添加和编辑联系人的屏幕并没有区别，你可以随时返回修改。

填写完成后，可以选择点击以下三个按钮之一：

l        “保存”按钮将保存当前联系人，并进入联系人界面。

l        “保存并新建”按钮将保存当前联系人，并清空表单，以供新建下一个联系人。

l        “取消”按钮将放弃填写的信息，并返回到慈善通面板。

联系人界面

理解联系人管理的最好方法，是看看用于保存和显示联系人信息的不同界面。

查找联系人，可以在慈善通面板（或任何慈善通页面）的导航菜单中“快速查找”输入框里，输入联系人姓名或email地址的一部分。如果搜索框为空时点击“搜索”按钮，就会查到数据库中的所有联系人记录。

下面的例子查找“sa”，系统返回了Sam Jones，以及其他含有“sa”的联系人。

;

联系人操作功能区

在所有联系人记录的顶部是一个包含有一系列按钮的“操作功能区”，这些按钮允许你对当前联系人作相关操作。点击“操作”按钮，弹出下拉菜单，其中列有可以对当前联系人进行的操作。例如，对当前联系人添加一个备注，或者记录一笔新的捐赠、一次会议、或其他活动。

下面是一些这里可以进行的操作：

l        点击“编辑”按钮进入编辑界面，更改当前联系人的任何信息。另外也有一个按钮可以“删除”当前联系人。

l        点击“打印摘要”，显示当前联系人信息的打印模式，准备打印。

l        “vCard”链接将联系人详细信息导入电子邮件客户程序（除非想在慈善通中存储你给这个联系人的所有email，否则请不要导入）。

l        点击“联系人面板”，用户可查看和修改他们自己的群组订阅设置，并看到他们自己的捐赠历史记录，会籍情况，以及活动登记。

如果你的慈善通是结合Drupal或Joomla使用，那么还会看到一个“查看用户记录”的链接。这个链接在当联系人是当前站点注册用户时可见，指向一个“CMS系统用户帐户”的界面。

联系人标签

操作功能区下方的一系列标签将联系人信息分成若干相关的区块。在此对联系人摘要标签作详细的说明，并略看根据配置情况也许可用的其他标签。

通过菜单 管理 > 全局设置 > 站点选项，你可以将没有用途也不计划使用的特定标签禁用，或者重新启用。如果下图的标签中有你的系统中找不到的，你可能需要将它们重新启用。某些标签的可见性是由你的系统中所启用的组件决定的。例如，如果禁用CiviContribute组件，那么“捐赠”标签就会被自动隐藏。

摘要标签

摘要标签提供联系人的信息概览，其中包括姓名，地址和详细的联系方式。此页的信息比较直接，但细看会发现一些巧妙的设计。

慈善通有一整组的默认字段，用以储存基本联系信息。通常这些称作内置字段，包括：

l        姓名

l        职务和雇主

l        电话号码，电子邮件以及即时通信用户名

l        一个或多个邮政地址。如果邮政地址的上方出现“定位此地址”，就可以打开一幅地图（根据系统设置决定是Google地图还是Yahoo地图），图中标注了这个人的住址。如果界面上没有显示定位，那么这个功能尚未定义。你可以通过 管理慈善通 > 全局设定 > 地图和地名寻址 来添加地图支持。

l        基本人口统计信息（性别和出生日期）

请注意摘要界面一个重要的小功能：让界面中存在多个含有许多字段的字段组的时，能收起其中的一些就会很有用。在下面的例子中，“联络详情”已经被收起，而“委托人信息 – 个人”则被展开。有些字段组可以甚至称默认展开或收起。比如当联系人有多个地址输入系统时。第一个被设置为默认显示，而其他的则默认收起。点击某个地址的组头，就可以切换改组字段的收起/展开状态。

姓名字段

每个联系人的姓名信息可以包括如下字段：前缀，名，中间名，姓，后缀，和昵称。这些字段不是全部必填，系统提供他们只是以备你需要保存所有这些信息。

如果你想输入一个如先生，女士，或博士之类的前缀，可以使用编辑界面中的下拉菜单。如果你需要一个如Sir或Father之类的前缀，你可以通过 管理慈善通 > 选项清单 > 个人前缀（女士，先生…），向下拉菜单的选项中添加。对姓名后缀也是一样。

位置字段

位置是一组与地址有关的字段，包括电话号码，email地址和邮政地址字段组。

慈善通可以为一个联系人保存多于一个位置。例如，如果一个人有一个家庭地址，一个账单地址和一个工作地址，这些都可以存为不同的位置。其中一个位置被标记为主位置。主位置将被用于邮寄邮政信件。你可以指定哪个位置作为某个人的主位置，也可以让第一个输入的位置作为默认的主位置。如果某个人用信用卡付款，那么信用卡付款所用的账单地址将保存在这个联系人的“账单位置”中。

两个联系人也可以共享地址。例如，你需要保存个人联系人的信息，以及他们所工作的机构的信息。当创建和编辑该个人联系人的“工作”地址时，勾选“与之共享地址”框。如果这个雇主已经存在于数据库中，你可以从快速查找框中选择。否则，可以从“创建新联系人”下拉菜单中选择“新机构”来直接创建该雇主的机构记录。

每个位置也可以包括多个电话号码和email地址。其中一个email地址可以被指定为接受所有的批量发送邮件（如，机构通过CiviMail组件发送的邮件）。

关系标签

关系是指数据库中的联系人记录之间的关联。将每个关联命名，来描述这个关联的状态。一个联系人可能与数据库中的其他联系人有许多的关系。下例显示了一系列的“当前关系”，还有一系列的“非当前关系”。可以为联系人之间的关系设定开始和结束日期。例如，一个联系人可能与一个机构有为期一年的“委员会主席”关系。要追踪过去的委员会主席，可以为该联系人保存一个有非活动的委员会主席关系的记录。

慈善通中另一个可能需要追踪的关系例证是雇佣关系。理查德是Acme Org机构的一名雇员，要保存这个关系，你可以将理查德设置为Acme Org的“雇员”。这通过创建理查德与雇主之间的关系来实现。完成后，无论是从理查德的记录，还是从Acme Org的记录中都可以看到此关联。

雇佣关系是一种特殊的关系。再看一下“摘要”标签，你可以看到“当前雇主”字段显示雇主的名字。这个名字链向联系人记录ABC Org。在这个字段中输入雇主是定义雇佣关系的一种快捷方式。填写“当前雇主”字段后，系统自动搜索以此为名的联系人，一旦发现与之匹配的记录，就生成相应的关系。如果没有找到这个机构，系统将在建立关系之前先自动生成一条记录。

“家庭成员”关系是用于关联个人与家庭。在编辑一个联系人记录时，可以选择与一个家庭“共享地址”。在这一步，可以选择一个已有的家庭，也可以从“创建新联系人”下拉菜单中选择“新家庭”，进而创建一个新的家庭类联系人。为联系人选好共享的家庭地址之后，联系人摘要标签中会显示一个指向家庭类联系人记录的链接，并同时显示惯常出现的地址信息。个人联系人直接使用家庭类联系人的地址，也会自动在个人和家庭之间生成“家庭成员”关系。

除两种特殊的关系以外，你可以创建和登记任何其他种类的关系。“关系”标签标明当前联系人全部现有的与数据库中其他联系人（个人，家庭，或机构类的联系人）之间的关系。

经由菜单 管理慈善通 > 选项清单 > 关系类型，就能创建一个新的关系种类。如果需要保存额外信息，关系也可以扩展到自定义字段。

关系还有更多功能强大的特点，包括设定起止日期，或当关系无效时可以手动禁用。这意味着联系人记录中可以保存关系历史。

活动标签

“活动”标签实现两个功能。首先，它显示你与联系人之间发生过的互动；这包括所有慈善通内置的活动信息，如出席，捐赠，会员注册和续订，电话，电子邮件和用户自定义的活动。其次，它允许你记录联系人的活动。点击屏幕顶端的图标（发送email,会议，电话）将打开一个供你输入详细信息的界面。

这个标签可以用于记录任何在当前慈善通站点上自定义（管理慈善通 > 选项清单 > 活动类型）过的活动。能够自定义活动类型并扩展到自定义字段，为跟踪各式各样的机构活动提供了有力的工具。例如，你可以选择跟踪诸如新闻公告，新闻发布会，实地考察，或志愿者工作等。

“活动”是用来保存一些发生在特定时间的，或者是联系特定人的交互活动的很好方式。如果你觉得了解机构中某项任务是由谁执行的这很重要，那就存成一个活动。活动的另一个好处是他们记录下某件事什么时间发生，在需要报告某个特定时期内的活动量时，这就很有用。在“添加活动”表单中，向“与…联系人”字段添加任意多的联系人，就可以记录在指定联系人和多个其他联系人之间的活动。

活动的状态通常为“完成”或“已计划”，但还可以根据机构的情况需要，添加其他活动状态。

 

捐赠标签

“捐赠”标签标明当前联系人的全部财政捐款，以及联系人的捐赠活动摘要（历史捐赠总额，捐赠次数，和平均捐赠额）。

“捐赠”标签还允许你通过“记录捐赠”按钮记录非现金捐赠，或者通过“提交信用卡捐赠”按钮记录联系人名下的信用卡交易（对电话捐赠很有用）。这两个按钮都指向一个除了包含一般的公共捐赠页面所收集的一般捐赠信息之外，还提供捐赠类型选择的表单。

会籍标签

这个标签显示一个联系人所注册的会籍。从这个标签，可以添加会籍，或用信用卡为收费会籍付款。联系人的现有会籍列表中，每一个会籍的“更多”链接，都可以点击选择续订会籍或删除会籍。

活动标签

“活动”标签显示与当前联系人相关的活动，无论是该联系人登记要参加的，出席过的，志愿服务过的，还是任何用户设置的状态。

在这一页面，可以登记参加某个活动，若是收费活动，再用“信用卡登记活动”按钮付款。之后相关活动便显示在该联系人“捐赠“标签的第一行。

点击“编辑”链接，还可以修改与联系人相关的活动信息。例如，可以将联系人的活动状态“已注册”修改为“已出席”。

群组标签

“群组”标签显示当前联系人参加的群组。群组有多种多样的用法，包括邮件清单和授权许可（ACLs）等。

也可以向群组添加或从中删除联系人，或是查看群组中联系人退订或被删除的历史记录。

“状态”列显示那些人对群组添加过联系人。用户是否可以自行加入群组是创建群组时可以设定的。当群组的可见性设为“公共列表”时，用户可以通过“数据透视图”表单加入群组。在以后的章节中，可以更多地熟悉关于将“数据透视图”用于邮件清单的讨论。

备注标签

“备注”标签是随时记录关于联系人的信息的地方。一般，你会用自定义字段保存你计划采集的联系人信息，但是有时，可能需要作一些额外的机动的记录。这样的信息是非结构化的，因此使用“备注”标签时需要格外小心，除非你确定使用慈善通的人都会记得查看备注。创建备注时，标题和内容都是自由词字段（即，标题字段不一定需要从预定义选项中选取）。

可以为一则备注作“作者可见”隐私设置。这意味着只有写这则备注的人，或是具有“查看所有备注”权限（此特性为Drupal专有）的人才可以查看或编辑它。

分类标签

“分类”标签是一种将数据库中的联系人分门别类的方法（其他方法还有“自定义数据”和“群组”）。你可以设置使用哪些分类标记。你可以按照分类标记作查找，并据此创建“智慧群组”。

临近“关键词”的分类标记是关键词标记集的一部分。标记集是你所创建的分类标记的集合。标记集是不分级的，只要在字段中输入一个新的分类标记，就可以在标记集中创建一个新的分类标记。若是有现成的分类标记与输入相匹配，系统也会显示一个列表供你从中选择。

 

更改日志标签

这个标签提供有限的信息，记录对一个联系人记录所作过的修改。它显示修改日期以及作修改的用户，但不能记录修改内容。

注意：管理员可以利用“联系人登录报告”来获取关于联系人信息变动的详细信息（修改人，修改内容和时间）。

修改联系人界面

经过对编辑联系人和对联系人摘要界面的了解，你或许意识到，对你的机构来说，不是所有部分及/或字段都有用。好在，你可以很容易地隐藏一些字段和部分。例如，如果你的机构不需要保存人口统计信息，就可以配置“站点选项”，去除这些内容：

l        使用具有“管理慈善通”权限的帐户登录慈善通。

l        前往：管理慈善通 > 全局设定 > 站点选项。

l        在“编辑联系人”下，勾除“人口统计信息”选择框。

l        点击“保存”。

类似地，要从邮政地址部分去除（或向其添加）字段：

l        前往：管理慈善通 > 全局设定 > 地址设定。

l        从“编辑地址”下选择或字段字段。

l        点击“保存”。

群组和分类标签

群组和标签是慈善通管理数据的两个关键方式。正确使用慈善通，可以在进行有效的分组的同时来搜索你的资料。由于群组和标签都属于分类的方式，所以在一个特定的情况下，很难决定到底使用哪个方式更准确些。识别它们工作流程和功能中的区别可以帮助你决定使用哪种方式。如果可以对这些区别能够有一个概念上的理解是再好不过的了。虽然对应该怎样运用标签和群组有着不同的看法，但普遍的理念是：标签应该用于描述性的分类，而群组应该用于把那些以凝聚的整体运作或被当做整体的一群人单独分别出来。从这个观点看，像志愿者、合作组织、素食主义者和音乐家这样的联系人可以用标签来分类，然而志愿者委员会、合作组织同盟、素食主义时报和“有一个烂名字的牛逼乐队”此类联系人就可以放在群组里了。

群组

群组是慈善通的一个极其重要的特点。它在慈善通和数据透视图中扮演重要的角色，除了和其他收集联系人工具一样的基本功用，它还可以在Drupal设定访问权限。

定义明确的组别，是分组慈善通联系人资料的最重要工具之一。

这里有两种群组：普通群组和智能群组

• 普通群组可以手动将联系人放入群组中。例如，你可以手动地将理事会里的成员分到理事会这个普通群组中，然后轻松的给“理事会”群组中的每个人发送相关邮件，而不必搜索整个慈善通再一个一个的单独给他们发邮件。

• 智能群组可以自动将拥有同样的一些特点或进行同一系列任务的联系人聚集在一起，并形成群组。当联系人被添加或者编辑时，慈善通会自动检视他们。如果联系人符合已设定的特点，他们就会被添加到智能群组中。举一个例子，你可以创建一个名为“2010年加利福利亚的突出贡献”的智能群组，这个群组包含了在2010年有过突出贡献（任务）并且在加利福利亚有住所（特点）的联系人。当住在加利福利亚的新联系人有突出贡献时，他们就会被自动加入这个群组中。另一个例子：一个智能群组里面是还未发送感谢信的捐献者，当你发送感谢信后，收到信的捐献者就会自动离开这个智能群组。这样可以保证你的工作中能有一个准确的名单。

群组设定和功能

每个群组都应该有一个清楚，易懂的组名、对群组的描述以及它的目的。当在不同背景下工作时，这些可以让用户快速的知道应当使用具体哪个群组（例如CiviMail—邮件管理组件）。当你的组织有着很多不同的群组，这些明晰和特征是非常重要的。如果一个群组是为了组织里一个特定的成员创建的，最好能在描述中提及这个群组的拥有者是谁，这样在以后群组的使用或者被删除时人们可以查看。

群组可以分为下面几个类型：

• 邮寄列表：如果你想要在CiviMail里把一个群组当做邮寄列表，你就可以用到“邮寄列表类型”。普通群组和智能群组都可以设置成“邮寄列表类型”。

   

• 访问控制（仅限Drupal）：将慈善通的访问权分配给一系列联系人。只有普通群组可以被设定为“访问控制类型”群组。

可见性

可见性决定了许可联系人加入和移出群组的权利。如果想要组员只被授权的慈善通用户管理，就选择“仅限用户和用户管理可见”。如果你想让联系人自己通过“登记和账户数据透视图”表格加入和退出群组，就选择“全部可见”。

一些组织认为对群组进行等级制的划分是很有用的。在慈善通，创建一个或多个父群组然后再对它们设置其他的群组就可以达成这个目的。

例如，一个有着总办事处和5个地区办事处的组织，将每个地区的成员加入他们自己的群组中。然后创建了一个全国群组作为所有地区群组的父群组。因为地区群组作为全国群组的子群组，所有的联系人都会被包括进全国群组中，总办事处就可以给全国群组发送邮件了，所有人都收得到。

群组编号

慈善通会给每个群组分配一个独一无二的数字编号。这些群组编号在许多操作中可以派上用场。例如，群组编号可以用作识别群组注册的路径。你可以从导航目录>联系人>编辑群组中的群组列表里，在编号栏中查找到群组编号。

标签

在慈善通中，标签是用来对联系人、任务和案子进行分类的。虽然我们建议不要给联系人添加复杂的或者太多不必要的标签，但如果有需要，你可以创建足够多的标签来对你的联系人进行分类。为了避免这些问题，在组织中建立一个有关怎样创建并使用标签的标准流程是非常有用的。

群组VS标签

在任何项目中都存在这个同样的问题，并且在这章介绍中的哲学理论是一个指导方针。但怎样去对联系人进行分组是有具体规则的。

同时用群组和标签的一个有意思的好处是，你可以用“和”“或”来提供更精确的查找。比如，如果你有记者、志愿者和群组成员这些联系人，并且用标签来标注他们感兴趣的话题：发展，艺术和历史。你就可以找到所有对艺术护着发展感兴趣的记者，所有对历史感兴趣的志愿者或者其他一些组合。

除了这点外，群组还有许多标签没有的特点：

·群组有更多完整的慈善通功能（特别是CiviMail）。

·根据特点，联系人可以自动加入到智能群组。

·群组可以和Drupal自建群组（Organic Groups）相关联

从这个方面去想：标签可以应用于联系人、任务和案子，然而群组只是联系人组成的。

添加和移除联系人

添加联系人至群组有很多种方式：

• 通过联系人详细资料编辑页面的标签和群组部分

• 通过一个联系人的群组选项卡

• 通过在进行了一次搜索后使用“添加联系人至群组”批量操作

• 还有在导航目录>联系人>管理联系人中点击群组联系人链接

   

前两个方法允许从群组中移除单独的联系人，后两种方式允许在群组中一次加入多个联系人。

加入单独的联系人可以通过联系人编辑页面或者群组选项卡。加入多个联系人可以通过搜索后，使用更多操作目录里的选择“添加联系人至群组”来一次性完成。第二种方式允许通过在“管理群组”中选择“相关群组成员”，再使用在屏幕上方的“添加成员至群组”选项来添加多个联系人至群组。

联系人被添加至群组可以看作是完成数据透视图的结果（见下）。

管理群组

观察和管理所有群组，去导航目录>联系人>管理群组

 

你可以使用在管理群组页面上方的“寻找群组”表格，按照名字、类型、可见性和这个群组是否启用来搜索群组。你也可以滚动或者通览在页面下方的群组列表。普通群组和智能群组都包含在这个列表中。

你可以：

• 点击在群组栏里面的“联系人”来将联系人加入群组。

• 点击“设置”来编辑群组。

• 点击“更多”后，在弹出来的目录里来禁用或者删除群组。

在群组中查找联系人

每个群组的联系人页面都包含了一个用来在群组中查找联系人的表格。在群组中，可以通过名字、邮箱、联系人类型、群组状态（已加入，已移除或者等待）和标签来搜索联系人。

创建智能群组

智能群组（自动更新的群组）在很多时候都很有用。它们常用于协助机构工作流的完成。例如，你发现自己在对联系人一遍遍地作相同的搜索，就可以将这个搜索保存为智能群组。无论何时，只要选择了这个智能群组，慈善通就会执行这个搜索，并显示结果。所有符合搜索条件的新联系人也会出现在这个群组中，而不再符合搜索条件的联系人则被从群组中自动移除。

从任何形式搜索生成的搜索结果中都可以创建智能群组。例如，可以创建一个智能群组，其中包括所有尚未对其发出感谢信的捐赠人。信件发出后，这些收件人就会自动从这个智能群组中消失，这样你总是可以对准确的名单进行操作。创建这个智能群组的步骤如下

搜索 > 查找联系人 > 高级搜索。

滚动屏幕到“捐赠”部分，点击“捐赠”。

勾选“未设定感谢信日期？”，并从“贡献类型”下拉菜单中选择“捐赠”。

在页面底部点击“搜索”。

点击选定所有记录的按钮。

从“- 更多操作 –”下拉菜单中选择“新建智能群组”，点击“继续”。

下一个屏幕显示智能群组的搜索条件。给这个群组输入一个名称，描述（可选），并决定是否要把这个群组保存为“邮件列表”（慈善通允许将智能群组用作邮件列表）。然后点击“保存智能群组”。

这时前往 联系人 > 管理群组 ，就可以看到群组列表中已经出现了这个智能群组，可供查看。

更新智能群组

你可以在智能群组原有的标准下编辑或者更新标准。例如，你可以编辑智能群组，在同时拥有现有成员的情况下，加入新的成员。

点击“管理群组”。编辑一个特定智能群组的搜索条件，再点击那个群组旁边的“设置”。

 

点击左下角“编辑智能群组条件”。

点击“编辑【名字】智能群组条件”来改变要求。

 

点击“搜索”。一旦你搜索出你要的结果，选择“所有【数字】结果”单选框。

在操作列表中，选择更新智能群组然后点击继续

新条件的智能群组就建立好了。

群组和访问控制列表

 

要设置ACL的话，需要很好地理解这一个概念，这在慈善通的在线文档中有很详细的介绍。http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Access+Control

因为有着许多流程，所以这里的关键是，在你尝试将它们连在一起前，要先确保你已经将各个部分都已经组装好了。在这个例子里，你需要设置好所需的群组、自定义数据群组、数据透视图以及规则，才能在ACL启用这些东西。

注意，Joomla版本的ACL支持需要Joomla 1.6或以上。

群组和（仅限Drupal）

慈善通的自建群组（Organic Group）模块能将Drupal站点中的自建群组（Organic Group）和慈善通的群组合并在一起。 (http://drupal.org/project/og_civicrm)

如果站点里的群组需要自建群组(Organic Groups)的功能特性，但又需要用慈善通来跟踪的话，这一个模块十分有用。一旦一个Drupal里的自建群组(Organic Groups)成员被并入了慈善通里，你可以像普通情况一样，用这个Drupal里的群组来发邮件、追踪地址信息、追踪活动等等。

一旦慈善通的自建群组（Organic Group）模块在Drupal中安装并启用，它就会对应每个存在的Drupal自建群组(Organic Groups)自动创建两个慈善通群组：

• 一般群组包含一份与自建群组(Organic Groups）内相关用户的联系记录。这个群组将会被分配到与相关自建群组(Organic Groups)相同的名字。
• 访问受限组包含与相关自建群组(Organic Groups)管理员的联系记录。这使得自建群组(Organic Groups)管理员能够看到并编辑他们在慈善通群组中的成员。

群组的同步只能单向进行，即从Drupal自建群组(Organic Groups)同步到慈善通群组。当一个新的用户被加入一个自建群组(Organic Groups)或者在其中注册，他们就会被自动加入对应的慈善通群组。如果他们退出了这个自建群组(Organic Groups)，他们就会被从对应的慈善通群组中移除。如果一个自建群组(Organic Groups)被删除了，那么对应的慈善通群组也会被删除。然而，反之却不亦然。当联系人被加入慈善通群组，他是不会自动出现在对应的Drupal自建群组(Organic Groups)中的。一个被从慈善通群组中移除的联系人也可以继续存在于对应的Drupal自建群组(Organic Groups)中。如果一个慈善通群组被删除了，对应Drupal自建群组(Organic Groups)会仍然存在。因此，如果你在Drupal中管理群组的话，这个关联会自动生效。

Working with tags

查看标签, 在导航目录里点击: 联系人 > 管理标签 (分类)   

标签可以在标签栏点击相应的按钮进行修改或者删除。在管理标签（分类）页面点击“添加标签”按钮或者在导航目录里点击 联系人>新的标签，就可以创建一个新的标签了。

每个标签都应该有一个清楚、唯一的名字和一个注释，这样就可以帮助用户了解标签的用途。你可以将标签分层，如果你想要将一个标签用作子标签的话，只需要在下拉菜单里选择一个已有的父标签即可。

标签可以指定用于联系人、任务和/或案子。如果一个标签用于联系人，它就可以适用所有形式的联系人和其子形式； 标签不可以特定用于一种形式的联系人。 

标签是一个灵活的工具，每个用户可以根据需要创建更多的标签。但是，为了不让非常重要的标签被不具有"管理员保留标签"许可（这个许可仅用于Drupal）的用户修改或者删除，该标签可以上锁。 

可以用以下几种方式将标签分配到联系人、任务和案子。 

• 当创建或者修改记录时操作
•  从联系人标签选项卡
• 在一次搜索后，用“添加联系人标签”批量操作

 你也可以用前两种方式去掉标签。

Tag sets标签集

标签集可以让你创建一个易用的标签分类系统，这让用户们可以随时轻松地添加他们自己的标签。而无需进入上述的标签管理页面。

点击导航目录里面的 联系人>管理标签（分类），再点击“添加标签集”按键 ，就可以创建新的标签集了。相比普通标签，标签集可以设置成相同的。但是，二者功能却大有区别。当你创建了一个新的标签集，这会在这个联系人的个人任务或案例编辑页面和标签选项卡编辑页面中，新增一个输入框。

 这是一个全自动的输入框：当你开始输入时，慈善通就开始寻找在标签集里符合的标签并且在输入框下显现出它们。你可以选择一个已有的标签或者输入整个标签并点击回车键来创建一个新的标签。然后在一个方框里的输入框中就会出现这个标签。点击X就会取消正在编辑的个体（联系人、案例或者任务）的标签。

标签集里创建的标签可以从 联系人>管理标签（分类）列表中查看和编辑。然而，标签集里的标签只能用于特定的标签集 

ACTIVITIES

Activities are a key concept in CiviCRM. Activities track interactions between the organisation and its staff, volunteers, clients or other contacts at a specific point in time. All of CiviCRM's components make extensive use of activities, such as recording contributions, event attendances, membership subscriptions, and emails and for each of these an activity is automatically created.

Several activities are included by default but you can create additional activity types to define specific things that your organisation does and you can add custom fields to activity types to allow specific data to be collected around some these activity types. So you might create activity types: training and interview and set up a custom field set that includes information such as funder, project, etc. for each of these activities. This would enable you to produce reports of all the activities undertaken for a particular funder or as part of a particular project. You could also create a custom field for a particular activity type so that you could classify meetings as staff meeting, client meeting, other organisation's meeting etc. For more on creating custom fields refer to the Custom Fields chapter. For details on producing reports, see the Reporting section.

Activities have the following attributes by default:

• time: activities always happen at a certain point in time
• duration: so you can collect all the time spent on a series of activities
• status: is the activity scheduled, completed, cancelled, etc.
• added by: the person who added this activity, or the contact if they carried out the activity themselves via the website
• assigned to: the person (usually within your organisation) that carried out (or will carry out) the activity (this is often the same as the person who added the activity)
• with contact(s): the contacts in your database that are the subject of the activity.

Activities and groups. There can be some overlap between the use of these two. For example you could choose to record a membership packet being sent to a contact as an activity or simply add the contact to a group "received membership packet". It would probably be better to record this as an activity as then you can record when the membership pack was sent, who sent it, any notes about what the person requested, and so on. You could also use the activity to schedule sending membership packs by setting the status to scheduled.

Activities and events. It's also important to understand this distinction. For example should training be recorded as an activity or an event? That probably depends on whether the trainings are delivered to multiple people on a predetermined date or to individuals on a date that is negotiated. Also in contrast to a scheduled event that people attend, an activity can record something that happened in the past or is scheduled in the future. It's nearly always the right choice to record interaction between a staff person and someone contacting your organisation for service.  

Creating new Activity Types

Go to the Activity Type Options page Administer -> Option Lists -> Activity and click on Add Activity Type. Fill in the name and select the component you want to use this activity with: simply for contacts or for use in Cases (for more about Cases refer to that section). Finally enable the activity. Changing the weight will make the activity appear higher up or lower down the list of activity types.

 

Setting up Custom Field Sets for Activities 

When setting up custom fields for an activity, you can choose which activity types the custom field set should apply to. 

 

Activity Status Options

The default set of status options is 

• Scheduled
• Completed
• Cancelled
• Left Message
• Unreachable
• Not Required 

If you need to add more options this is possible although there is no direct menu link to do so. The path to reach this page is /civicrm/admin/options/activity_type?group=activity_status&reset=1. 

However, before you add too many status options, remember that all status options show up on all activity types so think carefully about what you need to add.

 

关系

慈善通允许创建关系，来体现联系人之间的关联。例如，母子两人都在数据库中，这时最好能在查看其中一人时看到他们之间的关联。

你也可以追踪机构之间或个人与机构之间的关系。例如，在一个个人联系人的“当前雇主”字段中输入机构名称，这就创建一个从个人到机构的“受雇于”关系，以及一个从机构到个人的“雇佣”。 

在联系人之间创建关系 

1.     找到关联的联系人之一。

2.     点击这个“联系人”记录中的“关系”标签。

3.     点击“创建新关系”。

4.     选择“关系类型”。这里应该是“子女”或者“父母”。

5.     点击“寻找目标联系人”框，开始输入与当前联系人关联的那个联系人的名。会有一个或更多显示出来供选，选择适当的那个。

6.     点击搜索。

7.     点击与当前联系人关联的名字旁边的勾选框。

8.     可以向下滚动屏幕，输入更多信息，包括起止日期（若是关系有时间期限），描述，和备注。还有两个与许可相关的选项，它们将允许数据库用户编辑这条记录。最后，有一个“是否已启用？”框，默认的是选定状态。

   9.     修改结束后，点击“保存关系”。 

关联雇员与雇主

将雇员（在慈善通中保存为个人联系人）与雇主（保存为机构）关联的简便方法是使用个人联系人记录中的“当前雇主”字段。这样做可以设定一个联系人当前的雇主，并在二者之间创建一个关系。

1.     进入你需要联系到某个机构的联系人记录

2.     点击“编辑”按钮，编辑联系人记录。

3.     向“当前雇主”字段输入机构名称。在键入过程中，慈善通中现有符合已输入内容的机构名称会以下拉自动完成列表的形式出现在字段下方。若是所需机构已经存在于慈善通中，则可按上下箭头或直接用鼠标点击选定。否则，只需输入完整的机构名称即可。

4.     在“当前雇主”字段中输入完整的机构名称后，按回车键，或是点击“保存”按钮。若是机构已经存在，当前联系人与该机构之间就建立了“雇员”/“雇主”关系。若是机构尚未存在，则创建一条新的机构记录，同时创建关系。

点击“关系”标签，可以查看新创建的“雇员”关系，并可查看所有现有关系。

将联系人加入机构

1.     依照前述方法搜索，并从搜索结果中选择需要的联系人。

2.     从下拉菜单“- 更多操作 –”中选择“将联系人加入机构”，点击“继续”。

3.     在“将联系人加入机构”界面，从下拉菜单中选择“关系类别”。

4.     在“寻找目标机构”字段中输入目标机构名称的一部分，点击“搜索”。

5.     符合条件的机构将出现在“搜索”和“取消”按钮下方的“标记此关系的目标联系人”部分。若列表中有你所需的机构，点击该机构旁的无线按钮，并点击下方的“添加到机构”按钮。否则，在“寻找目标机构”字段中输入其他可能的机构名，再尝试搜索。若是仍然不能找到，这个机构就可能尚未存在；这时应点击“取消”按钮，添加一个新机构，再作选定。

6.     选定目标机构后，点击“加入机构”按钮，就会出现提示信息，告知你所选定数目的联系人已被加入机构。

7.     点击“完成”，返回搜索结果。

将联系人加入家庭

1.     依照前述方法搜索，并从搜索结果中选择需要的联系人。

2.     从下拉菜单“- 更多操作 –”中选择“将联系人加入家庭”，点击“继续”。

3.     从下拉菜单中选择“关系类别”。请注意，尽管慈善通不会阻止你将多个联系人设为同一个家庭的“户主”，但日后，若是遇到需要一个家庭的“户主”只代表一个人的情况，这就可能存在问题。因此，大多数时候，“家庭成员”可能是恰当的选择。

4.     在“寻找目标家庭”字段中输入目标家庭名称的一部分，点击“搜索”。

5.     符合条件的家庭将出现在“搜索”和“取消”按钮下方的“标记此关系的目标联系人”部分。若列表中有你所需的家庭，点击该家庭旁的无线按钮，并点击下方的“添加到家庭”按钮。否则，在“寻找目标家庭”字段中输入其他可能的机构名，再尝试搜索。若是仍然不能找到，这个家庭就可能尚未存在；这时应点击“取消”按钮，添加一个新家庭，再作选定。

6.     选定目标家庭后，点击“加入家庭”按钮，就会出现提示信息，告知你所选定数目的联系人已被加家庭。

   7.     点击“完成”，返回搜索结果。 

创建新的关系类型

1.     慈善通自带一些常见的关系类型，可以直接用于体现联系人之间的关联。若是需要体现联系人之间更多类型的关联，还可以创建自定义的关系类型。

2.     通过导航菜单前往：管理 > 选项单 > 关系类型。

3.     查看现有的关系类型列表，确保不致创建重复的类型。

4.     若是所需的关系类型尚未存在，点击“新建关系类型”按钮。

5.     在“关系标签 –A对B”和“关系标签 – B对A”中，为要创建的关系类型输入描述性的标签。“关系标签 –A对B”描述联系人A与B的关系；而“关系标签 – B对A”则描述联系人B与A的关系。在步骤5中，将为联系人 A 和 B 分别指定关系类型。

6.     有些关系，两个方向的标签可以相同；这时，只需在“关系标签 –A对B”中输入一次即可。例如，描述两个同居人 Sylvia 和 Audre 之间的关系时，可以说 Sylvia 是 Audre 的“同居人”，Audre 也是 Sylvia 的“同居人”。因此，可以只在“关系标签 –A对B”中输入“同居人”，而将“关系标签 – B对A”留作空白。

7.     而有些关系则是两个方向的标签不同；这时需要在两个标签中输入不同内容。例如，可以说 Kiyoshi 是 Yuki 的“祖父/母”，却不能说 Yuki 是 Kiyoshi 的“祖父/母”。这时，应该在“关系标签 –A对B”中输入“祖父/母”，而在“关系标签 –B对A”中输入“孙子/女”，或“其祖父/母是”。

8.     使用“联系人类型 A” 和“联系人类型 B”字段，指定当前关系关联哪些类型的联系人。请记得确认，为联系人 A 和联系人 B 指定的联系人类型，与关系标签的描述应该是一致的。

9.     对关系类型的描述，是可选性输入。如果这个关系类型对其他用户来说不算显而易见，那么这个描述会很有用。

10.  “启用”框应保持选定状态，除非暂时不想允许其他用户使用这个关系类型。

   11.  点击“保存”。会出现提示信息，告知新创建的关系类型已保存，并可在下面的列表中查看。 

禁用或删除不需要的关系类型

如果某个现有的关系类型已经无用，或与机构无关，就可以将其禁用或删除。这样创建新关系时，这个关系类型就不再出现在类型选择中。与删除相比，禁用有两个好处：现有数据中的这一类关系仍然可见，并且如果日后需要还可以很容易地将其启用。

1.     通过导航菜单前往：管理 > 选项单 > 关系类型。

2.     点击需要禁用或删除的关系类型那一行中的“更多”链接。

3.     从弹出菜单中选择“禁用”或是“删除”。

4.     若是选择了“禁用”，会弹出确认信息。若是选择了“删除”，就会进入下一个界面，其中提出更严肃的警告，并要求确认。无论哪一种情况，都应认真阅读确认信息，如果仍然确定继续，就点击“确认”，或“删除”。

5.     若是禁用了某一关系类型，这一类型将在“关系类型”列表中显示为红色，而查看联系人时，这一类型的关系也依然可见。若是删除了某一关系类型，它就不再出现在“关系类型”列表中，也不会出现在联系人关系数据中。无论上述哪一种情况，用户都无法再创建这一类型的关系。

6.     要重新启用一个被禁用的关系类型，只需重复上述步骤 1 和 2，并从弹出菜单“更多”中选择“启用”。

Creating Custom Fields

This chapter explains how you can collect information beyond what CiviCRM allows by default by adding custom fields to hold the data that you want to collect.

For example, you could add a set of checkboxes to organisations so that you could track the clients that they serve. You can also restrict custom fields to certain types of that object. For example, if you have a contact type Student, you might have a custom field listing the subjects they study.

Custom data fields are always stored as sets of custom fields in CiviCRM.  Therefore, adding custom data is a two-stage process:

1. Create a custom field set, which is simply like a container to hold these custom fields together.
2. Add custom fields to this set. (You may find it helpful to read the information about custom fields first, but you will need to create the field set before you create the fields in it). 

To clarify, a field is a unit of information entered into the database, such as someone's primary spoken language, or high school graduation date. A custom field set is a group of fields containing related data - that is, a set of fields related to a certain activity type, to participation in events, or to contributions.

Custom field sets

Custom fields are always part of custom field sets, and each set has a scope as wide or as narrow as you choose. For instance, you might associate a custom field set called "nationality" with all contact types, another set such as "immigration status" with a specific contact type (e.g. Individuals), and yet another set with a specific component (CiviMember, CiviEvent), or with other elements such as Relationships and Groups. The scope of a custom field set is one of the few decisions that is irreversible (you will not be able to change it after creating it) so it is important to consider carefully what you want to associate your custom field set with when you start.

When creating custom field sets, you should ask:

• How will the fields in this set be used?
• What types of contacts or records will these fields be appropriate for?
• Will the fields have broad applicability, or are they relevant to a specific contact type, event, contribution type, etc.?

Taking the time to think through these questions helps keep your application screens as relevant and clear of superfluous fields as possible. For example, if your custom field set contains contact characteristics such as a field for the "color of eyes", you should associate them with the Individual contact type rather than the generic Contacts option, as this field would be irrelevant to Organization and Household contact types. Another example would be if custom data is specific to a particular event registration page. You should create this custom data for an Event type Participant for the specific Event.

Depending on how many custom fields you are creating, you should also consider grouping the fields topically. For example, you may associate 20 custom fields with Individual contacts, 12 of which fields relate to an online membership directory. Rather than group all 20 fields in a single custom field set, you may want to split them into two sets - one for the directory-related fields, and a second for more general Individual details.

To create a custom field set and custom fields, go to: Administer CiviCRM > Custom Data > New Set of Custom Fields. This form lets you assign a title to the field set, specify what type of records it will be used for, select the display characteristics, and enter help text. The form appears in the following image, and we'll describe each field.

 

Set Name

For custom field sets which are displayed inline, this name appears as the legend of the field set. If this set uses the tab display style, the name appears as the navigation tab label.

Used For

You can use this option to ensure that the fields appear only where they are relevant. The choices are:

• Activity: fields that may be assigned to all activities or to a specific activity type, such as Meeting or Phone Call.
• Addresses: creates an address block, which allows the administrator to create additional fields related to an address.
• Contacts: fields that may be assigned to all contacts.
• Contributions: fields that may be assigned to all contributions or to a specific contribution type, such as Donations or Event Fees.
• Events: fields that may be assigned to all events or a specific event type (e.g., Conference or Fundraiser). These fields are applied to an actual event, not the participant registration record.
• Grants: fields specific to grants.
• Groups: displayed in the Group settings (note that these fields are not searchable).
• Household: fields specific to the Household contact type.
• Individual: fields specific to the Individual contact type.
• Memberships: fields that may be assigned to all membership records or to a specific membership type.
• Organization: fields specific to the Organization contact type.
• Participants: fields that appear on the participant registration record. There are three options for  these: general fields applied to all registration records, role-type fields assigned to a specific participant role, and event participant fields assigned to a specific event.
• Pledges: fields specific to pledges.
• Relationships: fields that may be assigned to all relationship records or to a specific relationship type, such as "Spouse of" or "Employee of".

Order

This controls the order in which your custom field sets are presented when you have created more than one set. Lower numbers (1, 2) are displayed above higher numbers (8, 9).

Multiple records

Each field usually contains a single option. For example, a person has either blue eyes or brown eyes, not both. However, some fields are more complex and may require multiple entries, such as a person's educational history. A single person may have multiple educational degrees, so a custom field set about educational history should allow multiple records.

CiviCRM provides this functionality for custom field sets assigned to contacts (whether to all contact types or to a specific type). To use this option, select the "Does this Custom Field Set allow multiple records?" option. This option has several restrictions:

• It is applied to the whole field set, not to a particular field.
• It must use tab display, not inline display.
• It can be used only for Contacts, not for Activities, Contributions, etc.
• It cannot be used in profiles, such as those used for Events.
• It cannot currently be exported.

Display style

Custom field sets for Contact records are displayed either "inline" on the contact summary page (the Summary tab), or as a new tab at the top of the contact record, along with Summary, Contribution, Group, Note, etc. We suggest using tab display for infrequently accessed fields and large sets of fields.

Custom field sets used for components, relationships, or other resources are always displayed inline. Also note that custom field sets configured to handle multiple records will be displayed in the Summary tab.

Is this Custom Field Set active?

If a custom field set is active, its fields can be viewed and changed. Otherwise, the fields are in the CiviCVRM  system but hidden from the user interface. This option can be valuable for managing your data, especially if you are migrating from an existing database system.

For example, your existing database may have fields you would like to transfer to CiviCRM for historical data keeping purposes, but plan to then deprecate or migrate to a new data structure. Suppose you are importing membership records from an MS Access database. Each record in Access has a unique ID (key) field, which has no direct benefit in CiviCRM. Rather than ignoring it altogether, you could create a custom field to hold the value, import the records, and then disable (keep the Activate option unchecked) the field, thereby hiding it from view and minimising the interface clutter.

Though not visible to users, the field value is stored in the system and can be referenced at a later date. For instance, if you ever need to investigate archived data for a possible discrepancy or compare the field value with a printed record.

Individual fields can be made inactive in the form defining those fields, once the custom field set is active.

Pre-form Help and Post-form Help

If you enter text in Pre-form Help, your help text appears above the form field, and if you enter text in Post-form Help it appears below the form field. Use help at this level to provide instructions related to the entire set of custom fields.

Other settings

You can specify that you want the custom field set to be "collapsed" on initial display. If you check this box, only the title for this field set is displayed when the page is initially loaded, because the fields are hidden. This is helpful for field sets that are infrequently used because it reduces the screen real estate taken up when the page opens. A similar "collapsed" property is available for the display of custom data in Advanced Search.

Custom fields

Once you have created a custom field set, you can create custom data fields within the set. Click "View and Edit Custom Fields" followed by "New Custom Field" and you will see the screen in the image below. We'll explain each of the options in this section.

After completing the field configuration options, click Save to record the field and return to the field listing for your current custom field set, or click Save and New to save the field and begin defining a new field. You can view a listing of all the custom fields in a custom field set at any time by navigating to Administer > Customize > Custom Data and clicking View and Edit Custom Fields.

With the exception of the data and input field type selection, all of the configuration options may be modified after your initial creation of the field. You may also find it useful to preview your custom fields, as well as the whole set of custom fields, as you are defining them. This is particularly useful for checking the layout of radio button and check-box fields with a large number of choices.

 

Field label

What you want to appear next to the field when it is displayed to the user. The text you enter here is also the label shown when you export data. When using fields in a profile, you can overwrite the Field Label.  So on this screen you can choose names that are suitable for administrators, and give more user-friendly names when exposing them in profiles.

Type

Custom fields can be of many different types, many of which you've probably encountered when you have filled out forms on web sites. When you create a custom field, CiviCRM shows you a dropdown list of types from which you can choose the type that best represents the data you plan to store. The menu on the left (shown open in the following figure) indicates what kind of data you want to store, whereas the menu on the right indicates the way you want to interact with the user.

The types of fields are:

• Alphanumeric (i.e. text and number fields), which can be of the following types:
  • Text: a simple area in which users can enter text.
  • Select: a dropdown box which limits choice to one selection.
  • Radio: a list of options where you can make one selection. Unlike a Select box, all the options are visible on the screen at the same time.
  • Yes and No: a special kind of radio list with two contrasting options.
  • Check-box: a list of options that allows multiple selections.
  • Multi-select: a list of options in a single box. You can select multiple selections using control+click.
  • Advanced Multi-select: two lists side by side in which items can be moved from one to the other.
  • Autocomplete select: an autocomplete widget. The user can start typing, and when the text entered uniquely identifies a selection, the field automatically fills in the complete selection.
• Note: a longer text box which allows multiple lines. Notes come in two flavours:
  • plain, and
  • rich text, which displays a WYSIWYG editor that allows HTML.
• Integer, i.e. a whole number. This can be displayed as a:  
  • text box
  • select box
  • radio list.
• Number: i.e. any number that includes decimals, such as 3.175. This can be displayed as a:
  • text box
  • select box
  • radio list.
• Money: similar to a number, but treated according to the local currency as configured in CiviCRM's administrative pages. This can be displayed as a:
  • text box
  • select box
  • radio list
• Date: a way of entering a date (and optionally time) value using a calendar widget. You can set a range of years which can be selected prior to and after the current date.
• State/Province: a list of available geographical locations as configured in CiviCRM's Localization settings (Administer > Configure > Global Settings >> Localization). Can be offered as either a select box or a multi-select box.
• Country: a list of geographical locations. Can be offered as either a select box or a multi-select box.
• File: offered as a browser where the user can select and upload a file.
• Link: an active internet hyperlink.
• Contact Reference: an autocomplete widget for an existing CiviCRM contact.

We suggest you experiment with creating different field types to get an idea of how they behave. Different options have implications for use. For example, check-boxes enable you to use OR as well as AND searches in Advanced Search, whereas multi-select will not.

Database Field Length

The database field length allows you to specify the number of characters that this field will contain.  You should normally leave this at the maximum.  In certain cases (for example if you are dealing with extremely large field sets) it might make sense to shorten this field to improve performance and decrease storage space, but setting a shorter length won't make any difference to the vast majority of users.

Order

Controls the order in which the fields appear. You may assign the order in the field edit form, or use the up/down icons on the main field listing table to adjust the field presentation. By default, new fields appear at the bottom of the field list within a set.

Default Value

Where applicable, you may designate a default value for a field. This value is automatically displayed or selected when users go to a form containing this field. Note the format required for date fields (YYYY-MM-DD).

Pre-form Help and Post-form Help

Ideally, your field name is self-explanatory and users will immediately know what to enter. But in those cases where there is some ambiguity, or where you wish to help regulate how a certain field is used, you may enter help text here. If you enter it in Pre-form Help, your help text appears above the form field, and if you enter text in Post-form Help it appears below the form field.

You help text identified appears in all uses of the field in administration pages and is inserted as the default help text when fields are assigned to a profile. The person creating the profile can remove or change the help text there without impact on the original custom field definition.

Required

When selected, this means that a value must be provided for this field before the form can be submitted. Failure to do so will result in an error message directing the person to complete the required fields.

If you want a field to be required only when a user fills out a particular profile, you can leave this box unchecked but check the Required field in the profile.

Is this Field Searchable?

Makes this field appear in a panel of custom fields in CiviCRM's Advanced Search page. While you may be tempted to mark every field as searchable, doing so may unnecessarily clutter the Advanced Search custom field panel, when in fact certain fields will probably never be used in that way. You may toggle this option on or off at any time, so don't be overly concerned about arriving at a final decision when you first define a custom field.

Active

As with the active check-box in the form defining the custom field set, this box determines whether the field is disabled or enabled when CiviCRM shows it to the user.

View Only

This allows you to designate a field as visible but uneditable. There are two general uses for this field:

• To store data imported from another system that you want available for reference to the user, but do not want them to be able to modify.
• To store data that is controlled through a custom PHP hook rather than through the user interface. CiviCRM has a number of hooks defined that allow developers to modify data, as well as customise forms and screens, without modifying the CiviCRM code base. Read the chapter on hooks for more specific information.

Multiple choice options

For field types that involve selecting from a set of multiple options (such as Select, Radio, Check-box, Multi-select and Advanced Multi-select) you are given the choice of either using an existing set of options that you've already created for another custom field or creating a new set. You can enter these values while creating the field, and you can enter the values later. The option's label is displayed on the form, while the option's value is stored in the contact record. The label and value may be the same or different.

If you choose to use the same set of options for several fields, you will be notified when making any changes that this will affect an option set used by several fields.

When you create a new set, you have the option of initially entering up to ten multiple choice options in a table. If you need more than ten options, you can create an unlimited number of additional choices after saving this new field by using the Edit Multiple Choice Options link. Go to: Administer > Customize > Custom Data > View and Edit Custom Fields > Edit Multiple Choice Options.  You can go to this screen at a later date to modify the label, order and active status of any multiple choice option, as well as add more choices. 

If desired, you can also mark one of the choices as the default option.

Inactive options are hidden when the field is presented.

Choosing between fields, groups and tags

Data fields, groups and tags are three major ways to associate information with contacts. Although it can be tempting to just create a custom data field for every attribute of your data, take time to learn about the alternatives. They offer powerful functionality that you may miss out on if you rely only on custom data. Furthermore, using data fields for information stored more appropriately as groups or tags can slow your system. Finally, proper use of groups and tags makes it much easier for administrative staff to maintain the records.

Some tips that may help you choose are:

• Data that can take a wide range of values, such as a person's address or biography, should be stored in an alphanumeric custom data field.
• Custom data fields can be grouped and displayed on their own tab on the contact's record.
• As the name implies, Groups are used to group contacts. For instance, you'll probably assign board members to one group, staff to another, volunteers to a third, and so on. If you use Drupal, you can assign permissions based on group membership. You can also define a group that CiviCRM automatically adds contacts to and deletes contacts from, based on some characteristic. This feature is called a Smart Group.
• If you plan to use CiviMail for mass mailings and you want certain contacts to get a particular mailing, those contacts must be assigned to a Group. For instance, you may want a press release to go only to certain contacts; those contacts should be assigned to a particular group. This group could be a Smart Group.
• Both Tags and Groups can be structured hierarchically. For instance, a group or tag labeled Regions can have a subgroup or subtag for each geographic region your organisation covers (see "Case study in hierarchical tags" later in this section).
• Tags support more powerful search options than data fields or groups. For instance, visitors can search through multiple tags with both AND and OR operators. Data fields support only lists of words (which is effectively the same as an AND operator), except for fields represented as check-boxes, which support OR operators.
• Tags have a more sophisticated user interface than data fields or groups. The interface allows the visitor to add and remove tags without reloading the page in edit mode.
• Custom data fields can be assigned to a specific record type (e.g., only households), whereas tags will be assigned to all types once the tags are defined.

使用慈善通的数据透视图（Proflies）

数据透视图是用于从你的数据库中收集信息（包括预定义和自定义的）。若有一个数据透视图，你可以挑出用于特殊目的的相关领域的信息，如你可以收集到注册参加到某个活动中的人的信息，又或者是列出你的主页中的会员目录。 下面的图形直观地给出一个很好解释怎样使用数据透视图。

情景

数据透视图是提供了强有效方法去收集你所有成员的信息，同时也可以让这些信息通过你的网页分享给其他人。而这些功能让人们自行更新他们的资料是很显著地省去了工作人员的时间的。当然，你也可以透过不同的方法展列出你数据库中所有最新消息。

例如，一个会员制的组织能在他们的网页上提供会员目录供人查询，而这目录是随着有新的会员而随时更新的。再一个例子就是人们可以在注册之后收到从你组织发来的有关信息电子邮件这样的事件可以做成一个表格。 一旦确认接收后，那些人的电子邮件地址就会被自动加到正确的列表上。网上捐赠或活动信息也可以加入到数据透视图中，以便于工作人员从委托人中收取到必要的信息。

下面的章节我们会概述一下数据透视图怎么收集和分享数据。

综述

数据透视图提供了灵活的方式去创建不同表格、目录和其他的文本。想象一下，数据透视图就是在你的数据库中开了一扇窗户。然后在同一个屋子里面，你是可以开很多扇窗户去看不同的目标的，同样的你可以有多个数据透视图是关于一个或多个方面的。

有许多使用数据透视图的方法：

• 表格: 数据透视图可以当做一个表格来使用去收集你的联系人信息。你也可以在你的捐赠人页面、会员注册页面或活动的登记页面插入数据透视图以便于你能从那些捐赠人，会员或者活动参与者中收集到你所需要的信息。数据透视图的表格能被简单地用为数据录入的表格。
• 查看和编辑用户的账号（只能在Drupal模式下）:数据透视图能让你的成员通过你的页管理他们自己的数据。这个功能允许他们在管理他们Drupal账户时编辑他们的资料，然后这些更新就会自动上传到慈善通。

• 用户在网页上注册：你可以在Drupal的模式下把一堆字段放在新账户的注册表格中，又或者可以在Joomla！模式下创建一个数据透视图包括了所有在网页注册的用户。

•  目录：一个数据透视图可以给那些浏览你网页的人创建一个可以供搜索的目录。

• 搜索结果：数据透视图还可以在高级搜索中给你展示那些特定字段。

• 批量更新数据（集体更新）：有些时候或者会需要在一次中更新一堆大量的记录，而这样的步骤可以通过数据透视图来完成。

而数据透视图另一个重要的功能就是它可以以多种方式被重复使用。

从成员中收集数据

这段我们回顾一下你可以怎样用不同的方法去使用数据透视图去收集你成员的信息。而后面的段落我们则会讨论怎么使用慈善通和你的成员分享信息。

志愿者注册表

让我们举一个使用了数据透视图来让让志愿者注册的例子。这是一个简单的表格，它要填的区域包括了姓名和通信地址。它也包括了一个确认的CAPTCHA对话框，来保护你的网页不会受到恶意软件的侵害（这点，我们后面会详细述说）。 

建立一个和这个相类似的表格:

1. 选择: Administer > Customize > CiviCRM Profile and click on Add CiviCRM Profile.
2. Give the profile a meaningful name, and mark it to be used for a Profile:
   
   
3. The next two text fields allow you to include help text to assist the person filling out the form.
4. The remaining options are listed under Advanced Settings (click on the gray bar to expand this section):
1. Limit listing to a group: this is very important. If the profile is used for a searchable directory, by default CiviCRM will expose every record in your database; this is not ideal in many cases. Use this setting to limit the available records to contacts who are part of a regular or smart group. For example, if an organisation needs to limit a profile listing to show only active members, they can create a smart group of all members that have a status of New and Current. They then limit the directory to only show contacts in that smart group. Remember, smart groups are dynamic lists of records; when new memberships are added, the corresponding contact will automatically be included in the directory. 
2. Add new contacts to a group: this is applicable when using a profile as a sign-up form.  You are able to directly add all the contacts who fill out the profile form to a particular group. For example, if your profile form asks contacts to offer their services as a volunteer, then all those who fill out the form can be automatically be added to a volunteer group.
3. Notify when profile form is submitted?: who in your organisation should receive an email when someone fills out the form? Enter their email address here. If you want to send email to multiple addresses, separate them with a comma.
4. Redirect URL: when someone clicks Save to submit the form, do you want to take them to a specific URL? Normally you would create a special thank-you page on your website to redirect people to. If this field is left blank, the user will be directed to a page which displays the information they've just entered (a profile view page). This setting does not apply if you embed your form in an event sign-up or contribution form.
5. Cancel Redirect URL: similar to the previous item, what is the URL you want to redirect people to if they click Cancel on the form? Again, this setting does not apply if you embed your form in an event sign-up or contribution form.
6. Include reCAPTCHA: CAPTCHA is a type of spam blocking software that requires the visitor to fill in text generated from a graphic. This prevents automated spiders (robots) from completing the form. It is highly recommended that you include it. You must have configured a free reCAPTCHA account before enabling this. Go to Administer > Configure > Global Settings > Miscellaneous Settings to configure your account (click the help icon for on that form for detailed instructions).
7. What to do on duplicate match: use this option to control what happens when the contact data submitted from this profile matches an existing contact record. Options are to  update the matching record, create a duplicate record, or give the user a "duplicate record" warning (in which case their input will not be saved). This setting is ignored if the profile is embedded in an online contribution, membership sign-up or event registration form. In these cases, a contact match always results in the transaction being linked to the matching contact. Note that if there are multiple matching contacts, the first matching record is used.
8. Proximity search: if you are using this profile as a search form, you can choose to include proximity searching. When enabled, a proximity search block will be added to the search criteria. This block contains fields to set the proximity start address, and a field to set a "radius" (distance from that address). Set the proximity search as required if you want all searches using this profile to force the user to enter a start address and a radius.

Once you have saved the profile settings, it's time to add fields to the profile. If you plan to reference custom fields in a profile form, make sure that those fields have already been created.

Some important notes on adding fields:

• You can change the name of a field label for the profile. For example, the Postal Code field can be renamed Zip Code if your audience is more familiar with that term.
• Certain fields can be required (must be filled out). In this scenario, we would want to make at least First Name and Last Name required, and probably some sort of contact information such as email address and/or phone number.
• You can make a field View Only, which means it will be displayed on the profile form but not editable (this setting is not relevant for the volunteer sign-up scenario).
• If the profile is being used as a searchable directory, set the Visibility of any fields you want to include on the search form to Public Pages or Public Pages and Listings. For our volunteer sign-up scenario, we are only using the profile as a sign-up form, so we can set Visibility to User and User Admin only. This ensures that other visitors can not view any form data.

Linking to your Form

Once your profile sign-up form is built, it is ready to be used! There are several ways to do this.

• Drupal: if you intend to give your volunteers access to some back-office CiviCRM functions, you can add an item to the CiviCRM navigation menu which links to this form (from Administer > Customize > Navigation Menu). These users will need be given the "access CiviCRM" permission.
  

• Drupal: create link(s) to the form using the following path: http://www.myorganization.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&gid=N where N is the ID of the profile (each profile has a unique numeric ID which you can find by going to Administer > CiviCRM Profile and checking the third column of the table).
• Drupal: create a link or a menu item for logged-in users to edit their own information. If they are logged in and go to the profile URL, the fields of the profile will be prepopulated and they will be able edit any fields needing updating. The URL path here is: http://www.myorganization.org/civicrm/profile/edit?reset=1&gid=N where N is the ID of the profile.
  
• Joomla!: use the Menu Manager to create a front-end menu item. After creating a new menu item, select CiviCRM and choose the type of profile display you would like to use. In the parameters pane, choose the specific profile to use.
  
• A great feature is to provide non-logged-in users with the ability to view and edit their contact information via a profile using CiviMail. To do this, insert the following link with appropriate tokens as shown into a CiviMail message:
  http://www.organisation.org/civicrm/profile/edit?reset=1&gid=N&
     id={contact.contact_id}&{contact.checksum}
  where N is the ID of the profile form you want them to use for editing. The token {contact.checksum} generates a special link that prepopulates the fields of the profile with any information that already exists for them in that profile. The special link lasts for 7 days from the day you send the mailing. This feature can be used for either Drupal or Joomla! sites.
  
• The last option is to not link directly to the profile at all, but simply embed the profile form into any page on your website - or ANY website, for that matter. On the Profiles Administration page, click more. There is an option called HTML Form Snippet. Clicking it takes you to a screen where you can copy the raw HTML code and paste it into any page on your site or any website where you want to collect information. Make sure the reCAPTCHA feature is NOT enabled for this profile; reCAPTCHA requires dynamic page generation so submitting a standalone form with reCAPTCHA enabled will always result in an error.

Data entry tool

If you have volunteers or interns who perform manual data entry for your organisation, you can make their task easier by creating a profile form which shows only the fields they need to input. This greatly simplifies data entry and reduces the chance of data being incorrectly entered.

Including profiles on event registration and contribution pages

Often you will want to define certain fields for inclusion in event registration and contribution pages. This process is similar to the volunteer sign-up example above. The only significant difference is that you can include fields in your profile that are specific to participant records (for event registration forms) and contributions (for contribution pages). Read the sections covering creating contribution pages and event registration pages for more information.

Including profiles in Drupal's User Registration screen

For websites that have logged-in users, you may want to allow people to provide additional information as they register for an account on your website. Similarly, when people fill out a profile form you may want to encourage (or force) them to sign up for a user account. 

To include a profile form during the user registration process:

1. Create a profile that is used for User Registration:
   
    
2. Add the fields you want people to fill out as they register, using the same process described above. Make sure the field visibility is set to Public User Pages.

Including profiles in Drupal's My Account screen

You can embed one or more CiviCRM profiles directly into Drupal's My Account screen. This makes it easy for logged-in users to review and update their information whenever they visit their My Account page.

To create a profile for this purpose:

1. Create a new profile, or navigate to an existing profile and click Settings.
2. Select View/Edit User Account in Used For.
3. Click Save.
4. Add the fields you want people to be able to edit from their Drupal My Account page.

New account creation during profile sign-up

If you want your constituents to create a Drupal or Joomla! account when filling out a profile, you can enable this with the "User account registration option" under Profile Settings > Advanced Settings. Anonymous (not-logged-in) users will then be invited (or required) to create an account when they visit the profile. Logged-in users will just see the profile fields.  

You must include a Primary Email Address field in the profile for this feature to function properly. This feature also works when the profile is embedded in an online contribution page or event registration page. Hence you can invite or force anonymous visitors to sign-up for an account when they register for an event.

Sharing information

Profiles and directories

Many organisations have data they would like to display on their website. Historically this has been difficult because it required updating the same data in two places - a website and a database. Using CiviCRM profiles solves this problem because it allows you to expose data from your database on your website while only needing to manage and update the data in CiviCRM.

For example, an organisation called Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) wanted to create a membership directory that their members could use to search and connect with other fellow members. Before CiviCRM, they would create a very expensive annual print directory and mail it to every member. This process was time-consuming and expensive, and some data would be out-of-date before the members received their directory. Switching to CiviCRM meant significant resource savings and, because their website became a portal for their members to connect, it helped to advance their mission.

To build your directory:

1. Go to: Administer > Customize > CiviCRM Profile.
2. Click Add CiviCRM Profile.
3. Set Used For to Profile:
   
   
   
   
4. Advanced Settings: there are a few options under advanced settings that are helpful when using profiles for directories.
   
1. Enable mapping: a really cool feature available in CiviCRM is to allow visitors to map contacts in your directory using Google or Yahoo! maps. They can then obtain directions to a record's address dynamically. To use this feature, you must have already enabled mapping under Administer > Configure > Global Settings > Mapping and Geocoding.
2. Include profile edit links: check this box if you want to include a link in the directory listings to allow people to edit the profile's fields. Only users with permission to edit the contact will see this link. More often than not you will not need to enable this setting as it is not commonly used in the membership directory scenario.
3. Include Drupal user information (Drupal only): check this box if you want to include a link in the directory listings to view a contacts' Drupal user account information (e.g. their My Account page). This link will only be included for contacts who have a user account on your website.
   
   

Now it's time to include the fields that will make up the directory. For profiles used as directories you have total control over which fields:

• are searchable in the directory
• appear in the results columns of your search
• appear in the record detail View page.

The important options you must configure in the fields for directory purposes are shown below:

• Visibility for all fields in your directory must be set to Public Pages or Public Pages and Listings. The difference between these two options is that those configured as Public Pages and Listings will have the field in detail view hot-linked, enabling the user to generate a follow-up search for other records which also have that same field value. For example, you might set City to Public Pages and Listings. After the user conducts a search and views the details for a record they can click on the city value and run an immediate search. The search will run as if they had selected that city in the profile search screen.
• The Searchable option determines if visitors to your directory can search the directory by this field. In common directory uses, almost every field is set to searchable. The more fields you set to searchable, the more power you provide to your visitors to find the information they need.
• The Results Column check-box determines if the the field is displayed as a column in the list of results. For example, your directory may have a field for website, and if you set the website field to appear in the results column, it will appear in the results table. If you do not check the results column the field will still appear in the view mode for a record. In other words, checking Results Column? will allow the field to appear in the results column AND in detail view mode.

The image below shows the search mode for our membership directory.

Once you hit search you get this result set. Profile fields that have Results Column checked are shown in the listing.

Clicking the view link gives you more details about the constituent, showing all profile fields.

As we've seen, building a directory for your website can provide a valuable tool for your constituents.

Linking to Your Directory

You have several options to link to your directory:

• Drupal: link to the directory search page using this path: http://www.myorganization.org/civicrm/profile?reset=1&gid=N where N is the ID of the profile directory.
  • If you add &force=1 to the above URL it will directly show a result set.
  • If you add &force=1&search=0 it will hide the search criteria and directly show the result set.
• Joomla!: use the Menu Manager to create a front-end menu item. After creating a new menu item, select CiviCRM and choose the profile search option. In the parameters pane, choose the specific profile to use.
• You can also prepopulate any search criteria in the URL. These options are described here:
  http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Linking+Profiles

Other profile uses

Search results

Searching is outside the scope of this section but, assuming you are familiar with searches, you may wish to change the columns used to display the results of an advanced search. To do this:

1. Create or open a profile and mark it as used for Search Results:
   
   
   
2. When adding fields to this profile, you will need to set Visibility for the fields to Public Pages and check the Results Column box.

When conducting your advanced search, use the Search Views dropdown menu in the top right of the page to select your profile.

Batch updates

The final way that profiles can be used is to perform batch updates of data. For example, you have a custom field called "volunteer interests" and you want to update the volunteers group with a certain interest. You can easily update the entire group using a profile.

1. Create or open a profile and mark it as used for Profile:
   
   
   
   No other profile settings are relevant for this type of usage.
   
   
2. Add your fields to the profile. Only add the fields you want to batch update. In the above example, the only field you would need is your custom "volunteer interests" field (contact name is always displayed when doing batch update). Remember, fields added to the profile must all be of the same contact type. You cannot add fields that are specific to both organisations AND individuals.

Once your profile is created, and you have conducted your search, select Batch Update via Profile from the actions dropdown menu and click Go. Then select the profile you want to use.

You will see a grid with the fields in your profile. You can update each field and row individually. If there is a field where you want to enter the same value for ALL records, you can enter that value in the first row and then click on the "copy values" icon to the left of the column header. This will copy the field value to all the rows in your grid.

Don't forget to click the Update Contacts button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.

Batch update limitations

• You cannot perform batch updates for different types of contacts (individuals and organisations, for example) at the same time.
• If you wish to update participant fields, you must do the update from a Find Participants search (and only include participant fields in your profile).
  
• You may only perform a batch update for 100 records at a time.

Combining record types in a profile

A profile usually contains fields of one record type. For example: First Name and Last Name (Individual fields). But in some cases, such as online event registration and online contribution pages, you can combine fields from two different record types (e.g. Individual + Participant fields or Individual + Contribution fields). You can also combine Individual fields with general Contact fields (e.g. Last Name + Email Address).

If you try to combine fields with an unsupported combination of record types, you'll get an error when you try to save the field.

WORKING WITH YOUR DATA

Menu, Dashboard & Dashlets

This chapter gives an overview of CiviCRM's dashboard (it's 'home page') and the navigation menu available for people working in CiviCRM.

12． 菜单 和 主页面

这一章节主要介绍CiviCRM的界面（主页）和导航菜单。 

The navigation menu

The navigation menu is a small bar at the top of every "back office" page of CiviCRM.

导航菜单

在CiviCRM的“后台”页面上方都有一个小的“导航菜单”横条。 

...

It provides access to nearly every function of CiviCRM and is broadly organised into headings by individual CiviComponents (such as Contributions, Events and Mailings), with a few exceptions for Search and Administer, both of which cover all of the enabled CiviComponents.

几乎所有的CiviCRM功能都能在这个菜单中找到。同时这些功能都被仔细分类在不同的CiviComponents（Civi组成部分）例如，捐助，事件，邮件，等等。但其中有两个是例外，搜索和管理员。这两个功能包含了所有的Civi组成，因此未被归类于任何其他的分类。 

 

The menu also features a Quick search field for finding contacts. Typing any part of a contact's name or email address into the Quick search field will pull down a list of possible matches that you can click on to go directly to the contact's summary page:

同时,菜单具有快速用户搜索的功能。输入用户名或电子邮箱地址，相关的用户信息即显示在下拉菜单中。点击即可进入直接该用户的信息主页。 

You can modify the navigation menu by going to: Administer > Customize > Navigation Menu and then adding or rearranging menu items on the screen. Remember that changes you make to the navigation menu will be seen by everyone who has the appropriate permissions to see the menu, for better or for worse, so be careful when modifying the navigation menu.

导航菜单的修改路径：管理员〉自定义〉导航菜单 即可添加或对菜单项从新排序。请注意，所有有相关权限的用户都会看到其对导航菜单做的修改，因此做修改时请慎重。 

The dashboard

主页面

 

When you first log into CiviCRM, the first page that you will see is the dashboard (CiviCRM Home). The dashboard allows you to see important information about your site and CiviCRM by displaying a series of "dashlets". A dashlet is a snippet of information about a part of CiviCRM: many dashlets come with CiviCRM by default, and you or your administrator can create additional dashlets that are specific to your organisation's needs. Some examples of dashlets that come with CiviCRM include:

• Donor Report: a bar graph of the amount of total contributions per month for the last five months.
• Activities: a list of recent activities that have been recorded by CiviCRM (this could include emails sent to constituents, donations that have been made, or meetings that have been scheduled in CiviCRM).
• Membership Report: a table summarising information about Members tracked by CiviCRM and broken out by month. This includes the number of Members of each type total amounts of payments made and the number of contributions made, among other things.

You can add these dashlets to your CiviCRM dashboard by clicking the Configure Your Dashboard button. You will see a list of dashlets that can be dragged into the right or left column of your dashboard.

点击“设置你的主页面”按钮，你将看到一个“dashlet”的详细列表，你可以按你的需要将其拖拉到左列或右列，或主页面来添加“dashlet”。 

Clicking the Done button will allow you to save the dashlets to your dashboard. From now on, you will see updates to the status of your dashlets every time you log in (if you'd like to check and see any changes that have occurred more recently, you can always click Refresh Dashboard Data - this will reload each dashlet and pull in any new information).

Almost any CiviCRM report can be made available as a dashlet. Select a report from Reports > Create Reports from Templates. Update the report criteria as needed. For example, you may want the dashboard version of the report to always show data for "This Quarter" or "This Year". You can also choose to display the report as a table or as a bar or pie chart. Preview the report display. Then check the "Available for Dashboard" checkbox under Report Settings. (Refer to the Reporting section for more details on working with reports.)

当你完成编辑后，点击“完成”。系统将自动将你所选择的“dashlet” 储存在你的主页面上。从此以后，每当你登陆到主页面，你就能看到及时更新的所选内容。如果你想要更频繁的更新，点击 刷新 主页面信息  主页面上的所有信息都将及时刷新。

几乎所有的CiviCRM 报告都可以用“dashlet”显示。从 “报告〉新建报告模版”中选择一个报告，并按需要更新其中的相应选项内容。比如，你可以选择设定总是显示近一年，或近一季度的信息，你也可以选择表格，条形图或饼图的报告。预览报告后，在“报告设置”中的复选框中选择“在主页面中显示”。

（有关于报告更多细节请参考“报告部分”） 

搜索

本章介绍在慈善通中查找信息的不同方法。这里用到的两种技巧 – 寻找联系人和“搜索-操作”工作流，如以下第2条所描述 – 是慈善通的核心功能，因此几乎全部，起码也是大多数的用户都会发现这一章的内容很有用。

我们从简单搜索开始，然后再介绍更复杂一些的技巧。刚刚开始使用慈善通的用户应该首先熟悉“快速搜索”，“高级搜索”和组件搜索。高级一些的用户还应该了解报告，自定义搜索，以及搜索构造器。

搜索的主要目的有三个：

• l       查找特定的联系人：“快速搜索”框能按照姓名或email地址查找联系人，“高级搜索”则能按照其他更多的特征来查找。

  l        对符合一定条件的一个或多个联系人完成一个操作：慈善通中一个常见的工作流叫做“搜索-操作”，就是用来查找符合一定条件的联系人，然后对他们完成一个操作。例如，你可能想找出协调组中的所有联系人，好邀请他们参加一个会议；查出所有最近会籍过期的会员，并发出续订提醒；或找到某地25岁以下的全部联系人，并给他们发个email告知即将在那附近举行的一个活动。

  l        制作一个专案汇报表单。

对报表来说，搜索常常是有用的，但也有其局限性。例如，你就无法将搜索结果按照特定的条件分组，或总结，或很容易地用图表来表示。关于更高级的报告，请阅读“报告”部分关于CiviReport的内容。

需要注意的是，当你用字符串作为搜索条件时，是无法区分大小写的。例如，如果你查找“Brooklyn”，那些含有大写字母的结果也会被返回给你，如，“Brooklyn”或“BROOKYN”。

快速查找联系人

如果知道了某个联系人姓名或email地址的一部分，找到他最简单的方法莫过于使用屏幕左上角导航菜单中的“快速搜索”框。符合输入字组的联系人会在输入框下方的下拉列中显示。例如，输入“peter”，会找到：

  l        姓或者名是Peter的人

  l        Peter是姓名一部分的人，如，Mary Peterson

  l        Peter是email地址一部分的人，如，home@peterxy123.net

  l       Peter是其名称组成部分的机构，如，Petersfield Community Centre

搜索时不必输入这个人的全名 – 只要开始的几个字母。下面的截图显示，搜索“pe”时，数据库中发现了两个联系人。

 

高级搜索

高级搜索可以在你所有联系信息中进行查找。例如，可以查找“所有在委内瑞拉的联系人”或“协调组全体成员”。如果指定两个或更多个搜索条件，结果会显示所有符合全部条件的联系人。例如，可以把上述的两个条件组合起来，查找“所有在委内瑞拉的协调组成员”。

从导航菜单的 搜索 > 查找联系人 > 高级搜索，就可以进入高级搜索界面。在这个界面中，搜索条件按照查找的数据分成几组，好比：地址数据，备注和来自组件的数据，如捐赠或活动。每组搜索条件用一个灰色条显示。点击灰色条，就展开显示这组内容。例如，要查找数据库中所有16到18岁的人，就点击“人口统计数据”这一条。展开后如下图所示，就可以在其中指定所需的出生日期范围。

组合搜索条件

不同的搜索条件之间是“和”的组合。例如，选择了分类“主要捐赠人”和国家“墨西哥”，搜索就返回墨西哥的主要捐赠人。这个搜索不会返回那些不来自墨西哥的主要建安增韧，也不会返回那些来自墨西哥的非主要捐赠人。

若搜索条件组内有多个选择，这些选择之间也是“和”的组合。例如，搜索“倾向于采取何种方式联系”为“Email”和“SMS”都有的联系人。

对从下拉列表中选择的字段，选项之间是“或”的组合关系。例如，在国家字段中把墨西哥和美国都选上，就可以查到住在墨西哥或美国的联系人。

高级搜索结果显示为... 

默认地，高级搜索返回的结果是联系人记录。但是，你或许想得到其他样式的结果。例如，你可以想看符合条件（利用高级搜索中丰富的筛选功能）的所有捐赠记录。只要在“高级搜索”表单右上角的下拉列表中选定想要的记录类型，就可以了。

修改搜索栏

高级搜索可以改变搜索结果中显示的栏目。默认的栏目包括姓名，街道地址，城市，州，邮政编码，国家，email地址，和电话号码。若需显示不同的栏目（也许是自定义字段，或去除不需要的字段），那就创建一个“数据透视图”，在其中选上“搜索结果”。确定将这个“数据透视图”中的字段设为“公共用户页面和列表”可见，并标记为“结果显示栏目”。（关于创建“数据透视图”，在“配置”部分的“数据透视图”这一章还有详细的讲解。）

如下图所示，“数据透视图”在表单右上角的“搜索视图”下拉菜单中。下面的截图显示，创建了一个名为“生日”的“数据透视图”后，菜单看上去的样子。

将这个功能与“通过数据透视图进行批量更新”操作相结合，就可以有效地对批量联系人的指定字段作查看和更新。

在搜索中使用群组

作“高级搜索”时，如果在上方的“群组”列表中选择了多个群组，这些群组将以“或”的关系组合，并返回属于任何一个指定群组的联系人记录。如果需要查找属于所有指定群组的联系人，就需要使用“搜索构建器”。

另外还一个非常有用的内置自定义搜索 “包括/排除群组/分类中的用户”，这个功能允许你查找那些属于一个群组而不属于另一个群组的用户。这个功能的路径是导航菜单进入 搜索 > 自定义搜索。

 

即时查看弹出信息 

如下图所示，将光标指向左边栏中的联系人图标，就可以看到一个弹出框，其中显示了搜索结果所列的任何联系人的详细信息。通过修改“摘要总览”视图（管理 > 自定义 > 慈善通视图）中的字段，还可以调整这个“弹出视图”中显示的字段。

“搜索-操作”工作流

取得搜索结果后，还可以进行其他操作。在结果上方会出现一个“操作”框。你可以选择所有记录，也可以指定一些记录，然后对选定的记录执行一个操作。在“日常工作”这一章中将详细地介绍各种操作。

一些常用的操作是“向群组添加联系人”，“导出联系人”，“联系人定位”，以及生成和打印“邮政标签”。（要使用“联系人定位”，必须先配置“地图和地名寻址”。在本指南“配置”部分的“安装”这一章中有详细介绍。）

例如，要给选定的那些联系人发送email，首先给要发信的联系人做标记，然后在下拉的操作列表中选择“向联系人发送email”。

通配符（%）

理解通配符可以极大地扩展搜索时的选择。通配符是指“任何字符（字母，数字或标点符号）”。在慈善通中，通配符指的是%符号（你可以已经在其他应用程序中熟悉了其他通配符，如*）。为了便于理解，下面举例说明。

如果有人请你查找联系人，他/她的名字接近于“Michael”但具体写法可能不同，好比是“Michelle”或“Michal”之类。如果搜索“Mich%”，就可以找到所有这些不同的名字，包括本来名叫“Michael”，但被误写为“Micheal”的。通配符可以用在一个词的前面，后面，甚至词中。例如，查找“Mich%el”就排除了“Michal”和“Micheal”，但还是能找到“Michelle”和“Michael”。

这个搜索并不区分大小写。输入小写的“mi%el”也能找到含有大写字母“M”的名字。

组件搜索

慈善通的组件中，大多数都提供对其数据的搜索功能，如查找捐赠，查找会员，等等。这些表单类似于“高级搜索”，但返回的是与各自组件相关的主要对象，而不是联系人。会员搜索返回的是会籍信息，出席人搜索显示的是活动注册信息，捐赠搜索返回的是捐赠信息，等等。

每一个组件搜索都有其自己的操作列表。更多细节请查看“组件”部分。

构建搜索

“高级搜索”提供广泛的搜索条件，但也有局限。主要的局限是，不同字段中输入的搜索条件，互相是以“和”组合的。

“搜索构建器”这个工具就是在你需要用“或”时，提供另一种方式。例如，你可以构建一个搜索，来查找那些出生在某个时间范围的人，或者是女性。步骤是，从导航菜单中经过 搜索 > 搜索构建器，进入“搜索构建器”工具，再编辑“搜索条件”。 

要使用“AND"构建组合条件（即，查找符合所有指定条件的记录），点击“其他搜索字段”，并在“包括这样的联系人”下输入搜索条件。要用“OR”构建组合条件（即，查找符合任何一个条件的记录），就在“包括这样的联系人”下输入一个搜索条件，并在“并包括这样的联系人”下输入另一个搜索条件。 

“搜索构建器”主要面向高级用户，要求用户对搜索的字段值使用指定的格式。  

模糊匹配

若是需要按照姓名的一部分或是其他不完整的字组作搜索 - 使用 LIKE 运算符，并在搜索项的前面或是后面使用%符号。例如，要查找姓以“Gree”开头的联系人：

记录类型     字段    运算符      值

  个人          姓      LIKE     Gree%

搜索构建器在对作为键值保存的值作匹配时，要求提供规定的值。这包括群组，分类标签，州，国家，是/否（二进制值）字段，以及多选自定义字段。特别的日期格式也是被要求的。

下面的列表描述了对特定的项作搜索，各自需要哪种格式。

群组 - 群组ID。要找到这个整数值，在群组的“会员”链接（从“管理群组”进入）中查看 gid= 值

分类标签 - 分类标签ID。要找到这个整数值，从 管理慈善通 > 分类标签 进入，点击“编辑”链接，查看 id= 值

州 - 要么使用完整的州名（如，“California”），要么使用州_省ID（如，1004）。找州ID需要查看HTML源文件。

国家 - 要么使用慈善通中保存的完整的国家名（如，”United States”），要么使用国家ID（如，1228）。找国家ID需要查看HTML源文件。

日期 - 使用 YYYYMMDD 格式。例如，2006年8月18日，应录入为 20060818

是/否选项框 - 这用于如“请勿发送email”，“已亡故”等等。用1代表“是”，0代表“否”。

多选自定义字段 - 使用你创建多选项是指定的“可选值”。这可能与显示的值不同 - 因为“选项标签”才是查看联系人记录时会看到显示在字段上的内容。

你可以在多个群组，分类，或其它ID值中，使用运算符 IN 搜索匹配记录。例如，要查找属于邮件期刊订阅组（群组ID = 1）或是属于协调组（群组ID = 3）的联系人，可以输入：

个人 -> 群组 -> IN -> (1,3) 请记得用括号把这几个值放在一起，而不要在以逗号分隔的值之间加空格。 

如同其它搜索，你可以将搜索构建器保存成智慧群组。更多关于智慧群组的信息，请查看“群组和分类”这一章。

自定义搜索

自定义搜索的目的是通过“高级搜索”或“搜索构建器”来回答那些不易于回答的问题。

打开导航菜单中的 搜索 > 自定义搜索，看可用的自定义搜索列表。这些自定义的搜索是慈善通社区成员为各自需求而自行编写的。之后他们又将这些搜索回馈给社区，与其他需要同样或类似自定义搜索的用户共享。花一些时间去研究这些搜索是很有意义的，因为其中有的可能对你有用，并且还能让你对哪些想法是可能实现的有个概念。

一个很好的例子是 “包括/排除某个群组/分类中的联系人”。

结合“包括”和“排除”选项，就可以查找属于某一个群组的联系人，同时从中排除符合另外条件的群组成员。例如，需要查找所有是邮政期刊订阅者，但不是协调组成员的联系人，以此创建一个新的邮件列表，去接收某些以委托人的外围圈子为目标的邮件。

 有许多其它的自定义搜索，是为了各种各样的目的而创建，包括，搜索联系人的总捐赠额，在某个地理区域附近 X 英里/公里范围内的联系人，以及更多。这里是一个对一些自定义搜索的简单介绍：

捐赠总额：查找联系人在一定时间范围内的捐赠总额。

基本搜索：按照联系人类型，群组，和/或分类，查找联系人。

家庭名和州：搜索美国的家庭联系人

发送邮件： 查找某个群组中的联系人，并在结果中显示邮寄信息。使用这个搜索批量更新联系信息，发送电子邮件，输出联系人，或执行其它操作。

临近搜索：搜索在某个地理区域附近 X 英里/公里范围内的联系人

1. 前往 搜索 > 自定义搜索 > 邻近搜索。 
2. 输入距离的英里或公里数。
3. 输入想要搜索的国家。
4. 输入任何想要的参数。
5. 点击”搜索“。

在 X 年而不是 Y 年所作的捐赠：查找在某一年作了而在另一年没有作的捐赠；这有助于对半定期的捐赠人作跟进，鼓励他们更有规律地作捐赠。

1. 前往 搜索 > 自定义搜索 > 在X年而没有在Y年作的捐赠 
2. 不需要任何字段，可以选择是否搜索某个指定金额范围和时间范围，以及是否需要排除最大或最小金额。

按照分类查找捐赠金额：按照任何分类，查找一定时间范围内的捐赠。 

活动总金额：查找某个活动的相关付款

对活动出席者的定价细节：获取关于活动中哪个出席者选了哪个可选付款项的信息。例如，查看谁只付了活动费，而谁还付了其他培训费，谁又是付了晚餐费。

邮政编码范围：查找某个特定邮政编码范围内的联系人。这有助于有针对性地发送邮件，或是在特定的地域范围内作调查。 

1. 前往 搜索 > 自定义搜索 > 邮政编码范围内搜索。

2. 输入邮政编码的起止范围。

3. 点击搜索。

添加进慈善通的日期: 查找在某个时间范围内被添加进慈善通的联系人。

选择这个选项，可以允许你对某个联系人输入多个值。

自定义群组多重值列表：这是一个特别的搜索，用于查找如下例所示的自定义数据：

选择这个选项，可以允许你对某个联系人输入多个值。

示例：创建一系列自定义字段以用于收集就职历史时，可以需要工作职位，开始日期，结束日期，和离职原因等字段。选定“多重记录”选项，就可以收集多个工作的信息。

还可以设定每个联系人能够记录的最大记录数。例如上例中，你可能只需要三个最近的工作记录。

请注意：下面是对“多重记录”自定义集的自定义字段不适用的特性： 

• 这些字段无法用于数据透视图
• 不能导入和导出
• 如果它们作为报告的栏目显示，就只能显示第一组值

编写自己的自定义搜索是可以实现的，但你得能够使用MySQL和PHP。阅读《慈善通开发指南》，去了解如何实现。如果你创建了一个自定义搜索，又觉得可能对别人有用，请考虑将它回馈给慈善通社区。

请注意：对每个自定义搜索，文档是必要的。如果你开发其他的自定义搜索，请连同文档一起分享，这样其他人就可以利用你所添加的功能。

CiviCRM 慈善通的数据导入

    大部分的组织在CiviCRM以外拥有自己的数据源， 比如曾经使用过的数据储存系统，记录了个别活动或各种用途的数据表以及邮箱地址簿。 由于重新手动输入这些大量的数据将是一个巨大的工程因此CiviCRM提供了一个程序可以大量的导入数据，只要把所需要导入的数据简单的转化为Comma Separated Version(CSV)文件。

数据导入前的评估

    将现有数据导入前的评估就如同您在搬家前对所选房子的评估。人们常常利用搬家的机会问自己“我真的需要这些东西嘛？这样东西对我来说是不是有点过时了？让我们丢掉它吧，在搬进房子后再换新的。

    把这个比喻应用于你对已有数据的审视，丢弃一些对于你来说已经没有意义的文件。比如那些已放弃更改的组织奋斗目标， 或者是旧的办公室地址等等。

    但同时一些旧的数据依然有它存在的价值。例如，有一组织陷入了财政的困境，决定重新使用一张废弃的捐助人名单，而废弃的原因正是这些捐助人已经多年没有提供过捐助。但是在联系了这些捐助人后，发现他们对这个组织依然有非常强烈的捐助意愿，就这样，他们称为了把这个组织拯救出困境的人。所以在这样的情况下，保留原有的数据是非常重要的。

   搬进一个新的房子不仅提供了一个重新评估什么东西你应该丢弃什么是应该保留的，更是一个让你重新编排和整理那些你决定保留的东西。就如同，你不会把铺满灰尘的相架和油迹斑斑的盘子带到新家，把全新的地方变成和以前一样肮脏的环境。所以你会需要在把数据导入CiviCRM前重新整理一边，这样才能令你在使用使用数据时，更快更准确。

    在准备把数据搬入CiviCRM前请准备足够多的时间把旧的数据重新审查一遍，统一各种同内容的储存格式（如，在命名文件时，应该用全称还是简称？）。同时删除一些明显的重复文件，意外的错误文件，过时的信息和错误的记录。

准备导入数据

    数据的导入需要小心与专注，因此，我们提供一些在第一次导入数据前所需要知道的相关理念。你可以同时导入联系人的核心与一般信息，也可以导入关于活动的参与状况，所参与的活动，会员状态和对组织贡献的各种信息。该章节将会重点解释将联系人信息导入的过程，而此过程与其它数据导入过程相同，可以互相参考。

导入信息主要有两种方式：

• 每一组你所建立的CSV文件都会在CiviCRM系统中有相对应的文档，所以请确保每一个不同的信息都建立在不同的文件小组中。  从CSV文件中导入。多数的数据库和数据记录表应用软件（例如OpenOffice.org Calc, Google Spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel）都可以建立和转化成该种形式的文件。文件转化成CSV文件后能使数据比原文件更整洁与容易查看。 

  基于不同的国家与地域，在你的CSV文档中所建立的字段有可能需要以分号来区分，而不是用逗号。如果事实如此，您将需要在CiviCRM系统中的地域化设置中修改导入／输出的字段区分值。修改时，在导航菜单中选定管理>设定>全球性设置>地域设置。

• 通过使用SQL问号的方式从同一储存器的另一个SQL或者 MySQL数据库导入信息。

如果不能清楚的理解已有的数据和它是如何与CiviCRM字段相互关联的，在导入数据的过程中将会感到沮丧和困难。所以，请查阅在该使用说明中各种不同的数据并通过浏览CiviCRM系统的在线文件获取更多相关知识。

 http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Importing+Data

以下的操作建议和方法可以帮助你减少导入数据时的困难：

• 利用少部分的数据作为数据导入的测试。 在导入测试数据后，打开已导入CiviCRM系统的记录，确认数据已经导入并与你所设置般运行。
• 建立测试联系人，该联系人需要包括已设定的各种数据。然后在导入联系人后，检查CiviCRM系统是否都有正确的显示回应相关的数据。
• 在你从原有的数据文件的数据组或者数据段往CiviCRM导入数据时，CiviCRM可以保存这些数据的分布特性为导入数据图，并且这个导入数据图可以在未来被使用。这个功能对那种统一数据结构但多重数据文件的导入具有很大的帮助意义。再导入中，如果想要保存这个导入数据图，只需要点击保存数据组分布这个按键，这个按键通常在导入向导中的匹配数据组这一个屏的底部，然后你可以选择突然适当的命名和描述。当需要重新使用这个保存的数据图时，你只需要在导入向导中的第一步选择导入源中的导入已经保存的数据图下来菜单中选择你已经保存的数据分布图。
•   如果你的导入时间来不及或者太久，可以尝试把这些导入的文件分割成较小的几个批租里。如果你有适当的网络服务器权限，你可以通过修改文件php.ini来增加记忆量和增长执行时间。
• 你可以把所有导入的联系人导入到一个新的或者已经存在的组里或名片夹里。所有在同一批次导入的联系人会自动给予同样的组别和名片。这个功能限制会给你的导入带来以下两种影响：

      1.    你要确定你分配的组别和名片信息要符合所有导入的联系人。如果你需  要一个个得分配他们的组别和名片，你需要把你要导入的联系人按照同样的组别和名片信息分成不同的小批次，然后再进行导入。或者你也可以在CiviCRM里建立一些可以用来搜索的定制数据库，这个数据库包含了所有需要导入的联系人的组别和名片信息。然后在导入联系人之后，你可以在这些数据库中搜索出你需要的信息并且可以在搜索结果中通过点击添加联系人到组或者添加名片信息来完成信息导入。

2.    你可以通过这个特性来管理导入联系人。如果把添加新的组或者名片信息作为识别每批次导入联系人的一个关联点的话，你可以非常轻松地查找出每一个导入联系人的导入时间或者在必要的情况下删除整个导入。

• CiviCRM把所有导入联系人按姓和名分栏保存，所以他们在你的CSV文件里应该也是以分栏的形式存在的。类似的情形还会发生在城市与它的邮编。大多数电子表格程序都包含相应的工具来自动处理这些分栏的数据。
• 你要确认你所使用的国家名称与在CiviCRM存储的保持一致，例如'United States', 而不是 'United States of America', 还有'United Kingdom', 而不是'Britain'.
• 如果要导入多个地点的联系人，一个地点将被自动设置为主要地点。你可能需要移动你的数据栏来确保你想要的地点被设置为主要地点。你也可能需要分批导入以保证一下数据是一个城市为主要地点而另一些数据是以另一个城市为主要地点。
• 如果你需要引导一个具有多重选择（例如复选框或者单选按钮）的数据组，你的数据来源既可以是这些数据的标签（用户可以直接在CiviCRM看到的）也可以是真正的导入数据值（那些真正存储在数据库的对应项的数据）。CiviCRM能够识别和自动选择适当导入。当你导入多重选项的数据组时，你可以专门指定导入那些数据库的数据值，而不是标签。
• 当你要更新多重选项时，新的数据值会替代整个数据组。例如，如果你更新一个联系人的颜色数据值从现有值蓝色为橘黄色时，这个颜色数据就会变成橘黄色，而不是蓝色和橘黄色。
• 你要确保你的数据源使用一种软件能够接受的格式并且你要在导入向导选择数据源中选中同样的格式。
• 你要确保在软件管理中设置所有的姓名的前缀和后缀（去管理者选项，它通常在导航菜单里的选项列表中）。
• 如果你计划添加额外的相关联的数据到你的联系人中，例如贡献数据，活动参加数据，会员数据等，下面这个方法会对你帮助很大，你可以让你的每个联系人享有对应这些关联数据专属的身份号码。所以当你在做第一次的数据导入时，确保你关联这个专属身份号码和CiviCRM的外部身份号码组，所以当你未来需要导入相关数据时，你可以用这个原始的专属身份号码去关联所有的联系人记录。

创建一个为导入而准备的CSV文件

一个CSV格式电子数据表的例子

   当你要设想创建这个电子表格时，要联系到你所搜集到的数据和确定每个栏的标题。另外要记住你可能需要创建多个CSV文件并且在结束工作之前进行多次导入。

 

   如果你计划给某一个特定的联系人导入相关联的数据，例如活动参加信息，贡献信息等，你需要确定每一个联系人有一个独一无二的身份或者是他需要有名字，姓和电子邮箱地址以保证你可以再未来的导入中把这些相关联的数据联系起来。如果你有独特的身份，你需要把这个身份与CiviCRM的外部身份相匹配。

进行一次导入

导入分为四个步骤

步骤1：安装

   安装会帮助你确定你的导入的基本信息，包括导入数据源。这些数据既可以从一个CSV文件中提取也可以从一个服务器中的SQL数据库中提取。一个复选框可以让你选择你要导入的内容的第一栏是否为标题栏。

      导入使用默认的严格的规则来确定这条记录是否是重复的（参考本节的重复和迁移章节查看civicrm如何匹配重复的记录）。当碰到重复的记录是你可以指定采取一些行动。

• 忽略：忽略重复的记录，比如，保留原来的记录。
• Update: update the original record with the database fields from the import data. Fields that are not included in the import data will be left as they are.
• Fill: fill in the additional contact data, if it contains fields that are missing or blank in the original records, and leave fields which currently have values as they are.
• No Duplicate Checking: this inserts all valid records without comparing them to existing contact records for possible duplicates.

Import mappings tell CiviCRM how the fields of data in your import file correspond to the fields in CiviCRM. The first time you import from a particular data source, it's a good idea to check the box to "Save this field mapping" at the bottom of the page before continuing. The saved mapping can then be easily reused the next time similar data is imported, by requesting that it be loaded at this step.

Step 2: Match the fields

If you had column headings in your file, these headings will appear in the first column on the left-hand side of the Field Map, while the next two columns show two rows of data in your file to be imported, and the fourth column is the Matching CiviCRM Field. If you loaded an import mapping in Step 1, your choices will be reflected here. You can change them if they are inappropriate for this import.

 

The matching CiviCRM fields include standard CiviCRM data such as First Name and Last Name as well as any custom data fields that have been configured for use with contact records on your site. Match the fields by clicking the dropdown list and selecting the appropriate data. For example, if the heading of the second column in your input is Surname, you should choose Last Name as your Matching CiviCRM Field.

Select "- do not import -" for any columns in the import file that you don't want to import into CiviCRM.

If you have a saved mapping for a specific set of spreadsheet columns, and your spreadsheet layout has changed (for instance, you need to import additional fields, so you add the appropriate columns of data in the spreadsheet), you can modify and save the field mapping. One tip to ease the mapping process when you need to import additional fields is to place the additional columns of data in your import spreadsheet to the right of the columns you've previously mapped in CiviCRM. This allows you to use the existing saved field mapping to map the initial import fields, and then continue mapping the new data fields.

Note that if you add new data columns in your spreadsheet and do not position the columns AFTER the columns you previously mapped, you then can't use the saved mapping and will have to map all your import fields again.

Once you've mapped your fields, you can decide if you want to keep the original saved mapping unchanged, or check the box to "Update this field mapping" to include the new field mappings.

Step 3: Preview

This screen previews the results of importing your data, reports the number of rows to be imported, and allows you to double check your field matches.

If some of the rows in your spreadsheet contain data that doesn't match CiviCRM's requirements for one or more fields, you'll see an error message with a count of the invalid rows (see the screenshot below). Click the Download Errors link and review the errors reported in the downloaded file, so you can fix them before doing the import. 

At the bottom of the form, you can choose to add the contacts to an existing group, import to a new group, create a new tag, or tag imported records. Adding imported records to a separate group is strongly recommended in order to be able to quickly find the imports and, if necessary, delete and reimport them.

Step 4: Summary

The final screen reports the successful imports along with Duplicate Contacts and Errors. If you have set the import to add all contacts to a Group or Tag, you can click through to see your imported contact records.

At this point it makes sense to check to make sure that your import has worked as expected.  Search for the contacts that you just imported and examine their fields and custom data to make sure all is as expected.

Importing relational data

We have just described the process of importing one data file.  But what about if you want to import related data, like parent child relationships, activities, contributions, etc.?  For each type of data you want to import, you will need to import a seperate CSV file.

CiviCRM has specific tools for importing related contact data and a set of specific import tools for contributions, memberships, event participation etc. (and you should see specific chapters for details of how to use these tools).  To import relationships, you should run multiple contact imports.

For example if we want to import data for children and then for both parents, we run three imports, one for the child, one for the father and one for the mother.

We first import the child remembering to include an external identifier that we can use to match the child to their parents.  We then import the father, and then the mother, as related contacts, linking them to the child using the child's external identifier.

In the example below we have one CSV file which contains father and mother information.  We use this CSV file twice as part of the import.  Have a look at the fields below to understand what is happening.

We are linking the father to the original child using the external identifier and are then importing the related father name using the 'Child of' relationship type.

When the import is done, go back and verify the data by searching for the parent and examining the relationship tab.  They should have a relationship linking them to the child.

You can then repeat this process for the mother, and also for other relationships as necessary. 

Address standardisation 

For many organisations, an important element of cleaning your data is standardising addresses. In the US, this means conform to conventions defined by the United States Postal Service's Standards for Addresses. Standardising how addresses are entered into CiviCRM will allow for more accurate search results when searching by address, as CiviCRM can parse addresses based on the USPS standards if you choose to do so.  To find out more about how Address Parsing is handled and used in CiviCRM, refer to the Installation chapter of the Configuration section of this manual. When adding or editing contacts, you will enter and edit such address elements as street number, street name, and Apt/Unit/Suite number according to these standards.

To find out more details about the USPS' Standards for addresses, refer to their Publication 28 athttp://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/welcome.htm  orhttp://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/Pub28/pub28.pdf for the pdf version.

 

导出联系人

通过导出功能，可以从慈善通中取出数据，以标准的逗号分隔文件（CSV）格式提供给其他外部应用程序。这种格式可以通过电子表格程序查看和编辑，也可以导入到其他数据库应用程序，或并入文字处理文档。

可以导出一系列预先设定好的字段，也可以创建自己的自定义导出映像，这种映像可以保存而后再次利用。

慈善通的导出功能可以在以下场合执行：

l        任何搜索工具

l        查看一组联系人时

l        在基于组件的搜索结果中，这些搜索结果反应的是组件的特定数据，而不仅仅是联系人核心数据。例如，从 捐赠 > 查找捐赠 搜索，可以导出捐赠人及其联系信息，用来给他们写包含有总捐赠额的感谢信。

下面是导出联系人信息的步骤：

1. 查找联系人。使用恰当的搜索工具，如，“快速搜索”，“查找联系人”，“高级搜索”，“搜索构建器”，或自定义搜索（关于执行搜索，可以在前面的“搜索”这一章查看更多信息），根据所需的条件，做一个搜索。
2. 选择需要导出的联系人。选择全部记录，或用每个记录左侧的勾选框来选择个别记录，以供导出。 
3. 在“- 操作 -”下拉菜单中，选择“导出联系人”，如下图所示。
4. 点击“继续”。这样就进入导出向导。 
   
   
   
5. 导出主（默认）字段或选定的字段。可以导出主字段，也可以导出自己选择一些字段。主字段包括全部核心联系人字段，如email地址，电话，和地址数据。 
6. 如果满意，点击“继续>>”并跳过下面的步骤 7。若是需要添加或移除导出字段，选择“选择导出字段”并继续执行步骤 7. 导出默认使用主位置数据，所以如果需要导出其他地址，就需要选择导出字段，并明确注明地址类型。
7. 选择导出字段。慈善通允许保存此导出映像，这样以后就可以再次利用。点击表单底部的“保存当前字段映像”，填入一个描述性的名称以赋予此类导出，即可保存选定的导出字段。 
   
   
   
8. 点击导出，创建CSV文件。默认地，导入和导出功能采用逗号作为字段分隔符。在某些情况下，会使用其他字符（如，分号）。通过 管理> 管理 > 全局设定 > 本土化，修改“导入/导出字段分隔符”，就可以更改分隔符。 
   
   
   

去冗余与合并

很多原因都可能导致数据重复，比如用户创建了系统中已经存在的联系人，或是导入过程中没有发现的重复数据，或是人们填表提交自己的信息时却没有发现自己已经在联系人名单里了（可能是名字写法不一样，或是用了不同的电子邮件地址）。

慈善通配备有重复数据匹配规则，可以在新联系人创建时自动运行，也可以在任何时候手动运行来查找重复数据。你还可以根据自己的需要配置这些规则。

要查看去冗余规则，在导航菜单前往：管理 > 发现并合并重复联系人。就会显示下屏：

屏幕上显示的是一个去除所有重复个人联系人的流程范例：

1.     首先使用精确的规则查找重复记录：点击第三行的“使用规则”链接

（联系人类型：个人，级别：精确）。

2.     选择“全部联系人”或某个群组。

3.     点击“继续”。

4.     如果找到了重复记录，合并或删除重复联系人。

5.     现在使用模糊规则再找出那些精确规则下遗漏的重复记录：点击第四行的“使用规则”链接（联系人类型：个人，级别：模糊）。

6.     选择“全部联系人”或某个群组。

7.     点击“继续”。

8.     如果找到了重复记录，合并或删除重复联系人。

对不同的联系人类型（个人，机构，和家庭），配置有不同的规则。对每种联系人类型，有一个默认的模糊规则和一个默认的精确规则。当慈善通行使默认检查时，会使用默认规则。具体方法我们很快会涉及。

精确与模糊规则

慈善通有两类去冗余规则：

l        精确：这类规则着重避免错误匹配，因此使用相对严格的条件。也正因如此，有时可能遗漏一些其实是重复的记录。

系统在导入数据时，自动调用精确规则来查找重复数据，而不需要用户的指令。这个时候采用精确规则，是因为待到将来，与再去重新分开两个被误合并的记录相比，找出此时没有发现的重复数据要容易许多。

一个精确规则的例子是，只有同时满足三个条件才算匹配：同样的email地址、名、姓。这条规则会让Mike Tael 和Michael Tael同时存在于数据库中，因为它们只符合了两个条件：姓和email地址，而不是名、姓、email地址。

当一个新的联系人通过在线登记，包括活动、会员、捐赠、个人信息页面等，或通过慈善通的编程接口（API）被创建时，系统也自动调用默认的精确规则。

l        模糊：这类规则对匹配的定义相对宽泛，希望这样可以尽可能多地发现可能的重复数据。

在用户能够用自己的判断力来判断匹配是否准确的情况下，可以使用模糊规则。也就是说，一个范围较大的可能匹配的结果是被允许的也是有用的。

通过慈善通用户界面添加或编辑联系人时，系统自动调用默认的模糊规则（当联系人通过数据透视图，API，或导入功能而添加或编辑时，自动调用的是默认的精确规则），来检查可能的重复数据。当扫描数据库寻找可能的重复记录时，你或许也想使用模糊规则。

设置规则

要确定两个联系人是否相同，可以指定最多五个字段供慈善通检查。你也可以设置一个长度值，来指定要比较一个字段中的多少字符。例如，为“名“字段设置长度 2，那么“Mike”与“Michael”就会互相匹配而被当作重复数据，因为它们的前 2 个字符相同。但是如果长度设为 3，“Mike”和“Michael”就不匹配了，因此会被当作不同的联系人而接受。若长度设定值为空，就会对字段值的全长作比较。

系统还为每个字段赋予一个权重，用来标识这个字段在整个匹配中的相对重要性。当某个字段发生匹配时，根据规则这个字段的权重就被加到总权重上。所有字段检查完毕后，如果总权重等于或大于规则设定的阀值，这个联系人就被标识为疑似重复。

运用规则并合并重复联系人

1. 前往：管理 > 管理 > 查找与合并重复联系人
2. 点击“使用规则”链接来使用选定的规则扫描查找重复联系人
3. 选择从全部联系人或只从特定群组中查找重复记录。在制定的规则应用范围内的这一类型联系人就会被扫描、比较。如果两个联系人之间的匹配超过了规则要求的阀值，联系人就被显示在下面的可能重复页面上
4. 点击任何一对联系人的“合并”，打开一张表，表中列有每个联系人的详情。慈善通指定一个记录为重复记录，将其信息显示在左侧栏。右侧栏的记录被当做原始记录，选定的数据将被合并入原始记录。
5. 如果你想逆转数据转移方向，可以选择“交换原始和重复联系人”来将它们互换

6. 对每一个字段，可以选择是让原始数据显示在右侧（不要勾选中间栏的勾选框），还是使用重复联系人的数据（勾选这个框）。对email地址或电话号码，你可以决定将原始记录和重复记录的数据尽皆保留（将中间栏的勾选框和右边栏的“添加”都选上），从而复制重复记录的数据。注意，有关的分类标签、群组及活动数据（包括活动出席、捐赠，等等）将在原始记录已有数据之外同时出现，而不是将其覆盖。一般说来，在合并后将各自的分类标签、群组和活动都保存，会比较安全。

从搜索结果合并联系人

若是在搜索结果中发现了重复记录，可以很容易地直接从搜索结果中将其合并，而不需要专门经过“查找与合并重复联系人”过程。这是一个对日常工作流干扰最少的极好的数据清理方法。

1.     从搜索结果中，点击每个记录左边的选项框，选择重复记录。

2.     从“- 更多操作 –”菜单选择“合并联系人”。

   3.     点击“继续”。
   4.     按照正常步骤合并重复联系人。

占位符与邮件合并

你可以使用慈善通数据库中的数据，设立邮件合并，既可以用于发送email 也可以用于打印诸如信件和邮政标签等得材料。邮件合并功能依赖于“占位符”。占位符代表数据库中的项目。本章介绍占位符，以及如何将占位符用于生成打印材料。关于在email和群发邮件中使用占位符，将在“Email”部分介绍。

占位符

在慈善通中，占位符与邮件合并相当。这意味着，可以从数据库中向email或信件中插入因收件人而异的内容。占位符是通过讯息编辑区右上角的“插入占位符”链接来获取的。

大多数占位符包含数据库字段中的信息。但是有一些特别的占位符是用于完成特殊任务，如指向退订页面的链接，或指向邮件格式选择的链接。有些占位符只用于群发邮件，如提供指向在线存储信息的链接。

只有联系人字段和操作可以当做占位符插入email。相关的记录，如联系人还在等待加入的活动名称，就无法插入。但是，在email中，你可以提供指向联系人联系面板的链接，这样他们就可以查看自己的登记信息（需要登录）。在email中，你也可以使用检验和占位符，为每一个联系人生成一个唯一的URL，这样他们不必登录就可以修改自己的信息。

关于使用检验和的详细信息，请查看：http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Mail-merge+Tokens+for+Contact+Data

开发者也可以自定义占位符。例如，联系人的捐赠总额。关于使用创建和使用自定义占位符，请参考本书“扩展慈善通”部分“Hooks”这一章中，关于自定义邮件合并占位符的讨论，也可以查看wiki： http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Mail-merge+Tokens+for+Contact+Data.

开发者的另一项任务是为邮件合并创建 if/then 逻辑。在下面的地址中，这项开发是用smarty 模板语言实现的：http://www.smarty.net/docs/en/language.function.if.tpl.

邮政信件沟通

本章讨论慈善通协助处理发送邮政信件不同方法。为了收到更好的效果，最好你已经对慈善通的搜索功能，自定义字段，活动，数据透视图，以及如何使用文字处理软件进行邮件合并有了深入的了解。

计划发送邮件

开始任何沟通行动之前，要先花一些时间明确目标和对步骤作计划。对我们来说，发出信件之前，应该先问几个关键问题。

l        给委托人发出哪种邮件？

l        邮件是否总是发给数据库中的所有人，还是常常只针对特定的人群？

l        信头如何称呼（如，“亲爱的Jane”还是“亲爱的Jan Doe”）？

慈善通中，有三种方法用于发送邮政信件：

1.     制作标签：若内容不需个性化，如发送打印的小册子，可以采取打印标准地址标签的方法。

2.     到处联系人，对外部工具（如OpenOffice或Microsoft Word）作邮件合并。

3.     生成PDF信件，直接在慈善通中作邮件合并。

在美国，许多非营利性机构为了按批量邮件邮寄，需要将收信人按照邮政编码排序。如果你的机构也是如此，最好是用可以排序的文字处理软件来代替慈善通制作邮政标签。用于邮件合并的电子表格以后可以再次使用。

称呼与问候 

你可以为每一个联系人单独设定邮政信件称呼格式。慈善通提供几个选择，从友好的“亲爱的John”，到正式的“亲爱的John Doe先生”。你也可以输入个性化的称呼（“殿下”）。邮政信件称呼可以在“通讯设置”里的联系人编辑表单中编辑。若需要全部设置或重置邮政信件称呼，参考命令行脚本设置文档：

http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/x/LIK9AQ

打印PDF信件

第一个步骤是选择你的目标群组，然后从下拉菜单中选择“打印PDF信件”操作。信件会被输出为PDF文件，以便打印。

要创建信件： 

1.     前往 搜索 > 查找联系人 或 查找联系人 > 高级搜索。

2.     输入搜索条件，并点击“搜索”。

3.     选择收信联系人。

4.     从“操作”下拉菜单，选择“为联系人打印PDF信件”，点击“继续”。

5.     使用提供的格式创建信件。可以用标记将信个性化，如，“邮政信件称呼”就是一个广泛使用的标记。在信件主体中点击要加标记的地方，然后点击信上方，右上角的“插入标记”，并选择需要的标记。

6.     进入下一屏幕之前，决定是否以后还需要使用这封信。如果需要，点击“保存新模板”选项框，并键入“模板标题”。

7.     完成信件后，滚动屏幕到底部，点击“制作PDF信件”。

8.     弹出窗口，提供打开或是保存PDF的选项。打开查看信件并打印，或是保存PDF以备有空时再看。

这一功能可以应用于任何文档，而不仅仅是信件。例如，可以用来为讲座打印听讲证书。

生成邮政标签

生成邮政标签是一个非常简单而有用的功能。

1.     执行搜索，选择目标联系人。

2.     从“操作”下拉菜单中选择“邮政标签”，点击“继续”。

3.     选择邮政标签的风格。

4.     决定是否排除那些在个人隐私选项中选择了“请勿发送邮件”的联系人（默认并推荐选定），以及是否将某些具有相同邮政地址的记录合成一张标签。

上述最后一个选择在给家庭或是机构类的联系人发信时非常有用，因为这样可以避免令他们收到重复邮件。当合并记录时，这个地址的每一个姓名都在标签上占一行。

系统管理员可以指定邮政标签上的字段。更多关于选项的信息，请阅读“联系人”那一章中关于地址设置的内容。

CONTRIBUTIONS

What is CiviContribute?

CiviContribute 支持募捐和相关的钱财管理。它有两个主要目的：

• 为组织募捐活动和收集捐赠提供帮助，及
• 为其他慈善通组件的涉及财务因素的活动, 如在活动及会员组件中收集和记录支付信息。

CiviContribute有几个工具，用于通过网站募集资金。例如，你可以创建募捐网站，并在其中注明募捐目标。活动支持一个温度计式的微件，可以将其植入其他的网站或网上日志。“个人活动页面”（PCPs）和“广而告之”功能鼓励你的支持者为你的机构捐款，并感谢他们以你的名义从其他人那里募集资金。

有几个其他慈善通组件需要启用CiviContribute。为了使用CiviContribute，需要先设置一个支付处理器。

场景：对领导力的捐赠

一个社区艺术团体，“艺术行动”，要面向25岁以下的年轻人组织一个领导力培训系列。他们在计划和执行这些培训时，广泛使用慈善通，结合包括CiviEvent和CiviContribute在内的模块功能，尽可能有效地对培训作组织和管理。

这些培训的资金来源有三种：参会费，当地艺术资金，和捐款。这些捐款中的大多数来自于以前参加培训而且后来继续成为“艺术行动”成员的。一年两次为培训而作的募捐信通过CiviMail发出，提供指向网站上捐赠页面的链接。有些捐赠人可能定期通过CiviPledge捐款，而有些则可能作一次性捐款。支付成功后，系统将自动给每位捐款人发送一封感谢邮件和收据。所有捐款都标记为此培训之用，这样，“艺术行动”工作人员就可以作关于捐款总额的报告，也可以查看个人联系人记录，看看谁作了捐赠。

参加人通过在线表单注册参加培训并付款。注册有一个登记费，另外还有用餐，住宿，及可选培训项目的费用。参加人在表单中选择，并使用信用卡支付。如果他们还不是数据库中的联系人，注册时就会为他们创建一个新联系人记录，付款也会记录在这个联系人的捐赠记录名下，并且链接到培训活动。

“艺术行动”还启用了“以后支付”选项，因为很多参加人还没有信用卡，因此需要到现场以现金支付。CiviContribute区分实际付款和付款承诺，并将这一信息包括在打印出供活动当日对照参加人出席及付款情况之用的注册人报告中。

“告诉朋友”选项也被启用，因为根据“艺术行动”的评估，最有效的宣传方法是口耳相承和参加过活动的朋友推荐。在完成登记表之后，参加人可以很容易地通过email或社交网络平台转发给可能也愿意参加的朋友或同事。

在每次培训之后，“艺术行动”出纳会使用报告模板生成一份报告，表明三种资金来源中每一种的总收入。她也追踪捐款趋势，并确保理事会了解哪些是最大的捐赠者。

准备

本章介绍在设置和使用CiviContribute之前需要了解的信息。CiviContribute允许创建在线捐赠页面，使你的机构能够实现：

This chapter provides information that you need to know before configuring and using CiviContribute. CiviContribute allows you to create online contribution pages that enable your organisation to:

• 接受捐款或其它经济资助
  
• 处理会员注册和续订
• 运作专门的募捐活动

在慈善通中，“募捐”这个词指的是系统中的一切财务交易或是支付：捐款、活动费、会员费。 

从列出机构接受(或要接受)的捐赠类型开始，并识别出哪些是需要通过慈善通追踪的。然后考虑以下概念，并且在开始使用慈善通前，回答以下几个关键问题。 

关键概念 

数据需求和字段

CiviContribute有一些预定义的字段，用于追踪捐赠信息。若需要关心更多捐赠相关的信息，可以定义和使用自定义字段。自定义数据可以进一步对捐赠分门别类，或追踪其他信息。

通盘考虑所需要追踪的捐赠信息，包括本章下面将涉及的报告。然后仔细比较你的数据需求与慈善通预定义字段 - 一个简单的方法是查看添加新捐赠的界面。 许多有用的功能是基于核心捐赠字段的，应该尽可能地利用它们，不过你的机构也可能有特别的需要，这就需要自定义字段。

若需创建自定义字段，请阅读《理解数据》部分的《创建自定义字段》章节。

捐赠类型和记账代码

CiviContribute依照种类，将捐赠分门别类。种类好比：活动费、会员费、捐款、拨款等。

为了与你的财务软件集成，可以为每一个捐赠类型分配记账代码。将捐赠记录导出到财务软件时，也同时导出这个记账代码。

关键问题

在创建通用捐赠页面之前，先问几个问题：

• 通过这个页面进行的捐赠，用什么捐赠类型来分类？ 
  
• 是否允许人们以什么人的名义或为纪念什么人而捐赠？
• 需要从捐赠者采集哪些数据？慈善通处理捐赠，唯一必要的字段是email地址，但是通常，你还需要收集其它联系信息。这可以用慈善通预先定义的字段采集，也可以用你已经事先创建并可通过数据透视图添加的自定义字段采集。一个捐赠页面可以包含最多两个数据透视图。在创建捐赠页面前先创建数据透视图（不过也可以先完成页面，之后再返回添加数据透视图）。
• 个人是否可以以机构名义捐赠？这常用于会员注册页面（稍后再讨论）。 
  
• 是否允许认捐一定金额？认捐是对一定时间期限内捐赠一定金额的承诺 – 例如，每个月从信用卡扣款一定金额。认捐是一种供支持者提供长期资助的好办法。
• 希望捐赠者从哪些金额中选取？一些机构称之为“捐款水平”，这很重要因为它们提供了潜在的捐赠范围，以及对捐赠多少的建议。可以同时提供“其他金额”字段，以供不依照给定金额的捐赠者填写。
• 想在页面显示下列那些文字：

。       捐赠页面介绍

。       捐赠页面脚注

。       感谢词

。       自动通过email向捐赠者发送收条（可选） 

• 是否希望启用“告诉你的朋友”功能？这鼓励捐赠者将页面转发给朋友，这个方法非常有助于在他们的社交网络中传播你的募捐讯息。
• 是否向捐赠额达到某个最小金额的捐赠者赠送回馈礼物(如，T恤或手提袋)？若是，先在慈善通管理页面中设置回馈礼物。 
  

解决上述问题后，就可以创建自己的捐赠页面。 选项和设置项应与你对本节所列的问题的回答相对应。

其他考虑

会员注册/捐赠页面

CiviContribute 与慈善通的会员管理组件 CiviMember 结合得相当紧密。这意味着在线捐赠页面可允许人们按照预定义的会员级别加入你的机构。当人们这样做时，他们不仅为自己创建了会员记录，同时也创建了相应的捐赠记录。

在创建在线会员注册页面前，需要回答上节对捐赠页面所列的大多数问题。除此之外，还有如下几个其他问题：

• 此页面是仅供会员注册，还是也供人们作一般捐赠之用？会员制的机构通常只通过捐赠页面作会员注册，这意味着他们不允许多种捐赠金额，并且会员注册是必须的。 
  
• 有哪些会籍类型可供注册？有些会籍类型可能只供管理之用。 
  

如果你的机构既接受个人会员，也接受其他机构成为会员，那么就需要允许个人以机构名义加入。根据会籍的构造，你可以会需要这一点。 

广告活动募捐页面

除了帮助一般募捐和会籍收费，CiviContribute也包括一些为广告募捐活动而设计的有趣功能：

• 可以创建一个微件植入网页中，来体现活动的目标实现进程。    
  

• 个人活动页面（PCPs），允许人们为机构创建他们自己的募捐页面。例如，一个捐赠人在自己捐赠之后，还可以选择创建一个带有她自己的照片，文字和个人讯息的页面。然后将链接发送给朋友，为你的机构向他们募捐。这是一种广泛快速传播你的活动讯息的有力的方法。CiviContribute有一个部分允许管理你的机构所有的PCPs，同时也审核那些你不批准的PCPs。

• 当有人通过个人活动页面捐赠是，“软信用”就会被赋予页面的拥有者，来识别她在捐赠中所起的作用。。    
  
• 最后，你可以为创建PCPs的联系人提供“荣誉榜”，突出那些通过他们的页面所取得的捐赠。（要把名字显示在荣誉榜上，捐赠者得先作出许可）。

报告和评价

报告可以支持定向募捐，显示可以如何改进募捐过程，并协助衡量机构的财政健康状况。

考虑哪些会是有用的报告，这是在设置慈善通之前规划的一部分。CiviCRM 带有一些报告模板，用来提供关于捐赠人和募捐活动的信息。辨别报告需要的数据，这有助于决定你需要收集那些数据，以及是否需要为他们新建自定义字段。

24. PAYMENT PROCESSORS

Using CiviCRM you can accept online card and PayPal payments for events and contributions. There is a wide and growing range of processors available but only a handful are actually distributed with CiviCRM. Check on the wiki at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviContribute+Payment+Processor+Configuration or the extensions directory http://directory.civicrm.org/ to see whether the processor you need is available. There is also a forum board with information on community contributed processors at http://forum.civicrm.org/index.php?board=38.0. For many countries there aren't payment processors written that support their currencies while for others there is a choice. Paypal is the most widely available option. If you need to get integration with a particular payment processor, you might ask about this on the forums or approach one of the companies on the professional services page.

Set up 

You can configure one or more Payment Processors for your CiviCRM installation. You will then need to assign an active Payment Processor to each Online Contribution Page and each paid Event. If no Payment Processors have been configured for your site, go to the New Payment Processor form Administer -> Configure -> Global Settings -> Payment Processors. On the Payment Processor form:

 

Choose Payment Processor Type  from the drop-down list 

Assign a descriptive Name to this processor configuration and an optional description. This is particularly important if you are configuring multiple merchant accounts for different chapters or sub-organizations within your site.

Make the processor active so it's available to events and contribution pages.

Finally fill in the details of you test and live accounts so you can use it in both test and live environments.  You will of course need to do some further set up on the actual payment gateway but that is beyond the scop of this book and should be documented by your gateway.

Once you've done all that, the processor will be available in your paid events and contribution pages. 

认捐

在您的在线CiviContribute捐赠的表格中可以允许会员为未来的项目进行认捐。各样，捐助者可以灵活地选择捐款的频率。例如，每年两次，每月两次捐五个月，等等。一些付款处理器不接受这种自动捐助的方式，因而可以以支票，电子支付或其他任何您允许的方式进行。然而，您可以利用事件或电子邮件等方式将认捐的收入记录下来，并可设置自动提醒，提醒认捐者的承诺。

在捐款页面设置认捐很简单， 在过程中的第二屏的选项“数目”上， 选择认捐。等多选项将显现如下：

Select the frequency and reminder options and  allow other amounts if applicable, and the pledge option will appear on the contribution page as below. 

 

Once you've started collecting pledges, you'll want to check on these through the Pledge home page. This is reached through the Contributions menu: Contributions -> Pledges -> Dashboard. and displays a summary of all pledges along with a list of individual pledges.

Then when you collect the payment for these pledges, you will need to visit the contribution page for the contact and click on the link at the top of the page entitled Click here to enter a pledge payment.  

Set-up

本章介绍如何设置慈善通的CiviContribute及相关组件，来服务于募捐活动。

本章假定你已经对自定义字段、联系人匹配规则、慈善通数据透视图、还有CiviMember和CiviMail组件等有了足够的理解。本章还假定你已经设置了支付过程，并在追踪捐赠的过程中创建了所有需要的自定义字段

一般配置

在设置多种捐赠管理方法之前，你可能需要配置以下字段。

捐赠类型和记账代码

若需要添加捐赠类型或记账代码，先做以下操作。

1. 进入 管理 > CiviContribute > 捐赠类型，可以编辑现有的捐赠类型，也可以点击“添加捐赠类型”来创建新的捐赠类型。 
2. 完成编辑或添加捐赠类型，就可以定义与你的财务系统对应的记账代码（导出捐赠数据时，记账代码将随之导出），并指明这种类型的捐赠是否可免税。 

在编辑核心捐赠类型或添加新类型时请特别小心，因为慈善通有一些有用的内置功能是依赖于核心捐赠类型的。 

回馈

设置你想在“在线捐赠页面”提供的回馈礼物，如T恤衫或订阅：

1. 进入 管理 > CiviContribute > 回馈（致谢礼品）. 
2. 可以编辑现有的回馈，或点击“增加回馈”来新增一个。
3. 编辑和增加回馈时，可以同时输入其他信息，如：名字，描述，产品编号（SKU，可选），回馈礼品图片（可选），回馈所需的最小捐赠金额，回馈礼品市值，实际成本，以及自由选项（如颜色，尺寸等）。 
4. 如果回馈的是订阅或服务，你还可以点击“订阅或服务设置”来定义附加信息，如周期类型（如固定或滚动），固定周期开始日，期间长，以及频度。 

接受信用卡

进入管理 > CiviContribute > 可接受的信用卡，编辑现有的可接受信用卡，或通过“新增信用卡”定义新的选择。  

付款方法

进入 管理 > CiviContribute > 支付方式，编辑现有的可用用于捐赠的选项，或通过“增加付款方式”新增选项。常见的选项 – 信用卡，现金，支票，借记卡，和电汇 – 已默认存在于系统中。 

创建在线捐赠页面   

创建一个在线捐赠页面： 

1. 前往 CiviContribute > 管理捐赠页面，点击创建捐赠页面。
2. 数据页面标题，选择捐赠类型（捐款，活动捐赠，等），目标金额，介绍性信息，以及其他相关信息，如日期。完成设置向导后，以后也随时可以返回修改。点击继续。
   
3. “执行实时货币交易”框是默认选定的，以启用捐款。只有将此页面用于非货币捐赠，才可以将此框去除选择。
4. 选择货币和支付处理器（事先设置好）。
5. 选择“捐赠金额已启用”，以显示多个指定的金额。若是比如，将此页用于金额确定的会员注册，只显示固定金额而不允许用户自己输入金额时，则不选此项。 
6. 选择“以后付款”框，若要允许用户选择线外支付（如，邮寄支票，电话提供信用卡，等）。
7. 选择预定义的定价，或输入表中最多10个固定的金额。
8. 选择“认捐”框，允许用户承诺以后支付。
9. 选择“允许其他金额”，允许用户支付其选择的其他金额。
10. 点击“保存并完成”。
    

插入数据透视图

如要从捐赠人收集捐赠所需以外的信息，如，是否可当志愿者及技能，你可以在捐赠页面的开头或结尾处插入现有的慈善通数据透视图。也可以创建其专用的数据透视图。

捐赠页面中的数据透视图只可以包括属于以下记录的字段：

• 联系人记录
• 个人记录
• 捐赠记录

如要添加与任何其他记录类型相关联的字段，可能在预览捐赠页面时得到错误信息。

1. 进入“管理捐赠页面”，然后对需要设置的页面，点击 设置 > 插入数据透视图。 
   
2. 从下拉菜单中选择要插入到捐赠页面的顶部（紧接在介绍信息之后）和/或底部的慈善通数据透视图。
3. 如要建立新页面，点击 <<前一个 来保存和返回前一步， 继续>> 继续前进，或 取消 来退出设置向导。否则，只要点击 保存。

感谢信和收条

创建捐赠页面后，可以自定义email向捐赠人发送感谢信和收条。

1. 进入 管理 > CiviContribute > 管理捐赠页面。
2. 使用位于捐赠页面右侧的 设置 链接，进入和编辑页面。
3. 点击 感谢和收条 并输入需要出现在感谢信中的信息。捐赠人通常期望在交易结束后就收到收条，所以最好启用自动email收条。
4. 点击 保存并完成。

 

发布捐赠页面

现在捐赠页面已经创建完毕，可以带领人们来捐赠了。或许你想用一个捐款按钮或菜单项，在自己的网站提供显著的链接，通向捐赠页面。关于在不同的慈善通设置下推广捐赠页面，这里有一些小提示： 

Joomla!中的菜单项

在网站上展示捐赠页面或会员注册/续订页面，最直接的方法是创建菜单项。

1. 进入菜单，创建一个新的慈善通条目。 
2. 从菜单选项中，选择“捐赠”。
3. 在基本参数设置区，从下拉菜单选择需要展示的捐赠页面。 
4. 保存菜单项，查看网页，确认其功能。

Drupal中的菜单项

从捐赠页面清单，选择“即时页面”，查看完成的页面。你可以复制URL，并将其包括在其他页面内容中，或是赋予一个菜单项。

"漂亮的" URLs 

给当前会员发送email是活动宣传的另一种重要方法。慈善通的CiviMail组件允许你向数据库中的任何联系人组发送邮件。在CiviMail讯息中，可以包括指向捐赠月面的链接，并可使用CiviMail的追踪功能来了解有多少人点击了链接。 

一个经过了时间考验的增加捐赠的方法是，给每个目标委托人发送一个个性化地电子邮件，其中包括指向捐赠表单的链接，并已在捐赠表单中填好了他们各自的联系信息。这将节省他们的填表时间，提高捐赠的可能性。使用CiviMail，可以在含有一个校验和占位符的CiviMail主体中创建一个特殊链接，来实现这个功能。校验和是一个唯一的伪随机数，被赋予每个邮件接收人，并回指到数据库中他们各自的联系人信息。

当人们点击这个特别链接时，慈善通在数据库中查找，并预先在捐赠表单中填好他们的联系人记录所储存的字段（核心字段，或是数据透视图显示的字段）。关于如何实现这些，以及链接路径，请查阅：http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Mail-merge+Tokens+for+Contact+Data

自动捐赠记录

无论捐赠者是如何接入你的捐赠页面，慈善通自动记录他们的捐赠金额，这样就把机构工作人员从手动数据录入中解脱出来。如果捐赠者已经存在于数据库中，慈善通还将捐赠金额加入到他们现有的捐赠记录中。如果捐赠人尚未存在，慈善通就为他们创建新记录。

若是捐赠人有多个email地址，或多个人合用同一个email地址，一个人的捐赠就可能被记录到其他人名下。为了减少这种情况，可以调整慈善通的默认重复记录匹配规则。关于如何实现，请见本书《基本概念》部分的《合并及去冗余》章节。

线外捐赠   

机构有许多线外机会可以募集资金。你可以在组织活动时募集资金，也可以通过邮政信件募捐。要通过这样的线外活动募捐，机构工作人员需要手动地输入募捐结果，以确保最终报告的准确。

线外募捐有三个步骤：创建名单，创建信件，以及手工输入捐赠结果。

创建名单

如果你已经熟悉了慈善通的搜索功能，那么这个过程就相当直接。

1. 创建一个要接收邮政信件或呼吁信的名单（如果你愿意，就算是整个数据库中的记录都可以）。
2. 如果需要追踪信件是否成功发送，或者需要追踪谁收到了呼吁信，那么建议你讲搜索结果保存为群组。使用选项框来选择全部，或从“- 操作 -”下拉菜单选择适当的选择项。以后，可以使用“- 操作 -”菜单中的“记录联系人活动”选项来将群组中每个联系人标记为接收人。 
3. 通过选项框选择全部记录，或是某个子集，从“- 操作 -”下拉菜单选择“导出”，点击“继续”。
4. 选择是否“导出主要字段”或是“选择要导出的字段”。如果选择导出主要字段，CSV文件将在点击“继续”时立即生成。如果选择了“选择要导出的字段”，点击“继续”，将会出现一系列的下拉选择项。
5. 选择需要的字段；若希望将输出字段列表保存到导出影响以供日后再用，选择“保存此字段映像”框。 
6. 点击“导出”，生成CSV文件。
7. 结束后，点击“完成”返回联系人列表。

创建你的邮件

创建数据表格之后，就可以使用任何常用的文字处理软件（如，OpenOffice，一个免费的文字处理软件）作邮件合并，从而将想要的字段插入信中。 

慈善通也可以创建邮政标签。运用上节所述的搜索，创建你的收件人列表，然后：

1. 从 "- 操作 -" 下拉菜单中，选择 邮政标签。 
2. 选择邮政标签数，决定你是否想要排除那些在隐私选项中注明了“请勿发送邮件”的联系人（默认并建议排除他们），以及是否要将相同地址的联系人合并到同一个标签上。后一个选择在给家庭或机构发信件，而不希望他们收到重复邮件时特别有用。当记录合并后，相同地址的每个姓名单独占据一行。
3. 点击“制作邮政标签”，就会生成一个PDF文档，以供打印。

需要注意的是，美国的许多非营利性机构为了以批量方式发送邮政信件，需要将收件人按照邮政编码排序。如果你的机构也是如此，那么最好不要在慈善通中创建邮政标签，而是使用文字处理合并功能，并入能够对记录排序的文字处理软件。你可以将上一节中导出的数据表格再用于合并邮件。

日常工作

本章介绍如何完成一些常见的CiviContribute任务。

查看CiviContribute面板

CiviContribute主页或面板总结了已作的捐赠，包括当月截至当日，当年截至当日，以及自机构成立以来的累计捐赠列表。这样就可以很容易地浏览已自动记录的或手动添加的捐赠。面板还提供按钮用于管理和添加捐赠页面。

捐赠总结可以不同的布局方式查看。 下面的截屏用“表格布局”标签列出一个活动最近收到的捐赠：

  

你还可以点击“图表布局”标签，查看条形图或饼状图，在某年的月份之间和在不同年份之间对捐赠总额作比较。

 

手动添加捐赠

当机构收到一个联系人的捐赠，你可以将它添加到联系人的记录。通过慈善通而作的付款（如，在线注册时所付的会员费或活动费）可以自动记录，而线下付款则需要手工记录以确保慈善通生成的报告准确。

如果捐赠人尚未存在于数据库中，你需要首先创建为其创建一个联系人记录；更多操作方法，请查看本书《基本概念》部分的《联系人》章节。记录创建完毕，就可以输入捐赠。

向收据库中手工输入某个联系人的一笔捐赠：

1. 使用一种联系人搜索工具，查找联系人记录。如，搜索 > 查找联系人。 
   
2. 选择联系人的捐赠标签页。
3. 点击“记录捐赠（支票、现金、电汇……）”。或者，如果你已经设立了支付管理器，允许直接在你的站点上处理信用卡交易，也可以选择“提交信用卡捐赠”选项，立即处理支付。
4. 完成新捐赠表单。下面的截屏显示线下捐赠表单（即，通过支票、现金、电汇等所做的捐赠）。若选择了记录信用卡捐赠，除了与支付相关的字段以外，信用卡表单也与此相同。
   
   
5. 记录捐赠类型，金额，接受日期（默认为当日），收据日期（由系统生成显示在收据上），以及状态（默认为“完成“）。所有为捐赠创建的自定义字段也将出现在表单中。
6. “软信用赋予”字段用于借助于联系人进行募捐活动的个人宣传页面（PCPs）。当你为捐赠人向捐赠表单中手动录入一笔捐赠时，可以将软信用分配给PCP所有者。关于PCP和活动募捐页面，在CiviContribute部分的“设置”章节有更多介绍。
7. 页面底部的“其他信息”提供包括添加关于捐赠的备注和输入感谢信发出日期在内的其他选项。
8. 最后两个部分则供输入是否捐赠是以其他人的名义（实际出资人信息）以及是否有与这笔捐赠相关的回馈礼物（回馈信息）。
9. 点击保存，或保存并新建如果还需要输入更多捐赠。

查找捐赠

要查看“查找捐赠”界面：捐赠> 查找捐赠。 

可以按照数个条件搜索，如日期范围，金额，捐赠状态等。搜索返回的捐赠必须符合所有指定条件，所以指定的条件越多，搜索越狭窄。例如，搜索类型为“捐款”，日期范围“1月1日至5月31日”的捐赠，将返回同时符合两个条件的捐赠记录。

搜索结果界面除了显示搜索到的捐赠记录子集之外，还显示搜索到的总金额，捐赠次数，以及平均捐赠额：

 

在指定是使用全部搜索到的记录还是只用选定的子集后，还可以在“-操作-”菜单下选择要作的操作。通过“操作”菜单可以实现：

• 通过数据透视图批量更新捐赠：例如，这在更新大量的捐赠感谢日期时就很有用。在执行搜索和批量更新之前，得先创建所需的数据透视图（更多关于数据透视图的信息，请见“设置”部分的“数据透视图”章）。

• 删除捐赠：这个操作将捐赠从系统中完全地移除，如同它们从未被录入过。编辑捐赠并更新状态为取消，通常是更好的选择，但仍有一些希望完全删除的情况，如，录入了错误联系人记录的捐赠。

• 导出捐赠：因为这个搜索是以围绕捐赠的，它并不识别是否捐赠来自同一个联系人。因此，如果一个联系人有多个捐赠符合条件，这个联系人将在导出时处于多个数据行。若希望搜索对每个联系人只返回一条记录，请使用联系人高级搜索。 
  

• 打印或用email发送捐赠收据：这允许你创建包含所有搜索到的收据的PDF文件，或用email将收据发送给相关的捐赠人。 
  

• 向联系人发送email：向全部或搜索到的联系人发送email。 
  

• 更新等待捐赠状态：更新全部或指定的作在线捐赠的联系人的捐赠状态。这个操作只针对在线捐赠，并且对所有选定更新的捐赠，将赋予同样的捐赠状态。  

未成功捐赠

[内容待续] 

删除或取消捐赠

[内容待续] 

Reports and analysis

There are a number of techniques for reporting on and analysing contributions.  The contribution dashboard gives a quick overview of your current contributions, with breakdowns for months and years, which you can view as a chart or table.

That's a good start but there are a couple of ways that you can create more detailed and customised analysis using CiviCRM's search features and CiviReport.

Contribution reports

Out of the box, CiviCRM comes with eleven contribution reports designed to help you analyse your contributions.

A contribution summary report allows you group contributions by different criteria including including the contact that made the contribution, time period, type, location and view summary statistics for these contributions.  The accompanying contribution detail report is automatically called when clicking on any rows from the summary report.  It can also be called on its own to provide a detailed report for a specific subset of contributions.  These two reports can be useful for analyses such as what percentage of our income is coming from different fundraising campaigns, or from events vs. memberships, etc.

The repeat contribution report compares the total amount of contributions that contacts have made in two different time periods.  As well as the totals, it shows the percentage increase/decrease.  This report is useful for tracking contacts who have stepped up their giving, or who giving less than before. SYBUNT AND LYBUNT are two strangely named but useful reports that allow you to find donors that gave in 'some years / last year but not this year'.

Two reports, the contribution by household and contribution by organisation allow you to agregate contributions by household or organisation.  This is useful for organisations that make use of these two concepts.  For example, you can see all contributions that have been made by employees of one organisation and thank them as a whole, or see the contributions made by a particularly active family.  These reports will also include any donations that are attached to the organisation or household record, for example a donation made by the organisation after an collective office fundraising event.

The top donors report provides a list of the top donors during a time period you define. You can include as many donors as you want (for example, top 100 of your donors).

The personal campaign pages report is useful to get an overview of the status of all personal campaign pages.  You can filter by contribution page to see personal campaign pages for a single campaign and other appropriate criteria.

The soft credit report is useful for looking at all your soft credits and seeing who are at least partially responsible for other people's donations.

Pledge reports

CiviCRM comes with two pledge reports that are useful when analysing pledges.  The Pledge report and Pledge summary report work in much the same way as the contribution detail and summary reports.  An additional Pledged but not paid report pledges which are not completed and have a due date in the past.

Searching based on contribution data

CiviCRM makes an important distinction between contributions and the people that made the contributions.  It is important to appreciate the difference between the two when you are searching contributions.  For example, if you want to send a gift to all people that made a contribution in the last year, what would be more appropriate? Contacts or contributions?  The answer depends on whether you want to send two gifts to people that made two contributions and there is of course no right or wrong answer - it just depends on your approach.  It is important to think about this each time to do a search.

The Find contributions search allows you to search based on contribution data and return contribution records.  The Advanced search allows you to search based on some limited contribution data (and combine that with other contact information) and return contacts.  You can also choose contribution from the Display Results As column to show contributions rather than contacts.

Searching based on criteria gives you access to simple totals and also the option to export as CSV for further analysis.

More analysis

If you can't do what you want with a built in report or search, consider commissioning a new report or custom search. Read the CiviReport section for more information.

EVENTS

什么是CiviEvent？

CiviEvent 为组织活动和尽可能缩减其中的管理工作提供一系列工具。在慈善通中，活动是指在某个时间发生的，具有注册登记过程，以及有参加人的事件。

CiviEvent通过以下服务帮助你组织和举办活动： 

• facilitating self-registration for participants, including online credit card payments
• 为与会者自助登记提供便利，这包括在线信用卡支付
• 允许你跟踪活动的签约，取消和出席
• 为在线推广你的活动提供方便
• 可以获取现场数据
• 通过活动模板，简化类似或重复性活动的设置过程

CiviEvent是与慈善通的其他组件相集成的。例如，CiviMail使你得以对目标人群列表推广活动， 并在活动之前和活动后通过email与出席者交流（更多信息请查看CiviMail部分的“设置”章节）；为了在线收取活动费，你必须设置支付处理器和CiviContribute组件。

场景：青年领导力培训 

一个社区艺术团体，行动中的艺术，一年到头都对25岁以下的青年举办领导力培训。他们的目的是吸引新的年轻人来参加，并招募参加过的人来作志愿者和授课。来自当地学校和戏剧组织的年轻人被邀请参加，并且，除了其他给培训授课的人之外，也有青年人去发言和充当志愿者。

“行动中的艺术”负责对外交流的工作人员使用CiviEvent来有效地管理每一次活动，从开始计划，到最终的评估。首先，创建一个带有在线登记表的活动页面。因为这是一个定期活动，早就已经有工作人员创建好了活动模板，其中预置了许多接下来每一次活动都要用到的表单。登记会收取登记费，另外还有参加者可选的培训讲座的费用，并可以在线支付。登记表使用一个数据透视图来收集参加人对食物和住宿的偏好。

 活动目标青年人群被从现有的联系人中找出，然后工作人员使用CiviMail对他们发送个性化的邀请（也是基于模板，这样一次活动之后信息还可以用于下一次）。邀请信包括一个指向活动页面的直接链接，这样只要点击一下就可以进入在线登记。活动讯息还通过网页公布。并且，启用“告诉一个朋友”功能，这样信息就可以很方便地通过人们的社交网络传播。

一名工作人员会被指定来管理这个参会者自助登记的过程，周期性地作检查以确定支付完成，当活动登记人数超过最大允许人数时管理等待名单，并就任何查询作出答复。

在活动当日，组织者为每位出席者现场签到，以跟踪了解谁实际上出席了活动，以及是否有缺席的。数据库可以立即更新，尽快地接纳等待名单上的人，然后帮助判断谁已完成付款，而谁还欠费，以及最后的财务状况如何。

在每次培训之后，“行动中的艺术”工作人员会对这次活动是否成功做出评价，并使用CiviEvent很快地生成报告，以说明出席者人数，总共支付活动费，以及未付款总额。如果需要，活动和邮件模板将被更新并保存，以便下一次活动再用。

What You Need to Know

Before you use CiviEvent to support your event management, we recommend you read this chapter to understand the concepts and address key questions. 

Take time to assess the kind of information you need to run your events effectively, as well as what information would be useful to collect during events and from event participants. Many organisations run recurring events that are very similar, in which case templates can make event set-up processes easier.

Below are the key concepts that you need to understand, followed by a list of concrete questions that will help you to use CiviEvent effectively. You'll also find mentions of other CiviCRM components that are needed to use CiviEvent. At the end of this chapter, Other Considerations gives suggestions for promoting, managing, and following up after your event. 

Key Concepts

Review the following concepts before you begin to set up your event. You will put these concepts into practical use when following the step-by-step tasks in the next chapters of this section.

Event Type

CiviCRM allows you to define different types of events, such as conference, meeting or fundraiser. Event types are useful when searching through event participants or generating an event listing feed. For example, Arts in Action may find it useful to search for everyone who has attended a youth leadership workshop, or generate a list of meetings for volunteers.

You can create custom fields to store and display additional data about an event by its event type. See the chapter Creating Custom Fields in the section Your Data and CiviCRM for more information about this.

Participant Roles and Statuses

Every individual is assigned a participant role, such as attendee, volunteer or speaker, at the time of registration. This field allows you to segment participants into meaningful categories based on their involvement in the event. You can also collect certain information, for example relevant only to volunteers.

Participant status tracks individuals' registration before, during and after the event. This allows you to identify pending or canceled registrations, people on a waiting list, no-shows, confirmed attendance or any other status that you choose to define. 

Custom data and Profiles

CiviCRM provides ample flexibility for you to collect exactly the information you want from participants during the event management process. This is done using custom fields.

Participants must provide at least an email address when registering online, but many organisations find it useful to collect additional information at the same time. This might include first and last name, as well as event-specific information such as meal preference. For example, Arts in Action asks participants to select which workshops they want to register for.

You must create a profile to collect this additional information. Creating a profile groups these fields together and associates them with the event to collect this information. You may also define your own custom fields and associate them with certain event types or participant roles. You'll be able to view participant custom data fields automatically when you access the information through CiviEvent. You can also let participants fill them out in the online event registration via profiles. See the chapter Creating Custom Fields in the section Your Data and CiviCRM for more information about this.

Payments

Event fees provide a set of options from which the registrant must select a single option. This approach works well for many events and is easy to set up. Price sets allow you to break event fees into smaller pieces, and set a fee for each piece. Using a price set you can offer optional programmes and features (e.g. an optional post-conference dinner or a book) at extra cost. CiviEvent also lets you offer discounts for paid events either with a discount code or by early sign-up date. Examples and steps are described in the Set-up chapter of this section.

Fees coming in via events are tracked as contributions using CiviContribute. You will need to decide what type of contributions your event fees are.  

If you plan to accept credit card payments through the online registration form, you need to configure a payment processor prior to creating your event.

Key Questions

Thinking about the structure of your event and how you want a person to experience the event registration will help to inform the level of additional configuration you need and how to set up the event. Here are some important questions to consider with regard to the key concepts of CiviEvent discussed above. 

• What type of event is this, and what different types of events does your organisation hold?
• What different roles will participants have at the event? 
• What specific information you want to collect about participants, e.g., food and lodging preferences?
• What kind of information will you need to gather from event participants?
• Will this be a paid event? 
• If it's a paid event, what type of contribution do you consider this event fee? 
• What kind of fee structure will you need to hold your event?
• Will you charge multiple fees, such as fees for additional sessions or meals? 
• Will you offer discounts or early registration?
• Will you allow online registrations to the event?
• Is there a limit on the number of participants that can attend?
• Do you want to approve registration, or leave it open to anyone?
• Will there be a waitlist if the maximum number of registrations is exceeded?
• Should one person to be able to register multiple people?
• Do you want to give registrants confirmation of registering?
• Do you want to make the listing of the participants public? 
• Is this an event that repeats regularly with roughly the same details?

Other Considerations

You may wish to consider some of the following depending on your needs.

Promoting the Event

Think about the best ways target participants could get information about your event and which tools can help you promote it:

• What strategy will you use to promote your event, and through what channels?

• Will you be posting your event on your website and allow people to register online?
• Is email a good way to reach your constituents to market the event? 
• Is your event "by invitation only"? Who are you are inviting?
• Have you planned a schedule to announce your event from the initial invitation to sending out event reminders?  

Managing the Event

The event management tasks vary depending on the type of event you're planning and the venue, and CiviCRM supports these tasks through many event and communication tools, along with its searching and reporting features.

Consider how staff and those managing the event will keep track of participant registration and participants' needs. Read about how to do this using the event dashboard in Everyday Tasks.

Following up after the Event

Updating the status of each participant during the event or soon after will help to ensure that you have the most accurate information to evaluate your event.

It is good practice to send an email after the event to all the participants to thank them and provide links to any documentation you have online. You might want to use this opportunity to promote a new event, suggest that attendees join your organisation as a member, or solicit donations for a specific campaign.

Set-up

This chapter assumes that you've gone through the event planning chapter and sketched out the type of events you need to configure, along with the event-related data you want to collect and track. Now it's time to set up CiviEvent and start creating events.

If you do not see the Events menu item in your navigation menu bar and you don't see CiviEvent under the Administer menu, you may not have the component enabled. Navigate to Administer > Configure > Global Settings > Enable Components to enable CiviEvent.

General CiviEvent Configuration

A number of general settings lay the foundations for your events such as Event Type, Participant Role, and Participant Status. These have been described in the Planning chapter, and you should modify them as appropriate before you begin creating events.

Event Types

Here is where you define the types of events your organisation holds. You can return at any time to add to the list of types or modify an event type label. However, you can not delete event types which have been assigned to one or more events. 

• Navigate to Administer > CiviEvent > Event Types to review the default list of event types, shown in the following screenshot.
  
• Modify event type labels by clicking Edit on any row.
  
• Click Add Event Type to create a new category for your events.
  

Participant Roles

• Navigate to Administer > CiviEvent > Participant Roles to review the default list, shown in the following screenshot.
  
• Modify participant role labels by clicking Edit on any row.
  
• Click Add Participant Role if you need additional roles that are not in the default list (e.g. audio-visual coordinator, catering manager, etc.).

Participant Statuses

Navigate to Administer > CiviEvent > Participant Statuses to review the default list, shown in the following screenshot. Some statuses in the list are marked Reserved (with a green checkmark). This means that they are required for event workflows and can not be deleted or disabled. However you can change the label, which is what users see when they select from a list of statuses.

There are five statuses that are disabled by default (displayed in red). These statuses are used for optional event registration features, including paid online event registration and the participant waitlist. These statuses must be enabled if you want to use those features.

You can rename statuses to friendly names such as "Yes, I'm coming", "No, I can't make it", and "Maybe" by editing participant statuses as shown above. Then for each of those statuses, determine which ones are for administrative use only or for public use and select Admin or Public accordingly. This allows you to expose the participant status field via a profile on your registration form, displaying only those with public visibility. For example, you may want to display "Yes, I'm coming" but not "Pending from pay later". 

If you want to use the Waitlist feature for any of your events, you must enable the "On waitlist" and "Pending from waitlist" statuses here.

Enable "Awaiting approval", "Pending" and "Rejected" statuses here if you want to use this feature for any of your events. 

Custom Data

To collect custom data from participants, add new custom fields through Administer > Customize > Custom Data. Give a name to the set of custom fields, such as Participant Info, by clicking Add a set of custom fields.  

You must then choose what the set of custom fields is to be used for. For example, a set of fields might be used for events, participants, participants at certain events, or participants who take on certain roles (such as speakers).  Here's additional explanation of what custom fields might be used for in CiviEvent:

• Events (Event Type): This type applies to fields that are connected to the event itself, or to a specific event type. For example, Arts in Action from the scenario in What is CiviEvent? hosts a series of training workshops throughout the year and wants to create a custom field to track six common topics covered in workshops. You could create a checkbox style field with the list of topic options, such as XXXX. When creating an event of type Workshop, this field will be available. Note that you are not required to select a specific event type. Leaving the dropdown set to Any indicates the field is available to all events, regardless of the type.
• Participants: The Participant use type attaches to the actual registrant record. For example, you may want to know whether a registrant has any dietary restrictions and collect that information when they register.
• Participants (Event Name): This use type is identical to the Participants type, with the exception that it allows you to assign a group of custom fields to a specific event. Returning to the previous example, you may find that the dietary restrictions field is relevant only to an upcoming full-day workshop where lunch will be served, but not to an afternoon workshop series you are planning for the coming month. You could create the field set and assign it to a single event.
  
• Participants (Role): Additionally, you may create a participants type field and assign it to a single participant role. This is valuable, for example, if you need to collect biographical profile details from your speakers and wish to record it with their event registration. Because that field is applicable to only the Speakers role, you would limit it using this interface.
  

After creating your set of custom fields, add the actual fields within each set, such as Lodging Preferences (Single or Shared Room) or Dietary Needs (Vegetarian, Vegan, Allergies). Refer to Custom Data in Understanding Your Data before creating your actual fields.

Using Profiles for online event registration

Navigate to Administer > Customize > Profile to set up and edit profiles. The following screenshot offers a typical example of a Profile used for a conference where there is an option to provide childcare. Notice that this profile contains fields belonging to Individuals and Participants.

If you are not familiar with setting up Profiles, refer to the Profiles chapter the section on Understanding Your Data.

Paid Events

You will assign a contribution type to funds that comes in through events. This makes it possible to track fees that come in via events separately from funds that come in otherwise, or even distinguish between fees that come in for different event types.  

Registration confirmation and receipting

You can send automated confirmation and receipt emails to participants who register online, as well as participants who are registered by your staff or volunteers. The content and layout of these emails are controlled by message templates. Both HTML and Text formats are provided. You can modify or add text to these emails, or add branding such as a logo to the HTML versions. To set up a from email address from which to send the confirmation and receipts, see Set-Up in the Email section.

Navigate to Administer > Configure > Message Templates (shown in the following screenshot) and click the System Workflow Message tab to see the list of messages you can modify. Click Edit next to "Events - Registration Confirmation and Receipt" rows to edit the content and layout.

 

The templates for these messages include both the text shown and necessary program logic. Use caution when editing so as not to modify the program logic. Be sure to test the workflow and review the emails sent after making any changes. If you find that your changes have caused problems, errors or missing information, you can always revert to the system default for that workflow. 

Creating an event

You're ready now to create an event. The rest of this chapter guides you through the sequence of screens which allow you to control each aspect of the event. As we walk through each step, the options and their effects on the resulting registration form are illustrated by screenshots and examples.

It's a good idea to go through each screen in detail as you learn about available options. Later in this chapter we'll explain how you can streamline the event creation process by creating event templates. These allow you to pre-fill most options.

Begin by navigating to Events > New Event. 

Event Information and Settings

The first page in the event wizard requests basic information about the event:

• What type of event is it (e.g. conference, workshop, etc.)?
• What role will participants be assigned when they register online for this event? Roles distinguish different types of event participants, such as attendees, speakers and staff. The value placed in this field will be assigned by default when users register online. The most common value is Attendee.
• Do you want users to see a list of participants, and how much information about the participants do you want to reveal? Participant listings demonstrate support for an event and can help to generate interest within your constituent community. Note that the options you define in this section only enable participant listings — to display it, you will need to create a menu item or link to the listing somewhere on your web site. Once you've created the event, the participant listings link is displayed on the event configuration page. Refer to the chapter on Everyday Tasks for information on participant listings and other ways to promote your events.
  

• What is your event called? The title will appear on event information pages, registration pages, event listings, and in the Manage Events administrative page. Be sure to choose a meaningful, well-crafted title to represent your event.

 

• The next two fields (event summary and complete description) let you describe your event. Both the summary and complete description will be included on event information pages. Use the rich-text editor provided for the description field to include photo, images, and formatted text.
  
• Enter the start date/time and end date/time for your event. These will be included on the event information page and event listings.
• Set a maximum number of participants for each event and define a message to be displayed when that number is reached. This is important, because online registration otherwise lets people sign up without giving your staff a chance to intervene and shut off registrations. 
• If you'd like to enable the Waitlist feature, you must first enable the related participant statuses. You can then check "Offer Waitlist" and set the message you want displayed on the event information page when the event is full.
  
• GPS and web-based mapping tools: CiviCRM integrates this functionality by letting you include Google Maps or Yahoo! maps throughout your site. You will first need to configure your mapping solution through Administer > Configure > Global Settings > Mapping, then enable a map link which will generate the location based on the event location.
  
• Select the "Public Event" box to include the event in promotional listings such as RSS feeds, iCal files or feeds, and event listing pages. (Other techniques for promoting events are described in the Everyday Tasks chapter of this section).
  
• Lastly, you have the option of making this event active or inactive. If you anticipate that it will take some time to complete the configuration of your event, consider making it inactive it until it is complete to ensure it is not inadvertently listed on the event listing feeds. You can easily activate the event when you are ready to begin publicizing it. 

After reviewing the details on this page, click Save to advance to the next step. When you press Save, your event is created. You can interrupt configuration on any subsequent page by clicking Cancel and return later to review and modify any of the settings. Any information you entered on any page will be preserved so long as you press Save on that page.

To return to a saved event, navigate to Events > Manage Events and click Configure to continue working on the event. 

Event Location

The next step is to complete the location and contact details for the event. Though optional, it is highly recommended that you take the time to provide these details to your potential participants. If you have enabled a map link in the previous step, make sure that you fully complete the address details on this page (see screenshot).

Once you have entered an event location, you can reuse it for subsequent events by clicking Use existing location and selecting from the dropdown list. 

You can also list phone numbers and email addresses on the event information page if you want to give registrants a way to contact event organizers directly. If the event is being held off-site from your organization's primary location, you may also want to provide contact information for the meeting location.

Click Save to save your entries and advance to the next step.

Event Fees

If the event is free, set the Paid Event radio button to No, then click Save and skip to Online Registration.

If this is a paid event, click Yes. The screen will show the options available (see the following set of screenshots).

Questions you are asked on this screen are:

• What contribution type will be assigned to paid registrations for this event? Although the most common value for this field is simply Event Fee, CiviCRM provides the flexibility to define multiple contribution types and assign them to different events as needed. See Set-Up in the Contributions section for details.
• Do you want to allow registrants to pay later by mailing in a check, paying on-site with cash or credit card, or arranging some other payment method? If so, you can enable the Pay Later option and define a label and payment instructions. If you keep this unchecked, registrants will be required to pay by credit card.

• Can you use Regular Fees for this event, or do you need to use a Price Set? Regular fees are easy to set up: each fee amount has a label assigned and you can set a default fee. Here's a simple example:

 

• Price sets - examples and steps for creating price sets are covered later in this section. 
• You can also configure early bird discounts (discounts determined by sign-up date). These override regular event fees. This discounting method is available only for the regular fee structure. Implementing other discounting rules or discounts for price sets requires additional programming. You or your developer should refer to the section on extending CiviCRM for more information.

• Discounts are structured in parallel with the base event fees. After creating your list of fee options and enabling the discounts feature, you must create the discount set and add it to the fee table. To help you create a discount set, a new fee table will appear toward the bottom of your page, duplicating the original fee table shown in the previous screenshot. You can now edit the labels and fees to correspond to the discounts offered for each of the original fee options. 
• You can create multiple date-based discount sets for  an event. This may be useful if you have a series of early bird dates that progressively increase the cost of registration as the date of the event gets closer.

Click Save and advance to the next step.

Online Registration

Your organisation may want its staff to register participants manually. However, allowing people to register online (self-service) through your web site offers many benefits. Online registration is convenient for your constituents and can save staff time and resources.

To offer online registration, check Allow Online Registration and use the options on this form to configure this feature.

• Define the text to be used as the link to the registration form, and set the starting and ending dates for registration. The link text is used in the event information page, and is most commonly "Register Now" or similar. The start and end dates define when web site visitors may register for the event. The registration end date may be different from the start date of the event, as you may want to close registration in advance of the event in order to prepare name tags or perform other administrative functions.

• Enabling "Register multiple participants" lets individuals register as many people as they choose for the event and pay the fees with a single transaction. For example, an organisation may be sending multiple people to a conference, or an individual may bring their partner and wish to register and pay for both in a single process. By default, this option requires a different name and email address for each person registered. 
• Checking "Allow multiple registrations from the same email address" provides the same capabilities, but without requiring distinct email addresses for each registrant. In either case, CiviCRM uses a separate contact record (either an existing one if it's already in the system, or create a new one) for each individual registered.
  
• The Registration Screen configuration defines introductory and footer text for your registration page, and the profiles included in the top and bottom regions of the form. If you come to this stage in the wizard and have not created your profile form, you may continue with the event set-up process and return to the event configuration page later to select your desired profiles.
• What other data do you want to capture from your participants as they register? By default, the CiviEvent registration page requires only an email address. Organizations typically want to collect additional contact information from the registrant, as well as define fields unique to this particular event (such as meal choice). The custom data fields and profiles used here (see screenshot) must be created before you reach this form, as described earlier in this chapter. Here, you can include up to two profile form snippets in your registration page. It's a good idea to put contact data (name, address, etc.) in one profile snippet, and event related information (e.g. meal choice, childcare requirements, etc.) in the second profile. 
• You can collect different information from additional participants by selecting different profiles, or the same by selecting "same as for main contact". 

The remaining fields on this page allow you to define the text displayed on the Confirmation page, Thank-you page, and emailed confirmations/receipts (if enabled). The standard page flow is shown in the following screenshot:

For free events, the Confirmation step is skipped. When completing the Confirmation, Thank-you, and Confirmation Email sections on this page, take care to think about the user experience at each stage in the process. Ensure that the text is appropriate to the point where the registrant will be in the registration process.

For most events you'll want to enable the Send Confirmation Email feature (see following screenshot). For paid events, the confirmation email also acts as a receipt. Make sure that the Confirm From Email address entered is a valid email account on your mail server. Add one or more staff emails (separating multiple email addresses with commas) to the CC Confirmation To field if you want real-time updates on who is registering for your event. 

Click Save to save your entries and continue with the next step.

Tell-A-Friend

CiviEvent makes it easy to leverage the social networking power of your committed constituents by empowering them to quickly and easily share details about your organization and event with their friends and colleagues. The final step in the event creation is a page where you can enable "Tell-A-Friend" capabilities. You can define the text and links to be included on that page and in the email sent from the tool (see the following screenshot).

 

A "Tell a friend" activity record will be added to a participant's Activities tab each time she sends mail to her friends. This allows you to track your most active supporters and engage them further. The people who are emailed using this feature are also automatically added to CiviCRM as contacts.

This is the last step in creating an event. Click Save and Done.

Testing Your Event

Before revealing your event to the public, you should always test the event registration process. This can be done as follows:

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
2. From Event Links, select Test-drive to test the registration page. Test-drive mode will use the sandbox options for your payment processor, if available, and will create a registrant record with a test indication so that it can be reviewed and easily removed. 
3. Fill out the registration form and complete the registration process. 
   
4. In order to find the new test participant record, navigate to Events > Find Participants.
5. In the search criteria, check the box Find Test Participants.
6. If you need to adjust the event settings, navigate to Events > Manage Events and click the Configure link for this event. 
7. If you discover elements that you need to edit and adjust, select Configure to return to the list of event setting pages.
8. If you have events where anonymous users register for events, you should also test the registration when not logged in. Refer to the Event Permissions information later in this chapter for details.

Using event templates to streamline event creation

If you need to set up a number of events with similar configurations, you can streamline the process using event templates.

The steps for creating event templates are similar to those described earlier for creating an event. The main differences are:

• Assign a descriptive template title that clearly identifies the type of event this template is used for (e.g., Monthly community meetup with online registration).
• There are no starting and ending dates in the template form. That information will always be specific to an actual event instance.

Click Events > Event Templates.

• To create a template, start by navigating to Events > Event Templates and clicking Add Event Template. Enter template title and event type.  
• Select campaign if all events created from this template should be associated with a campaign. 
• Continue the normal event set-up process using the settings that will be constant for all events to be created using this template. 
• Common characteristics might include location, event fees, online registration settings, tell-a-friend settings, etc. 

 

Once you've created an event template, you can select that template (as shown in the following screenshot) when you start to create a new event. Your event will be pre-filled with the saved configuration properties.

 

Setting permissions for event registration

This section applies to Drupal installations only.

If you've enabled online registration for events on your site you need to review the Drupal user permissions to ensure that visitors are able to view event information and complete the registration forms. Navigate to Administer > Users > Permissions.

Most organizations allow anonymous users (users who have not logged in) to view and register for events. If you want to allow this, you must assign the following CiviCRM module permissions for the anonymous user role:

• access all custom data - required if you are collecting information in custom fields from registrants
• profile create - required if you've included any profiles in your online registration forms
• register for events
• view event info
• view event participants - required if you want to display a listing of registered participants.
  

If you want to exclude anonymous visitors from viewing or registering online for events, assign these permissions to an authenticated user role.

CiviCRM has an additional permissioning system known as Access Control Lists (ACLs). ACLs allow you control access to CiviCRM data. Note that a CiviCRM ACL Role is not related to the Drupal Role. Refer to the Access Control List chapter for more information. 

If you need to limit access control for specific events, you can use the Manage Access Control feature to assign access to specific groups of contacts. 

Including profiles for an event registration

To best way to collect additional information (such as food or lodging preferences) during online registration is to include profiles in your event configuration.

Do this as follows:  

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
2. Click Configure for the appropriate event.
   
3. Click the Online Registration tab or link. 
   
4. Select from the dropdown menus one profile for "top of page" and another profile for "bottom of page".

Complex event fees with price sets

Price sets play a role similar to custom data fields and profiles, but support options for event fees instead of basic data collection. Here's an example of how a price set looks to a person who is registering for a Conference that includes optional pre-conference training sessions, meals and lodging:

We saw earlier that event creation involves setting up event fees. The standard fees layout form is a very simple structure, allowing you to create a list of fees and their labels. The resulting layout allows the registrant to select one option from the list. Often, this single-option format does not meet the complex demands of your event registration structure. Price sets allow you to create multiple registration fee fields and assign the entire set to an event.

To create and manage price sets:

• navigate to Manage Price Sets and choosing the Events link OR 
• navigating to CiviEvent > Manage Price Sets and choose Administer.

Similar to custom data sets, you begin by creating a new price set and then adding specific fields.

Creating a New Price Set

To create a new price set:

1. Click Add Set of Price Fields.  
2. In the Price Set form, enter the name of your price set, whether it's used for events or contributions, and a description. 
3. Press Save. 
4. A form appears for you to create the first field in your price set. 

Creating a New Price Field

Begin by entering a name for the event item in the Field Label.

 

The Input Field Type has a structure similar to custom data fields, with some unique qualities and usage relevant to fee structures.

• Text/Numeric Quantity: allows you to set a unit price. When the form is presented to the registrant to fill it, it displays a text box where the registrant enters a quantity. The quantity entered is multiplied by the unit value to calculate the fee.
  
• Select: displays a dropdown box where the registrant selects one option from the list.
  
• Radio: displays multiple options in a list, allowing the registrant to select one fee choice.
  
• Checkbox: displays fields in a list where the registrant can select or unselect any number of options.
  

You can combine these field types to create virtually any fee structure.

Enter a number in the Participant Count field if you want to increment the number of registered participants per unit against the maximum number of participants allowed for this event. For example, if this price field is for a table at a fundraiser which seats eight people, you would set Participant Count to 8.

For Text/Numeric Quantity fields, enter an amount in the Price field. For Select, Radio and Checkbox types you will enter a price for each option in the table of options (shown in the screenshot above).

If you want to display the price next to the event item, check the Display Amount? box.

As when creating other custom data, you can enter a description for the Field Help, decide whether the event item is required, select whether the event item is visible to the public or only to the administrator in the Visibility field, and indicate whether the event item is Active. These fields are described in the chapter on extending core data.

Next, you can either press Save to finish configuring this event item, or Save and New to create another price field for this price set.

Once you finish configuring your price set, you can add it to your event in step 3 where you configure the event fees. Select the name of your price set in the Price Set field as shown in the following screenshot.

As with custom data fields, it is to your advantage to give thought to the structure of your registration fees and build the price set before creating the event. However, if you begin the event creation process and determine that you needed to construct a price set, you can complete the process, create the price set, and then return to the event configuration page to assign the price set.

Price sets can be reused in multiple events. This is particularly helpful for organizations that run multiple events in a series, such as a regional training seminar program.

CiviEvent Everyday Tasks

This chapter outlines a variety of tasks related to managing an event that you have set up in CiviEvent.

Dashboard

The CiviEvent Dashboard displays an Event Summary table, providing a summary of up to ten scheduled and recent Events. Click the Event name to view the event as it will be displayed to site visitors. Click the Participants count to see a list of participants.

To run your own customized searches, click Find more event participants at the end of the page. Here you can search by Participant Name, Event, Date Range and Status.

From the Dashboard you can also:

• click on Manage Events to find and manage specific events
• click on New Event to create a new event page
• use the icons for RSS feeds and calendars to use the data in external applications.

Finding and Reporting on Participants

This section describes some common event searches. 

Overview of participants for all upcoming events

1. Navigate to Events > Dashboard
2. Click the Counted: link to see all the contacts for an event.

If any count is zero, the associated text will not be a hyperlink. Some participant roles may not count for the event total, such as someone who is on the clean-up duty. 

Find participants for any event with a variety of criteria

1. Navigate to Events > Find Participants.
2. In the event name field, start typing to see a list of events. Click on the event you want.  Set additional search choices for the fields you want to see. 
   
3. Click Search. 
   

When the search returns results, you have the opportunity to select all of the resulting participants or a subset, and perform an action on them. Available actions include:

• Batch update participants via profile: this feature is useful if you wish to edit multiple fields for multiple participants in a table grid layout. Note that you must create the profile set you wish to use before implementing this action. If you are not familiar with how Profiles work, please read the chapter on that topic before using this feature.

• Cancel Event Registrations for the selected participants.

• Change Participant Status for the selected participants.

• Delete Participants: deleting participants does not delete the contact record; it will delete all transactions and activities associated with the participant for this event. Note that this action cannot be undone.

• Export Participants: this allows you to export a predefined set of fields or create your own custom set of fields (which can be saved for reuse). The software exports to CSV format, which can be easily opened in standard spreadsheet software or directly used for mail merges.

• New Smart Group: smart groups are saved search results based on defined criteria, similar to a query. The advantage of a smart group is that the system will rerun the query using the criteria you have defined each time you open the smart group. This is particularly helpful for complex search criteria that you need to view on a regular basis.
• Print Event Name Badges: select the type of badge you require and a printable PDF will be generated with the names of the selected participants.

• Send an Email to Contacts: CiviCRM also lets you generate an email on the fly to your search result list. For example, you may want to let recipients know details about the event in advance, such as parking options or changes to the programme.

List participant's individual fees 

1. Navigate to Search > Custom Searches.
2. Click on Event Aggregate.
3. Choose your search criteria, and click Search. 
   

Create an event report from a template

1.  Click Reports > Create reports from templates.
2. Scroll to see the templates in the Event Report Templates section.
3. Click the name of the report template to create a new report. 
   
4. Choose the desired report criteria, then click Preview Report. 
   
5. Expand the area labeled Create Report.
6. Choose a report title, and other choices as desired. 
   
7. Click Create Report. Typical results appear in the following screenshot. 

Mass Registrations

CiviEvent offers the time-saving feature of registering multiple contacts for an event at one time (or as a "batch"). Returning to the youth leadership workshop scenario, Arts in Action anticipate a high rate of attendance from participants at the previous workshop. The staff perform a search to find previous participants and mass register them, setting each individual's participate status to "pending". The list of pending contacts is then used to call or email people to see if they are coming. If the person says they will attend, the event organizer can change the person's status from "pending" to "registered".

Steps for Mass registration:

1. Search for the set of contacts you are interested in (Arts in Action would navigate to Search > Find Participants to search for all participants at the previous workshop).
   
2. On the search results page, either choose select all or put a check mark next to each contact you are interested in. A sample search results page appears in the following screen-shot. 
   
   
   
3. From the actions list just above the search results, choose  Add Contacts to Event then click Go.
4. Complete the registration form, choosing the appropriate action choices for this set of people, such as setting the Participant Status to pending. Choices made here will be applied to all contacts in this set.
5. Click Save.

Limitations of mass registrations

The action choices you make (in Step 3) are applied uniformly to the entire set of selected contacts. To work around this limitation, do a mass registration several times, each time choosing the desired action choices for that set of contacts. For example, you might mark one set of contacts you plan to call and invite with a Participant Status of "pending", then add another set of contacts to the event, such as event leaders you know will attend, with a Participant Status of "registered". 

You cannot apply contribution information, such as a pay later contribution or a credit card transaction, in a batch action. Therefore, mass registration is best for free events or for contacts who are not required to pay a fee at this point. You can always add payment details for individual contacts later on.  

Importing Registrations

Arts in Action is collaborating with a local school for its youth leadership workshop; the school is handling their students' registrations and sending a spreadsheet after the event which Arts in Action will then import into CiviCRM. It is important to record the event registration inside CiviCRM to enable Arts in Action to consolidate accurate information and enhance interactions and reporting for future event participants. 

Importing registration information is a quick way to add a bunch of registrations to the event. The data to be imported must be available in a comma-separated values (CSV) file. If the majority of the contacts are already in CiviCRM, it may be faster to do a mass registration action as mentioned earlier in this chapter. 

Steps for importing registrations

1. Prepare the data in the CSV file: make sure date fields (if used) are valid dates, and if some of the contacts are already present as contacts in CiviCRM, make sure the first name, last name and email address match what is already in CiviCRM. Differences between an imported contact's and an existing contact's information can cause a duplicate record to be created. While duplicate contacts can be merged later, its preferable to avoid the situation. The rules for determining duplicate contacts can be defined by navigating to Administer > Manage > Find and Merge.
2. On the navigation menu, choose Events > Import Participants.
3. Browse to the data file on your local computer.
4. Select the appropriate contact type, date format and other options, and click Continue.
5. Match the fields of your CSV file to the CiviCRM fields. 
6. If this is something you may repeat in the future, check the Save this field mapping box.
7. Preview and Save.

Promoting your events

Getting the word out and building excitement about your event can take many forms, but most important is to ensure that the event is prominently listed on your organization's website and your public calendar. Then you can use various strategies to let people and organizations know about it, and encourage participants to help promote the event.

If you are publicising your events on another website or organization's calendar, make it clear how people are expected to register. For example, some social networks have a built-in event registration system, such as Facebook events. Other organizations that are helping to publicise your event may have their own event registration systems. Make sure that no matter where you publicise the event, it is obvious how the person is expected to register.

Display an event description or registration on the website

Drupal:

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events and then click  more > Live Page for the event.
2. Copy the URL for the event page.
   
3. Create a Drupal menu item for this URL or paste the URL into any Drupal page.
   

Additionally, you can enable a Drupal block that lists all upcoming public events. To learn more, go to the CiviCRM wiki: http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Event+Listings

Joomla!:

1. Go into the Joomla! control panel.
2. Choose Menu Manager > Your menu name.
   
3. Click New.
   
4. Expand CiviCRM > CiviCRM Events and click the Event Info item.
   
5. Choose the event from the Select an Event list on the right side of the page.
6. Click Save.

List of upcoming events

Sometimes you may want to give an external organization or web site a link to a list of your upcoming events, that they can place anywhere on their website. For example, the school that is collaborating with Arts in Action might want to make information about future workshops easily accessible to their students' parents by including it in the school web site. 

To get the URL: 

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
   
2. Click on the globe icon on the top right of the page.
3. Copy the URL.
4. Send the URL to the other organisation for inclusion in their site.

RSS feed for all upcoming events

This lets visitors subscribe to all your events in the RSS feed reader of their choice. Many website management systems also allow a website to subscribe to any RSS feed and present the information within their layout.

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events. 
   
2. Click on the orange and white square icon on the top right of the page.
3. Copy the URL to share or embed into your website.

Allowing people to tell a friend about an event

This offers people the chance, when they register for the event, to email their friends and colleagues about it. CiviCRM will then capture the friend's email and create a Tell A Friend activity for the email, and create a corresponding activity in the participant's record.

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events and click the Configure link for this event.
2. Click on the Tell a Friend link.
   
3. Click the checkbox to enable Tell a Friend for this event.
   
4. Provide an appropriate message to include for this event.
   

Showing events in a calendar

Many web sites include a graphical calendar that can display upcoming events by the month, week or day. It is very useful to get your events on relevant calendar pages. Often individuals maintain personal digital calendars to track events along with their personal meetings and appointments; you can make it easy for them to copy your event to their calendars. 

The standard format for sharing information between calendar systems is called iCal. CiviCRM can export a static iCal file as well as a dynamic iCal feed.    

 Getting a static list of events into another calendar system

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
   
2. Click on the square icon displaying  "31" on the top right of the page.
3. Save the iCal file on your local computer.
   
4. Go into the other calendar system and find the import iCal file tool.
5. Within the import wizard of the other calendar system, browse to and upload the iCal file from your local computer.
   

New CiviEvents created later will not appear in the other calendar system. These steps will need to be repeated to show new events. Dynamic updates are described in the following procedure.

Getting a dynamic list of events into another calendar system

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
   
2. Click on the square green icon displaying the letters "ICAL" on the top right of the page.
3. Copy the URL of the page that opens.
   
4. Go into the other calendar system and find the import iCal feed tool.
5. Within the import wizard of the other calendar system, paste the URL from step 3. 
   

From this point on, any new public events created in CiviEvent will automatically appear within the external calendar system.

Displaying an event report on CiviCRM 's home dashboard

If you haven't already created any Event Reports, see the following chapter Reports and Analysis for instructions on how to create reports. You must then ensure that the report you want to display is available for the dashboard:

1. From the navigation menu, click on Reports and select the report you wish to display.
2. In the Report Settings area, check the Available for Dashboard? box.
3. Click Update Report.

1. Navigate to Home to view the dashboard.
2. Click Configure Your Dashboard.
3. Drag the desired report from the Available Dashlets area into either the Left Column or Right Column of the dashboard area, and click Done.
4. You should now see your report on your home dashboard.  To view the latest updated information for your report as well as any other items you've included on your dashboard, click Refresh Dashboard Data.  
   

Waitlists

Your organization may have limits on attendance, such as a 25-person limit for a training workshop or a 200-person limit for a fund-raising dinner. CiviEvent lets you set the maximum number of people allowed to register for your event. When registrations reach that number, CiviEvent will not allow other people to register, but will instead send an automatic message saying, "The event is currently full." This message can be customized by the organization when creating a new event, and you can let people add themselves on a first-come-first-served basis to a waitlist.

To create an event with a waitlist:

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
   
2. Click the Configure link next to your event.
3. Click the Event Information and Settings link.
4. On the Info and Settings form, check the Offer a Waitlist? box.
   
5. Click Save.

Approving Registrants

Many events are open to everyone, but there may be times when your organization invites only specific people to the event. For example, you could invite volunteers who have donated 100 or more volunteer hours to an appreciation dinner. The people invited may talk about the event to their friends, and possibly forward the information. With CiviEvent, you can check who has registered and approve only the people invited.

To create an event that requires approval:

1. Navigate to Events > Manage Events.
2. Click the Configure link for your event.
3. Click the Online Registration link. 
4. On the Online Registration form, check the Requires Participant Approval box.
   
5. You can then customize the text for the Approval Message. You can also limit the amount of time participants have to complete their registration after approval by entering the time in hours in the Pending participant expiration field. For example, if you want to give participants 3 days to complete their registration, enter "72" in that field.
   
6. Click Save or Save and Done.
   

Managing Participants

After creating your event and providing the registration form to web site visitors, you can manage your participants through the CiviEvent administrative tools. In this section we will discuss how these administrative tools are used. 

CiviEvent lets you:

• register participants manually
• search through participants based on a variety of criteria
• export participant lists
• perform a number of other functions on your event records. 

The Events dashboard brings all your events and participant information together in one place (see screenshot). 
  

Registering a Participant Manually

Although CiviCRM helps alleviate data entry for event registration by allowing your constituents to register directly through your website, a segment of your contacts may continue to register by mail, phone, or in person on-site. Your staff will then need to enter the registration information manually.

For example, when a person calls the office to register for an event, the staff person who takes the call can:

1. enter the person's name in the Quick search box
2. select the contact from the results
3. click the Events tab on the caller's contact record
4. add the person to the event.

The Events tab, shown in the following screenshot, displays a summary list of the contact's past event attendance and provides a link for registering the contact for a new event.

 

There are two options for registering the contact:

• Add Event Registration: for people who pay later, such as by sending a check or paying when they arrive at the event.
• Submit Credit Card Event Registration: for people paying immediately with a credit card. This option is available only if you've configured a payment processor that allows direct payments through your web site. If you are taking a registration over the phone you can ask them for their credit card information and enter it manually.
  

The interface for both options is very similar, with the exception of those fields that record payment details.

 

As you work through this form, certain sections of the page change to reflect choices you have made. For example, when you choose the event you are registering the contact for and select a participant role, the form will automatically load predefined custom data fields that pertain to those selections.

If the event selected is a paid event, you will see an event fees section which has been defined in the event configuration details, and an option to record the financial transaction details (Record Payment) will be visible. This leads us to an important concept central to CiviEvent (as well as other modules): event registration records in CiviCRM are independent of, but can be related to, a financial transaction. While this may seem confusing to organizations accustomed to viewing event registrations as essentially a financial transaction, it offers an important and valuable distinction.

An event registration communicates the contact's participation in the organization's event. A corresponding financial transaction indicates the monetary value associated with that participation. While related, the two are distinct. 

The distinction is best understood by considering the common scenario of an organization waiving fees for a V.I.P., a speaker, or someone who participating in the event in a limited way. In such cases, you want to register the individuals but may not want to create an associated financial transaction. CiviCRM respects this distinction by recording the event registration record under the Events tab, recording the financial record under the Contributions tab, and then creating a link between the two records.

If the event is a paid event, click the Record Payment checkbox and enter information in the transaction fields that are displayed. This process essentially links together the event registration and the contribution record for this contact. After recording the registration, you will be able to view the event registration record and see the related contribution record at the bottom (see screenshot). If you do not select the Record Payment check box, only a registration record will be created.  

Reports and analysis

There are a number of techniques for reporting on and analysing your events and participants. 

The event dashboard gives a quick overview of your upcoming events showing for each event the number of registrations and their statuses (how many are registered, how many are counted, how many are pending for different reasons). The dashboard is limited to 12 events scheduled to start at a date closest to today. This is most likely not to be sufficient to organizations with many scheduled events.

[insert screenshot]

Other ways that provide more detailed and customised analysis using CiviCRM's search features and CiviReport.

If you are interested in the financial aspects of events, you may also find the reports and analysis chapter in contributions useful. 

Event and participant reports

Reports have several features that cannot be accomplished by search.  For instance, you cannot agregate data from multiple events at once or limit the date of registration very flexibly. Also, repeating the same searches over and over can be very time consuming. Searches can be set as Smart Groups but this leads to a proliferation of groups.

The solution is to set up reports for each event or a collection of events. The reports can be automatically assigned to a designated submenu (e.g. under Events > Reports) or made available as dashlets for the main dashboard.

Out of the box, CiviCRM comes with five reports designed to help you analyse events. Of these, Event Participant Report (List) is the most useful. It will display both participant and individual data and all custom data. All of these can also be used as filters.

The Event income report (detail) and Event income report (summary) work together to show details of revenue from events. The summary report is suitable for showing total income for a series of events, all your conference in 2011, for example.  Clicking on one of those events will give you more details about the event breakdown of the income per role and per status. It can also be displayed in graphical form as Pie Chart or Bar Chart.

Searching based on participant data

CiviCRM makes an important distinction between contacts and event participants.  Sometimes it is useful to get the answer to your event related question in terms of contacts, e.g. which contacts came to events in 2011.  Other times it is more useful to have the answer in terms of participants, e.g. how many training sessions did we deliver as part of our sexual health education programme this year. It is important to take this into consideration when carrying out a search for event attendees.

The Find participants search allows you to search based on participant data and return participant data.  The Advanced search allows you to search based on most participant information and combine that with other contact information and return contacts.  You can also choose Participant from the Display Results As column to show participants rather than contacts.

Searching based on these criteria gives you access to simple totals. You can also export your search results as CSV for further analysis in your spreadsheet software.

More analysis

If you can't do what you want with a built in report or search, consider commissioning a new report or custom search. Read the CiviReport section for more information.

 

MEMBERSHIP

What is CiviMember?

CiviMember aims to automate membership administration as much as possible. CiviMember allows you to:

• track contacts through the membership cycle 
• set self-service options for membership sign up and renewal
• set automated renewal and thank-you messages 
• grant additional web site privileges for specific members.

Memberships can be free or paid, and have simple or complex pricing structures. CiviContribute is required to handle membership fee payments.

All memberships show up on contact views and in the membership dashboard. They can be searched for through the Membership Search or Advanced Search and there is a built in report template.

Scenario: Driving membership forward

The Atlantic Region Public Transit Association (ARPTA) has a complex requirement with four membership categories:

• Regular Members: Public transit systems. There are three tiered levels within this category, based on the size of the system. Membership is organization-based, and all employees receive access to member benefits, such as discounted rates at Association events.
• Affiliate Members: Businesses providing goods and services to the transit industry, such as bus and rail car manufacturers, engineers and consultants, parts and component manufacturers, etc. Membership dues are a flat rate for all Affiliate Members. Membership is organization-based, and all employees receive access to member benefits, such as discounted rates at Association events.
• Associate Members: Students, government representatives, public interest groups, research institutions, and other interested parties. Membership dues are a flat rate for all Associate Members. Membership is individual-based.
• Honorary Members: Retired transit system executives and others who have made a notable contribution to the industry and Association. Membership is individual-based and free for life.

When the ARPTA membership administrator, Sue, initially configured the membership types she created various separate membership types and rules to account for each. This was all easily managed by CiviMember. Initially, they carried on with manually processing membership renewals and new sign-ups while the system bedded in. 

Last year ARPTA's membership committee began a focused outreach to non-member public transit systems (Regular Member category) and non-member businesses working in the public transit industry (Affiliate Member category). They wanted their members to renew online and pay through a credit card.

To accomplish this, they created a membership sign-up/renewal page and publicised this in a series of emails, blog posts and promotions on various social media platforms. The sign-up page is available to all website visitors, whereas the renewal page is visible only to contacts who are already members, after they log in to the members-only section. This streamlines their sign-up process, eliminates a lot of paperwork and gives Sue a clear view of new sign-ups, recent renewals and expired members that need to be chased. Through CiviContribute, she canproduce a monthly spreadsheet for the accounts department with all membership fees received, which they import into their accounting software. With the time she saves on paperwork she is able to engage more with members and is more involved in the annual conference.

What you need to know

This chapter covers the major areas you should think about before beginning to work with CiviMember. 

Spend some time evaluating your organisation's membership structure. List the membership types your organisation offers and work out how they can be modelled in CiviCRM.  

In CiviMember, each membership is effectively treated as a membership of an organisation. In most cases, this is membership of your organisation; however it is important to understand this before you begin working with CiviMember.

Below, you'll find an outline of the relevant concepts, followed by a list of questions that will help you begin to translate your membership model into CiviMember. A note at the end of the chapter indicates other CiviCRM components you'll need to set up for CiviMember to work. 

Key Concepts

Using CiviMember you will be working with these terms and concepts so it is important to understand how these concepts translate into your organisation's terminology and culture.

Members, Contacts and relationships

Members are simply contacts in your database with a particular membership. The contact may be an individual, organisation or some other contact sub-type, but it is always a contact: there is no separate member entity.

If you need to cancel or delete a membership, the contact will remain on the system with all other parts of their record intact. Note that you would delete a membership if you entered it error, for example if you made Jo Smith a member instead of Joe Smith. But if Jo Smith was a member and called after 6 months wanting to end her membership, you would cancel that membership. In this case, the record of the membership would reamin with the start and end date. When the record is deleted then it is completely removed.

Relationships are ways to create connections between contacts in your database. Before creating memberships, consider whether relationships might be more appropriate for your requirements. Have a look at relationships in the Contacts chapter of the Basic Set-up section to learn more about creating relationships between contacts.

Membership Types

CiviMember allows you to create various types of membership; some could be free, others paid. Different types can have different renewal rules, periods and benefits. Take some time to assess your organisation's existing memberships and needs, as it's easy to over-engineer your membership structure and create more types than you actually need.

As mentioned above, CiviMember treats each membership as membership of an organisation. 

If you are using CiviCRM to manage memberships of several organisations or regional branches, you can set up each branch as an organisation and create the membership types for each of those branches/organisations.

Your contacts can inherit membership based on relationships to other contacts in the way that staff of the membership organisations of ARPTA inherit their employers membership. 

Periods and renewals

Membership periods can be fixed or rolling. In other words, membership can always start at the same date, such as January 1, or an individual can start an annual membership that runs for exactly one calendar year. In the case of fixed dates, you can set a rollover date so that sign-ups after this date cover the following calendar year as well. 

The renewal process is as important as the initial sign-up. Allow time to configure and test renewal reminder templates, especially if you have complex membership structures and want to customise messages based on member types or other factors.  

Membership Status Rules

The default set of status options provided by CiviMember is: 

• Pending: someone who has requested membership but has not paid, or is awaiting approval.
• New: payment has arrived, or membership has been approved.
• Current: new members move to this status after a certain period of time.
• Grace: when the end of the membership period is reached, someone who has not renewed membership enters this status for a period of time.
• Expired: when the grace period expires, the member moves to this status and no longer receives  membership discounts or mailings.
• Deceased: this status keeps a deceased contact's record in the system but removes the contact from all further communications.

You can easily add to or amend these options, and you can allow any of these to count as a live membership. Some organisations like to give a 30 day grace period following membership expiry so that they can chase the member to renew, and will allow the membership to stay live during this period. Alternatively, a new membership might need approval and may not gain the member benefits until this has been given. New is really just a label for convenient separation of new memberships and renewals. 

Membership payments

Memberships in CiviCRM can be free or paid, and there can be different membership fees for each individual membership type.

CiviCRM handles paid memberships by linking membership records to contribution records. A membership record documents a contact's relationship with the organisation, while the corresponding financial transaction indicates the monetary value associated with that membership.

 

CiviCRM respects this distinction by storing the membership record under the membership tab, storing the financial record under the Contributions tab, and then creating a link between the two records.

Price sets 

If your memberships types have a complex price structure, you might want to consider making use of price sets.

Price sets allow you to set fee structures which include compulsory and optional elements and the ability to make some fees available only for some date ranges. You can also add negative amounts or discounts. Thus it is possible to have a different price for early bird payments or payments in different months. 

Renewals

There is an important distinction between adding a new membership and renewing a membership. If someone is coming to the end of their membership life-cycle and wants to continue being a member, in most cases they should use CiviMember's renew workflow rather than creating a new membership. Membership up-sell allows contacts to change membership type as part of the renewal process.

In the renewal process, the membership record end date is extended to reflect a new membership period. For example, if your organisation's membership is handled on an annual basis from January through December, an existing end date of December 31, 2010 would be extended to December 31, 2011. CiviCRM calculates the end date extension based on the configuration for the specific membership type being renewed. Note that a members' join date (or Member Since date) is not modified when a membership is renewed, so you always know when the contact first became a member.

If applicable for the membership type, a contribution (financial) is recorded as part of the renewal process. This will create a contribution record and attach it to the membership record. Each new contribution is added to the membership record. 

If your payment processor supports it, CiviMember can automatically processes renewal payments. Members will pre-authorise their credit card, the payment will be taken automatically, and they will receive appropriate thank-you and receipts from CiviCRM. 

Over time, and after a few renewals, the membership record will be a single membership record whose end date is extended, with multiple related financial transactions representing each renewal purchase.

Key questions

Once you have understood the concepts outlined above, and before you begin to work with CiviMember, answer the following questions:

• What are your membership periods?
• Are your membership terms are rolling or fixed-date? 
• Is membership is based on an individual, a relationship to an organisation or being part of a houselhold? For instance, a social service agency may sign up an entire family as a member, while a policy-making organisation may sign up other organisations as members.
• If memberships are organisational, do staff of those organisations inherit the membership?
• Do you want to provide a special members area of your website, or offer them discounts or extra online content as a result of their membership?  If so, you should explore CMS integration modules such as Drupal's CiviMember roles integration module. 
• Do you want to expose self-service membership sign-up and renewal through your website?
• If your membership(s) are not free, what payment methods will you accept?

Also ask why your membership structure is the way it is. Perhaps the workflow was set up based on a previous technological or organisational limitation that doesn't apply now that you are using CiviCRM.

If you are having trouble modeling your membership structure in CiviCRM, ask in the forums about the problems you are having. There may be other ways to model your data, or simple changes you can make to CiviCRM's behavior to better fit your needs. 

Other Considerations

If you will be charging for memberships, you need to review the CiviContribute chapter and in particular the section on payment processors.

Members area on your website  

CiviMember can be used in conjunction with your CMS to create a members only section of your website.  Both Drupal and Joomla have integration modules that can be used to do this.  A typical workflow would be that a contact creates and account on your site and becomes a member of your organisation using a CiviMember membership sign up page.  They then get access to extra content on your site.  This extra content could be from your CMS or it could come from your CRM, for example a detailed members directory, or a list of private events that are only available to members.

Membership set-up

There are two main things to do when configuring CiviMember.  Configure your membership types, and (if necessary) configure your membership sign up and renewal pages which enable visitors to your website to sign up and renew their memberships online.  If your memberships are paid, you'll also need to do some basic configuration of CiviContribute and set up a payment processor. 

Membership types

Membership types are the various membership categories that your organization offers. You can configure an unlimited number of membership types and set various options for each of them. To define your membership types, click on Administer > CiviMember > Membership Types > Add Membership Types.

The membership name is displayed throughout the system, on both public and backend pages, so it is worth choosing a good one (though you can always always change it later).

A membership organisation is required for each organisation.  This membership   that the membership type will apply to.  For most organisations, this will be your organisation. If you want to model membership of multiple organisations (including branches of organisations) you can set the organisation here for each organisation that you want to model the membership of.

The minimum fee field is the place to enter your desired membership fee.  Zero indicates a free membership.

You can choose a contribution type that the membership fee will be recorded as.  By default you should probably use 'member dues' but it might make sense for you to choose a different type.  This type can be overridden when recording a membership in the backend and for specific public membership sign up pages.

Auto-renew options allow you to set a membership to automatically renew.  These work well when combined with payment processors that support recurring donations.  You can set memberships to offer or require auto-renew.  You then need to implement this option on a membership sign up and renewal page (see below).

There are two options for period type.  Fixed means that the membership for al members starts at a specific point in the year.  Rolling means that the membership will start on the date that the membership is entered into the system.  For fixed period memberships you can also identify a rollover date: the point after which new memberships are entered as belonging to the next dues period.  Note that you can override start and end dates when entering memberships manually via the backend.

Membership can be inherited from one contact to another, which is useful in situations such as one finds in professional trade organisations, where they sign up another organisation as the member, but employees of the organisation receive the benefits of membership. Select the Relationship Type to specify which related records should receive membership through the parent record.

You can use the visibility option to make sure certain membership types are handled by an administrator manually  (e.g., honorary and lifetime memberships). When you restrict their visibility, they will not be available to add to membership signup or renewal pages on your website.

Auto renew options

If you want to offer or require auto-renew for this membership, you'll need to select the appropriate option here.  Auto renew memberships can only be offered for memberships that have a period of one year or less. 

At the bottom of the membership types page there is a block of information for managing renewal reminders. CiviCRM can be configured to send out a reminder email to members as the expiration date for their membership nears. This is particularly helpful for rolling membership types, where contacts may join at any time during the year. To configure the renewal reminder you must first have set up a renewal email template through Administer > CiviMail > Message Templates.

Membership status rules

Membership status rules control the journey that contacts take through the membership process.  By default the path is from pending, new, current, grace, expired.  

You can define To define membership status rules, click on Administer > CiviMember > Membership Status Rules.

You define a status by giving a start and end time which is based relative to either the start or end date of the membership.  When updating a membership to decide which status should be applied, CiviCRM looks at each status in turn until it finds one that is valid.  That is to say that it takes todays date and sees whether it is between the start and end date for the membership status for that specific membership.  If it is, it applies that status. 

Each status has an 'is current' checkbox which you can use to specify whether the status is current or not.  You could use this to gradual end to people's memberships of 'overdue' (end date to 1 month past end date) and 'really overdue' (1 month to two months past end date) which are considered current and then and then 'totally overdue' which is considered to not be current.

Membership sign-up and renewal pages

Membership signup and renewal pages allow visitors to your website to become members of your website and to  up to memberships to manage their own memberships.  They are created using the same method as contribution pages (even if you want to create a membership page for a free membership).

CiviCRM uses the same page for new memberships as it does for renewals.  The renewal page is automatically displayed at the same URL as the membership join page when viewed by a logged in website visitor that has a valid current or expired membership.

When you are setting up membership sign up pages, it is worth remembering that current members will only see the renewal page if they are logged in.  If they are not logged in, they will see the become a member page and if they fill that page in, they will get a new membership rather than renew their existing membership.  You should design your user interface to avoid this situation.  A couple of ways you can do this include requiring log in to view membership signup and renewal pages, and writing text to remind people that they should log in to renew. 

The first page allows you to set the title for the membership page and set some basic information like the contribution type etc.  There is also a checkbox here to allow people to sign up on behalf of an organisation.  This is useful if you want to offer organisational memberships. Organisations can't sign up directly because CiviCRM assumes that all interaction on the website is carried out by an individual.  In this case, the membership record will then be attached to the organization's record, not the individual's.  You may want to force all individuals to sign up on behalf of an organization.

The last few fields on this form are less useful for membership sign up and renewal pages. 

Amounts tab

This page allows you to set up the payment processor options.  You'll need to select a payment processor that The next step of the wizard allows you to configure details related to the financial transactions performed through the Contribution page. If you have configured a credit card transaction payment processor in CiviCRM, you will be able to set up real-time transactions here.

If you are building a contribution page for membership signup and renewal only, consider whether you want to solicit extra contributions.  If you do, leave the box checked.  If you don't, uncheck it. 

Memberships tab

The next step in the contribution page setup wizard is designed specifically for memberships. You should ensure that Membership Section Enabled is checked.

This page allows you to set text that can be displayed for both new memberships and renewals.   

Additional options that appear at the bottom of this screen.  Membership Types allow you to define which memberships are available on this screen and which are available for upsell as part of renewal.  If you are using this online contribution page for both membership signup and general fundraising, you can make membership signup optional for constituents who just want to donate without becoming a member. If you checked the box for "Contributions Amounts section enabled" on Amounts tab to solicit additional contributions, you can decide whether such payments are recorded separately from membership fee payments.

This screen also allows you to choose which memberships are available for auto-renew (you'll need to ensure that the membership type has been set up for auto renew and that you are using a payment processor that supports automatic recurring payments.

After the site visitor completes the membership signup or renewal form, he will be redirected to a thank-you page and can have an email receipt generated and sent to him. This fourth step in the wizard allows you to configure those options.

Tell-A-Friend tab

CiviCRM allows you to add a tell-a-friend feature to the thank-you page. The page lets your members share details about your organization with their friends by emailing them a link and information.

Colllecting information as part of membership sign up

Profiles are central to CiviCRM's interfaces with website visitors. A profile is a collection of data fields that CiviCRM displays to obtain information from visitors or display data to them. If you are not familiar with the creation and function of profile sets you should read more about it in the Profiles chapter of the Configuration section in this book.

Profiles are critical to the functioning of membership signup and renewal pages. By default, contribution pages will include only an email field (which the member is required to fill in), in addition to the membership and contribution amount fields. Organizations almost always want to collect additional contact information as part of the membership signup process. Profiles provide these extra fields. On this step of the contribution page wizard, you may select one ore more existing profiles for inclusion on the form.

If you haven't yet defined a profile with the fields whose information you want to collect, simply proceed to the next step of the wizard. Save your work on the Contribution page, define the Profile you want, and come back to the Contribution page to assign the profile.

Premiums tab

Premiums are thank you gifts and incentives offered to organization contributors. They are most commonly associated with tiered donation levels, though they could be created for use with memberships. Before including premiums on a contribution page, you must configure them through Contributions > Premiums (Thank-you Gifts).

The Premiums tab of the contribution page wizard controls the introductory text, contact information, and other premium-related details.

Contribution widgets is used for displaying fundraising goals, so Widgets are usually not used for membership pages. Personal Campaign Pages are geared toward obtaining help from visitors toward fundraising efforts, so Personal Campaign pages are usually not used for membership pages.

Test drive your membership sign-up/renewal page

Once you finish configuring and setting up the details of your event, you are well advised to test drive the event to make sure all the pieces of the event process are working according to your expectations: Contributions > Manage Contribution Pages > click Links next to your membership sign-up/renewal page > click Test-drive.

You may want to test the following:

• Do the description of the event, dates, cost of the event, etc., make sense and match your organisation's plans?
• Are the messages that confirm the registration clear?
• Did you receive the email message that confirms and thanks you for registering?
• If it's a paid event, did payment processing work?

Test the event through the eyes of a person who is registering for the event, to make sure the flow of the registration process guides the person effortlessly each step of the way. After initial testing, if you send your invitation email to a person in the organisation that hasn't been directly involved in the the configuration of the event, you can get a fresh point of view that represents what your contacts will feel during the process. 

When using the Test-drive Registration option, you see the same registration pages as a regular user, but the online payment isn't really debited from your card (and you can enter a fake one).

Publishing your membership sign-up/renewal page

After completing the contribution page wizard, return to the listing of Contribution pages, where you will find the page you've just created: Contributions > Manage Contribution Pages. You can now view the page, test the functionality, or return to the configuration options and make adjustments.

At this point you've completed the Contribution page but have not made it visible or available to website visitors. Depending on the environment in which CiviCRM is operating, this will be accomplished in different ways.

• Drupal: Contributions > Manage Contribution Pages > click Links next to your membership sign-up/renewal page > click Live Page to view the finished page. You can then copy the URL and include it in a content page or assign it to a menu item.

• Joomla!: The most direct way to expose your membership signup/renewal page to the front of your website is by:

1. creating a menu item. Navigate to a menu and create a new CiviCRM item.
2. From the list of menu options, choose Contributions.
3. In the basic parameters section, select the contribution page you would like exposed from the dropdown menu.
4. Save the menu item and view the website to confirm the page's functionality.

Everyday tasks

This chapter will describe some of the everyday tasks to help you create, edit, renew, and manage your memberships.

Managing Memberships

To see a summary of the status of your memberships over recent months, as well as a details  about these memberships, you can use the membership dashboard or or view the membership in an individual's contact record.

The Membership Dashboard

To see  a quick snapshot of your recent memberships, use the membership dashboard:  Memberhips > Dashboard. This screen contains two blocks of information that display a summary or your recent memberships, categorised by type and date range, and a list of recent member activity.

 

All of the summary numbers are hot-linked. Simply click on a number to drill down and view a list of members who have joined or renewed over the last two months or the year-to-date, or who are considered current according to the membership status definitions. From this list of members, you can perform additional actions with the memberships, such as Delete, Edit, Export, Send Email to Contacts.

Viewing An Individual's Membership Records

Another way to view membership records is by viewing an specific individual's record and looking at the Membership tab:

• After finding the contact you wish to manage, click the "Membership" tab to view a summary of the contact's membership records.

Membership records appear in a list with active memberships (those with a current status) first and followed by expired or canceled memberships.

You can edit existing membership records, renew a membership, or create a new membership record. If you have configured an online credit card payment processor for use in CiviCRM, you will see two options for creating or renewing a membership: one for handling an offline record (no real-time transaction taking place), and one for handling an online record (using a real-time credit card transaction). The interface for each process is very similar, except that the credit card option includes payment processing and recording options.

Creating a New Membership

To create a new membership record, you can:

• Find the contact, then click on the Membership tab > Add New Membership, then fill out the "New Membership" form, OR
• Click Memberships > New Membership, then select the contact or create a new contact who will be getting the membership, then fill out the "New Member" form

Many of the fields on this page will be auto-completed if left blank. Fields include:

• Membership Organization and Type: select the name of the organization that the contact has a membership with and the type of membership.
• Source: The system will complete details regarding the record, including whether it was an offline or online transaction and who completed the record.Status Override
• Campaign: if the membership is connected with a larger campaign, select the name of the campaign. To learn more, see the section on "Campaigns".
• Member Since: The date the membership record was created will be auto-filled, but you can edit this date with the actual date that the member joined.
• Start Date: If the membership type is a rolling membership, the current date will be auto-filled. If the membership type is a fixed period, CiviCRM will determine the appropriate start date based on the membership type configuration.
• End Date: This field is automatically calculated from the start date and filled in based on the membership type settings.
• Status Override?: check this box to manually define a status for the membership record. As indicated by the title, it overrides the status automatically provided. You should use caution with this field as setting it will disable the automated status function for the record.
• Record Membership Payment?: By checking the box and completing the transaction fields displayed, you are creating two associated records: a membership record and a contribution record. After recording the membership, you will be able to view the membership record and see the related contribution record at the bottom.

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• Send Confirmation and Receipt?: check this box to send an email to the contact that their membership is confirmed

Renewing memberships

Naturally, you expect your constituents not only to join your organization, but to maintain their membership on an ongoing basis through renewals. CiviCRM facilitates the renewal process: Search for the contact > click on the "Membership" tab > click MORE next to the membership record to renew > Renew.

Batch updating memberships

You can batch update membership records by selecting Memberships > Find Members > enter your criteria and from the "Find Members" results screen, select the membership records and click Batch update. You'll need to

Canceling, expiring and deleting memberships

If a contact wants to resign or cancel their membership, rather than deleting their membership, you should change the status to cancelled or another status that is not considered current.  This ensures that you keep a historical record on the contacts interaction with your organisation.

You may want to delete a membership record if you accidently created a membership for the wrong contact. The contact is not deleted, only the membership record is deleted. This action cannot be undone.

You can delete membership records by: 

• Searching for a particular contact, then click on the "Membership" tab > click More next to the membership record > click Delete, OR
• Click on Memberships > Find Members > enter your criteria and from the "Find Members" results screen, select the membership records and click Delete.

Exporting membership records

You may decide to export membership records so that you can do more analysis, perform document mail merges, or create a specific type of report outside of CiviCRM. Exporting membership records allows you to select a default set of primary fields or choose fields that are specific to the membership record for export.

To export membership records:

• Click on Memberships > Find Members > enter your criteria,
• then on the "Find Members" search results screen, select the records you want to import and in -actions- drop down, select Export Members.

Sending email to members

After searching your records, you may want to send an email to selected contacts and include data field tokens to personalize the email message. To learn more about emailing and tokens in CiviCRM, see the section called "Email".

To send email to members:

• Click on Memberships > Find Members > enter your criteria,
• then on the "Find Members" search results screen, select the records you want to import and in -actions- drop down, select Send Email to Contacts.

Reports and analysis

There are a number of techniques for reporting on and analysing your memberships.  The membership dashboard gives a quick overview of your current membership, with rows for each membership type and columns that current totals, and year and month to date figures.

That's a good start but there are a couple of ways that you can create more detailed and customised analysis using CiviCRM's search features and CiviReport.

If you are interested in the financial aspects of membership, you may also find the reports and analysis chapter in contributions useful.

Membership reports

Out of the box, CiviCRM comes with three membership reports designed to tell you something specific about your membership.

The membership report (detail) shows a line for each member.  The membership report (summary) shows members grouped by any criteria you specify.  For example, you can look at the amount of members that have joined each year for the last 10 years or show members broken down by country of origin or any other custom data that you collect on them.  Clicking on any row in the summary report will take you to the a corresponding detail report for that row. The membership report (lapsed) provides a list of memberships that lapsed or will lapse before the date you specify.

Searching based on membership data

CiviCRM makes an important distinction between contacts and memberships, which is blurred when we talking about 'members'.  Consider the following question: 'How many members do we have?'  This could be taken to mean 'how many contacts do we have that are members?', or 'how many memberships have we granted to contacts?'.  The answer to these questions is often be the same but what happens if one of your contacts has more than one membership?  The answer is that you'll have two memberships but only one contact.

There's no right or wrong answer to the question should we look at contacts or memberships.  It just depends on what you are interested in.  It is important to take this into consideration when carrying out a search.

The Find members search allows you to search based on membership data and return membership data.  The Advanced search allows you to search based on some limited membership information (and combine that with other contact information) and return contacts.  You can also choose membership from the Display Results As column to show members rather than contacts.

Searching based on criteria gives you access to simple totals and also the option to export as CSV for further analysis.

Further analysis

If CiviReport and the contact and membership searches aren't giving you want you want, consider commissioning a new report or custom search.  Read the CiviReport section and the 'Search and actions' chapter for more information.

EMAIL

What is CiviMail

什么是CiviMail

The CiviMail component extends CiviCRM's core email functionality with sophisticated tools for handling mass email campaigns. It can reliably deliver a high volume of email and provide detailed reports on the results and effectiveness of those emails.   CiviMail is often used to complement other CiviCRM components, for example to send emails to non members to encourage them to become members or to send emails to people that are yet to register for an event.

 CiviMail是慈善通核心邮件功能的延伸，它采取复杂的方法和工具处理大量的邮件进出。您可以使用它传送大容量的邮件，十分可靠，并且可以依赖它得到关于这些邮件的成果和有效性的详细报告。CiviMail和慈善通的其他部分相辅相成。例如您可以通过它发送邮件给非会员，鼓励他们成为会员；或者发送邮件给那些还没有登记活动的人。

CiviCRM's mail features, including CiviMail, interact with your mail server software. Configuring the mail server and CiviMail are system administrator tasks, which may require professional assistance. You will also need to verify with your web hosting provider whether they meet the configuration requirements, and verify that they don't put limits you might exceed on the number of emails you can send per day. 

慈善通的邮件功能（包括CiviMail） 和您的邮件服务器直接联系。设置邮件服务器和CiviMail是系统管理员的任务，所以可能需要技术人员的协助。您还需要和您的网络供应商联络，确保他们的网络设置达到CiviMail配置的最低要求。另外，请确保您每天能够发送和接收的邮件数量没有受到网络供应商的限制。

Scenario: Peace centre 

情景模拟： 圣艾格缇娜和平和解中心的案例

St Egeltina's Centre for Peace and Reconciliation use CiviEvent to run a yearly event programme on a number of different themes. They have set up a mailing list page where people can sign up to be informed of all events only events that interest them. They then use CiviMail to send out emails to those people based on those events. When someone unsubscribes from an event theme mailing list, CiviCRM keeps a record of the fact that they have unsubscribed. 

圣艾格缇娜和平和解中心使用CiviEvent组织了一个一年一度的多主题的活动。他们建立了一个邮件发送名单。加入这个邮件发送名单的人们会收到他们感兴趣的活动的信息。当有人退订了某一个活动主题的邮件发送名单之后，慈善通也会保留他们退订的记录。

St Egeltina's also automatically subscribe anyone who has been to an event on a specific theme to receive emails about that theme. They don't have to worry about spamming people that have unsubscribed from a thematic event mailing list, as CiviCRM will remember that they have unsubscribed and not re-subscribe them.

圣艾格缇娜和平和解中心也会自动使那些曾经参加过某个主题的活动的人加入那个特定活动主题的邮件发送名单， 这样他们就可以收到活动的信息。人们不用担心一旦退订之后会不会还继续收到邮件的问题。当退订之后，慈善通就不会再发送该活动主题的邮件给已退订的用户，也不会再一次自动使他们加入名单。

From time to time, St. Egeltina's send out other emails to a mailing list that includes nearly all contacts on their database with personal messages from the centre director highlighting particular issues. Often two similar versions of the same email are sent to different groups in their database to test which message formats are more effective. They can do this by sending the email to half the contacts in a particular group and then sending another email which excludes contacts that have already received the first email.

一段时间以后，圣艾格缇娜和平和解中心会发送其他邮件给一份邮件发送名单。这份名单里几乎包括了他们数据库里不同分类的、包含个人信息的所有联络人。有时候他们会发送两封相似版本的邮件给不同的分组，进而测试哪一份邮件的格式更有效。为了做到这点，他们可以发送一封邮件给一个特定组群的一半联络人，然后再发送另外一封邮件给这个组群里那些没有接到第一封邮件的人。

Scenario: mobilising with email

情景模拟：  邮件的可移动性

The Townsville Organisation For Tenants (TOFT) held a survey and petition to gather data and support for the campaign Demand Affordable Public Housing. The survey was undertaken by volunteers visiting selected constituents in their homes while the petition was widely promoted to the public who could sign and answer questions online.

唐镇房客联合会发起了一项调查请愿，希望大家支持“负担得起的公共住房”运动。志愿者们走访被选中的参与者的家中完成调查。这次请愿也被广泛宣传，大家可以在网上签名和回答问题。

 

In the early stages of the campaign, the TOFT volunteer coordinator searched for contacts in the group Volunteers and used the Send email action to send a general email asking for volunteers to help with the survey. From those who responded that they were available, a small group were trained to carry out the home visits and record survey responses.

在这次运动的早期，唐镇房客联合会的志愿者负责人在志愿者群中搜寻联络人，并且利用发送邮件的功能发送一封总的邮件动员志愿者来帮助完成调查。从回应邮件并说明自己可以帮忙的人中，一小组人被选中。他们接受培训，并且最终完成家中走访和统计调查问卷结果的任务。

 

Once the online petition had been created using tools in CiviCampaign, the TOFT communications officer created an email including text, images and links to promote the campaign and encourage people to click through to the site and complete the online petition. This email was then sent out to the entire database using CiviMail, including a forwarding link so that recipients could easily distribute the email widely through their own networks.

唐镇房客联合会利用CiviCampaign拟定好了网上请愿书之后，负责联络的人员写了一封邮件，其中包括文本，图片，还有网页链接。 他们想通过这封邮件推广了这次运动，并且鼓励人们点击邮件中的链接去活动的主页上填写网上请愿书。利用CiviMail, 这封邮件被发给了数据库里的所有人。邮件里还有一个转发的链接，这样邮件发送名单里的人也可以把这封邮件发给他们各自网络或者圈子里的朋友。

CiviMail enabled TOFT to track responses to this mass emailing; reports were generated showing that 89% of recipients clicked through to sign the petition, and 75% forwarded it on to others. This data was then compared with previous offline petition and survey efforts to demonstrate the increased reach of the campaign through using CiviCRM. 

CiviMail使得唐镇房客联合会的人可以追踪这封邮件的所有回复。报告显示，89%的邮件收信人点了链接并签了请愿书，75%的人转发了这封邮件给其他人。对比这些数据和以往线下的请愿活动和调查问卷的数据，可以发现，使用慈善通扩大了运动的宣传范围。

What You Need To Know

你需要知道什么

This chapter outlines some key concepts and questions that are useful for planning the use of CiviCRM's email capabilities. This chapter should be read before you start sending emails to contacts.

这一章将简要的介绍慈善通邮件功能的一些基本概念和使用方法，请在使用该功能发送邮件前阅读这一章。

Key Concepts 

As you might expect for a web-based CRM, email plays a central role in CiviCRM. Broadly speaking, there are three situations in which email is sent from CiviCRM:

• as part of workflows that happen in other components, for example, an event registration confirmation email
• to individuals and small groups of people (via the Send email action)
• as a mass mailing via CiviMail.

A substantial part of this section deals with CiviMail, but it will also be useful if you are using other components of CiviCRM that interact with email without enabling CiviMail.   

Every email sent, via the Send email action or using CiviMail, is treated as an activity and stored in the activity history of each recipient so you can see, for example, that John Doe made a donation three days after he received your April newsletter. 

基本概念

作为一个基于网页的应用，慈善通非常倚重邮件的运用。总的来说，有三种情况可以使用慈善通发送邮件：

1： 其他活动的工作流程中需要发邮件，比方说，活动中确认注册的邮件

2： 发送给个人或者小组

3： 使用CiviMail发送批量邮件

这些经常会用到CiviMail，但是在不使用CiviMail的情况下，你也可以使用慈善通其他的功能和外界的邮件沟通。

每次发送邮件的时候，不论是通过“发送邮件任务”还是通过CiviMail，都会作为活动记录，所有的收件人都会被记录下来。例如，你可以通过记录知道，约翰·丹在收到你发送给他的四月时事更新邮件的三天后，捐赠了一善款。

Send email and CiviMail 

When the CiviMail component is enabled, CiviCRM offers two options for sending email to contacts:

• send an email as an activity for a contact: this is suitable for sending emails to individuals and small groups
• send a Mailing to a group using CiviMail: this is ideal for mass mailings or scheduled emails to small groups.

 There are crucial differences between the Send email action and the CiviMail component:

• emails sent via the Send email action are limited to a maximum of 50 email addresses, and there is no reporting other than an activity record for each recipient
• CiviMail emails have sophisticated bounce processing and reporting
• CiviMail allows recipients to manage their own subscriptions
• CiviMail can be configured to automatically track replies.

CiviMail requires more work to configure and there are more steps involved in sending each email than using the core email functionality within CiviCRM; however, once you have enabled and configured CiviMail you will have greatly enhanced mass email capabilities.

Working out which method to use for each email might not be immediately apparent. Over time, the best practices and the right tool for each situation will become more obvious and can be shared among your users. 

发送邮件和使用CiviMail

当加载了CiviMail的组件以后，慈善通提供两种发送邮件的方式：

1： 以活动的形式发送邮件给联络人： 适用于发邮件给个人或者人数较少的小组

2： 使用CiviMail发送群邮件： 非常适用于发送批量邮件和定时发送群邮件

发送邮件功能和CiviMail组件之间有几个大的区别：

1： 使用发送邮件功能只能发给最多50个收件人，而且只有一个发送记录，但是没有发送报告

2： CiviMail有非常复杂的恢复过程和报告机制

3： CiviMail使收件人可以管理自己的订阅和退订

4： CiviMail可以设置自动跟踪恢复

与慈善通的邮件功能比，发送邮件时CiviMail需要更多的时间跟步骤设置好配置要求。但是，一旦加载并配备好CiviMail之后，可以使用它加强的处理大批量邮件的功能。

使用者不用一开始就做决定到底使用哪一种方法发送不同的邮件。使用一段时间以后，对于不同的情景下需要不同的功能的选择就会比较明显，也可以与用户们分享。

When to use the Send email action

The advantage of sending emails to your contacts via CiviCRM is that each email is recorded as an activity with a contact, allowing other staff members to easily determine whether a contact was sent a particular message. It is also a quicker option than setting up a mass mailing as long as you are contacting fewer than 50 recipients.

The Send email activity offers all the functionality of an email client: you can attach files, CC and BCC contacts, and use message templates. This option is available even when the CiviMail component is disabled. 

Note that CiviCRM is not suitable for conducting extended email exchanges. For those, you need to use your regular email client. If you want to record the fact that you had an email exchange with somebody, you could create an activity called Email Exchange and copy and paste your email conversation in the body as you would a record of a telephone call. You can also use the Autofiling outbound email option described below.

You can record this Send an email activity for multiple contacts at one time. However, it is recommended that you use CiviMail's Scheduled Mailing tool if you want to message more than about 50 contacts to avoid having your email marked as spam. 

什么时候使用发送邮件功能

使用慈善通发送邮件的好处是，每一封邮件都会被当做联络人的活动而记录下来，这样其他的成员就可以方便的看到有没有发送某一封邮件给某一个收件人。而且如果收件人少于50个的时候，使用发送邮件的功能比设置大批量的邮件便捷很多。

发送邮件的活动提供了一个邮件用户的所有功能： 你可以添加附件、可以抄送和密送、可以使用邮件模板。就算CiviMail组件没有安装的时候这些功能也可以使用。

请注意：慈善通不适用邮件代理应用。需要使用那些功能的话，你必须使用自己的邮件服务商。（见上highlight的部分。）你也可以使用下面描述的自动发送文件的邮件选项。

你可以一次性记录多个联络人的发送邮件的活动。但是，如果你想发送信息给多于50个收件人，那么最好使用CiviMail的定时发送工具，这样你的邮件就不会被收件人的邮箱标注为垃圾邮件。

When to use CiviMail Mailings  

Mass mailings to groups of contacts should always be sent using the Mailings tool provided by the CiviMail component. This will enable you capture statistics about the success of your mailing, including bounce statistics and click-throughs. CiviMail will also ensure that a mailing to a large group does not overwhelm your email server, and lets you set up a specific automatic response to each mailing.

什么时候使用CiviMail邮件

发送大量邮件给很多人的时候，最好使用CiviMail组件的邮件工具。它能帮你捕捉你发送成功的邮件的统计数据，包括恢复的数据和点击数。CiviMail还能够保证大批量的收发邮件不会给邮件服务器增加太大的负担。此外，CiviMail还可以让你自由设置自动回复。

Choosing recipients 

Both methods of sending email have two options for choosing recipients: one from the tool's interface and the other based on search results.

• Sending an email as an activity allows you to choose recipients after you start the mailing, as you would in a regular email client. You can choose direct recipients and recipients marked as CC or BCC. It is also possible to send email to recipients chosen based on search results, as long as there are fewer than 50.
• Mass mailings can only be sent to groups marked as Mailing Lists, which must be created prior to sending an email. (Read more in the Tags & Groups chapter). It is possible to send a mass Mailing to contacts based on search results, but CiviCRM will create a special group for each such mailing. 

 选择收件人

不论是发送邮件功能还是CiviMail组件，选择收件人的方式都有两种：第一种是从邮件的页面选择，另外一种是基于搜索结果。

1. 发送邮件功能可以让你在开始写邮件之后选择收件人，就像平常的邮件服务一样。你可以选择直接收件人、抄送的收件人、密送的收件人。另外，也可以通过搜索结果选择收件人，但是一定要少于50个。

2. 批量邮件只能发给已经成组的收件人，所以必须在发送邮件之前就订好收件人（阅读标记和群组那一章了解更多）。批量邮件也可以使用搜索结果形成的联系人列表，但是慈善通会为每一个批量邮件创建特殊的组。

Tokens and personalisation

Tokens can be used to insert personalised text, such as a person's name, into an email. Tokens are placeholders that CiviCRM recognizes and replaces with an appropriate value when sending each message. The list of tokens available to you will include tokens for custom data fields that you may have created for individual data, such as gender or ethnicity. Note that not all tokens available in CiviMail are also available in the Send email activity.

You can include a direct link to the person's contact dashboard so that they can review their registration details after logging in, or you can use the checksum token to allow them to edit a specific profile or submit a contribution without logging in.

See more details about Tokens in the Tokens and Mail Merge chapter in the Working with Your Data section.

占位符和个人定制

占位符可以插入个人文本，比如在邮件里插入人名。换句话所，占位符就是位置标识符，慈善通在发送信息的时候使用占位符识别和替代相应的数值。可使用的占位符包括定制数据段。你可以使用它创造个人数据，例如性别和种族。值得注意的是，在CiviMail中可用的占位符不一定能在发送邮件任务中使用。

你可以添加一个直接跳转到到用户的联络人面板的链接，这样在登录以后他们可以直接注册的细节。你也可以使用检验和，这样用户可以在不登陆的情况下就可以编辑个人资料和提交贡献记录。

更多关于占位符的细节将在“处理你的数据”部分的“占位符和邮件合并”那一章介绍。

From Email addresses

Both mass and regular email can be sent from your personal address, from a general email address associated with your organisation, or from another person's address. For example, an assistant can send official email messages under the name of his manager.

关于邮件地址

不论是批量邮件还是常规的邮件都可以用个人的地址发送 ——个人所属的组织，或者其他人的地址，都可以。例如，一个助理可以以她的经理的名义发送正式邮件文件。

Headers & Footers

In mass mailings only, you can include customised headers and footers. You can configure custome headers and footers under Administer > CiviMail > Headers, Footers, and Automated Messages.

抬头和注脚

只限批量邮件使用。你可以在管理>CiviMail>抬头、注脚和自动生成信息 里加入抬头和注脚。

Unsubscribing

CiviCRM requires that you allow recipients to unsubscribe from any mailing list and opt out of ever getting email from you. See the chapter on Set-up to learn how to easily include an unsubscribe link in each mailing. 

退订

慈善通要求你必须允许收件人退订任何邮件发送名单和退出邮件。详见“安装”那一章了解如何简单的在每一封邮件里加入退订的链接。

Templates

Templates for emails or parts of emails help to streamline your communications by reusing entire emails or parts of emails such as headers and footers. Email templates can be created either beforehand or when you send an email, and edited at any time.

模板

邮件的模板或段落的模板可以调整邮件，加入抬头和注脚，使语言表达更流畅。邮件模板既可以在写邮件之前使用，也可以在即将要发送邮件前使用，你可以随时编辑它。

Reporting

CiviMail can track mass mailings, providing useful information to help you understand the areas your recipients are interested in and gauge the effectiveness of your communications. You can track how many recipients opened the email and which links in the email were popular.

A word of warning about email opening statistics: CiviMail tracks the opening of a message by inserting an invisible image in the body of the email. The majority of email clients have the display of images disabled by default and unless the user chooses to display images, their email will not be recorded as opened. You will therefore definitely have more readers than the number reported. In our experience, a 30% reported opening rate can be considered good. This is obviously different for each organisation and each group you send emails to.

Don't focus too much on the absolute numbers, but rather use them as a way of comparing different mailings you send. You might want to use them to experiment with different layouts, writing styles, and lengths and see what works best for your constituents.

报告

CiviMail可以追踪批量邮件，提供有用的数据，帮助你了解你的收件人对哪方面的活动感兴趣，并且精准的测量邮件表达的有效性。你可以追踪多少收件人查看了邮件，以及哪些链接最吸引人。

一个关于查看邮件数据的提示：CiviMail利用一个隐形的插入图片追踪到底多少人打开了邮件。大部分邮件用户关闭了自动显示图片的功能。所以，除非用户选择打开图片，他们的邮件就不会被CiviMail的系统标记为已打开。因此，你可能会有比报告的数字多出很多的人查看了邮件。这一点在不同的组织和群组之间会有明显差异。

别太关注那些绝对数字，但是要比较它们来分析你所发出的不同的邮件。你可以用他们来做实验，分析不同的板式，写作长度，邮件长度，等等，进而发现哪一种类型最适合你要发送邮件的人群。

Autofiling external emails in CiviCRM

CiviCRM lets you file email sent via your email client against contacts in your database. You need to set up a special email address that you include in the BCC field of an email you are sending. This will be read by the database and converted into an activity. This activity gets filed in the record of the contact that matches the email address. If that email address does not exist in your database a new contact record will be created. See the Set-up chapter for details.

慈善通中的自动外发邮件

慈善通让你能够使用你自己的邮件服务商发送邮件给你的数据库里的联系人。你必须设置一个特殊的邮件地址，这个地址要能让你密送邮件。数据库读取以后就会使它转变成一个任务。这个任务会在联系人的记录中寻找想匹配的邮件地址。如果你的数据库里没有那个邮件地址，新的联系人就会自动添加。详见“安装”那一章。

 

Key Questions

• For a given message, do you need to send it to more than 50 contacts?
• Does your organisation send out regular email newsletters?
• Have you created a list (a Group or Smart Group) to which to send your email?
• Do you want to know who is opening your email and clicking on links in it? 
• Will you want to track replies to your mass mailing?
• Do you want recipients to be able to view your mailing in a browser window if they have trouble viewing it from their email browser?
• Who should be the sender of the email? This could be a generic organisation address, or personalised with someone's name.
• Is there content you'd like to include in the header and/or footer in every mailing? 
• Would you like to allow people to sign up for your newsletter online?
• Would it be useful to create standardized email templates that can be used again and again for newsletters and the like?

 关键问题

对于这封邮件，你要发送给超过50个收件人吗？

你的组织定期发送时事更新邮件吗？

发送邮件时你创建过一个列表（小组和高级小组）吗？

你想知道谁查看了你发送的邮件，谁点了那些链接吗？

你想追踪你的批量邮件的回复吗？

你希望收件人在没办法在邮件浏览器中阅读你的邮件时，能在网页浏览器中查看邮件吗？

谁是邮件的发送人？发送人可以是一个单位的邮件地址，也可以用某人的名字。

有没有什么抬头和注脚是你希望每一封邮件里都有的？

你希望人们可以订阅你的电子版实时更新吗？

创建一个标准的邮件模板，让它可以在实时更新邮件中一再被使用，这会不会有帮助？

Other Considerations

Many CiviCRM components interact with email functionality and with CiviMail, for example to send confirmation, thank-you and receipting emails. The sections of this book relating to each component will include some information about customising these emails, and should be read in conjunction with this section in order to give you a full understanding of how email works in the broader context of CiviCRM.

其他考虑

慈善通很多的组件与邮件功能、CiviMail互动，如发送确认信，感谢信，和收信回执。这本书的每个部分谈到不同的组件时，会包括如何定制相应的邮件。这些章节要和本章一起阅读，这样会让你完整了解慈善通的邮件是如何运作的。

Privacy Issues

We encourage you to consider privacy issues. Different countries have different laws relating to email privacy, including opt out/unsubscribe options. There may also be issues related to CiviMail's tracking tools; for instance, you may wish to avoid tracking who has clicked on the "how to deal with drug issues" link on a specific mailing. 

隐私问题

我们鼓励你考虑隐私问题。不同的国家对于邮件隐私有不同的规定，例如对退出和退订的规定各个国家不同。CiviMail的追踪工具也会涉及到一些隐私问题，例如，某个邮件里，有一个“怎么处理毒品问题”的链接，你可能需要避免追踪谁点了它。

Set Up

This chapter describes how to set up information such as from email addresses, mailing groups and email templates. It assumes that the basic functionality necessary for your server to send and process emails in the first place has already been configured. See "System Configuration" for details. 

安装

这章将要介绍如何安装，例如发送自哪些地址、发送小组和邮件模板。这里我们会默认你的邮件服务器的收发邮件的最基本的功能已经安装成功了。详见“系统安装”章节。

Configuring the domain information

Your domain information is basic information about your organization: name, a short description, your email address and your physical postal address.  CiviMail requires that you include the sender's physical address along with unsubscribe/optout links in any mass mailing you send, in order to comply with privacy laws in many countries. This information is made available via tokens and must be included in any mail sent with CiviMail.

To configure the domain information, go to: Administer > Configure > Domain Information.

配置域信息

你的域名信息就是关于你的组织的简单的信息：组织名称、简要概述、你的邮件地址和你的实际物理地址。CiviMail要求你在发送的大批量的邮件中，一定要包括发送人的物理地址和取消订阅和退出小组的链接。这样在很多国家才能保证隐私政策的实行。在CiviMail中，这个信息通过占位符实现，并且必须包括在将要发送的邮件内。

设置域名信息，请查看：管理－＞配置－＞域名信息

Mailing groups

CiviMail uses Groups to draw in recipients of mass mailings. To create a group, go to: Contacts > New Group. When you create and configure a Group for this purpose, make sure to check Mailing List so that it is available as a Mailing List in CiviMail.

You can also create Smart Groups based on search results. For example, based on the results of Advanced Search you can create a Smart Group of contacts who have active memberships, or a Smart Group of contacts in a given city. The Smart Group membership will always match the search criteria at any given moment. This makes it possible to to send mailings without having to first update the contacts in a group.

发送小组

CiviMail使用小组功能添加大批量邮件的收件人。创造小组时，请去：联系人->新的小组。当你完成创建和配置时，请确保在邮件列表那一行打勾，这样这个小组才能在CiviMail中作为一个邮件发送名单使用。

你也可以创建一个基于搜索结果的高级小组。例如，在高级搜索的结果中，你可以创建一个高级小组，这个小组里的人都是活跃的会员；或者创建一个同城联系人的高级小组。高级小组的会员制度总是会和特定时间某一些搜索条件相匹配。这样，在每次发送邮件之前，就没有必要先更新小组中的联系人。

To create a Smart Group:

1. Go to Advanced Search or Find Contact and run a search query based on the criteria for your group.
   
2. On the search results page, click the radio button that selects all the records.
3. Click on - more actions -, select New Smart Group and then click Go.
   
4. The next screen provides a review of the criteria chosen for the Smart Group. Give the Smart Group a name and (optionally) a description, and make the Smart Group a Mailing List.
5. Click Save Smart Group.

Allow people to sign up for your mailing lists online

CiviCRM makes it possible for people to sign themselves up to mailing lists online. To do this, you must designate the group as a mailing list.

Click Contacts > Manage Groups. Click Settings on the group that holds your mailing list recipients and check Mailing List.  You must also change the Visibility to Public Pages.   

允许人们在网上加入你的邮件发送名单

慈善通让人们可以在网上方便的加入邮件发送免单。做到这一点，你必须指定小组为邮件发送名单。

点击“联系人”->“管理小组”。点击存放你的邮件发送免单的小组上的“设置”，然后在邮件发送名单那一栏打勾。你还必须改变可见性，使其对公共网页可见。

This will be any Group of the Mailing List type with visibility set to Public Pages. For this to work for users who don't have a log-in to your CiviCRM, you must ensure that anonymous users in Drupal have the following permission checked: "Access CiviMail subscribe/unsubscribe pages". 

任何一个邮件发送名单都要设置成为对公众可见。对于没有注册慈善通的用户，你也必须保证匿名用户有以下权限“可订阅和退订CiviMail”

You and anyone who accesses the following link can subscribe to these mailing list groups: www.yourdomain.org/civicrm/mailing/subscribe. This is one way that users can subscribe to an email list online.

任何人（也包括你）都可以通过点击 www.yourdomain.org/civicrm/mailing/subscribe 订阅不同的邮件发送名单。这是用户网上订阅邮件发送名单的一种方法。

After people subscribe to groups on this page, they will be sent an email asking them to confirm their subscription and their details will appear in CiviCRM with their group subscription set to Pending. When they click the confirmation link in the email, their group subscription will be set to Added. Note: When users subscribe to multiple groups at once, an confirmation email is sent for each group separately. 

当人们在这一页面订阅了某些小组以后，随后将会受到邮件询问确认订阅；并且他们的信息和订阅小组的名称会被发送给慈善通，等待批准。如果他们点击了邮件中的确认链接，他们就会被加入相应的邮件发送名单里。注意：当用户同时订阅不同的小组是，每一个小组都会单独发一封确认邮件。

Alternately, you can collect more information while people sign up to your mailing lists with the use of profiles.  

 当人们订阅你的邮件发送名单时，你可以收集他们的信息。

To do this, you must designate each group that you want people to be able to sign up for as a mailing list.

为了做到这一点，你必须指定每一个小组都能够接纳人们订阅。

Click Contacts > Manage Groups. Click Settings on the group that holds your mailing list recipients and check Mailing List.  You must also change the Visibility to Public Pages.  

点击 “联系人”->“管理小组”。在存有你的邮件发送名单的收件人的小组上点“设置”，选中“邮件发送名单”。你同时也必须设置使其对公众可见。

You must then set up a profile. For additional information on how to do this, see the Profiles chapter. 

你必须设置一个档案。如何设置档案，请详见档案那一章。

For example, you could create a new profile called Newsletter Sign-up. Add the fields to this profile that you'd like website visitors who want to join your mailing list to fill out. Each of the fields in the profile must have a Visibility of Public Pages. For example, you may want to collect First Name, Last Name, and zip code or post code. For each of these fields, you must decide what information you require and what is optional.  

例如，你可以新建一个档案，叫做实时通讯注册。如果你希望那些加入邮件发送名单的网页浏览者在档案中填上什么信息，就在这个新建的档案中添加相应的字段。每一个字段都要对公共页面可见。例如，需要的信息有姓、名，邮编号码。你还要决定哪些信息是强制的，哪些是任选的。

At the very least, this profile must include an email field that has the Required? checkbox checked. This is so that an email can be sent to the person to confirm that they wanted to sign up for the mailing list. Until they confirm, they will have a status of "Pending" in the mailing list group. 

最起码的一点，这个档案一定要包含一个邮件地址的字段，并且被选中。因为加入了邮件发送名单的用户需要通过激活收到的邮件才能够确认已加入。在他们激活之前，他们加入邮件发送名单的状态都是“待处理”。

You must add a field for the mailing lists groups that you want them to be able to sign up for. Do the following:

你必须添加一个字段允许用户选择注册哪些邮件发送名单小组。做到这一点，请按照以下步骤设置：

Click Add Field. For Field Name, select Contacts. When the possible selections load in the second field, select Group(s). In Field Label, you can leave "Group(s)" or you may want to change it to something more intuitive to your website visitors such as "Newsletter Sign-up". Visibility for this field must also be set to Public Pages. 

点击“添加字段”。字段名称选择“联系人”。当第二个字段加载完成时，选择“小组”。在字段标签那， 你可以直接写“小组”，或者你也可以改成对你的网页访客更明确的词汇，比方说“注册实时通讯邮件发送小组”。这个字段也必须对公共页面可见。

To allow people to actually use this form, you can either share a link directly or embed this set of fields in your website as a form. Return to the listing of profiles and click More to the far right of your profile. Click Use Profile-Create Mode. The link you want will appear in a new window or tab. You can this link to allow users to sign up for your mailing lists. 

为了使这个表格对网页访客可见，你可以选择发送一个链接，或者直接在你的网页上嵌入一个含有这些字段的表格。返回档案列表，然后点击“档案”最右边的“更多”。点击“使用创建档案模式”。对应的链接就会出现在新的标签页或者窗口。你可以使用这个链接让用户订阅和加入你的邮件发送名单。

Alternately, you can embed this set of fields as a form in your website. Navigate to Profiles from the Administration menu and click More. Select HTML Form Snippet. Copy and paste the contents of the window that appears into a page on your website. Website visitors will be able to sign up to your website on this page. 

另外一种方法是，你可以直接把这一组字段作为一个表格嵌入你的网站。在“管理”菜单那找到“档案”，并点击“更多”。 选择“HTML表格片段”。复制弹出的新标签页或者窗口里的内容，粘贴到你的网站的一个网页。访客可以在这一页面直接加入你的网站。

 

Creating and maintaining message templates

The easiest way to create a new message template is to check the "Save as New Template" on the message creation screen. This is available both when using "Send an email" as activity and sending a mass mailing.

创建和维护信息模板

最简单的创建新信息模板的方式是在信息创建页面选中“保存为新模板”。在“发送邮件”活动和发送批量邮件中都可以使用。

You can create message templates from scratch or edit existing templates by going to Administer > Configure > Message Templates OR Administer > CiviMail > Message Templates.

你可以从0开始创建一个信息模板，或者编辑已经存在的模板。“管理”->“配置”->“信息模板”或者“管理”->CiviMail->“信息模板”。

1. Click on New Message Template.
2. Enter a Message Title and a Message Subject. You can choose to use tokens to personalize your subject line.
3. Scroll down to the HTML Message section and create your template. There are online resources that offer instructions on creating an HTML Email Template. One suggestion is to find and copy an Email Template from a website that offers samples.
   
4. One of the toolbar buttons at the top of this section lets you view the source code of your template. When you click on it, the template changes the view to show the HTML code that is being used. If you want to use HTML from a template you found externally, you need to switch to this view in order to paste in HTML code from the template. Make structural changes in your template in this mode as well.
   

Message templates are available even when CiviMail is disabled.

1. 点击“新的信息模板”。

2. 在信息主题那输入标题。你也可以使用占位符来个性化你的主题。

3. 往下滚动鼠标，在HTML的信息的区域创建你的模板。网上有很多资源介绍如何创建一个HTML邮件的模板。你可以去提供邮件模板的网站找到合适的模板，复制粘贴。

4. 这个区域上方的工具栏中，有一个按钮可以让你查看你使用的模板的来源。当你点击它的时候，模板就会变成HTML代码的模式。如果你要用HTML使用一个在其他地方找到的模板，你必须先转换格式，使模板能够HTML代码。另外还要在这个模式中改变模板的结构。

就算CiviMail没有启动的状态下，信息模板也是可以使用的。

Tips for creating templates

创建模版的小诀窍：

HTML code allowed in emails is more restricted than HTML used for web pages. For instance, it needs to use tables for layout, inline CSS and must not include background images. Here are some tips for creating a template that will look good in all mail clients:

邮件中的HTML代码比网页中的HTML代码限制的更多。比如，它需要使用表格去设计布局，层叠样式表必须呈直线排列，而且没有背景图案。以下是一些小诀窍，能够使邮件中的模板看上去很专业。

• Table border: The HTML <table> element includes an optional border attribute. Since the default value is 0, it doesn't appear unless you choose to use it. Adding it (or editing it if it is available) and setting it to 1 (e.g., <table border="1">) allows you to see the edges of your table and helps identify potential places to fix problems. Please note that HTML email templates usually have multiple tables and nested tables (tables inside tables). Make changes one at a time and switch to the HTML view to see the results. A table usually has more than one parameter, so make sure to place spaces between parameters. 

 表格边界线：HTML<表格>元素包括了一个可选择的边界线属性。因为缺省值是0，在你没有选择使用它的时候它是不会出现的。添加（或者在已存在的时候编辑）使值变成1.（例如：<table border> ="1"）这样你就能看到表格的边界了。并且这样你可以看到哪里还有多余的部分。请注意HTML格式的邮件模板有多种表格和嵌套表格（表格中还有表格）。每次只改动一个地方，然后换到HTML查看模式去检查更改后的结果。一个表格经常会有多个界限线，确保你再每一个界限线之间都加入空格。

• Table cellpadding and cellspacing: these table parameters are very useful when trying to improve the readability of your email. Play with these settings in different tables and see what works for you.
  

 表格的单元格——填充和补空：表格的界限线能帮助增强邮件的可读性。试试这些设置，看哪一种适合你的模板。

• Width: Do not send an email that is wider than 600 pixels, to ensure maximum compatibility across email clients. Make sure your outermost table does not exceed 600 pixels. Do the same for any other tables inside your main table. Also make sure that the total width of each image does not exceed 600 pixels. Images have a width parameter, but they can also have a horizontal padding parameter that, if set, can increase the width of the image.
  

 宽度：不要发送宽度大于600像素的邮件，这样能保证各个不同的邮件服务商都能够兼容这封邮件。确保你最大的表格不超过600像素。同时也要检查主表格里的每一个表格是不是也都没有超过600像素。另外，也要保证图片的总宽度也不要超过600像素。图片有一个宽度的参数，但是图片也可以有一个水平填充的参数。如果设置这个参数，图片的宽度就会增加。

• Images: these need to be online and accessible in order for you to use them. First edit your image so that its width and height is appropriate for your email template. Next save it so that its file size is as small as possible. If you do not have image editing software, or do not know how to use it, there are free online resources that can help you resize your image. 

  图片：图片必须是网络资源并且可得到的，确保你可以使用它们。首先要编辑图片，保证宽度跟高度是合适你的邮件模板的。下一步，保存图片，这样文件的容量会变小。如果你没有图片编辑软件，或者你不知道如何使用图片编辑软件，网络上有不少免费得资源可以帮助你调整图片。

Creating headers and footers

 创建页眉页脚

Headers and footers are only available for mass mailings using CiviMail. This functionality is only available when CiviMail is enabled. 

The mail header is the area at the top of the email, which should include elements that you want to be always displayed before the main content body, such as the logo of your organization and the title of the newsletter.

The default footer, which is always the last thing in the email. The footer is an ideal place for the compulsory unsubscribe tokens.

 页眉页脚只在CiviMail里面有。这个功能必须在开启了CiviMail以后才能使用。

邮件页眉是邮件上部的区域，这个区域的内容会在邮件的主题内容上方显示，例如：你的组织的标志，还有实时通讯的标题。

默认的页脚是邮件的最后一部分。在页脚部分放强制的取消订阅占位符是很好的选择。

You can manage headers and footers in Administer > CiviMail > Headers, Footers, and Automated Messages. Style them to present a coherent visual identity across all your messages. Both should be configured for maximum flexibility. For example, one or more headers can be created with different images and titles that can be used for different campaigns or programs.

After headers and footers are configured, staff who prepare a new mailing will be able to select them from available headers and footers. This helps staff create more standardized mailings with elements that help your readers identify the contents of the mailing or find information.

 你可以在这里管理页眉和页脚：“管理”->“CiviMail”->“页眉、页脚和自动信息”。调整好格式，使得他们在整个邮件中前后一致，容易识别。

Testing templates

Once your templates are ready, we strongly recommend that you test them in various email clients, such as Mozilla Thunderbird, MS Outlook, Mac Mail and web-based e-mail such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail. You can create a group that includes a test contact for each of those destinations and use it each time you create a new mailing.

Because email clients can display the HTML in emall very differently, we recommended that you keep the HTML as simple as possible and use only inline CSS or tables for formatting. Include as much of the layout as possible in the templates so that each new mailing will not require too much reviewing, the template having already been tested.

 测试模板

完成模板之后，我们强烈建议你测试模板在不同的邮件客户端的效果，例如火狐的Thunderbird，微软的outlook，苹果的Mac Mail,和基于网页的邮件客户端，例如谷歌，雅虎和热邮。你可以创建一个小组，包括所有你想测试的邮件地址，这样可以测试不同的邮件。

因为邮件客户端在显示HTML的时候各有不同的格式，我们建议你保证HTML越简单越好，而且只用直线型的层叠格式表调整格式。在模板中也尽量包括调整好的版式，这样每次新的邮件就不用太多的查看，因为模板已经被测试好了。

Plain text and HTML format

All messages can be sent either in plain text or in HTML. Today the vast majority of people can read messages received in HTML. However, the best practice is to offer the option to send a Plain text email version to ensure all recipients can view the message. Plain text email readers may display HTML email as blank. HTML email may also present accessibility issues to people using screen readers.

However, there is a danger that if users modify an email based on a template that contains both Plain Text and HTML, they will forget to modify the Plain Text version of this message. This will mean that people using Plain Text only email clients will receive a different message.

The solution is to either use Plain Text emails only or to set templates without the Plain text option and ask users to create a Plain Text version before sending mailings.

To create a plain text version of a message from HTML, follow these steps:

1. Copy HTML text into the Plain Text field
2. Copy the URLs of all links in the appropriate places in the Plain Text field
3. If the HTML text contained tables, modify the layout to ensure text is readable 

 纯文本和HTML格式

 所有的信息都可以以纯文本的形式或者HTML的格式发送。现在绝大部分的人的邮件客户端都可以接受HTML格式的信息。但是，最好还是提供纯文本邮件的选择保证所有的收件人都可以看信息。纯文本邮件的阅读者可能看不到HTML，显示为空白。对于屏幕阅读者来说，HTML邮件也有可能出问题。

但是，如果用户编辑模板时，如果模板里同时有纯文本和HTML格式，会很容易忘记编辑纯文本版本的信息。那些只是用纯文本模板的邮件客户端的用户就会收到不同的邮件。

解决方法是，要么只是用纯文本版本，要么在建立模板的时候去除纯文本选项并且要求用户在发送邮件之前手动创建纯文本的版本。

从HTML格式的信息创建纯文本的版本，请参照以下步骤：

1.粘贴HTML内容到纯文本区域

2.粘贴所有链接的URL代码到纯文本区域合适的地方

3.如果HTML文本含有表格，请编辑版式保证文本可阅读

Autofiling email conversations in CiviCRM

You can set up automatic filing of your inbound and outbound emails that are in your usual email program. They get filed as an activity for the contact(s) that match the email addresses in the From, To, and Cc fields. If the email address is not already in the system, a new contact record will be created.

For this, your administrator should have configured IMAP or other mail accounts and set them up in CiviMail (see Email System Configuration in Basic Setup for more details).

慈善通的自动填补邮件

你可以在常用的邮件软件里设置进出邮件的自动填补。当联络人匹配邮件的发送人地址，收件人地址，抄送人地址，域就被当成一个活动。如果这个邮件地址还不在系统里，新的联系人就会自动创建。

为了做到这一点，你的管理员需要在CIviMail中配置IMAP或者其他邮件账户（详见基础设置中的邮件系统配置）。

Everyday Tasks

This chapter contains step-by-step instructions for performing important everyday tasks with email.

 日常工作

这一章将分步骤详细介绍如何完成重要的邮件日常任务。

Send an email to one person (with CC and BCC)

You can use CiviCRM to send an email to individuals. Using CiviCRM for this purpose is useful if you want other people at your organisation to see the email or if you want to send an email based on a pre-defined template.

1. Find the person you wish to email. There are two common ways to do this:
   • Use the Quick Search box on the top left. Click inside the box and begin typing a part of the person's name or email address. Choose the person from the choices that are presented.
   • Navigate to Search > Find Contact.  Enter part of the person's name or email address. Click Search and click on the person's name when it shows up on the search results screen.
2. From the contact summary page, click Actions > New Activity > Send an email.
3. You can add additional recipients using the CC and BCC fields.
   
4. If you have templates defined, you can choose one to use for this email. Selecting a template populates the text content and HTML content fields with the message content from the particular template you have chosen. You can then edit that content. You can also update the template, either changing the original template or saving it as a new template.
   
   Note: Choosing a template overwrites any text you have in the message text area and on the subject line. If you would like to add a template to an existing message, it is best to insert the template first. If you have already typed some text in the message area, copy it into a separate document before applying a template.
   
5. Enter a subject line for your email, or modify the subject from the selected template as necessary.
6. If you just wish to send a Plain Text version of your email, ignore the HTML section and click on the Plain Text section. Enter your message in the box.
7. Click Send to send your message.

To see the activity that was just recorded of the email sent, click the Activities tab of the contact. 

发邮件个一个收件人（包括抄送和密送）
你可以使用慈善通发邮件给个人。这样的好处是你可以让你的同组织的人也可以看到这封邮件，或者你可以在模板的基础上发邮件。
1.找到你想发邮件的人。有两种方法寻找收件人：
使用左上角的“快速搜索”。选中它，开始输入人名或者邮件地址的部分内容。在列出来的选择中选择你要找的人。
导航到“搜索”->“寻找联系人”。输入人名火鹤邮件地址的部分内容。点击“搜索”。在显示的搜索结果页面选择你要找的人。
2.在联系人总结页面，点击“行为”->“新行为”->“发送邮件”。
3.你可以利用抄送和密送的区域添加更多的联系人。
4.如果你有已经定义好的模板，你可以选择一个加入到这个邮件。选择一个模板时，这个模板的文本内容和HTML格式的内容都会加载。之后你可以编辑内容。你也可以更新模板，要么在原来的基础上修改，要么另存外一个新的模板。
注意：选择一个模板后，你之前在信息文本区域和标题栏写的所有东西都会被替代。如果你想在现有的信息基础上添加模板，清先加载模板。如果你已经输入了一些信息，请在加载模板之前把他们复制粘贴到单独的文档中。
5.添加主题栏是必要的，或者修改模板的主题栏。
6.如果你只想发送一个纯文本的邮件，请忽视HTML区域并且点击纯文本区域。在文本框里输入你的信息。
7.点击“发送”来发送信息。
查看发送邮件时的每一个活动记录，点击联系人上的“活动”键。

Sending a quick email to less than 50 contacts

In the results from a search, CiviCRM makes "Send an email" available from the actions dropdown menu. This allows you to send an email to more than one contact at a time. Sending an email this way is relatively quick but provides no options for tracking email and doesn't give contacts the option to opt out.  It is bad practice to use this method for mass mailings, which is why it is limited to 50 contacts.  For mass mailings, use CiviMail.

1. Click Search > Find Contacts  (Advanced Search).  Choose your search criteria and click Search (or use any other search to find the contacts that you wish to email).
   
2. From the search results screen, choose some or all of the contacts and click - actions -  > Send Email to Contacts.
3. Follow the same steps as in sending an email to one person.
   

Each of the recipient contacts will have this email recorded as an activity activity. An activity will also be recorded for the sender. The acitivity record will also list all the other message recipients. Unlike with mass mailing (see below) there is no one place where all emails sent via CiviCRM are listed.

Note: If a message is sent to multiple recipients, each recipient will only see their email address (equivalent to sending via BCC).

Because the recipients don't see who else received the email, you might want to mention whom you are sending it to in the text of your mail (for instance: "TO: Members of the board, staff")

快速发送邮件（少于50个收件人）
在搜索结果中，慈善通的下拉菜单中直接就有“发送邮件”的按钮。这就使你可以同时发送邮件给多个收件人。这种方法很快，但是没有追踪邮件的功能，收件人也没有办法选择退出。对于批量发送邮件来说，这不是个好的方法，所以收件人的上限定在了50人。如果要发送大批量邮件，请使用CiviMail。
1. 点击“搜索”->“查找联系人（高级搜索）”。选择你的搜索条件，然后点击搜索（或使用其他任何搜索找到你想发送邮件的收件人）
2. 在搜索结果页面，选择部分或者全部联系人，然后点击“行动”->“发送邮件给联系人”。
3. 发送邮件给一个人也是使用上述步骤。
每一个收件的联系人的活动都会标记这封邮件为活动。发件人也会标记一个活动。这个活动记录会列出其他所有的这封邮件的收件人。不像大批量邮件（见下），大批量邮件没有一个地方放置所有通过慈善通发送的邮件。
注意：如果一个信息被发送给了多个收件人，每一个收件人都只能看到他们自己的邮件地址（等于秘密抄送）。
因为收件人不知道还有哪些人收到这封邮件，你在邮件内容中最还提及你发送给了哪些人。（例如，董事会所有成员，职员 收）

Sending a mass mailing through CiviMail

Using the Mailings functionality offered by CiviMail provides many benefits over  the "Send an email" action, allowing you to track respondents to your mailing, process bounces and allow people to unsubscribe from your mailings.

There are two ways to select the recipients for your mailing.

• If you are sending mail to an existing group, go to Mailings > New Mailing. From this screen you can choose the groups you want to send the mailing to. You can also choose to exclude contacts who are members of another group or contacts who have received previous mailings.
  
• Perform a search (for example, using the advanced search) and then choose "Schedule/Send a Mass Mailing" from the - actions - drop down. You will be redirected to the New Mailing screen (step 1), where you have to name the mailing and choose an "Unsubscription group" for your mailing.
  
  Note: Mailings sent to recipients based on a search cannot be reused or saved for editing later.
  
  Because the mailing is using the results of a search to provide the recipient list, specifying an unsubscription group is necessary to manage unsubscriptions to this mailing. If a contact who matches your search results is already unsubscribed from the Unsubscription Group (meaning this group is listed as a past group), that contact will be removed from the recipient lists.
  
  If a contact unsubscribes via the unsubscription link in this mailing, they will be unsubscribed from this group. If they are already in the group, then they will be removed. If the contact is not yet in this group, they will first be added and then marked as removed.
  
  Contacts who are in the Unsubscription Group but do not match your search critera will not be included in the mailing. If you wish to include these contacts please include the relevant group.
  
  

 使用CiviMail发送大批量邮件
使用CIviMail提供的邮件功能比“发送邮件”按钮要有好多好处，让你能够追踪你的收件人对邮件的反应，处理弹出，允许收件人退订邮件。
有两种方法选择收件人。
1. 如果你是发送邮件给一个已经存在的小组，去“邮件”->“新邮件”。在这个页面你可以选择你想发送邮件的小组。你也可以选择去除那些是其他小组的成员，或者已经收到过类似邮件的成员。
2.开始一个搜索（例如：使用高级搜索）然后选择“预订/发送大批量邮件”。这个选项在“活动”的下拉菜单中。你自动跳转到新邮件的页面（第一步），这里你可以命名这个邮件，选择一个“退订小组”。
注意：基于搜索的联系人收到的邮件不能够重复使用，或者保存，以后无法编辑。
因为邮件使用的是搜索结果提供的收件人列表，所以明确一个退订小组是非常必要的，方便管理这封邮件的退订选择。如果一个联络人符合你的搜索结果，但是他已经退订了退订小组（意思是这个列出来的小组是过去的小组），这个有贱人会被收件人列表中移除。
如果收件人通过这个邮件的退订链接退订了，他会被从这个小组中退订。如果他们已经在退订小组中，他们会被移除。如果联系人还没有在这个小组中，他们首先会被加入，然后标记成移除。
已经在退订小组的联系人如果不符合你的搜索条件，是不会被加进这个邮件的。如果你希望发送给这些有贱人，请包括相关的小组。

 

The  process for sending the mailing then proceeds in 5 steps using 5 consecutive screens. You can move between these screens by using the Next/Previous buttons. You can also at any stage save your mailing by clicking on the Save & Continue Later button (Note: Mass mailings based on searches cannot be edited later).

发送邮件然后向下进行的五个步骤分别在五个连续的页面。你可以在这些页面中使用下一个/上一个进行页面切换。在任何页面你也可以使用保存/稍后继续按钮（注意：在基于搜索结果的大批量邮件中无法再次编辑）来保存你的邮件。

Step 1: Select recipients

This screen contains several options:

1. Name your mailing: Enter a name for this mailing. Select a name that will allow you and others in your organization to clearly identify the purpose of this mailing. It is recommended that you start each name with a date (e.g. "08/15/10 monthly newsletter"). This will make it easier to include or exclude recipients of this mailing in future mailings. This name is for internal use only and will not be shown to recipients. You will be asked to enter the Subject of the email later.
   
2. Mailing recipients: In this area you can choose who will recieve the mailing. Mailing recipients can be defined by a group or by a recipients to a previous mailing. You can refine your recipient list by excluding groups or recipients of a previous mailing.
   
   For instance, you may want to resend an email only to contacts that have been added to a mailing list since the last time you an email to avoid sending the same email twice to some people. In that case, choose the same group for recipients as in the original mailing but add the mailing to the EXCLUDE Recipients of These Mailing(s) area. This will then send them message only to those member of the group who did not receive the excluded mailing.

You will see the final number of recipients on the next screen after you click on the Next button.

第一步： 选择收件人
这个页面包括以下的选项：
1. 命名你的邮件： 输入名称。选择一个名字，这样你和你的同事们能够清晰的辨别这封邮件的用途。我们推荐您以日期开头（例如：08/15/10 即时通讯月报）。这样在未来的邮件中可以很容易的包括或者剔除收件者。之后的步骤中您会被要求输入邮件的主题。
2. 收件人：这个区域你可以选择希望哪些人收到这封邮件。邮件收件人可以以小组来定义或者从之前的邮件收件人中选择。你可以重新定义你的收件人列表，包括剔除一些小组，或者以往邮件的收件人。

例如，你希望重新发送一封邮件仅仅给在上次发送邮件之后新加入的收件人。这样可以避免给同样的人发两次一样的邮件。这种情况下，选择原邮件收件人相同的小组，但是加入那些上一次被排除在外的收件人。这样稍后发出的邮件就只会发送给本组里那些没收到邮件的成员。

在点击“下一步”之后你会页面上看到总的收件人的数量。

Step 2: Track and Respond

This step of the process offers options for Tracking and Responding. You can set the following options.

Tracking

1. Track Click-throughs: This option will keep track of how many users and which users clicked on all the links in your message. This is accomplished by redirecting all links through your server. This means that all links will be overwritten with custom links containing your domain name.
   
   Note for HTML mail: Some phishing filters may mark links that are displayed differently in HTML code and in the text as unsafe. It is therefore best not to use something like <a href="http://google.com">http://Google.com</a> but rather <a href="http://google.com">click here to go to Google</a>.
   
   Note for Plain Text email: If you use short, user-frienly URLs in your email, they will all be overwritten with long links containing the name of your site and a long code looking like this http://yoursite.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=529&qid=29011.
   
2. Track Opens: This option allows you to track how many people opened the email you received. However, there are limitations to the effectiveness of this method. See Set-up section for details.
   

Responding

1. Track Replies: Checking this option will send replies from the mailing's recipients to CiviCRM rather than the person specified as sender. Checking this box will open other options.
   
2. Forward Replies: This option is only visible if Track replies is checked. You will need this option if you want the email specified as sender to also receive the replies sent by recipients.
3. Auto-respond to Replies: This option allows you to send a specific automatic reply to anybody who replies to your mailing. You need to set up an autoresponder ahead of time in Administer > CiviMail > Headers, Footers, and Automated Messages.
   

 第二步： 追踪和回复
这一步提供追踪和回复的选项。你可以根据以下步骤设置：
追踪
1. 追踪点击转化率：这个选项可以计算多少人以及哪些人点击了邮件里的所有链接。因为链接的转接是通过你的主机的。所有的链接会被含有你的域名的自定义链接覆盖。
HTML邮件的要点：有些钓鱼过滤会标记用不同的HTML代码或者文本为不安全。所以最好不要用这类的链接：<a href="http://google.com">http://Google.com</a>，而应该用这样的链接：<a href="http://google.com">click here to go to Google</a>.
普通文本邮件的要点：如果你使用短的方便使用的URL，他们同样会被含有你的网站名字的长链接锁覆盖，比方说这种：http://yoursite.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=529&qid=29011.
2. 追踪打开邮件：这项能让你知道多少人打开了邮件。但是这个方法有限制。详见设置说明部分。

回应
1. 追踪回复：选择这一选项会从邮件的收件人发送回复给慈善通，而不会指明谁是发送者。选择了这一项会带来其他的选项。
2. 转发回复：这个选项只有在追踪回复打钩的情况下才可用。如果你希望邮件明确指出收件人能够收到其他收件人发出的回复，你就需要开启这个选项。
3. 自动回复：这个选项会让你发送一封自动回复给任何一个回复了你邮件的人。你需要提前设置一个自动回复器。在这里设置：管理>CiviMail>信头，脚注和自动信息

Online Publication

This option makes it possible to make the contents of the email accessible to users as a web page. This option is only relevant if you insert the Mailing permalink token ({mailing.viewUrl}) in your message in the next step. This token generates a URL on which the message can be viewed (remember to insert the code in the appropriate HTML tags). 

You have two options to specify the visibility of the mailing:

1. "public pages" will make the content of this mailing be viewable as a web page by everyone who has the permission of "view public CiviMail content"
   
2. "user and user admin" only means that only users that received the mailing or administrators can view the content of this email as a web page; the recipients will have to log in to be able to view the message
   

Step 3: Mailing Content

This section will allow you to compose content for your mailing.  If you have templates defined, you can choose one to use for this email. Selecting a template populates the text content and HTML content fields with the message content from the particular template you have chosen. You can then edit that content. You can also update the template, either changing the original template or saving it as a new template.

1. As you write your content, remember that every email will be sent individually. CiviCRM offers the ability to personalize each email using tokens. See "Using tokens in emails" later in this chapter.
2. If you just wish to send a text version of your email, ignore the HTML section and click on the Plain Text section. Enter your message in the box. You can also use tokens in the text version of the message. There is also a token link at the top right of the Text box.
3. Choose a Mailing Header and Mailing Footer. You can have additional Headers and Footers defined via Administer > CiviMail > Headers, Footers, and Automated Messages (See Set-up for details).

Note: The message editing text area displays all text as Arial. However, the actual default is Times New Roman. You should change all text to your target font at the very end because future text edits often revert to Times New Roman.

Step 4: Test

You can test your message in one of two ways:

1. Test mailing: You can specify an individual email address or a test group for your test mailing. The test mailing will fill in all the Tokens and include any attachments you are planning to send
   
   It is a good idea to test your email by sending it your yourself and viewing it in your email client to make sure it looks as you expect. If you are sending a mail with a complex layout, send it to your test group and verify it from various mail clients. It is preferable to have more than one person receive your test email and give you feedback.
2. Preview mailing: The preview will show you all the HTML formating and converted tokens with your data. It will not include the attachment. It cannot be guarateed that all email clients will display the email exactly as it is shown in this preview but it is useful to ensure things like font consistency, basic layout and color.
   

Step 5:  Schedule or Send

This section will allow you to either send the email immediately or schedule a day and time for it to be sent. By default, CiviMail checks every 15 minutes whether an email is ready to be sent, so there can be a delay of up to 15 minutes after you request the email to be sent.

Mailings sent to large numbers of recipients are sent in batches of about 400 to avoid the emails being caught up by spam filters. Therefore the actual sending of your mass mailing can take several hours depending on your server configuration.

Tracking sent mass mailings

To review key statistics about the To see these statistics, click on Mailings > Scheduled and Sent Mailings, find your mailing, and click on Report. This will show information about all the tracked actions including Bounces. See Managing bounces below.

Also, when the mass mailing is sent to recipients, an Activity "Bulk Email" is recorded under their Activities tab. To see the activity that was just recorded of the email sent, click the Activities tab of the different contacts.

Managing mass mailings

Mass mailings can be found in one of three areas accessible via the Mailings menu:

1. Draft and Unscheduled Mailings: As soon as you name your message in Step 1 and click Next, it is placed in this area. If you click Save and Continue Later or simply abandon a message after some steps, you can continue working on it by clicking on the "Continue" link next to the message listed here (Note: Mailings started based on search results will not have the Continue link listed).
   
   You can also delete draft messages here.
   
2. Scheduled and Sent Mailings: When you send or schedule a mailing, it will be placed in this area and remain there until it is archived or deleted.
   
   You can track the success of delivery by clicking on the Report link next to the message.
   
   You can also start another mailing based on a previous mailing by clicking on the Re-Use link.
   
   The Archive and Delete links are available under the More link.
   
   
3. Archived Mailings: This area lists all messages that were archived from the Scheduled and Sent mailings area. Mailings listed in here are not available to be included or excluded from the recipient list.
   
   It provides exactly same functionality including the possibility to view Reports and Re-Use.
   

Using tokens in emails

You can use tokens to insert personalised text, such as a person's name, into a mailing sent with CiviCRM.  Tokens are replaced by the appropriate value at the time the email is sent out.

For instance, if you want each email to address the person after "Dear " you would type the space and then click on the Token link at the top left of the HTML box. The popup that appears enables you to find the appropriate token. Start typing "First name" in the box and choose the token that corresponds. Click Close and you will see that your message now reads "Dear {firstname}". When the email is sent the appropriate first name will be inserted into each message.

To view the list of available contact tokens, click on the Token link. Tokens for the display name and email greeting are particularly useful.

Only contact fields and actions can be inserted in your email as tokens. Related records, such as the name of the event for which the contacts have pending enrollments, cannot be included. However, you could provide a link to the person's contact dashboard so that they can review their registration details for themselves (once logged in). You can also use a checksum token that generates a unique URL for each contact so they can modify their information without having to login.

In the HTML format editing area, tokens that generate URLs (links) need to be placed in the URL field of the Link creation screen. Otherwise, they will display as text an not a clickable link in the email client of the recipient.

See Tokens and Mail Merge chapter in the Working with Your Data section.

Managing bounces and contacts with invalid emails

If your server is set up to process bounces, contacts will be marked as On Hold when their email bounces. Further messages to those addresses will be suppressed.  You can search for emails that are on hold either from the Bounces report or with an advanced search, and then investigate why the emails are bouncing.

You should check the report of each mailing several hours after sending it to review a list of bounces by clicking on the Bounces link. You can see the reasons for individual bounces such as incorrect email addresses (e.g. contact@gooogle.com), fix them and remove their On Hold status. You can then re-use the mailing and simply add it to the EXCLUDE Recipients of These Mailing(s) list on the Select Recipients screen of the re-used mailing setup. 

REPORTS AND ANALYSIS

CiviMail has a number of tools for reporting and analysis, indeed reporting is one of the key reasons to use CiviMail.

Individual mail reports 

You can view a report for each individual mailing from the scheduled and sent mailings screen.  These reports are based on live information about your data you should feel free to track your emails in real time on this screen by refreshing the page.  Each mailing report is broken down into a few sections.

Delivery summary

 

The delivery summary shows some high level statistics about the mailing.

Intended recipients shows the number of people that the mailing was  intended to be sent to.  Clicking on Intended recipients will show each of the contacts.

Tracked opens shows the number of people that CiviCRM 'thinks' have opened the email.  In the world of email, there is no 100% reliable way of knowing when someone has opened an email.  CiviCRM uses a trick that is common amongst mass mailers - it embeds a small image with a unique name in each email. When a client views the email and downloads the image, CiviCRM knows that they have read the email. Because this technique is common, to protect people's privacy, most email clients ask users to confirm whether they want to download images in emails.  Hence you'll only get an accurate picture of how many people have opened your email if they all choose to download pictures.  Because this never happens in practice, tracked opens statistics should be taken as indicative, rather than accurate.

Click throughs shows the total number of times that people have clicked links in email. Forwards show the amount of times people have forwarded the email using the forward link which is a token that you can include in your mailing.  Replies shows the number of times that people have replied to the email if you have enabled reply tracking.  Bounces show the number of email addresses that could not be successfully delivered to if you have enabled bounce processing.  Unsubscribe requests shows the amount of people that have clicked on any unsubscribe links that you include in your email.

Click through summary 

In this section, click through statistics are shown for each link.  There are two statistics, Clicks (i.e. the number of times that a link has been clicked) and Unique clicks (i.e. the number of people that have clicked on links).

Mailing reports with CiviReport

CiviReport has four reports, Bounce, Summary, Clickthroughs and Opens, which offer similar functionality to what is described above.  The major advantages of looking at the reports via CiviReport are that:

• you can run the reports amongst multiple mailings
• you have access to all the other cool features of CiviReport, including the ability to add reports to dashboards, get reports emailed, etc.

 

REPORTING

What is CiviReport?

Reporting helps your organisation to evaluate its impact and achieve its mission. Sometimes this is a requirement for funders or other stakeholders. CiviReport allows you to create, run and schedule reports based on the data CiviCRM has about your contacts and their interactions with your organisation.

These reports are queries on the database using criteria and fields available in a report template. Reports can be delivered on the page when you run them, as a dashlet on the dashboard or a scheduled email which can include a CSV file or PDF. 

Scenario: a simple report to help with fundraising

1two3, a support organisation for street workers, has launched a capital campaign to raise money for a new shelter. Anne, the development director wanted to reach out to donors who made a large donation last year but haven't given money this year.

She created an instance of the LYBUNT report ("Last year but unfortunately not this") which filters data to show people who gave more than €500 last year, then ran the report and used the Add to Group button to put these donors into a new group so she could send an email to everyone in the group with information about the capital campaign.

Finally she added the report to her CiviCRM Dashboard so she can review progress getting this group of prior donors to contribute to the campaign. Anyone who donates will automatically drop off this list since they will no longer meet the criteria, and the list remaining in the dashlet can be used as the basis for follow up phone calls or other personalised contact. 

Scenario: a regular financial report 

WAM is an academic membership organisation with about 1,500 members. Their members renew their membership online and pay either online by card or by offline by direct debit. Mark, the finance officer, needs several reports to keep track of the money coming in and automation of this process was a key reason for the implementation of CiviCRM. All these reports are regular and are sent to him by email with a CSV attachement so he can import the details into either their accounting software or their online banking interface. While a couple of the key reports are outlined here, their requirements were fairly complex and some custom report templates were required alongside the standard ones.

Every Monday morning, Mark receives a list of all completed online payments for the previous week to import into Sage; this report contains the amount and time of the payment along with what it was for (membership or event) and a reference ID so it can be tracked back to the record in CiviCRM. At the end of every month, he receives a list of all members who pay by direct debit whose membership is due to expire in the following month. This allows him to set up the direct debit payments for these membership renewals by importing part of the list into their online banking interface.

These email reports save Mark several hours a month and allow him to focus on issues that contribute more to the effective management of WAM's financial resources.

Scenario: determining total contributions for a household

A non-profit organisation in Ohio keeps records of individuals organised by households. A common situation is that the husband in the household has attended a number of paid events, while his wife has also registered for other events and made separate donations.

Staff at the organisation want to see the total contributions received from everyone in a household so that when someone calls the office to enquire about a donation or event payment made by someone else in the family, all the relevant information is at hand. Staff can run the Donation Summary Report (Household) as required, using the name of the household to find all contributions and relevant information to answer the caller's questions. 

What You Need To Know

This chapter explains key ideas that are useful when planning your use of CiviReport. It should be read by system administrators before they start to configure CiviReport for daily use. It will also be useful for anyone who wants to better understand the thinking behind CiviReport. Skip this chapter if you just want to look at specific reports that have already been configured by your administrator.

CiviReport can be used as a management tool in organisational planning and as an analysis tool for membership or donor development. Tabular or graphical output can be produced and set up to email reports to specific people according to a schedule. 

The number of questions an organisation might want to ask about their data is pretty much unlimited. The CiviCRM approach to solving this problem is to aim to cater for 90% of the scenarios and allow the system to be easily extendable by administrators and developers to cover the last 10%. 

Key Concepts 

Report templates

A report template is the base for creating any number of reports. CiviCRM comes with a number of predefined report templates that can be used to create specific reports. For example, the Membership Report (Detail) template can be used to create a report that shows all student members that have joined your organisation within the past quarter or another that shows all cancelled memberships this year.

These templates are built to satisfy the basic needs of non-profits and organisations and future versions of CiviCRM are likely to include further report templates. You can create new templates to meet the specific requirements of your organisation and contribute these reports back to the CiviCRM community for others who have the same reporting needs. Writing a new report template requires some PHP and SQL skills. See the Developer Guide for details of how to do this.  

Report vs. Search

CiviCRM has inbuilt search functionality that covers most scenarios, so it's important to know when to use a report and when to search. CiviReport gives users the ability to easily display complex information about their data, and to display answers to questions about this information in accessible ways. It is useful when you need to repeatedly ask the same question, or a set of similar questions, about your data. 

The current report interface does not support most common batch actions such as Update via Batch Profile, Smart Group creation and so on. This means that if you want to perform any action against a result set, it is better to use search rather than report. 

However, in some cases reports are more flexible than searches, and each has its own set of features. For example, reports allow you to change the columns displayed and in summary reports you can order by whichever display results you choose.

Report options

• Run the report: you can Print Report so it is viewable in browser or you can generate a PDF or Export to CSV. All of these run the report once when you hit the button and allow you work with it.

[Insert screenshot]

• Dashlet: if you make a report Available for Dashboard, users with appropriate permissions can add this report to their dashboard. This is useful for information that you want to see on a regular basis, such as a list of new members, or donations this month, etc. In this case the report is run every time the dashboard is loaded.
• Email: schedule a regular email of the report so that your finance office can receive a monthly email of all event fees received or your membership administrator gets a weekly email of overdue renewals.

Detail vs summary reports

Reports often come in pairs: one showing a summary and the other showing the detail. These reports can be linked, allowing users to see information at a glance with the option to drill down in a certain report for more detail.

Key Questions

• Should you use CiviReport for a particular task, or could it be better achieved with a search?
• What reports are available? The list is constantly growing; for a complete list of reports available in your version, along with an explanation how the reports can be used, look at the page Create reports from templates (in the Reports dropdown menu).
• What questions do you want to ask about your data? For example, you may want to know how many new members you have in a certain period, or how much money was collected during a fundraising campaign.
• What fields do you need to include?
• Does the report provide enough options or will you need to analyse further in a spreadsheet?

• Is it a one off report or will you need to run it regularly? Could you make a report template to streamline future reports?

• Who needs to see this report? Will it provide sensitive information that should only be available to privileged users or does it give useful daily updates to all?

Details of available report templates and comparison with searches are provided for each component throughout the rest of this book; refer to the relevant section for more details about component-specific reports.

Set-up

This section explains how to set up CiviReports. It assumes a basic understanding of why you would want to use CiviReport, and describes the workflow for creating a report from a template through to making these reports available for users. It also assumes that the report you require can be achieved using the report templates supplied with CiviCRM.

If the report template you need does not exist you (or your developer) should refer to the Custom Reports chapter in the Extensions section of the Developer Guide for information about creating new templates.

Report templates

Report templates are general reports that can be further customised to create specific report instances. These report instances can then be made available to users.

The Create report from templates page lists all available report templates and is found in the Reports menu. The templates are grouped by component, and each has a brief description of its intended scenario. If there are already report instances for a given template, you'll see a link to view Existing Reports.

Clicking on the report template name will bring up a screen where the report can be configured.

There are two steps to configuring a report:

1. Select your report criteria: decide what information will be displayed in the report.
2. Define the report settings: choose a title, set permissions and add it to a menu. 

Select report criteria

There are three types of report criteria:

• Display Columns
• Group by Columns
• Filters

The options available for these criteria change from report to report. General principles for the different types of report criteria are outlined  below. 

Display Columns

These check boxes allow you to select the data to be displayed for each record in your report. In most reports, at least one display column is required and cannot be unselected. For example, in the Top Donors report, showing the total amount donated is required. In the Constituent Detail report, showing the contact name is required.

Group by Columns

This is not available in all reports, but it is useful when creating a report which summarises data, rather than displaying each individual row, and for reports that compare different types of data.

The report shown below compares donations per quarter in 2009.

You can specify more than one grouping criteria. When you do this, groupings will be nested based on both groupings. Not all groupings or combinations of groupings will make sense for your data. You may need to spend time experimenting with Group By Columns to become familiar with this functionality.

Note that some Groups By Columns interact with Display Columns and can't be selected at the same time. The system will warn you if you try to make an invalid selection.

 

Set Filters

Filters are the main way to specify the records that you want to include in the report. For example, running the Membership Detail report without choosing any filters will show you all membership records. You could then filter the report to show all members of a specific membership type who joined last year.

The Date Range Filter

Most reports will have a date range filter. This can be configured in two ways:

• by using an absolute date range, e.g. "1st Jan 2010" to "31 July 2010"
• by using a relative date range, e.g. "Previous Year".

Relative date ranges are very useful for reports that you want to run on an ongoing basis.

• This year gives all records from the start of the current year.
• Previous year gives all records from the previous year.
• Earlier year gives all records excluding this year.
• Ending year gives all records between one year from today's date, and today (really useful!).
  

The Ending date ranges are particularly useful when used in combination with Group By Columns. Combining Ending Year with Group By Month gives a report that summarises data by month for the previous 12 months.

The report below shows the total amount of contributions received in the past 12 months, as well as each month's total.  

Once you have selected your report criteria, click Preview Report. If the report displayed isn't exactly what you wanted, open the Report Criteria section at the top of the screen to modify your criteria. You may need to make several modifications before you achieve the report you want.

Report settings 

Once you are happy with the report criteria you have entered into the template, save it as a report instance so that it is available to use again.

1. In the Create Report section of the template, give your report a title and description that will help other people understand its usage, for example, "Student members joined so far this year".
2. You can optionally create a report header and footer in HTML. The header and footer will be displayed at the beginning and end of any PDF or downloaded versions of the report. This can be used to personalise your reports with your organisation's logo and to other useful information.
   
3. If you wish to have the report emailed to yourself or someone else on a regular basis, fill in the Subject, To and CC fields in the Email Delivery Settings. You can enter one or more email addresses in the To and CC fields; multiple email addresses should be separated by commas. See the information below about email settings.
4. If you want to make this report available to other users through a menu item, check Include Report in Navigation Menu? and specify the parent menu and permissions. For example, if you would like it to appear in the Reports menu, select Reports as the "Parent Menu". Alternatively, you might want to add an event report to the event menu.
   
5. You can set up permissions to view reports on a report-by-report basis. This allows you to simplify the user interface for junior users and set sensitive reports to be accessible only to certain users. 
   

   Drupal installations only: the ability to edit report criteria is a separate permission that can be configured globally in Drupal. Users with this permission will be able to edit report criteria; users without this permission will be able to view reports but not edit the criteria. 

6. Checking the box Available for Dashboard? to make the report available for users with appropriate permissions to add this report to their dashboard (this is done by clicking the Configure Your Dashboard button on the individual's dashboard).
   
7. Click Create Report. It will now appear in the drop down list of reports under the Reports navigation menu. 

Email settings

As well as entering the email delivery settings described above, you will need to configure a cron job for each report that you want to send. The cron job runs a script in the civicrm/bin directory (CiviReportMail.php) which takes several parameters, including the ID of the report instance that you wish to send.

For example, if you want to send a Donor Report to your board members, you can configure a cron job with the ID of the particular report instance to email the report in HTML or PDF format. Refer to the sections on setting up email and Cron for more information.

Everyday Tasks

This chapter assumes that CiviReport is already configured and you are a user wanting to access reports that have been configured for you. If you want to learn more about how to set up and configure reports, read the section on setting up CiviReport.

Viewing reports

To view a report:

1. Go to Reports > Report listing. 
   
2. All reports are listed on this page, grouped by the component they report on. 
   
3. Click on the name of the report you wish to view.

Reports can also be configured to be directly accessible from navigation menus. For example, an event report can be configured to appear in the Events menu.

When you open a report it will appear on screen as a table. Some reports can also be viewed as a bar or pie chart. When this is the case, a dropdown menu will allow you to select the format you want.

The appropriate report should then be displayed.

As well as viewing reports on screen you can create a PDF version of either tables or graphs, suitable for printing or emailing.

 

If you want to perform further calculations on your report data, you can output the data as comma separated variable (CSV) for import into a spreadsheet by clicking Export to CSV.

If you have the appropriate permissions, you will be able to adjust the report criteria and settings when you view the report. Read the section configuring reports for detailed information about how to do this.

Reports on your dashboard

Reports can be configured to appear on your dashboard (the first page you see when you log in to CiviCRM). You can configure this yourself, although not all reports may be available to put on your dashboard.

To display specific reports on your dashboard:

1. From your dashboard, click on Configure Your Dashboard.
2. Select a report from the list of available reports.
3. Drag the report onto your dashboard.

Adding report results to a group

Sometimes it is useful to add contacts returned in a report to a group. This functionality isn't available in all reports but where it is, you can choose the group you want to add the contacts to from the dropdown menu as shown below.

CASE MANAGEMENT

What is CiviCase?

CiviCase is a tool for tracking and managing sequences of interactions between people in your organisation and contacts in CiviCRM. It's similar to a case management system. In addition to tracking and managing your organisation's interactions with clients or constituents, CiviCase can also help you manage internal organisational interactions. 

Cases are used to track complex interactions or communication processes. A case can be used to:

• track a specific workflow or set of procedures that must be followed and that involves a number of different organisational staff
• allow legislative staff to manage and track interactions while avoiding duplication 
• automates the task of remembering and scheduling follow-up activities. 

CiviCase relies on Activities. To learn about how they work, see the Activities chapter.  

Organisations have employed CiviCase in a wide variety of situations. Here are a few examples of different types of organisations and how they might employ CiviCase. 

Scenario: managing legislator-constituent interactions

A legislator's staff manages hundreds of interactions with constituents and communities daily. Legislative staff can manage and track these interactions while avoiding duplicating work (for example, if a constituent calls in about a topic that a staffer is already working on). CiviCase also automates the task of remembering and scheduling follow up activities by presenting staffers with a list of upcoming case activities that require their attention.

CiviCase came in handy to track a series of related tasks that legislative staff do as a result of interactions with constituents, including:

• A legislative staffer received a phone call about illegal dumping near the caller's home. The staffer created a case recording the details and location of the reported issue. She then assigned the task of following up with the Health Department to another member of the legislator's staff. Upon logging-in to CiviCRM, the other staff member saw that the task was assigned to them. He then contacted the Health Department on behalf of the constituent, and contacted the constituent to confirm that the Health Department was informed of the situation.
  
• The legislator's office received a phone call from a constituent requesting support from an agency. A staffer logged the call in CiviCase and then set up a follow-up call for the next week to make sure that action was taken on the agency's behalf. 
• The legislator's staff records event invitations on an ongoing basis that a legislator's scheduler must respond to. 

Scenario: complex application process 

An organisation administering a health department grant programme to distribute several million dollars worth of grants used CiviCase to manage the grant applications process. When interested parties submitted their initial applications, a case was automatically created to manage each. The case created contained several activities which were automatically assigned to different staff managing the application process.

In this instance the users were actually from three separate organisations who each had to apply their assessment of the application in turn. First, a basic initial assessment was made to check that certain criteria were met. Then an external organisation made a more technical assessment. The activities were all offset from the start of the case by the number of days in which it was anticipated they should be completed and a coordinator from each organisation assigned the case activities to members of staff according to their capacity as they came in.

At various stages in the process the status of the case was changed for one reason or another. In this process the main options were:

• passed basic checks
• failed basic checks
• technically feasible
• technically infeasible
• suppliers approved
• suppliers disallowed
• deferred to next round
• accepted.

Even though there were thousands of applications and tens of thousands of parts of the application review process, the coordinators from the first two organisations assigned activities to staff members so they each saw a case dashboard showing only the work assigned to them, helping them focus their energy on just their segment of the applications.

For the final assessment, the two organisations hired an external organisation to process the remaining applications. For this process, a review committee was able to view the key details of applications with different statuses, and finally, just the summary details of all applications with an accepted status to make a final determination. 

What You Need To Know

The CiviCase component allows for a high degree of customisation to meet the needs of a wide variety of organisations and workflows. It is important to understand CiviCase's underlying principles and assumptions, as well as the elements that can be customised, before you begin to plan and configure the component based on your requirements.

You should also understand that the configuration of CiviCase goes beyond the user interface and requires the production of an XML file to define the activity types allowed, time offsets between them, roles and other elements.

Key  Concepts

CiviCase tracks interactions in two ways: cases and activities.

Activities are single interactions. For example, if a constituent calls to request information and the staff person directs them to a web site, this would be recorded as an activity. Activities have a start and end date, a status and several contacts that they may be associated with: a creator, an assignee and a target.

Cases are used to track more complex interactions or communication processes. Multiple activities can be grouped together into one case, and these activities can be optionally structured in a timeline. A case can be used to track a specific workflow that must be followed, for example: a client fills out an intake form, then has an initial meeting with a staff person, and finally receives a certificate from the organisation for meeting certain goals.

As well as linking activities around a common case, CiviCase identifies the people involved and their role(s) in the case. So while the staus options may be broadly similar, the options for contacts are far more flexible than for activities and the time span is usually less determined at the outset.

Case Types

The Physician Health Program provides support for physicians who are experiencing problems related to emotional health issues, the inappropriate use of alcohol and/or drugs or coping with physical illness. Some of the case types they use are:

• In-patient Treatment

• Referral to Counsellor.

For a community services organisation, examples of case types might include:

• Housing Assistance

• Job Training

• Prenatal Counseling. 

Think about the complex tasks that staff in your organisation do on a regular basis and make a list of potential case types.

Case Activities

Activities track specific interactions and tasks within a case. Activities may be scheduled in advance or created ad-hoc, and may involve the case client or constituent, or a third party such as a family member or a professional who is assisting with the case and other case workers. Each organisation needs to determine the level of detail to be recorded, but many organisations find it helpful to include every phone call, meeting or internal discussion in the case story by recording it as an activity.

Activity Types

CiviCRM is preconfigured with a number of activity types including Phone Calls, Meetings, Emails Sent, Interviews and Follow-ups. These may be sufficient for your needs. However many organisations will want to track other specific tasks, and activity types can be added for these.

During the life of each case, some activities will be automatically created, such as:

• Open Case: created at the same time the case is created. 

• Follow up: you can use this type when it isn't necessary to define a more specific one (see Activity Data below). 

• Change Case Type: created every time the type is modified. 

• Change Case Status: created every time the status is updated. 

For a community services organisation, additional activity types might include:

• Client Intake

• Skills Evaluation
• Review
• Consultant Referral. 

For each of the case types you identified, create a list of the specific activities involved. Creating new types instead of relying only on Follow-up will make the list of activities easier to read.

Activity Data

A standard set of information can be entered whenever a case activity is recorded in CiviCase:

• who recorded the activity and who reported the activity

• when and where the activity will (or did) occur

• free-form subject and detailed description 

• time spent on the activity. 

This is sufficient for some types of activities, however it is often useful to collect additional structured data. The Open Case (intake) activity is a common example where you may want to include a set of specific questions about the client and their situation.

Create a list of additional requirements (custom data) for each activity type, including the type of data being recorded (free text, multiple choice, date, etc.) in order to set up the required custom fields. For more information about custom data fields refer to the Custom Fields chapter in the Organising Your Data section. 

Timelines

CiviCase allows you to define a workplan or an expected sequence of tasks and activities for each type of case. These are called standard timelines, and one is created automatically when a new case is opened.

For really simple cases, the timeline might include only two items:

• Open Case

• Follow up. 

Even in this example, the timeline is useful as it allows you to predefine when the people assigned to the case should follow up with the client or constituent.

For more complex processes, the timeline provides a case plan that can help the people involved to stay on track. The timeline lists all the activities which are expected to occur and should be accomplished within a certain timeframe. You can define the expected number of days between the beginning of the case and each of the subsequent activities in the timeline.

If necessary, an activity can also define an offset from another activity. For example: for a Referral to Specialist case, the "facilitate first appointment" activity might be expected to occur within 2 days after the case is opened. "Survey client satisfaction" might be scheduled for 30 days after "facilitate first appointment".

You might also want to define a timeline based on the end date. If a case has to be completed by a specific date, each activity can be defined as needing to happen a number of days before this end date. You then set a negative offset on the timeline. 

Case Roles and Relationships

CiviCase provides three mechanisms for relating people to cases and clients:

• Case Roles: people directly involved in this case. Examples include Intake Specialist, Case Coordinator, Addiction Counselor, Employment Counselor, etc. You can identify one of these roles as the case manager for a particular case type. 

• Other Relationships: people related to the client, with relationships that exist beyond the context of a particular case. Examples include Spouse, Sibling, Family Doctor, etc. Generally, use relationships when you want someone to appear on ALL cases for the same client, otherwise use a case role.

• Case Resources: people and organisations that have involvement with many or all cases in your case management setting. Examples include: regulatory agency contact(s), service provider,  frequent referral contacts, etc.

CiviCRM provides relationship type definitions for most of the standard relationships you might track (e.g. Spouse, Child). However you will probably need to define additional relationship types for your case roles, such as:

• Case Coordinator

• Addiction Specialist

• Job Counsellor.

Make a list of the expected case roles for each type of case you've listed, then determine which role will normally be considered the case manager for that case type.

Key Questions

Think about these questions with regard to your organisation's use of CiviCase: 

• What case types do you have? 
  The first step in planning your CiviCase configuration is to think about the types of cases your organisation needs to manage. Complex processes which include several activities, span several days or weeks, and involve multiple people are potentially good candidates for case management. Start by listing these processes and defining a case type for each one.
• What activity types do you need to have in those cases? 
• Who should activities be assigned to? By default everything might be assigned to a case coordinator who will then reassign to whoever has capacity, or certain activities might require the intervention of a particular individual.
• Do you have a default timeline and what does it look like?
• Do activities need to be offset from the start, each other or from the end?
• What roles do are involved? Are existing relationships adequate, or do you need to create some case specific ones?

Assumptions

Although CiviCase is quite flexible, there are a number of case-management assumptions built-in to the component. These assumptions have been arrived at through an extensive trial and error process and although some of them may seem new or foreign at first, we encourage you to approach them with an open mind.

• Activities are single tasks or interactions between your organisation and a client or constituent, or between people within your organisation. 

• Cases involve a sequence of interactions (activities). The record of these activities forms the case story and almost all information about a case should be stored as an activity. 

• Classifying cases by case type allows you to define work-flows and evaluate results.

• Cases often have a predictable sequence of activities (a standard timeline). Creating a schedule with the expected timeline helps people working on the case to manage their work, and is a useful way to measure progress.

• Cases often involve a predictable set of people involved (staff, professionals, etc.). These are case roles. Knowing who is playing what role in a case is helpful, and provides an easy way to communicate case activities to other people who are also working on that case.

• Organisations may have additional people and/or outside organisations (case resources) who are frequently contacted or involved with most or all cases.

Set-up

Now that you've gone through the planning process and determined the types of cases, activities and case roles that you need, you're ready to configure your CiviCase installation.

The configuration process requires some technical skills. Review these prerequisites before getting started, and recruit assistance if needed.

Prerequisites

As of CiviCRM 4.1, the sample configuration will work immediately after enabling CiviCase. However, to customize the configuration, many of the steps require that you create and edit files outside of the CiviCRM user interface. You will need to:

• use a text editor
• edit XML files and upload them to the server directory where CiviCRM is installed
• (optionally) write or modify a simple program using the API to automate the creation of activity types or relationships.
  

Configuration Tasks

Follow these steps to set up CiviCase for your organisation:

1. Enable the CiviCase component

Once you have created your configuration files and uploaded them to the configuration directory in your CiviCRM installation, you must enable the CiviCase component. The CiviCase component is included in CiviCRM downloads, but it is NOT enabled by default. To enable the component:

1. Go to Administer > Configure > Global Settings > Enable Components.
2. Select CiviCase in the left-hand box and click Enable (this should move it to the right side).
3. Click Save.

You will now see an Other option in the navigation menu. Click that option to see the Cases menu. People in your organisation who work with cases will probably want to modify their navigation menu to move Cases to the top-level.

Navigate to Administer > Customise > Navigation Menu to make this change.   

2. Case Type Configuration Files

You will create a separate XML-formatted text file for each of the case types you identified during the planning process. These files specify the characteristics of the case type using XML elements.

Case configuration files should be saved to the following directory in your CiviCRM installation:

<civicrm_root>/CRM/Case/xml/configuration

You will need to create this directory when you save your first configuration. Ensure that the directory is readable by your web server process.

If you are not familiar with XML markup, refer to the Wikipedia page on XML at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml

A set of sample configuration files are included when you download CiviCRM. If you can access the CiviCRM codebase at http://svn.civicrm.org/civicrm/, load the sample case type configuration file for Housing Support in your text editor before continuing, and refer to it as you review each of the sections below.

<civicrm_root>/CRM/Case/xml/configuration.sample/HousingSupport.xml

• Activity Types: this is a list of all activity types that are valid for this type of case. Several activity types will be needed for any type of case. Be sure to include them in this listing: Open Case, Change Case Status, Change Case Type, Follow up. You will use Change Case Status to close a case. Follow up is a useful general activity type for most case settings.

You can optionally specify the maximum occurrences of this activity type in a case using the max_instances element. Generally you'll want to set max_instances to 1 for the Open Case activity type, but you can also use this to limit recurrence of other types of interactions or processes. 

• Activity Sets: groups of activity types which define a sequence of interactions. You must include at least one activity set in the configuration file which defines the standard timeline (plan). The activities in the standard timeline set are automatically created when you open a case of this type. You can control the scheduling of each activity relative to the date the case is opened OR relative to another activity using the reference activity and reference offset elements. Offsets are expressed in days.

Here's a simple timeline example for a Housing Support case:

<ActivitySet>
      <name>standard_timeline</name>
      <label>Standard Timeline</label>
      <timeline>true</timeline>
      <ActivityTypes>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Open Case</name>
          <status>Completed</status>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Medical evaluation</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>1</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Mental health evaluation</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>1</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Secure temporary housing</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>2</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Follow up</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>3</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Income and benefits stabilization</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>7</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Long-term housing plan</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>14</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
        <ActivityType>
          <name>Follow up</name>
          <reference_activity>Open Case</reference_activity>
          <reference_offset>21</reference_offset>
          <reference_select>newest</reference_select>
        </ActivityType>
      </ActivityTypes> 
</ActivitySet>

In this example, the Open Case activity is marked as Completed when the case is opened. Three additional activities are automatically scheduled when the case is opened. A medical evaluation is scheduled for the following day (reference offset is 1); then secure temporary housing (reference offset 2); and finally a follow-up three days later.

• Case Roles: this section lists the types of people who are involved in the case in some way. Roles listed here will be automatically created when the case is opened. One role is marked as creator. This role is automatically assigned to the person who created the case. After the case is opened, users with access to the case can assign the remaining roles to contacts as appropriate. You may also mark one of the roles as the case manager. The case manager's name will be displayed prominently in case listings and reports.

Here's a simple example of case roles for a Housing Support case: 

<CaseRoles>
    <RelationshipType>
        <name>Homeless Services Coordinator</name>
        <creator>1</creator>
        <manager>1</manager>
    </RelationshipType>
    <RelationshipType>
        <name>Health Services Coordinator</name>
    </RelationshipType>
    <RelationshipType>
        <name>Benefits Specialist</name>
    </RelationshipType>	
 </CaseRoles>

In this example there are three case roles. The Homeless Service Coordinator is both the creator and manager of these cases. In addition, a Health Services Coordinator and a Benefits Specialist role are created when the case is opened.

Refer to the detailed configuration documentation on the wiki for more detailed explanations of each element in the XML file:

http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/x/UIC9AQ

Create a separate XML file for each of your case types. Your file names should match the case type name with spaces removed and the first letter of each word in upper case.

For example, if the case type is Housing Support, the filename would be "HousingSupport.xml". A good approach is to use a copy of one of the sample configuration files that are included in the distribution as a starting point, and edit it to meet your requirements. 

3. CiviCase Drupal permissions

This section applies to Drupal installations only.

In order for users to add and manage cases, you will need to configure CiviCase-related permissions in Drupal (Administer > Users > Permissions). You may want to create case management-specific Drupal user roles for staff, based on their responsibilities within your organisation. You can assign permissions to users in order to control whether or not they have access to the CiviCase component, as well as what case data they can see (Administer > Users > Permissions).

The following is a list of the CiviCase-related permissions:

• Access my cases and activities: allows a user to create new cases, add activities to the cases they've created and edit those activities. Users with this permission can NOT see cases or activities created by others.

If you need to restrict certain users to ONLY seeing case data (i.e. hide all other contact information from them), assign "access my cases and activities" permission WITHOUT "edit and view contacts" permission. This permissioning model is useful for users who are external to your organisation and who should not be allowed to see contact details.  

• Access all cases and activities: allows a user to create new cases, as well as view and add activities to any case (regardless of who initially created the case). 
• Delete in CiviCase: allows a user to mark cases or case activities as deleted. Cases and activities are never physically deleted from your database, but only hidden when you mark them as deleted.

Users with this permission can also find and undelete these cases and activities by checking the Deleted Cases option in Find Cases and the Deleted Activities option in the Case Activities Search Filter.

• Administer CiviCase: gives access to Administer > CiviCase options including:

• create and edit case types and case statuses
• set rules for redacting case data. These rules are used to disguise data which could be used to identify the case client in case reports which are shared with external reviewers.   

4. Populate Case Types, Activity Types, and Case Roles

You will need to add database records for each Case Type, Activity Type, and Case Role that you've included in your case type configuration files. You can use the CiviCRM Administrative screens to do this.

To add case types:

1. Go to Administer CiviCRM > CiviCase > Case Types.
2. Click New Case Type.
3. Complete the form using the exact same text for the Label as you entered for the CaseType <name> element in your case configuration files.
4. Click Save.

Activity types

Generic activity types (Open Case, Change Case Status, etc.) are included in all CiviCRM installations. Meeting, Phone Call, Email (inbound and sent) activity types are also included by default. However you will need to manually add any other activity types that you've defined in your case configuration files.

1. Administer CiviCRM > Option Lists > Activity Types.
2. Click New Activity Type.
3. Complete the form using the exact same text for the Label as you entered for the ActivityType <name> element in your case configuration files.
4. Select CiviCase in the Component drop-down.
5. Click Save.
6. Repeat for each unique activity type defined in your case configuration files.

Alternatively, if you have a lot of entries, you may prefer to use the API to write a simple programme to automatically create all the activity types:

 <?php
require_once 'civicrm.config.php';
require_once 'CRM/Core/Config.php';
require_once('api/api.php');

//read the API chapter to get more explanation
$componentCase = 7;
$types = array ("Medical evaluation","Secure temporary housing");
foreach ($types as $type) {
  $param = array("label"=>$type,"description"=> "Example of Type","component_id" =>
     $componentCase, "is_reserved"=>false,"is_active"=>1,"weight"=>1,
     "version"=>3);
  $result = civicrm_api('activity_type', 'create', $param);
  if (civicrm_error( $result )) {
    echo "\n ERROR creating $type: ". $result['error_message'];
  } else {
    echo "\n Type $type created";
  }
}
?>

Case roles

You will need to define relationship types for any case roles you've defined in your case configuration files. Examples might include Intake Coordinator, Employment Counsellor, Housing Advocate, etc.

1. Go to Administer CiviCRM > Option Lists > Relationship Types.
2. Click New Relationship Type.
3. When completing the form fields, define the relationship using the "client as Contact A" and the service provider as "Contact B". The Relationship Name-B to A value should match the text entered for the RelationshipType <name> element in your case configuration files.
4. Click Save.
5. Repeat for each unique case role.

For example, to define a Case Coordinator relationship type:

Relationship Name-A to B : "Case Coordinator is"

Relationship Name-B to A : "Case Coordinator"

Contact Type A: "Individual"

Contact Type B: "Individual"

Again, if you have a lot of entries, the process of defining relationship types can be automated using the API:

<?php
require_once 'civicrm.config.php';
require_once 'CRM/Core/Config.php';
require_once('api/api.php');

//read the API chapter to get more explanation
// if you are getting errors, make sure there are no line breaks in the middle of a field below
$types = json_decode ('[ {"name_a_b": "Case Coordinator is","name_b_a":"Case Coordinator","contact_type_a":"Individual","contact_type_b":"Individual"},{"name_a_b": "Benefit Specialist of","name_b_a":"Benefits Specialist","contact_type_a":"Individual","contact_type_b":"Individual"} ]');

foreach ($types as $type) {
  $params = get_object_vars($type);
  $params['version'] = 3;
  $result = civicrm_api('relationship_type', 'create', $params);
  if (civicrm_error( $result )) {
    echo "\n ERROR creating {$type->name_a_b}: ". $result['error_message'];
  } else {
    echo "\n Type {$type->name_a_b} created";
  }
}
?>

Custom fields

It is likely that you will want to collect structured data for some of the activity types you've defined. You can collect data in custom fields connected to a specific activity type. For example, in Employment Counselling cases, you may want an activity type Skills Assessment, in which an employment counsellor records client job skills. This activity type will require one or more custom fields, perhaps a set of checkboxes. If you are transitioning from a paper-based system, it is helpful to refer to existing forms and then determine what information from the forms is relevant to include. Remember that CiviCase is designed to store case information within activity records, and does not support custom fields at the case level.

Please review the section on configuring custom data fields prior to beginning these steps.

1. Go to Administer > Customize > Custom Data.
2. Click New Group of Custom Fields.
3. Under Used For, select Activities.
4. Select one or more specific activity type(s) for which this set of fields will be used.
5. Enter any help information you want to be displayed to your users.
6. Click Save.
7. Enter one or more custom fields for this set.
8. Repeat these steps for each activity type which requires custom data to be recorded. 

If you need to define a large number of fields for a given activity type, consider breaking them up into sets of related fields. Group the fields into logically related sets that will make sense to the users, and avoid the form looking like an endless tunnel of fields.

You can assign more than one custom data field group to a single activity type. For example, if you are collecting a lot of data during client intake, you may want to create several sets of custom fields for the Open Case activity type.

If you have sets that are only relevant to some contacts, for example a different set of fields for male or female contacts, you can modify the form's template and add client-side logic using jQuery to hide/show the relevant sets based on the values selected on previous fields.

Filing Emails on Cases

Some organizations find it useful to record case-related emails in CiviCase. For example, the case coordinator for a work disability case might send an inquiry to a state agency representative and would like both the sent email and the reply to become part of the case story.

You can choose to send outbound emails directly from the Manage Case screen, but you can also set up CiviCRM to integrate with your usual email client so you can send and receive emails as usual and also have them filed in CiviCRM.

In the CiviMail chapter the Email Processor was described as a way to get inbound and outbound emails into CiviCRM as non-case activities. When you enable CiviCase, a new action will be available that allows you to file any non-case activity onto a case.

Additionally, when email activities are sent from the Manage Case screen, if the Email Processor has been set up then replies will automatically be filed directly onto the case.

5. Add staff members

You will need to create a contact record for each staff member or service provider who will be using CiviCase to enter or view case information. These individuals will also need to have a Drupal or Joomla! user account.

For Joomla! installations, staff members must have back-end (administrator) access. All CiviCase functions are done within the Joomla! Administrator interface.

You should also add contact records for service providers who will be assigned case roles but will not be accessing the CiviCase system. This will allow your staff to easily send emails with pertinent case and client information to these providers via CiviCase, as well as record case-related interactions reported by providers.

Everyday Tasks

This chapter describes a list of everyday tasks that you might perform using CiviCase, and how to go about them.

Viewing the Case Dashboard

The Case Dashboard gives you an easy way to keep track of case-related tasks. It provides:

• a summary of cases in the system (Summary of Case Involvement)
• a list of your cases with upcoming activities (scheduled in the next 14 days)
  
• a list of your cases with recently performed activities (completed in the last 14 days).   
  

If you have permission to view cases other than ones that you are working on, you also have the option to see:

• a list of all cases with upcoming activities
• a list of all cases with recently performed activities.

You can switch between viewing Your Cases and All Cases by clicking on the link at the top right of the content area.

Click the Edit icon next to the Next Sched. activity name to work on that task. In the case shown in the following screenshot, the Next Sched. activity is Medical evalution. You can view this activity in a pop-up window by clicking directly on the title. If you're ready to work on that activity, click the edit pencil to the right of the activity title.

  input field

Click on the triangular expand icon (►) to the left of the client name to see the complete list of activities for that case. From this list you can view or edit any activity in that case. Click Manage Case when you want to work on a number of tasks within a case or to change the status of the case, print a case report, or view case roles.

To add a new case from the Case Dashboard, click the Add Case button at the top left of the content area.

Finding cases

If you know the Case ID, you can quickly find the case by using full-text search, either from Search > Custom Search > Fulltext Search or from the fulltext search block if you have enabled it.

You can search for cases by going to Search > Find Cases or under Cases in the menu bar at the top of the CiviCRM screen. The Cases search form gives you a number of options. You can search by each option individually, or combine them for further filtering.

You can search by:

• client's name or email address: type characters from the name or email address into the Client name or email input field
• type or types of cases: checking the case types that you would like to filter by
• case status: selecting a status from the dropdown menu
  
• all cases or your cases (if unselected, the default is to filter by your cases)
  
• deleted cases: click the Deleted cases checkbox.
  

If you make selections in multiple criteria (e.g. adding a client name, checking off a case type, and selecting "all cases") the search criteria will be combined so that the results must fulfill at least one requirement in each set of criteria (the cases found will contain the client name AND case type). In contrast, making multiple selections within one set of criteria (e.g., checking two case types) will ensure that the returned results fulfill at least one of the selections in the criteria set (in this example, cases must match at least one of the case types).

Opening a new case

You can open a new case with either an existing contact or a new contact not yet in your system.

Creating a case from an existing contact's summary screen or actions menu automatically links the case to that contact. To open a case on an existing contact, follow these steps:

1. Go to the contact's summary screen.
   
2. Select Add Case from the Actions dropdown menu, or alternatively click on the Cases tab.
   
3. Fill in the required fields in the Add Case form.
4. Click Save.
   

If you open a new case for a new contact, the contact's record in CiviCRM is created at the same time as you create the case. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Cases > New Case or select the Create New > Case dropdown button. This button is provided as a block in Drupal or on the left hand side in Joomla!. (Remember, if you haven't made Case a top-level menu item, you'll have to navigate to Other > Cases > New Case.)
2. If you've opted to create a new case without navigating to an existing contact first, you may want to check whether the contact already exists in the database. Type the name or email of the contact you are looking for in the Select Contact field, and you will see a list of potential matches (as illustrated by the following screenshot).

    

3. If you don't find the contact, you can create it immediately by selecting the type of contact from the create new contact list. This opens a pop-up window (shown in the following screenshot) that allows you to fill out the new contact's name and other information while opening the case. The fields in this pop-up window are controlled by the fields in the Add Individual profile. This means you can easily add or modify the fields provided. You can read more about profiles in the Profiles chapter.

   

   Use the Medium and Location fields to record information about where and how this case came to your attention. For example, you might select In Person for Medium and At the Annual Gala for Location.

   Use the Details text area to add information pertaining to the overall case, but not to a specific activity of the case. An example might be "Jane is concerned about some illegal land use that she has witnessed in her neighbourhood, and would like us to see what can be done about it. I told her that the best person to look into this was Tom, and she asked whether her husband could be included on any correspondence."

   The Subject field is displayed in search results and in other listings of cases, next to the name of the case client. Keep this in mind when entering the subject text: a brief and unique description of the case will be more helpful than using the client's name as the subject.

   The Case Type selector allows you to choose the type of case that you are creating. Many case types have specific activities and timelines, so it is important to choose the appropriate case type at this point. You can change to a different case type at a later point by clicking Manage Case next to the case when it's displayed in the CiviCase Dashboard, or from the contact's record Case tab. Then select Change Case Type from the New Activity dropdown menu. Changing an ongoing case may require you to then update or re-enter some data.

   The Case Status selector allows you to indicate the current status of the case. Generally you will use a status such as Ongoing or Urgent, but if you are adding a case that has already been completed (for tracking purposes) select Resolved.

   The Case Start Date field defaults to the current day. If you are creating a case that has already been completed or entering data for upcoming cases (not yet started), adjust the case start date accordingly.

   The Duration field records the time spent collecting the data needed to fill out the create case form, not the amount of time it took to fill the form out. Fill out the number in minutes. For example, you might use this field to record the number of minutes spent on the phone with a constituent as they described the case.

4. After you complete the fields in the pop-up window, clicking the Save button saves the case and loads the Manage Case page, where you can then modify activities, add attachments and assign case roles. Alternatively, clicking Save and New saves the case and resets the form so that you can add further new cases uninterrupted (this is particularly useful if you are doing data entry). Clicking Cancel discards the case data you have entered and sends you back to the CiviCRM dashboard.

Assigning case roles

You can assign case roles to contacts who are working on the case or need to stay informed about case activities. Users who have access to CiviCase and are assigned a role in the case will then see that case in their My Cases view. The phone number and email address of each person with a case role will be displayed on the case, making it easy to communicate with them (see screenshot).

Within a case, you can assign a case role to a contact:

1. Click the Case Roles area to open it.
   
2. Case roles that have not been assigned display (not assigned) in the Name column. Click the edit icon to assign someone to that role.
   
3. The Assign Case Role pop-up window will appear. Begin typing the last name of the contact until you see the name in the dropdown list.
4. Select the contact you want to assign to the role and click OK.

Generally, anyone who might be assigned to a case should already be in the database, but if you can't find the person you're looking for, you must add her as a contact first (navigate to Contacts > New Individual).

Each assigned case role has mail, edit and delete icons under the Email and Actions columns. You can email contacts with roles in the case, or modify their relationships to the case. Change the case role by clicking the edit icon, or delete a case role by clicking the delete icon. Emails that you send from here are automatically added to the list of case activities in the proper sequence. This provides an audit trail of case-related communications, and ensures that the case story is complete.

Finding activities within a case

You may need to find a specific activity within a case, for reference or modification. To view the activities in the case, scroll down to the Case Activities section and click it to open it. In the default view, scheduled activities are listed first, sorted by date, followed by completed activities. Click on the column headers to sort by a specific column (for example, by activity type).

If there are many activities, you can filter them to see a smaller subset. You may want to view activities of a certain type (for example, to see all of the Follow up activities that have been performed for this case). Click the Search Filters button, which opens a form that allows you to filter by:

• Reporter/Role
• Activity Status
• Activity Dates (enter a range by filling in both date fields, or search for activities performed on a specific date by filling out the first date only)
• Activity Type (for instance, to find all follow-up activities, select Follow up from the list)
• Deleted Activities (available to people with permission to view deleted activities).
  

Once you have selected your search criteria, click the Search button to the right and the table will automatically filter out all of the activities not matching your criteria.

 

Adding and managing activities

Several tasks are commonly performed on activities. After performing the necessary work, click the Save button to save the activity and be sent back to the case page, or Cancel to discard your work.

To add a new activity to a case

1. Navigate to the case (either using Find Cases or via the Cases Dashboard).
2. Choose an activity type from the select list labeled New Activity in the Case Summary.
3. Click Go.
   
4. Fill out the activity form. The Client field will be pre-populated with the case's client data.

To send a copy of the activity to anyone with a case role for the case

1. Open the Send a Copy area.
2. Check the contacts or case roles whom you would like to be alerted about this activity.

To schedule a follow up activity

1. Open the Schedule Follow-up area.
2. Select the follow-up activity type, the number of days until the follow-up should occur, and subject of the follow-up (e.g. "confirm that Jane's problem is fixed").
3. Click Go.
4. Complete the form and click Save.

To add an attachment to the activity

1. Open the Attachments area.
2. Click a Choose file button.
   
3. Up to five files can be attached to an activity. Select an attachment from your file browser.
4. Click Choose. The name of the attachment will appear to the right of the Choose file button.
   

The attachment will not be saved into CiviCRM until you have saved the activity.

Editing an activity in a case

To edit an activity in a case:

1. Navigate to the case from the Case Dashboard, the Find Cases search form, or the contact's Cases tab.
2. Click Edit at the far right side of the activities table at the bottom of the case form.
   
3. This brings you to the activity form, which you can edit in the same way as when creating an activity for a case. The only difference is that many of the fields will already be filled in.

To assign a scheduled task to a staff member while adding or editing a case:

1. Start typing the staff member's name into the Assigned to field; a list of possible contacts will appear.
   
2. Select from the list of suggestions and make sure the staff member's full name shows up in the Assigned to field.
   

You can assign multiple contacts to an activity. If you accidentally select the wrong contact, click the X by the contact's name to remove him from the list.  

Changing the status of a case

The case status lets you quickly determine how a case is progressing. Sample status values include Ongoing, Resolved, Not Assigned, and Urgent. 

To change the status of a case:

1. Navigate to the case from the Case Dashboard, the Find Cases search form, or the contact's Cases tab.
2. Click Manage Case.
   
3. Click the Edit icon next to the current status column in the Case Summary table. 
   
4. This will open the Change Case Status form (an activity with an additional field called Case Status).
5. Set the case status to the new status.
6. Modify the other the fields as you would when editing an activity in a case. Make sure to set the Status field. It is required, but not set by default. 
   
7. Click Save to return to the case page, with a message stating that the Change Case Status Activity has been created.

An activity is recorded because when a case status changes, it changed because something happened. It is usually equally as important to record the who and the why as well as the what. This behaviour is consistent throughout CiviCase. 

For information on reporting, see the following chapter on Reports & Analysis.  

Reports and analysis

There are a number of techniques for reporting on and analysing your casework.  The case dashboard gives a very useful quick overview of your current cases, with rows for each case type and columns that show current totals for each status. Clicking through any number (0 will not be linked) will take you a list of all the cases of that type in that status.

[insert screenshot]

That's a good start and can provide a good overview for an administrator but there are a couple of ways that you can create more detailed and customised views of the data for case workers and administrators using CiviCRM's search features and CiviReport. 

CiviCase Reports

There is no report template specifically for cases, but since cases are made up of  activities the Activity report will usually play an important part here. The Activity report template is particularly useful for providing a dashlet for each user involved in casework so they can track all activities assigned to them. Given that these case activities will be displayed alongside other non-case based activities, you may want to implement a protocol for activity names which include some kind of case reference.

Printing Case Reports

To print a report that lists all case and case activity data:

1. Navigate to the case from the Case Dashboard, the Find Cases search form, or the contact's Cases tab.
2. Click Print Case Report in the Case Summary section.

Your installation may define additional reports for audit or quality assurance purposes. If so, you will see them listed in the "Run QA Audit/Redact" dropdown menu.

Searching based on cases

There is a Find Cases search which allows you to search on Case Type and Status as well as by client name or email. This is a useful quick search to identify a few cases that may need specific input if the case dashboard is quite large and cluttered in your instance.

The Advanced search provides these options combined with all the other normal search criteria so you can find case types filtered by location or custom fields applied to the contact

Also useful can be the Activity Search which is located under Search -> Custom Searches -> Activity Search.   Unlike Advanced search, this is just based on activities and not contacts.

Further analysis

If the combination of Case Dashboard, CiviReport and the contact and activity searches aren't giving you want you want, consider commissioning a new report or custom search.  Read the CiviReport section and the 'Search and actions' chapter for more information.

CAMPAIGN

什么是 CiviCampaign?

CiviCampaign 使您能够象捆扎一柄大伞一样将活动，邮件，任务，和捐赠都连接在一起，这样就可以追踪为某个项目或是广告活动目标而作的所有工作的进度。 这样，机构就可以衡量与分析他们外联和动员工作有效性。

借助于 CiviCampaign，您可以：

• 创建调查和申请
• 记录调查和申请所得到的反馈
• 将诸如捐献，邮件，活动事件等的任务与某个特定的宣传活动相连接
• 使用 Get Out The Vote (GOTV) 追踪谁已经投了票
• 记录个人会员在一个特定任务过程中的兴趣和参与程度的等级。

CiviCampaign 是与 CiviCRM的其他组件相集成的，这样就可以选择将哪些任务作为总的宣传活动或是目标的组成部分。 

对 Drupal 站点，CiviEngage 模块通过提供一个为CiviCampaign启用调查和申请功能的自定义字段包来强化CiviCampaign。关于CiviEngage的更多信息，请阅读CiviEngagement的章节。 

方案：全年动员活动

 为了揭开一个对社区成员的全年动员活动的序幕，汤斯威尔市房屋租赁人组织在议会厅举行了一次抗议活动。活动组织者利用CiviCampaign，将全年动员活动整个过程中所有与之相关的活动组织到一起。

组织者创建了一个名为“群众动员2011”的宣传活动，用于将一系列的相关活动联系在一起，包括关于举办动员活动的沟通交流，活动出席情况和用于活动中交通及食品费用的经济捐赠。 

使用CiviCampaign，组织者可以：

• 创建一个“宣传活动”，作为将所有相关的活动，包括宣传活动时间区间和目标，联系起来的那柄大伞
• 创建一个群组，其中包含希望参加活动的个人 
• 给最活跃的成员打电话，让他们帮助在邻居中组织支持者参加活动，并将这些电话记录在个人记录中，同时注明是哪一项宣传活动以及会员的回应
• 发出批量募捐邮件，并注明是哪项活动，随后这些将被记录在个人记录中的捐赠信息里
• 创建一个活动事件，来追踪谁将出席动员会，并在活动事件设置中注明是哪一项宣传活动。

在宣传活动中，周期性地，项目负责人将查找所有与之相关的活动任务，及/或参加了与之相关活动的个人，来监视外联和募捐工作的有效性，并在需要时调整策略。

组织者可以在一个宣传活动的进行期间将系列活动，邮件，及气体活动任务与其关联。在活动结束时，可以从整个活动的角度来回顾这些信息。

Using CiviCampaign, the organisers:

• created a Campaign as the umbrella for all related activities, including the duration of the campaign and the revenue goal
• created a group consisting of the individuals they wanted to target for the activities in the campaign
• called their most active members to help organize other constituents in their neighborhoods to participate, and recorded the activity phone call in the individual's record, indicating the specific campaign and the member's response
  
• sent a mass fundraising mailing and indicated the campaign, which was then recorded in the contribution information of individuals' records
• created an event to track who will be attending the mobilization, and indicate the campaign in the event setup.

Periodically throughout the campaign, the program lead searches all of the activities related to the campaign, and/or individuals who have activities related to the campaign, to monitor the effectiveness of their outreach and fundraising efforts, and if necessary adjust strategies.

Organizers can relate subsequent events, mailings, and other activities with the same campaign as it proceeds over the course of the year. At the end of the campaign this information can be reviewed within the context of the whole campaign.

需要了解的事项 

创建一个宣传活动之前，最好是先回顾本章的内容，了解如何最大限度地利用CiviCampaign来管理您的工作，并考虑与您的机构需求相关的关键问题。

重要概念

您的机构可能会有自己的宣传策略和流程。CiviCampaign是一个可以与现有方法衔接，并对某些流程作精简和自动化的工具。

宣传活动目标和收入

定义并归档记录宣传活动的具体目标，以及您希望募集的资金（若有），并在宣传活动信息中作记录。这将使您能够在活动结束时使用报告来对效果进行分析。

制定活动规划

您在规划活动策略时，应该确定目标人群，并决定哪些活动和信息需要记录到慈善通中去。确定所有记录在案的活动和信息都与整个宣传活动相关联，这样就可以追踪所有与这个宣传活动相关的工作和个人行动。这样您就可以对活动、策略及外联效果作周期性的和总体的评价。

关键问题 

根据您的机构或是一个特定宣传活动的具体情况，回答以下问题：

• 目标人群是谁，又如何与他们取得联系？请记住，宣传活动的目标听众可能与您在实际宣传活动中要努力联系的听众不同。正确地理解目标听众将有助于选择最恰当的策略和沟通活动以实现宣传目标。
• 将有哪些任务和策略，如具体活动和邮件，与这项宣传活动相关？
• 在宣传活动中，您将如何采集数据（如，调查问卷，申请，活动登记），以及谁将负责将数据输入慈善通？
• 哪种报告可以有助于监视活动过程，并在活动结束时评价？

CiviEngage 和 CiviCampaign

CiviEngage 是另一个组件，以其更强大的调查来强化CiviCampaign的功能，并为您的慈善通预设客户数据集、数据透视图和增强的报告。更多关于CiviEngage的详情，请阅读CiviEngage章节。 

设置

本章将帮助您设置CiviCampaign，以使您的宣传活动取得更好的效果。 

启用CiviCampaign

首先，您需要启用CiviCampaign组件。

1. 前往 管理 > 配置 > 全局设定 > 启用慈善通组件。
2. 选择 CiviCampaign 并点击 启用。 

CiviCampaign 一经启用，就会在您的慈善通屏幕上显示为一个新的菜单项 宣传活动 。

添加一个新的宣传活动类型

CiviCampaign 提供三种默认的宣传活动类型：

• 直接发邮件
• 推荐
• 支持人参与 

您可以添加任何符合您工作内容的类型（并禁用哪些与您不符的）。 

要添加一个宣传活动类型

1. 前往 管理- > CiviCampaign > 宣传活动类型。 
   
   
     
2. 这将显示一个现有类型的列表：
   
   
3. 点击 添加宣传活动类型， 并为新类型提供一个标签和描述（可选）。
4. 可选地，改变默认权重：这将影响新活动类型在下拉菜单中出现的顺序（权重最小的出现在最上面）。
5. 点击 保存。

下一次添加一个新的宣传活动时，这个新类型就可以被指定给新的宣传活动。

宣传活动状态

为您的宣传活动指定一个状态，以便在数据库里更新其各项宣传任务，并跟踪这个宣传活动的进展情况。  

1. 前往   管理- > CiviCampaign > 宣传活动状态。
   
   
   默认状态有：已计划，进行中，完成，取消。
2. 点击 添加状态，为状态命名，如果需要还可以添加一个描述。
3. 修改权重不是必须的，但能改变新状态在下拉菜单中的出现顺序。 
4. 点击 保存，新状态就可以用于宣传活动。 

参与指数 

CiviCampaign 能对个人联系人对特定任务的兴趣/参与程度进行跟踪。参与指数可以针对一般的任务或动作，即，发送email，会谈，电话，访谈，以及任何其他您所创建的自定义任务/动作。更多关于如何为个人记录其行动的信息，请阅读“组织您的数据”章节中的联系人部分。

设置参与指数：

1. 前往 管理- > CiviCampaign > 参与指数。
2. 将参与指数设置为数字，如，1 代表参与程度高，而5 则代表参与程度低。 

这一信息可以为对您的外联人员或机构提供会员参与程度/兴趣的补充信息。  

日常工作

本章描述慈善通中与宣传活动管理相关的日常工作。

管理宣传活动

通过宣传活动面板，可以创建，配置，管理和查看您的宣传活动。你也可以通过宣传活动面板管理调查和申请（请在下文关于调查和请愿的章节中查看更详细的信息）。

要查看宣传活动面板，前往 宣传活动 > 面板 > 宣传活动。

通过宣传活动面板，就可以编辑，禁用和删除现有的宣传活动，也可以创建新的宣传活动。

创建一个新宣传活动

要创建一个宣传活动：

1.  前往 宣传活动 > 新宣传活动。   
   
2. 输入相关信息：

• 标题 (必需): 输入一个描述您的宣传活动的唯一名称。最好是建立一个为宣传活动命名的惯例，这样就可以将它们按照字母顺序自动显示在下拉列表中，从而在将任务关联到宣传活动时就可以很容易地将它们依序找到。
• 宣传活动类型 (必需): 选择宣传活动类型，如，赞助人参与活动。要向宣传活动类型下拉列表添加更多选项，请参考前文关于设置 CiviCampaign 的章节。
• 描述：输入对您宣传活动的描述文字。
• 包括群组：若有，选择包含有这次宣传活动的目标联系人的群组。请参阅关于分类标签和群组的章节，了解如何创建群组。
• 开始日期和时间(必需): 输入宣传活动的开始日期和时间。
• 结束日期和时间(必需): 输入宣传活动的结束日期和时间。这些字段若是留空，那么宣传活动被认为是进行中。
• 宣传活动状态：选择宣传活动的状态，如，进行中，已计划，等。要像宣传活动状态下拉列表中添加更多的选项，请参阅前文关于设置的章节。
• 宣传活动目标：输入描述目的和/或目标的描述文字。也可以描述您计划中为了实现目标而进行的活动任务。 
• 收入目标：若有，输入数字，表明您计划通过宣传活动而募集到的金额。 
• 外部ID：若要跟踪这个宣传活动的保存在于其他数据库中的的ID，您可以输入ID。
• 是否有效：若是一个有效宣传活动，请选中此框。 否则，请选除此框。

点击 保存，即保存这个宣传活动。

选定目标赞助人：创建群组

您可能希望锁定一个特定的联系人群组，将其用于宣传活动的所有任务。这可以通过创建一个目标联系人群组来实现。请参阅关于分类标签和群组的章节，了解如何创建群组。

发送批量邮件

向目标听众发送批量邮件，可以引起他们的兴趣和参与，也可以用于募捐。  

1. 使用CiviMail创建email。关于设置和使用CiviMail，请参阅本书的Email章节。
2. 设置邮件时，从下拉列表中选择适当的宣传活动。 
   

宣传活动中一次具体的活动事件

使用CiviEvent创建的活动事件，可以关联到一项宣传活动。关于设置和使用CiviEvent，请参阅本书的活动章节。

1. 创建和设置活动事件。
2. 为活动事件设置邮件时，从下拉列表中选择适当的宣传活动。 
3. 通过CiviMail，使用一个或多个群组，向您的目标听众发送批量邮件，并请他们注册参加这次活动事件。 
4. 再次从右键设定中选择宣传活动的名称。
5. 查找已经注明希望注册参加活动的个人。

记录宣传活动中的捐赠

无论是在线还是线下的捐赠，都可以与一个宣传活动关联；只要在记录捐赠时，从下拉列表中选择适当的宣传活动。

要了解更多关于设置和使用CiviContribute的信息，请参阅捐赠章节。

记录活动参与情况

在一次活动的过程中和结束后，组织者可以通过收集报到名单并手工输入参加者，或是直接在线作记录，来记录谁参加了这次活动。

当参加者到达时，请他们在报到表格写下联系信息，或者如果活动现场有互联网接入，您也可以直接将参加者的信息输入数据库。

要更多地了解如何记录某次活动参加者信息，请参阅活动章节。

报告与分析

您手边有几个搜索和报告工具，可以用于对宣传活动作报告和分析。

宣传活动搜索

所有对可能成为宣传活动一部分的组件的搜索，都有一个活动过滤器，可以基于宣传活动来搜索具体的活动事件，捐赠，等等。类似地，高级搜索中的组件标签页也有搜索过滤器，用于根据所参加的宣传活动来查找联系人。

宣传活动报告

慈善通中对宣传活动分析最有用的报告是任务报告。任务报告可以设置为显示含有这次任务的宣传活动，并显示这次任务的参与指数。任务报告也可以根据宣传活动来筛选。

 

SURVEY

什么是调查？

CiviCampaign 有一个功能可以强化线下调查。这个功能对调查结果的的作标准化记录，并从这些数据中生成报告。每个调查对象的反馈都保存为一个任务记录（一个类型为“调查”的任务）。

请注意，调查功能只记录现有联系人的调查反馈。若是要记录的调查对象不一定存在于数据库中，则需要使用CiviCampaign的签名运动功能；请阅读“签名运动”章节以了解更多信息。

只在 Drupal 站点上，CiviCampaign 与 Drupal 的 CiviEngage 模块交互协作，自动为调查提供更过选项；请阅读“CiviEngage”章节，以了解更多信息。

实例：公共住房调查

Toft市房客组织（Toft）致力于保护房客的权利，并为争取经济实惠的住房而积极游说。这个组织希望收集关于某个特定社区的住房条件的信息，以更好地了解问题的规模，以及哪些对这个社区来说是最为迫切的。他们决定采取的策略之一是借助于一个调查来采集关于住房条件和对房东的不满意见的基本信息。一个焦点小组开会决定调查的问题和对象。

随后，一名 TOFT工作人员在慈善通中创建一个新的调查，并根据现有的联系人构建调查回馈者名单。她生成并打印了一个调查报告单，志愿者则根据这个报告来展开调查。

在一个星期的时间里，志愿者团队将对选定的公共住房建筑进行访问，与调查对象交谈，并在调查报告上记录他们的反馈。每天结束时，志愿者将每个受调查人的反馈输入慈善通数据库；有些志愿者可以从家里的电脑上输入，而有些则回到TOFT办公室去用那里的电脑输入。

在调查总结中，项目负责人用慈善通来查找受调查群组的活动任务，并生成报告，分析调查反馈，以及告知下一步的活动策略。在与对社区发生影响的问题相关的讯息和交流沟通中，也应用了调查结果。

需要了解的事项

以下的概念和问题将帮助您尽可能充分地利用 CiviCampaign 的调查工具。

重要概念  

这些概念不是泛泛地关于如何创建和进行调查，而是关于 CiviCampaign 中调查工具的特别用法。

自定义字段和数据透视图

CiviCampaign 调查使用自定义数据透视图来获取调查对象的反馈。确定了调查的问题和反馈类型之后，您就需要创建自定义字段集来储存这些问题和反馈，若是允许调查对象作多重选择，还需要创建选项值。你可以创建自定义数据透视图，显示适当的字段，以供输入调查对象的反馈。

更多关于创建自定义字段集的信息，请阅读《组织您的数据》中的《自定义字段》章节。要了解如何创建自定义数据透视图，请阅读《组织您的数据》中的《数据透视图》章节。

预约和释放调查对象

在获取调查反馈前，您需要为调查对象联系人创建一个群组。这个群组可以是已经存在于联系人中的，也可能是专门为这次调查而创建的。这就称作预约调查对象。当联系人完成了调查，并且数据已输入时，他们就从这个群组中释放出去。

要了解更多关于创建群组的信息，请阅读《组织您的数据》中的《群组和标签》章节。

“调查”功能是用于向现有联系人收集反馈信息；若是要向更广泛的人群收集反馈信息，请使用“签名运动”工具，相关信息请阅读“签名运动”章节。

CiviCampaign 及 CiviEngage

设置

本章介绍设置调查的步骤。如果要将某个调查关联到特定的宣传活动，还需要再阅读《调查活动》章节。

创建一个新调查

1. 前往 Campaigns > New Survey.
2. 给您的调查输入一个标题，并选择适当的任务类型。
3. 如果调查是作为某个宣传活动的一部分，请从下拉菜单中选择这个宣传活动。
4. 如果在调查中使用自定义数据透视图，请从下拉菜单中选择。
5. 在表单中输入其他相关信息。
6. 点击 保存, 或点击 保存并新建 创建下一个调查。

创建多个问题的调查

在默认配置中，调查功能允许您获取单个问题的答案；但您可能经常需要问多个问题。

例如，公共住房调查有三个问题。首先，TOFT工作人员对两个问题的提问和标准答案作规划：是，否，待定，拒绝回答，以及不适用。然后，她创建一个自定义数据集来存放调查的问题和反馈。

提示:

• 如果您在一年中规划和实行多次调查（比如一年20到30个调查），而每个调查都只有几个问题（比如每个调查有3到4个问题），那么我们强烈建议您创建一个自定义数据集，其中包括每次调查的所有问题。然后您可以为每次调查单独创建只包含本次调查问题的自定义数据透视图。
• 如果您只计划每年几次调查（比如每年3到4次），每次调查的问题不超过10个，那么我们建议您为每次调查的问题组创建不同的自定义数据集。然后您可以使用自定义数据透视图来将每一个调查的问题集中到一起。 
  

一旦决定了您的调查问题和反馈，下一个步骤就是创建自定义数据字段：

1. 前往 Administer > Customize > Custom Data并点击 Add a Set of Custom Fields，创建自定义数据字段集。
2. 创建自定义数据集，以便 用于 字段，选择类型为 调查 的 任务，并将问题包括在字段标签中，将选项值作为问题反馈。
3. 输入您希望提供的帮助文字，并点击保存，为问题反馈创建字段集。
4. 创建自定义数据透视图，以选入您为本次调查创建的自定义数据集的问题字段。 

要了解更多关于如何创建自定义字段集的信息，请阅读《您的数据与慈善通》中的《创建自定义字段》章节。要了解更多关于如何创建自定义数据透视图的信息，请阅读《慈善通核心概念》中的《数据透视图》章节。

• 标题 (必需): 输入 公共住房调查。
• 活动: 选择 呼唤住得起的公共住房宣传活动 (要了解如何创建宣传活动，请阅读《宣传活动》章节)。
• 任务类型 (必需): 选择 调查。
• 数据透视图: 选择 调查反馈数据透视图，以便收集此调查的三个问题的反馈。
• 调查结果 (必需): 如果您已经创建了一个调查，并想再次使用其结果集，请选择适当的结果集。否则，点击 创建一个新结果集 并输入您希望追踪反馈的状态结果，例如： 
  

• 作为标签：完成，不在家，已搬迁，地址错误，已亡故。
• 作为反馈值，分别输入：C，NH，MV，WA，DE。

一旦创建了新的结果集，慈善通就依照如下的命名规则为结果集命名：调查标题+结果集。

• 面谈指导： 输入对志愿者实施调查有帮助的关于调查的适当信息。
• 每次最多预约个数：输入每次面谈最多可以预约的联系人个数。这样您可以根据每个志愿者的每次面谈将联系人分组。
• 每次面谈总预约数：输入一个谈话人可以预约的总联系人个数。
• 释放频率：输入一个天数，预约的调查对象如果在这个规定的天数内未完成调查，则释放此调查对象。
• 是否激活？：选中此选项框，则激活此调查。
• 默认?：选中此选项卡，则将此调查设为默认。

点击 保存，或是 保存并新建 如果您要创建几个调查。当返回到调查面板时，即可在摘要表中看到您的新调查。 

调查类型

您可以创建新的调查类型，来描述您所从事任务的类型。调查反馈将记录在联系人的任务记录中。默认的慈善通调查类型是 问卷调查，传单测验，电话调查，走访，和签名调查。

创建和编辑调查类型：  

1. 前往 管理 > CiviCampaign > 调查类型。 
   
   
2. 点击 添加调查类型 并填写表单。 

下一次创建新调查（或编辑现有调查）时，即可发现您的新调查类型已经存在于调查任务类型的下拉菜单中。

日常工作

本章介绍使用调查功能的日常工作。

管理您的调查

要查看与编辑现有的调查，前往 宣传活动 > 面板 > 调查。 其中可以找到您的调查的摘要。

使用右侧的链接来管理这些调查，或点击 添加调查 来创建新调查。   

预约调查对象

在实施调查之前，首先需要确定要访谈的一组联系人；在慈善通中，这称为预约调查对象。

预约的群组可以分为更小的子集，这样可以得到一些更易于安排在一定时间内完成访谈的人数。

更多关于如何创建群组的信息，请阅读《群组和标签》章节。

预约一组调查对象：

1. 前往 宣传活动 > 预约调查对象。
2. 从 调查 下拉菜单中选择这次调查的名称（必需）。
3. 从 群组 下拉菜单中选择要访谈的联系人群组名称。
4. 您可以添加更多的条件，来将搜索范围限定在某个地理区域，如街道地址，街道名称，街道门牌号码，城市，邮政编码。（请注意：慈善通会将街道地址解析成街道名称，街道门牌号码 - 这在规划大型的上门民意调查时将会非常有用 - 但是必须首先点击 管理 > 设置 > 全球设定 > 地址设定，然后在地址编辑区域中选中街道地址解析选项框，来开启地址解析功能。）
5. 点击搜索。

在“查找要预约的调查对象”搜索结果显示屏幕中，选择要预约访谈的联系人：

1. 选中要访谈的每个联系人（或点击 n个记录全选 的无线按钮，选择所有的联系人，这里 n 为预约调查对象搜索中所找到的联系人个数）。
2. 点击 继续 ，预约选定的调查对象。

 

在预约调查对象屏幕中，点击 预约。 

对调查对象作访谈

在公共住房调查实例中，TOFT志愿者将他们每天所收集到的数据直接输入慈善通。步骤如下：

1. 点击 管理 > 对调查对象作访谈。
2. 在 查找要访谈的调查对象 屏幕中，使用与预约调查对象相同的搜索条件：

• 调查: (必需) 选择调查的名称
• 群组：选择要访谈的联系人群组
• 点击 搜索。

1. 在搜索结果显示屏幕中，或是选择每个要记录其反馈的人，或是选择 全部n个记录 （这里，n是预约调查对象搜索中所找到的联系人个数）。
2. 点击 继续 ，记录调查反馈。 
   
   




3. 在每个调查对象的 记录调查反馈 屏幕中，记录其对三个问题中每一个问题的反馈。 
   
4. 在 结果 栏，选择调查反馈状态。
5. 点击 记录反馈，然后选择以下之一：

• 若是完成了反馈记录，点击 完成，并返回到 查找要访谈的调查对象 屏幕。 
• 若是决定不记录这个联系人的反馈，点击 释放调查对象；然后在释放调查对象 屏幕，点击 释放调查对象， 这样他们就不再处于被预约的状态，其他志愿者就可以对他们作预约。
• 点击 预约更多调查对象，查找更多要访谈的联系人。

 
 

报告与分析

使用调查报告（详细）可以对调查结果进行分析。

在报告中审查调查结果

一周的调查结束后，TOFT工作人员通过查看调查报告来审查调查结果。按照以下步骤创建并列印调查报告：

1. 前往 报告 > 根据模板创建报告 > 调查报告（详细）。
2. 在位于 报告条件 下方的 显示栏目 区域，选中 调查反馈 以及您想再报告中查看的任何内容，如街道门牌号码和街道名称。
3. 在 按栏目分组 下，选中您想将信息分组的方式，如街道名称。



4. 在 设定筛选器 区域，选中调查的名称，并在 调查对象状态 中选择 已访谈。
   
5. 这时还有一个以自定义问题集的名称命名的下拉菜单。您可以选择问题反馈来缩小报告筛选范围，例如，显示所有对某一个问题回答“是”的反馈。
6. 点击 预览报告。
7. 在 调查报告（详细） - 模板 屏幕中，可以查看调查结果。若是需要更详尽的报告，还可以将报告信息导出到一个CSV文件。

 

若是您希望得到一个按格式整理的报告，其中有问题页作为封面，并按照调查对象及街道名称的升序排列（根据您在调查反馈区域输入的条件），则请点击 打印预览。

PETITION

What is a Petition?

CiviCampaign includes a function that lets you create a petition to publicly gather responses and information online.

Typically when we think of petitions, we think about individuals signing a petition for a particular cause that will then be presented to an elected official or for education about a specific issue. But petitions can also be used as an online surveys, to gather responses about questions and then allow the an organization to build support about their causes based on the analysis of the responses.

Scenario: City Council petition

Townsville Organisation for Tenants (TOFT) wanted to demonstrate to the Townsville City Council the public's dissatisfaction or satisfaction with the Council's work to provide safe public housing for the community. In order to do this, they created a petition that would gather responses to questions at the same time as gathering signatures. The results were then presented to the City Council.

A TOFT staff member used CiviCampaign to create the petition then sent it via email to all of their existing contacts. She linked the petition to the organization's web site so that the community could respond online, and worked with the Communications Director on various communication strategies to drive individuals to the web site to fill out the petition. 

The petition also allowed respondents to elect if they wanted to receive ongoing email updates from TOFT about the campaign's progress throughout the year. 

After the duration of the petition drive, the staff member compiled the electronic signatures and responses, created reports to analyse the results and then the organisation communicated the results to City Council. The results of the petition were also used to frame TOFT's messages and communicate their story to build interest about the campaign.

What You Need To Know

The following concepts are important to understand before creating and using petitions, and the key questions will help you to plan your petition.

Key Concepts

Petitions are a function within the CiviCampaign component of CiviCRM. When an individual responds to a petition, an activity record of the type Petition is created that contains the individual's responses to the petition questions. 

Petitions and campaigns

Petition is a feature of CiviCampaign; but a petition doesn't necessarily have to be connected to a specific campaign. For example, if the Toft Organisation For Tenants (TOFT) used a petition to assess members' satisfaction with TOFT's web site, it probably would not need to be connected to a campaign. But the petition described in the scenario in the previous chapter is part of TOFT's Demand for Better Housing campaign, which includes a survey and other activities. Connecting the petition to the campaign enabled the organisation's staff to analyse petition responses in the context of the other strategies and activities in the campaign.

Profiles and custom fields

Using petitions in CiviCRM requires setting up two profiles. One profile is to capture basic contact information, including email address. Capturing email addresses via petitions is necessary to validate and accurately count signatures. The other profile contains custom activity fields that hold the responses to the petition questions.

You will want prepare your questions and the standard responses, if any, you want to gather before creating your custom field sets and custom profiles. 

To learn more about how to create custom field sets, see the chapter on Custom Fields in the section Organising Your Data. To learn how to create a custom profile, see Profiles in the section Organising your Data. 

Drupal Permissions 

If you are using Drupal, you need to set permissions to allow specific roles to Sign CiviCRM Petitions. To learn more about setting Drupal permissions, go to the Drupal documentation at http://drupal.org/getting-started/6/admin/user/permissions.

Key Questions

Think about the online strategies you will use and consider these questions before creating your petition:

• Do you plan to send the petition via email? 
• Will you link to the petition on your website for people to sign? 
• Will you use other social media or offline strategies to drive people to your website to sign the petition? 
• How will you frame your message so that people will want to sign your petition?  
• What do you plan to do with the results from the petition? 
• What follow-up activities are you planning to continue communicating and building a relationship with petition signers? 

Set-up

This chapter describes the steps needed to set up a petition.

The CiviCampaign component must be enabled before you can use Petition. See the section Campaign for information about this. 

Set Drupal permissions

For Drupal sites, you will need to set the appropriate Drupal permissions so that specific roles can sign the petition, particularly anonymous users if you're planning to make the petition public.

1. Go to Administer (in Drupal; if you don't see the Drupal Administration menu, then you have not got the appropriate permissions to do this). 
2. Select User Management > Permissions.
3. Under civicrm module check the boxes: Sign CiviCRM Petition, Profile Create, and Access all Custom Data,  for the roles you require. For example, if this is to be a public petition, you must check these boxes for anonymous users and authenticated users.

To learn more about setting Drupal permissions, go to the Drupal documentation at http://drupal.org/getting-started/6/admin/user/permissions.

Create two Custom Profiles

In order to create a new petition, you must create two custom profiles: one to capture the contact information of the signer, and the other to capture the responses to the petition questions. The responses to the petition questions are recorded in the activity record of type Petition for each individual who signs the petition.

1. Create a custom profile for the contact information you want to collect, such as First Name, Last Name, and Email. You may want to make some of these fields required so you capture enough information to communicate with signers at a later date. Note: you must collect at minimum an email address in the contact profile, because the Petition feature will send an email to the signer of the petition to prompt them to verify their email address. Only those verified email addresses can be counted.
2. Create a custom profile with custom fields to capture responses to the petition questions.  When creating the custom field set, from the Used For dropdown menu select Activities, and for the activity type select Petition. 

For both profiles, you may want to select the following settings in the Advanced Setting area:

• For Drupal user account registration option?, select the radio button for No account create option if you do not want all petition signers to have a Drupal account created.
• For What to do upon duplicate match, you can select the radio button for Allow Duplicate Contact to be Created if you don't want  anonymous users to update an existing contact record's information; you will then need to periodically dedupe records.

To learn more about how to create custom field sets, see the chapter Custom Fields in the Organising Your Data section. To learn about how to create a custom profile, see the Profiles chapter.

Create a New Petition

Once you have created the two profiles, you are ready to create a petition.

1. Go to Campaigns > New Petition, then enter the following information about your petition: 

• Petition Title (required): enter the name of your petition.
• Introduction: enter text describing what your petition is about. Potential signers will read this, so create a good message to encourage individuals to sign the petition.
• Campaign: if your petition is one strategy or activity of a campaign, then select the name of the campaign.
• Contact Profile (required): select the name of the profile that will collect the contact information of petition signers.
• Activity Profile: select the name of the activity profile that will collect petition responses.
• Is Active?: check this box to make your petition active.
• Is Default?: check this box to make your petition default.

Click Save to save the petition information.

Everyday Tasks

This chapter describes the everyday tasks to conduct and manage petitions.

Manage Your Petitions

To view, manage and edit your petitions, click Campaigns > Dashboard > Petitions.

Send out a petition for signing

When your petition is ready, you will want to publicise the URL where people can sign it.

1. Go to Campaigns > Dashboard > Petitions.
2. Click More > Sign next to the name of your petition.
3. You will see your petition; copy the URL and use this link to email to your existing contacts, or add to your web site for individuals to sign your petition.

Collect Responses Online

Once you have publicised the URL for your petition, people will be able to complete the form, answer the questions and submit their response. 

After completing the form and clicking Sign the Petition, they will see the following message prompting them to check their email and verify their email address:

Collect Signatures

To view who has signed the petition:

1. Click Campaign > Dashboard > Petitions.
2. Click More > Signatures next to the name of your petition.
3. You can then choose to view the petition activity for an individual, or select contacts and perform activities such as sending an email to the contacts, or a batch update via profile. 

Review results with Activity Report 

To review all or some of the results from a petition, use the Activity Report.

1. Go to Reports > Create Reports from Templates > Activity Report.
2. In the Display Column area, select any fields you would like to view on the report, such as Target Contact Email.
3. Expand the Petition Questions area and select the criteria you want to see, such as specific responses to a petition question.
4. Click Preview Report to view the results. You can also export the survey report information to a CSV file to do more detailed reporting of the results. 

报告和分析

以下有几个简单的工具可以用来对请愿进行汇报和分析。

签名查看器

用来浏览都有哪些人在请愿书上签名：

1. 点击 参加的活动> 主菜单> 情愿书.
2. 点击 更多> 签名 （在你的请愿书旁边）.

Review results with activity report 

To review all or some of the results from a petition, use the Activity Report.

1. Go to Reports > Create Reports from Templates > Activity Report.
2. In Display Column area, select any fields you would like to view on the report, such as Target Contact Email.
3. Expand the Petition Questions area and select the criteria you want to see, such as specific responses to a petition question.
4. Click Preview Report to view the results. You can also export the survey report information to a CSV file to do more detailed reporting of the results. 

 

GOTV VOTER TRACKING

什么是动员投票（投票跟踪）？

CiviCampaign 具有一个“动员投票” GOTV（投票跟踪）功能，可以用来识别在民意测验中已经投票的（您已经或计划作调查的）联系人。

要使用GOTV（投票跟踪）功能，需要启用 CiviCampaign 组件。更多关于 CiviCampaign 的信息，请阅读《宣传活动》章节。

跟踪那些在民意测验中已经投票的联系人

使用 GOTV（投票跟踪）功能之前，需要先创建一个调查，并为这个调查创建一个包括您计划访谈的联系人组，预约调查对象（预约您预备访谈的联系人）。更多关于调查和预约调查对象的信息，请阅读本书的《调查》部分。 

如何使用 GOTV（投票跟踪）功能：

1. 点击 宣传活动 > GOTV（投票跟踪）。
2. 在GOTV（投票跟踪）搜索屏幕：

• 调查 (必需)：选择您要对联系人作的调查名称
• 群组：选择要对其作投票跟踪的联系人组
• 点击 搜索。

在GOTV（投票跟踪）搜索屏幕：

• 对已在调查中投票的联系人，选中 已投票? 栏下方紧挨着此联系人的选项框
• 将光标悬浮在紧挨着姓名的“个人联系人”图标上，即可查看关于此联系人的更多信息。

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

什么是 CiviEngage？

CiviEngage 是一个 Drupal 模块。它能强化慈善通中关于社区组织及市民参与工作的核心功能。然而，如果您的站点是用Joomla!搭建的，就无法使用CiviEngage。

CiviEngage 用于协助社区组织，基础搭建，和美国环境下的市民参与。它为管理登门宣传活动的登门拜访名单，电话宣传的电话名单，以及对联系人如何与机构互动并不断提高各类活动参与程度进行跟踪提供工具。 

CiviEngage 包括：

• 一些由自定义字段，报告和功能的功能包，用于跟踪联系人的参加、参与度、及行动的历史。这些与 宣传活动 和 调查 集成，以提供登门拜访名单及电话名单。
• 一个模型，关于如何将有关个人联系人，机构和跟踪交互历史的方法作概念化并最好地组织相关信息的。

CiviEngage 强化 CiviCampaign。更多关于 CiviCampaign的信息，请阅读 宣传活动 章节。

实例：直接行动

汤斯威尔市房屋租赁人组织(TOFT)致力于经济适用房的问题。为了对州立法人就租金管制法案问题发生影响，TOFT决定动员几百人在州议会举行一次直接行动，但只有两周的准备时间。该组织意识到，联络支持者的最好方法是通过电话，他们希望了解谁将参加这次直接行动，以便对每个人的参与情况保持跟踪。

首先，TOFT组织者根据特定的条件和TOFT所保留的支持者信息，如地理位置、兴趣问题、志愿者兴趣、领导力水平等，找出他们想动员参加直接行动的人。

接着，项目负责人就在慈善通中，使用CiviEvent创建一个“直接行动”类型的活动，并向其中添加一组或多组个人联系人。

组织者给电话银行列表报告中可能的活动参加者 打电话（他们也可能使用活动参加者名单），并输入每个电话的结果，如这个人是否将参加，或是电话号码错误，或是留了留言讯息。

对每名参加者，都有组织者多次联系，以确认他们参加直接行动，并记录每次的答复。大多数组织者与可能的联系人达到3次，来确认他们参加活动。

在“直接行动”之后，TOFT工作人员可以分析有多少人说可以参加，多少实际参加了，以及他们的外联方式的有效性。 

实例：动员活动

某组织希望根据从一个关于当地汽车制造厂工人平等薪酬的上门动员中得到的个人反馈，为自己的行动争取支持者。为了更多地了解他们的支持者对工人待遇的看法，以及他们是否愿意提供帮助，该组织决定在几个已知为工人集中的地区展开上门动员。 

工作人员首先根据城市中的特定区域和工人集中的社区，定义目标人。

为了跟踪所有的策略，以及就这个特定活动与他们的组织有过交流的人，工作人员在CiviCampaign中创建了一个动员活动。接着他们在“调查”中创建一个调查，来记录上门动员中所问过的问题。

工作人员在CiviEvent中创建一个活动事件以捕捉哪些人将参加他们在州议会的直接行动，并辨识社区领袖 - 他们可以带来更多的支持者，并将他们添加为活动志愿者。这样，这些志愿者将收集他们联系过的那些人的反馈，工作人员创建一个拜访报告，并分发给志愿者。 

每个上门动员志愿者按照拜访名单，登门拜访并收集受访人的反馈。每天结束的时候，其他志愿者将完成了得拜访名单报告收集起来，并将反馈直接输入慈善通。 

动员活动结束后，项目负责人分析所有对调查问题的反馈，并利用这些信息来制定下一步决策，以将支持者动员进来。

因为能够在动员活动的每一个步骤进行信息追踪，组织者可以对他们的工厂工人的需求形成更清醒的认知。TOFT就可以更好地为建立预期的表达支持者需求的沟通作准备。

最后，仔细地追踪和收集数据将为总体规划的下一个步骤提供信息，以为社区中的工人取得公平的待遇。用这种方式收集数据将为TOFT提供就是否能够有效地打动支持者并发生影响提供更好的认识。 

需要了解的事项

CiviEngage的目的是管理与支持者之间的互动，这些互动是机构公民参与和基本建设的一部分，如拉票动员和电话银行建设。

本章介绍为了有效地使用CiviEngage需要了解的概念。根据基本概念，可以找到关于使用CiviEngage构建您的支持者体系的关键问题。

CiviEngage强化CiviCampaign的使用，并且这两个模块是相辅相成的。关于CiviCampaign的更多信息，请阅读Campaign章节。

重要概念

理解以下的概念，能使您有效地使用CiviEngage。

CiviEngage 与 CiviCampaign

CiviEngage 与 CiviCampaign 是紧密地联系在一起的。它们各自提供性能和个性化数据，共同作用，来完成社区组织活动。例如，您可以：

• 创建和实施调查，收集上门调查(使用拜访名单)和电话银行联系中，目标受访者的反馈
• 创建和实施请愿，收集更详细的反馈信息
• 创建报告，分析支持者的反馈，以帮助您制定项目或活动的下一步规划
• 在个人活动记录中，记录参与度指数，来估测他们的兴趣程度，或是成为高度活跃成员或易于接受动员参加直接行动的可能性。

更多关于CiviCampaign的信息，请参考“动员活动”（Campaign）章节。另外也有一些关于调查和请愿的独立章节，可以与CiviEngage部门结合起来阅读。

自定义字段和数据透视图

CiviEngage 将有助于整理组织市民参与支持者信息和社区组织工作的自定义字段集打包。这样，CiviEngage帮助您利用拜访名单和电话银行等功能来进行市民参与工作以，以及利用调查来收集支持者的反馈。更多关于如何使用自定义字段集和自定义数据透视图的信息，请阅读“您的数据和慈善通”部分的“创建自定义数据透视图”章节。

地址数据清理

清理地址数据是指将地址标准化，与您的邮政地址标准一致。对如何将地址输入慈善通进行标准化规定，可以使基于地址的搜索结果更准确，而这对生成准确地拜访名单是非常重要的。慈善通将根据邮政地址标准，对地址进行解析。

如果要更多地了解关于慈善通如何处理和使用地址解析，请参看本书“安装和基本设置”章节中的“地址设定”子章节。在添加或编辑联系人时，您将按照这些标准输入或编辑包括门牌号码，街道名称，和街道单元号码在内的地址元素。

计划将已有数据导入慈善通，以供CiviEngage使用时，在导入之前先清理地址数据是非常重要的。

禁用及删除CiviEngage自定义数据

若是您决定不需要使用或查看特定的自定义群组，字段，或值，我们强烈建议您对这些群组，字段或值采取禁用。自定义报告和搜索是基于这些自定义字段，因此删除某些自定义数据有可能对这些报告和搜索产生破坏，或至少造成问题。

对所有联系人操作

准备一个动员活动时，您将需要识别动员活动或电话银行的目标对象。慈善通使用智慧群组和普通群组机制，来定位特定的联系人群组。这里是一些关于如何使用指挥群组和普通群组来定位的范例：

• 使用基于特定的条件，如选举人的人口调查信息，兴趣问题，主要语言等的智慧群组来定位
• 使用一个称作“选举人信息”的自定义数据组来追踪选举人的人口调查信息
• 使用设定为邮件列表的群组，来识别那些希望订阅特定邮件期刊或是特定问题的联系人，以向其发送批量邮件
• 使用这些智慧群组和普通群组，来生成您的拜访名单或电话银行。

更多关于运用智慧群组和普通群组的信息，请阅读本书的分类标签与群组章节。

管理选举人历史

CiviEngage 允许您管理选举人历史，及其他在选举人参与，选举人教育或选举周期中收集的选举人信息。

许多机构都有访问选举人文件的权限。从中，他们管理慈善通之外的所有的选举人参与工作。一旦选举人参与或竞选宣传活动结束并且选举人信息更新为谁投了票或者其他人口调查信息时，机构通常只希望保存他们在活动中实际联系过的联系人。这种情况下，只有从选举人文件中选取的记录，及选举人ID，和他们所登记的党派才被导入慈善通并维护。接着，这些选举人记录将成为组织者将要继续争取，并作为基本建设目标的联系人。

自定义联系人子类型

CiviEngage 为个人和机构创建新的联系人子类型：

• 个人联系人子类型：
• 媒体联系人
• 资助者联系人
• 胜选官员
• 机构联系人子类型:
• 媒体
• 资助机构     
  

这些子类型允许您追踪特定的联系人，如资助者和资助机构，媒体联系人和胜选的官员，并记录每一个联系人的所需信息。

资助者和资助机构：    

• 通过对资助人的联系记录添加活动，并选择活动类型”申请“、”查询信“或”报告“来追踪资金申请的到期日，查询信件和报告。
• 通过创建联系人子类型为”资助者联系人“的新联系人记录，并使用”资助者信息“自定义字段集，来选择关于个人资助者的信息，如资助地区和兴趣问题。
• 通过创建联系人子类型为”资助机构联系人“的新联系人记录，并使用”资金信息“自定义字段集，来选择关于机构资助者的信息，如资助地区。 

媒体联系人和媒体：

• 记录下哪些媒体联系人或媒体对您的机构的问题感兴趣，或是写过关于您的工作的文章，以便识别哪些人可以在您希望发布机构工作时联络。
• 使用”媒体信息“自定义字段集，选择关于个人媒体联系人或机构的信息，如媒体类型（即，电视、报纸、摄影，等）、兴趣问题和地区。

胜选官员

• 记录谁是某个特定地区的胜选官员，以及谁是他们的工作联系人，如日程管理，或发言人。

关键问题

以下问题是为了帮助您更充分地使用CiviEngage。

• 谁是的机构的支持者，以及哪些问题会对他们发生影响？
• 哪些是与您工作相关的其他重要个人和机构（如社区领袖，捐款人，胜选官员，媒体联系人和资助者）？ 
• 要创建定位交流活动和宣传来动员支持者，您需要了解哪些关于他们的信息？ 
• 是否需要做选举人参与工作，并使用其结果来强化您目前的联系人数据？ 

设置

本章介绍如何安装CiviEngage，并对如何使用自定义字段集以及CiviEngage中的数据透视图给出建议。

安装 CiviEngage

CiviEngage是一个Drupal模块。要安装它，首先需要Drupal管理员授权，以便：

• 在Drupal中启用慈善通模块里的CiviEngage组件
• 更新管理员角色的权限，以便通过选择进入CiviEngage设置选项框来进入CiviEngage模块。 
  

CiviEngage联系人子类型

CiviEngage使用慈善通的联系人子类型来展现只与特定子类型相关联的自定义字段集（对自定义字段集的描述请见下文）。以下联系人子类型在安装CiviEngage时创建：

个人联系人子类型：

• 媒体联系人：显示自定义字段集、媒体信息，包括媒体联系人特定的信息，如媒体类型（即，报纸，电台，电视，等）、“节拍”（发行地区）、以及媒体的兴趣点。
• 胜选人： 包括自定义字段集、胜选人信息，包括特定生选人的信息，如选举级别（如市议会，或是参议员），及其胜选角色（如秘书，或是发言人）。
• 资助者联系人: 包括自定义字段集、资助者信息，包括特定资助者的信息，如他们的出资区域以及兴趣点。

机构联系人子类型：

• 媒体：显示自定义字段集、媒体信息，包括与媒体类型相关的信息，如电视、广播、有线、报纸、杂志，等。
• 资助机构：显示自定义字段集、资金信息，包括可用于追踪资助信息的字段，如机构将提供的平均资金额，以及机构感兴趣的资助提供地区。 
  

修改自定义字段集

有一些自定义字段会在安装 CiviEngage 时自动创建。这些字段用来支持您的组织工作。其中大多数都是多选字段，并预设了选项模板。在您开始使用CiviEngage之前，需要检查这些字段，并根据自己的需要对现有的选项进行修改。

请注意，CiviEngage 是根据北美背景设计的；如果您的机构在美国之外，您可能需要调整语言环境，但是大多数概念应该类似，并可应用于您的机构。

我们强烈建议你您不要删除任何自定义字段或自定义字段集，因为有一些其他性能，如报告和搜索等，的生成可能会依赖于这些字段；删除字段则有可能对这些以及其他一些CiviEngage性能的正常使用造成影响。

要查看自定义字段集，从导航菜单进入 管理 > 自定义 > 客户数据。  

 

以下清单列举了CiviEngage所提供的所有自定义字段集；编号的条目都是这些自定义字段集中的字段。您可以根据自己机构的实际需要，对每个自定义字段的可用选项作添加、修改或禁用（强烈建议不要删除）。

更多关于使用自定义字段集的信息，请查看“您的数据与CiviCRM”部分中关于“创建自定义字段”的章节。

沟通细节

若是资助人的信息中含有完整的邮政地址、电子邮件、或是电话号码，以及为什么不愿通过电子邮件、电话或邮政信件联系的理由，等信息，这一自定义字段集可用于提供更多细节，以便更好地与这些资助人联系。

• 最好的联系时间：注明与之联系的最好时间是早晨、中午还是晚上。
• 沟通状态：注明是否有错误的电子邮件地址，错误的邮政地址，或是错误的电话号码。
• 不愿接收邮政信件联系的原因
• 不愿接收电话联系的原因
• 不愿接收电子邮件联系的原因

选举人信息

这个自定义字段集可用于提取您的资助人的选举人信息。您或许还想根据自己的情况添加一些特定的当地选举人字段。

• 州选举人 ID
• 政党登记信息
• 若是其他政党：只有当您不想在“政党登记信息”字段中添加其他选项值时，才使用这一字段
• 选区
• 行政区
• 州选区
• 市选区
• 国会选区
• 县名
• 选举人经历：A (一直投票), O (偶尔投票), N (新选举人)；您可以对此添加其他值，来描述您的资助人的选举行为

资助方信息 - 个人

这个自定义字段集可用于描述关于个人联系人的其他信息，如This custom field set may be used to describe additional information your individual contacts, such as how you want to classify your contacts for ease of searching and targeting form communications, which staff person is responsible for outreach to the individual, and how and when the individual was brought into your organisation.

• Constituent Type: This is a required field used to categorize the type of contact, such as Volunteer, Activist, Board Member, Donor, Ally, etc.
• Other Name: may be used to contain another name used by the contact, for e.g. an individual's name in chinese characters
• Staff Responsible: note that the values for this field are also used for Event Contact Person. Replace the sample names in the list with your staff, member or volunteer coordinators, and other folks that have individuals assigned to them.
• Date Started: may be used to indicate the date your constituent was brought in to your organisation.
• How Started: edit this list to fit the ways in which members are brought into your organisation.

Grassroots Info

This custom field set may be used the to further capture information about how a constituent likes to engage with your organisation, the types of issues and volunteer activities they're interests, their level of leadership, and their status as a member. These fields provide another way to categorise your constituents to better target your audience for outreach and communications.

• Member Status: three status choices of Active, Inactive and Deceased are included by default. Think about other member statuses that might work for your organization and add or remove as needed. 
• Leadership Level: the default options for tracking an individual's leadership level within your organisation are 1-5. Change this to match however your organisation tracks this information.
• Issue Interest: this may be used to capture what issues your contacts are interest in. This custom field shares the same set of options as the Funding Areas (for organisations), Media Issue Interest and Funder Issue Interest fields. It is a list of issues that your organisation works on or tracks.
• Volunteer Interests: a list of volunteer activities that your members can take on.

Constituent Info - Organizations

This custom field set may be used to classify the type of organisational contact so that you can target your outreach and communications.

• Constituent Type - Org: this custom field is required and may be used to classify the type of organisation contact, such as Member Organisation, Affiliate Organisation, Business, Government.

Grant Info

This custom field set may be used to capture information about grants for a particular foundation.  You can view and edit this custom field if you create an organisation contact with subtype Foundation.

• Average Amount: average dollar amount for grants
• Funding Areas: this custom field uses the same set of options for Issue Interest and Funder Issue Interest.
• Requirements Notes

Proposal Info

This custom field set may be used to capture information about grant proposals. You can add, view and edit information about proposals when you create an activity of type Proposal for either a funder contact (an individual contact with type Funder Contact) or for a foundation contact (an organisation contact with type Foundation).

• Ask Amount
• Proposal Status
• Amount to be Received
• Date to be Received
• Multiyear Grant
• Years

Participant Info

This custom field set, which is available when you create a participants for your events, may be used to capture information about participants to your events, such as if they need childcare or rides to and from the event. Organisers who contact potential participants multiple times before an event can also capture responses from participants to track over time if they were able to get their constituents to participate and how many contacts it takes to encourage them to come to the event.

• Childcare Needed
• Ride To
• Ride Back
• Invitation Date
• Invitation Response
• Second Call Date
• Second Call Response
• Reminder Date
• Reminder Response

Event Details

This custom field set is used to capture additional information about your event.

• Event Contact Person: also used for Staff Responsible. Add all appropriate people to this list.

Organizational Details

This custom field set may be used to store information that is specific to organisations.

• Rating: if you need to evaluate organisations in some way, change the options to reflect that.

Demographics

This custom field set may be used to capture demographic information about your constituents.

• Ethnicity
• Secondary Language

Media Outlet Info

This custom set is only applicable to the organization contacts with subtype Media Outlet.

• Media Type - Org: this custom field uses the same set of options as Media Type - Ind field - TV, Radio, Wire, Newspaper, Magazine, etc.

Media Info

This custom field set is only applicable to the individual contacts with subtype Media Contact.

• Media Type - Ind: this custom field uses the same set of options as Media Type - Org
• Beat: this refers to the general category of topics that a media contact covers, such as local government, education, neighborhoods, religion, labor, etc.
• Media Issue Interest: uses the same option list as Issue Interest. As you come to know a reporter, you will learn the issues they are particularly interested in, even if it differs from their assigned beat.

Funder Info

This custom field set is only applicable to individual contacts with subtype Funder Contact and may be used to capture information specific to the funder contact.

• Funder Program Areas

• Funder Issue Interest: this custom field uses the same set of options as Issue Interest and Funding Areas.

Elected Official Info

This custom field set is only applicable to individual contacts with subtype Elected Official.

• Elected Level: the governmental body the individual is part of (City Council, state legislature, mayor, etc.)
• Elected Staffer Role: whether the contact is the elected official, or the official's staff, spokesperson, etc.

Modifying CiviEngage's custom value options

CiviEngage includes many custom fields with value options. The following are examples of value options that you may want to consider reviewing and modifying to match the kinds of information you need to track for your work.

To learn more about working with value options or multiple choice options, see the chapter called Creating Custom Fields.

Value Options for Issue Interests

The value options for Issue Interests contain issues that your organisation works on or tracks. They are included in CiviEngage as a single option list shared across multiple contexts: 

• Grassroots Info: Issue Interests for individuals
• Media Info: Media Issue Interests for Media Contacts
• Funder Info: Funder Issue Interests for Funder Contacts
• Grant Info: Funding Areas for organisations

It is important to remember that despite appearing with different labels in these different contexts, you are still dealing with just one shared list of options.

In planning to use CiviEngage you should come up with a list of distinct issues that are important to your organisation and that you will want to utilise when tracking individuals' interest in your organisation's work, the issues that your media contacts may be interested in covering, a funders' general interests and the specific areas of work included in particular grants.

Value Options for Volunteer Interests

The value options for Volunteer Interests contain activities that your organisation's volunteers can take on and participate in; you can indicate each individual's interest in participating in these ways. They are included in CiviEngage as an option list. In planning to use CiviEngage you should establish a list of your organisation's current volunteer activities as well as any activities that you are planning to launch in the future. Some examples of volunteer interests are canvassing, phone banking and tabling.

Survey Default Result Set Options

When creating a new survey, especially when you have a survey with more than one quesiton, CiviEngage defines a default set of Result Options that may be used to indicate if a survey has been completed or why the survey was not completed:

• label is Completed with value C
• label is Not Home with value NH
• label is Moved with value MV
• label is Wrong Address with value WA
• label is Wrong Number with value WN
• label is Deceased with value DE

We strongly suggest that you create labels with names that are descriptive, and for the values use abbreviated names so that when printing out WalkLists or PhoneBank reports using the Survey Report, the code or value is displayed to keep your report neat and easy to look at for recording responses.

Custom profiles

CiviEngage creates several custom profiles for easier batch updating of individual or organisation information, such as voter demographics, issue interests, volunteer interests or event participant information. To learn more about profiles, please refer to the chapter called Profiles in the Core Functionality section.

Setting up Surveys for Walklists and Phonebanking

CiviEngage in combination with CiviCampaign allows you to easily set up your surveys for walklists during door-knocking canvasses and for phonebanking. You will want to think about the questions and responses you want to collect from your target audience in a manner that will be useful in analysing results from your efforts after you've conducted your canvass or phonebank.

There are a few steps to think about when creating your surveys (you can find out more about creating surveys in the Survey section of this book):

1. create your custom data set of questions and responses you plan to use for your survey if you plan to ask more than 1 question that extends Activities of type Walklist or Phonebank.
   
2. create the custom profile that includes the questions you will want to ask your audience. Hint: If you plan on doing a phonebank and want to do the data entry directly into civicrm, then you may want to add the phone number in the profile, and set it to view only, so that you can see the phone numbers when you're interviewing the respondents. The profile will allow you to display (view only or you can edit data) other fields of information when you're ready to interview and enter the data.
   
3. create the group or smart group of the individual contacts you plan to survey, which is your target audience.
4. Make a decision if this survey is part of a larger campaign, and if so create the Campaign and indicate this campaign when creating the survey (you can find out more about create campaigns in the Campaigns section of this book).
5. When you create your survey, you can then:

•  indicate if the survey is for a walklist or phonebank
• specify if the survey is part of a campaign
• include the custom profile of the questions you plan to ask during the survey, if you plan on asking more than one question
• use the Survey Default Result Set Options that's created by CiviEngage to help you track the status of the responses to the survey if appropriate.
  

Tips:

• If you plan on conducting many surveys throughout the year (let's say 20 - 30 surveys in a year) with only a few questions per survey (let's say 3-4 questions per survey), then we strongly suggest that you create ONE custom data set that includes all the questions for each of the survey.  Then you can create individual custom profiles for each survey that pull in the questions that are particular to that survey.
• If you plan on conducting just a few surveys per year (let's say about 3-4 surveys per year) with the number of questions no more than 10 per survey, then we suggest that you create different custom data sets for each group of questions per survey.  Then you can use custom profiles to pull in in the questions that are particular to a survey. 

Setting up custom data sets and profiles for use with Walklist or Phonebank Surveys

1. Create your custom data set to hold your questions (to learn more about creating custom data sets and fields, see the Organising Your Data section of this book).

For WalkList surveys:

• Create your custom data set for use with Activities of type Walklist 
  

For PhoneBank surveys:

•  Create your custom data set for use with Activities of type PhoneBank 
  

2. Then for both Walklist or Phonebank surveys you can create the questions as the custom field labels and the responses you want to collect as the option values.

 3. Next, create the custom profile that will pull in the questions for your survey (to learn more about creating profiles, see the Organising Your Data section of this book).

EverydayTasks

This chapter provides instructions on how to do some of the common tasks using CiviEngage.

Conducting a door-knock canvass

CiviEngage allows you to easily print walk lists for your volunteers or staff who are doing door-knocking activities and want to conduct a survey at the door.

Door-knocking canvass activities may be one strategic activity that's part of a larger campaign, so you may want to set up a Campaign if you haven't done so already. To learn more about working with campaigns and surveys, refer the the sections Campaign and Survey respectively. You will also want to review the the previous chapter called Set-Up for CiviEngage to learn more about setting the custom data sets and profiles to be used in your Walklist survey. 

Create the campaign and survey for the walk list

1. Create a new group of contacts that you will be targeting during your door-knock canvass. You may do this by searching for contacts who live in a particular geographic area or district. (To learn about working with groups, see the chapter Tags and Groups.)
   
2. To create a new Campaign (if you haven't already) go to Campaigns > New Campaign. Refer to the section Campaign for detailed instructions on how to create a campaign and add the group of contacts you created.
3. Go to Campaigns > New Survey; give the survey a title and select the appropriate campaign that it is part of.
4. From the Activity Type dropdown menu select WalkList. 
5. From the Profile dropdown menu select the custom profile you created for use with this Walklist survey.
   
6. For Survey Responses select Use existing result set and select Survey Default Results Set Options.
7. Click Save.
   

 
 

Reserve the target group you want to survey

Next, you'll need to reserve the target group of contacts you will be surveying during the door-knock canvass: 

1. Go to Campaigns > Reserve Respondents and select the appropriate survey.
2. Select your target group in Group(s), then click Search.
3. On the Find Respondents to Reserve screen, select the contacts you want to survey.
4. Click Go to Reserve Respondents.
5. On the Reserve Respondents screen, click Reserve.

Create your WalkList report

1. Go to Reports > Create Templates from Reports > Survey Report (Detail).
2. In the Display Columns area, check the boxes for: Street Number, Street Name, Street Unit, Survey Responses.
3. In the Group By Columns area, check the boxes for: Street Name, Odd/Even Street Number.
4. In the Set Filters area, select your survey name in Survey, and for Respondent Status select Is Equal to and Reserved from the dropdown menus.
5. Click Preview Report, then Print Preview.   
   
6. Print your report. You will see that the print out includes a cover sheet with the response codes and that the report is sorted by street name and odd and even street numbers.

Conduct your door-knock canvass

Your organisers and volunteers are now ready to door-knock and collect responses on their WalkList report sheets.

Recording responses from the canvass

At the end of each day or evening of canvassing, each organiser or volunteer can record the responses directly into CiviCRM.

1. Go to Campaigns > Interview Respondents. 
2. Enter the name of your survey and the name of the target group you surveyed during the canvass; you may also enter the street name if you want to work with a smaller group of contacts to record responses.
   
3. On the Find Respondents to Interview screen, select the contacts for whom you want to record responses.
4. Click Go.
5. Enter the responses and results according to your WalkList sheet responses, then click Record Response. 
   

Reviewing Results of the Survey

At the end of the canvass, a program lead may want to review the results of the survey. Refer to the chapter Reports and Analysis to learn how to view this report.

Conducting a PhoneBank

CiviEngage allows you to easily to enter responses from constituents during a PhoneBank directly into CiviCRM.

Phone banking activities may be one strategic activity within a larger campaign, so you will want to set up the Campaign if you haven't done so already. To learn more about working with campaigns and surveys, refer the the sections Campaign and Survey respectively. You will also want to review the the previous chapter called Set-Up for CiviEngage to learn more about setting the custom data sets and profiles to be used in your PhoneBank survey.

Create the campaign and survey for the PhoneBank

Creating a survey for phonebanking is the same process as creating a survey for walklists.

1. Create a new group of contacts that you will be targeting during your phone bank. To learn about working with groups, see the chapter Tags and Groups.
   
2. Create a new Campaign (if you haven't already) by going to Campaigns > New Campaign. Refer to the section Campaign to find out how to create a campaign and add the group of contacts you created.
3. Go to Campaigns > Create New Survey and create a new survey of type PhoneBank. 
4. From the Profile dropdown menu select the custom profile you created for this phonebank survey. 
   
5. For Survey Responses select Use existing result set and the set, Survey Default Results Set Options.
6. Click Save.
   

 

Reserve the target group you want to survey

Next, you'll need to reserve the target group of contacts you will be surveying during the phone bank: 

1. Go to Campaigns > Reserve Respondents.
2. Select the name of your survey in Survey and your target group in Group(s). 
3. Click Search.
4. On the Find Respondents to Reserve screen, select the contacts you want to survey, then click Go to Reserve Respondents.
5. On the Reserve Respondents screen, click Reserve.

Conduct your phone bank and record responses

During the phone bank, organisers and volunteers can search for the group of contacts they will be calling and enter the responses directly into CiviCRM.

1. Go to Campaigns > Interview Respondents.
2. Enter the name of your survey and the name of the target group you surveyed during the phone bank.
   
3. On the Find Respondents to Interview screen, select the contacts whose responses you want to record, and click Go.
4. Enter the responses and results, then click Record Response.
   

Reviewing Results of the Survey

At the end of the phone bank, a program lead may want to review the results of the survey.  Refer to the chapter Reports and Analysis to learn how to view this report.

Mobilising Individuals to a Direct Action Event

The Participant Info custom data group that comes with CiviEngage contains fields that hold information about prospective event participants, including a history of interactions between your organisation and prospective participants. Use this information (such as needs for childcare or rides) to bring these individuals to your events. Tracking the history of your organisation's contact with individuals around events such as an annual membership meeting, a direct action, or leadership training can help you to understand the effectiveness of your outreach methods and determine how committed or engaged an individual is based on if the individual actually attends events after multiple contacts.

This feature is mostly useful for organisers or staff who have a list of individuals they are recruiting to attend an event through multiple phone calls or face-to-face meetings. The following CiviCRM tasks could be used to mobilise individuals:

1. Conduct a basic or advanced search or use Groups and Smart Groups to create a list of the contacts you want to mobilize or invite to the event.
   
2. From the search results or Group Contacts screen, you can add the list of contacts to the event by selecting Add Contacts to Events from the actions list. To find out more about how to add contacts to events, refer to the Everyday Tasks chapter in the Events section in this book.
3. Once you have added the contacts to the event, you can enter participant information or responses from multiple interactions in the Participant Info area in a contact's participant record. You can either enter information for one participant by editing the participant record itself, or you can add information for a list of participants at one time. For example, if you plan to call through your list by viewing the participant list from the event listing, you could use Batch Update Participants Via Profile and select one of the following custom profiles provided by CiviEngage:

• Update Event Invite Responses - to record responses from multiple contacts with the participant.
• Update Participant Info - to record general information about participants, such as if they need childcare or rides to the event.

Using the Engagement Index

You can record the level of interest or engagement in a specific activity by of an individual contact. This allows you to then review an individual's activities to understand if their interests or engagement has increased over time, or give you the opportunity to have further contacts with the individual to increase their participation in your issues. 

You can record an Engagement Index for the following activities or actions: Phone Call, Meeting or Interview.

1. From an Individual's contact record, click Actions then select an activity such as Meeting.
2. Fill out the information about the activity, then enter the Engagement Index. To find out how to create options for the Engagement Index, see the section called Campaign.
   

Manage Voter Information

CiviEngage enables you to manage voter history and other voter information collected during a voter engagement, voter education or electoral cycle.

If you wish to collect voter contacts with their demographics, history and additional information and add them as contacts, or enhance your contact list with voter information, you can:

1. Export the contacts you want, including the the CiviCRM internal Contact ID, First name, Last name, address information, and any other contact information.
2. Upload the list into your voter management system and match to the voter records. You can then continue conducting your voter education and engagement activities there.
3. When the electoral cycle is over, export the contacts you want (new and existing), and import into CiviCRM. With the existing contacts, you'll be able to do an update import to match the contacts back into CiviCRM. 
4. Use the Voter Info custom field set to capture your voter information related to the contact.

REPORTS AND ANALYSIS

Reports and Searches can be created with the default (or core) Report Templates and Searches in CiviCRM.  This chapter will describe some of the reports that can be used with CiviEngage.

To learn more about how to work with Reports, see the section called "Reporting".

Analysing Results from a Door-Knock Canvass

To analyse responses from a survey used during a door-knock canvass, you may want to use the Survey Report that's part of the Campaign component.

1. After you have recorded responses from your contacts, Click on Campaigns > Create Reports from Templates > Survey Report (Detail)
2. In Display Columns area, check the boxes for: enter the information you'd like to display such as Street Number, Street Name, Street Unit, Survey Responses
3. In Group By Columns area if you'd like to group the responses, check the boxes for: Street Name, Odd/Even Street Number
4. In Set Filters area, select your survey name in Survey, and select for" Respondent Status" 'Is Equal to" Interview.
5. Click Preview Report.
6. You can now review the results from the screen, or you can choose to export the the information to .CSV file to do further analysis and reporting

Analysing Results from a PhoneBank

To analyse responses from a phonebank, you may want to use the Survey Report that's part of the Campaign component.

1. After you have recorded responses from your contacts, Click on Campaigns > Create Reports from Templates > Survey Report (Detail)
2. In Display Columns area, check the boxes for: enter the information you'd like to display such, especially Survey Responses
3. In Set Filters area, select your survey name in Survey, and select for" Respondent Status" 'Is Equal to" Interview.
4. Click Preview Report.
5. You can now review the results from the screen, or you can choose to export the the information to .CSV file to do further analysis and reporting.

GRANTS

What is CiviGrant?

CiviGrant is designed to be used by organisations that distribute funds to others, for example foundations, grant givers, etc. 

In contrast to CiviContribute, which tracks money going into your organisation, CiviGrant tracks money going out of your organisation. CiviGrant has a data structure and workflows that support the grant application process with the ability to manage the amount applied for, amount received and any reports necessary for the process.

If you have a more complicated grant application process with multiple pathways, you may wish to consider using CiviGrant in conjunction with CiviCase.

Scenario: Wookie Hole

Wookie Hole Community Action is a small umbrella organisation that distributes funds to support the annual Wookie Hole Community Festival held each year in Wookie Hole Cave.

They have a total grant pool of £40,000, which comes from local businesses and other grant giving organisations, that they make available each year to local organisations participating in the festival. Each organisation that applies for funds needs to complete an eligibility questionnaire, which is then entered into the applicant's contact record, and an application that details how they will spend the money, which they attach to the grant. As well as filling in certain fields for each grant, they also attach a read-only PDF copy of the original application form for future reference.

Ineligible applications are rejected and eligible applications are scored according to pre-defined criteria. The grant committee members then look at the total amount applied for by all applicants. If it is greater than £40,000, they look again at all eligble projects to decide which ones to fully or partially fund. CiviGrant has fields that they can use to store and search on this information.

Once the funds have been granted, the organisation uses CiviGrant in conjunction with CiviMail to solicit feedback and reports from all organisations that they have funded. Once the feedback is received they mark the grant as "feedback received". Multiple emails often have to be sent to organisations to get feedback. The organisation does this by using an email template and searching for all contacts who have successfully received a grant but not yet sent feedback.

Finally, once all reports are in, a staff member compiles a report and thank-you which they email to all organisations that gave funds toward the festival. The report details how their funds benefited the local community. Wookie Hole Community Action also prints a certificate for each local business and funder (directly from CiviCRM) which they can proudly display in their premises.

What You Need To Know

CiviGrant is designed to help grant-giving organisations to manage this process. CiviGrant is one of the simpler CiviCRM components so if you are familiar with other CiviCRM components, you will probably find CiviGrant quite straightforward.

Key Concepts

An understanding of the following key concepts will help you to make the best use of CiviGrant. 

CiviGrant workflow

The standard CiviGrant workflow starts with the details of the grant that a contact is applying for, including the amount applied for and when the application was received. You can then record the stages of the process including when the grant decision was made, how much was granted, when money was transferred, when the grant report was due and if it has been received.

Grant types

Use grant types to specifiy the different types of grant that your organisation distributes. You can set up as many grant types as you like, and you can also search based on grant type.

Grant statuses

CiviGrant comes with three default grant statuses: Pending, Granted and Rejected. You can add more grant statuses to match your workflow.

Application forms and eligibility criteria

You can create application processing forms and eligibility criteria in CiviGrant, using CiviCRM's custom data fields. Think about what fields should be attached to the contact who has applied for the grant, and what fields should be attached to the grant.

Key questions

Once you've familiarised youself with the concepts outlined above, and before you begin to work with CiviGrant, answer the following questions:

• What grant types does your organisation offer?
• What is your grant application workflow and how can you map it to CiviGrant statuses?
• Do you have an application form, and if so, how can you model it using custom data?
• What kinds of reports to you want to generate from the grant process?

Set-up

Set up of CiviGrant is reasonably straightforward. The first thing to do is to enable the CiviGrant module in Administer > Global Settings > Enable Components.

Grant types

Grant types are set up on the Administer > CiviGrant > Grant types screen. There isn't much to configure here, apart from a title and description of the grant.  

At the moment, you cannot add custom data to grant types but you can add it to grants (see below).

Grant statuses

Grant statuses can be administered from the Administer > Option lists > View all option lists screen. Create the appropriate statuses to match your grant giving workflow.

Custom data for grants

You can add custom data to grants:

1. Go to Administer > Customize > Custom data. 
2. Click on Add new custom fields.
3. Choose Grant as the record type.

Consider adding custom data fields to upload the original application form; these could be converted to PDF before uploading to make them read only and reasonably future compatibile.  

See the custom data chapter for more information on setting up custom data.

EVERY DAY TASKS

This section discusses the every day tasks associated with administering grants with CiviGrant. 

CiviGrant Dashboard 

Go to Other > Grants > Dashboard to access the CiviGrant Dashboard. Here you will see a summary of the grants registered in your CiviCRM database, and a table of recent grant recipients.

Viewing grants

There are a couple of ways to view grants:

• The Grants dashboard gives a summary of the status of all grants in your CiviCRM, grouped by grant type. It also gives an overview of recent grants.
• An individual contact's grants can be viewed from the Grants tab on their record.

Adding and editing grant recipients

After Wookie Hole Community Action selected its grant recipients for the Cave Festival, their grant administrator looked up the contact record of each successful applicant and entered a new grant record for each one.

To add or edit grant recipients: 

1. Go to Other > Grants > New Grant.
2. Either select an already existing contact or create a new contact to add the grant to.
3. Complete the details of the grant. Fill in as many details as possible, including any custom data that has been set up; but you can also edit and update the grant details at a later stage.
4. Click Save.

Grants can be edited and updated at any time using the edit link which appears in the grant record. 

Recording Reports

When reports are received from grant recipients, you can edit the grant information (either from the CiviGrant dashboard or the contact's record). Check the Grant Report Received? box in the form and add any appropriate notes.

REPORTS AND ANALYSIS

There are a few techniques for reporting on and analysing grants. The grant dashboard gives a quick overview of your grant types. Aside from this there are

• The Find Grants search form
• The grants tab in advanced search
• The Grant report

Searching for grant data

CiviCRM makes an important distinction between contacts and grants.  Sometimes it is useful to get the answer to your grant related question in terms of contacts, e.g. which contacts were successful grant applicants in 2011.  Other times it is more useful to have the answer in terms of grants, e.g. how many grants applications did we get for our Community Chest this year?  Think about whether you are interested in the grant or the contact before doing any grant searching.

The Find grants search allows you to search based on grant data and return grants. The Advanced search allows you to search based on most grant data and combine that with other contact information and return contacts.

Searching based on these criteria gives you access to simple totals. It also the option to export as CSV for further analysis. 

Grant reports

Out of the box, CiviCRM comes with one report that can be used for Grants. This report can be used, for example to show details for all grants of a particular grant type. The report has agregatted statistics at the bottom for amount requested and granted. 

More analysis

If you can't do what you want with a built in report or search, consider commissioning a new report or custom search. Read the CiviReport section for more information.

CIVICRM COMMUNITY

The CiviCRM Community

Like many open source projects, CiviCRM is shaped, guided, and driven by its community, a far-flung ecosystem of users, developers, and implementers who utilize CiviCRM in many different ways and bring to it a wide array of skills, experiences, and perspectives. These varied and diverse offerings are crucial to the continued success of CiviCRM, but they can move the project forward only if they find their way back into the public stream of discussion and collaboration. This chapter is a guide to finding and engaging in the community of people who are working together to make CiviCRM what it is and what it will become.

Finding the Community Online

As might be expected of a web-based software project, much of the CiviCRM community's activity occurs online. This means that if you have access to the Internet you also have access to and can participate in the CiviCRM community regardless of where you live or work. English is the predominant language for discussion and contributions.

The CiviCRM website itself (http://civicrm.org) is a good starting point for exploring and participating in the community. In addition to general information about getting and using CiviCRM, you'll find blog posts from community members, announcements about upcoming events, and a Participate section (http://civicrm.org/participate) that lists and links to many of the resources described below.

The CiviCRM Forums (http://forum.civicrm.org) are a central location for CiviCRM discussion and support. The forums are divided into topical boards for:

• Asking general questions
• Getting technical support for installing, upgrading, configuring, using, and customizing CiviCRM
• Discussing and providing feedback on documentation
• Feature requests and suggestions
• Projects in internationalisation and localisation
• Showcasing success stories and case studies
• Conversations around modifying and extending CiviCRM
• Coordination of testing
• Obtaining or providing professional services

Registration for the forums is completely free and most of the boards are very active with frequent new posts and responses.

Another great source of support and discussion is Internet Relay Chat (IRC). The #civicrm IRC channel is hosted by Freenode at  irc.freenode.net.  You can access the channel using an IRC client (a program that you run on your computer) or through the web interface at http://webchat.freenode.net. Enter #civicrm in the Channels field and a nickname of your choosing in the Nickname field. For more information on using IRC, check out the IRC section of the Drupal website (http://drupal.org/irc). Although the information is targeted to the Drupal community it can also be useful for CiviCRM users, especially because the Drupal IRC channels are also hosted on Freenode.

You'll hopefully find that both the forums and the IRC channel are great sources for help, support, and good ideas. That's all attributable to the good will and generous efforts of people like you! Everyone who visits the forums and the channel is encouraged to give back to the community by responding to questions and requests for help and contributing their own ideas and feedback to the conversations. And simply asking your own questions is also a significant contribution to the community. It's likely that someone else is having the same problems or wondering the same thing, and the responses you solicit help build the community's knowledge base.

The CiviCRM blog (http://civicrm.org/blog) is another good source of information and discussion. Blog posts are written by both the CiviCRM core team and other community members and cover a wide range of topics, including general news and announcements, upcoming events and accounts of events that have occurred, case studies, use cases and ways to get things done with CiviCRM, and new features and development. Comments are encouraged and can create lively discussions that can in turn direct future CiviCRM development. If you've got something that you'd like to post on the blog, we encourage you to write to info@civicrm.org  with your ideas and your request to post.

Much discussion of CiviCRM also occurs outside of these official channels. Using your favorite engine to search for CiviCRM will turn up many articles and posts from other folks' websites and blogs. The CiviCRM team is good at keeping an eye out for these posts and often publicize them through Twitter. To keep abreast of the stream of comments, follow @civicrm and find CiviCRM tweets and tag your own tweets with the #civicrm hashtag.

Finding the Community Offline

Though the online community is both accessible and active, participating in the CiviCRM community offline can be even more rewarding and can help you connect with others in your area who are developing, implementing, and using CiviCRM.

Many cities and regions hold CiviCRM meetups where people gather to learn about CiviCRM, share new ideas, developments, and use cases, and meet other folks involved with the community. You can find out more about meetups at http://civicrm.org. Some meetup and local user groups (or LUGs) also maintain discussion boards at http://civicrm.org/groups. Contact the CiviCRM crew if you'd like a discussion board for your own group on the site.

CiviCRM recently held the first CiviCon conference in April 2010 in San Francisco. More are being planned, including one in Chicago in 2011. CiviCRM core developers and community members also make appearances at other conferences, including DrupalCon, the NonProfit Technology Conference, Joomla! events, and Aspiration Tech events.

CiviCRM also conducts user and developer training in cities around the globe. Check out http://civicrm.org for info about upcoming trainings and contact CiviCRM if you'd like to host trainings in your own area.

Open Source = Community Sourced

Here are some additional ways that you can participate in and contribute to the CiviCRM community.

• Contribute to CiviCRM documentation. This book was written by community members; you can contribute to it by going to http://en.flossmanuals.net/civicrm, registering, and clicking "Edit this page" on the page you want to edit. You can also find and contribute to the CiviCRM documentation wiki at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviCRM+Documentation.
• Share use cases and case studies that describe how your organization uses CiviCRM and the solutions and processes you've developed around the software. You can post your case studies to the CiviCRM Showcase on the Forums, post them on the Wiki at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Case+Studies, or pitch them as posts for the CiviCRM blog.
• Share your training resources and materials with the rest of the community through the wiki, the forums, or blog posts on the CiviCRM blog or your own sites.
• Contribute code you've written to extend CiviCRM, because it's likely that someone else out there needs the same functionality. Check out the recommended steps for developing and contributing to the CiviCRM core codebase at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/x/kADNAQ.  If you've developed a Drupal module, you should contribute it to Drupal.org; see http://drupal.org/node/7765 for more information on contributing modules. Joomla! extensions can be posted on http://forge.joomla.org/.Finally, you can post your code on the CiviCRM Forums or wiki as attachments.
• Sponsor development of new features. If your organization needs certain features or functionality that doesn't yet exist for CiviCRM and can't develop those features in-house, you can sponsor their development by outside coders and developers. This can be a solo effort on the part of one organization or a coordinated effort sponsored by multiple organizations in need of the same set of functionality. Refer to the wiki at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Developing+with+the+CiviCRM+team  or write to info@civicrm.org  for more information on sponsoring development.
• Report any bugs that you find in CiviCRM. See the Bug Reporting chapter of this book for more information.

Bug Reporting

Like all software there will be times when you use CiviCRM when things don't work the way you expect them to.

A good first step is to search the forums (http://forum.civicrm.org) for similar problems and follow advice given there.  If your problem hasn't been addressed, posting to the forum is probably the right thing to do.

Before posting its a good idea to look on the forum for good posting guidelines and spend a bit of time writing your post. Make sure you are detailed and specific about what software you are using (i.e. the version of CiviCRM, which CMS platform and its version, and which browser and its version), what you are trying to do and how you are trying to do it. For example letting people know the url you are using (with any confidential details removed) may cause them to realise that you are configuring the wrong page. Unclear posts are less likely to get good replies.

Using older versions of CiviCRM

If you are using an older version and the problem you are experiencing is a bug that has been fixed in the lastest release, be prepared for the answer "that it is time to upgrade to the latest version." Although the CiviCRM community tries to be as helpful as possible, and we recognize that upgrading puts a burden on your organisation, it is difficult to support multiple versions simultaneously.

What causes problems with CiviCRM?

Check the following possible sources of problems before you report something on a forum. You can save yourself and a lot of people trouble by isolating the problem. CiviCRM forums try to be friendly and don't criticise you for misjudging a problem, but you'll certainly get more help and resolve problems faster by doing some checking of your own first.

• Misunderstanding the software - we don't claim our documentation is perfect. But please go back and check it very carefully when you hit a barrier. Frustration makes it hard to concentrate, so be sure to read slowly and thoroughly. Also remember that different parts of CiviCRM depend on each other, so check for problems in related modules, besides the one you think the problem is in.
• Your server set up - servers can be configured in many different ways, and these settings can change the way CiviCRM operates. Depending on your issue your server configuration may be causing you issues. 
• Using older or unsupported versions of CiviCRM, PHP, and MySQL - older and unsupported versions of software related to CiviCRM will most like cause unpredictable errors, so it is always a good practice to use the latest stable version of software.
• Customisations made to the source code of your installation of CiviCRM - any changes made to the source code of CiviCRM may have unintended consequences. The community forums may be able to help you, but you will have to be patient, share source code, and try out suggestions. You may also want to check with your in-house development staff or outside consultant / service provider to determine whether CiviCRM has been customized in some way that might be related to the observed problem.
• Other newly installed and enabled modules or components - you may need to review the additional modules and components you have installed and enabled that are not usually included in the install package to ensure that you have the latest stable version as well as using a version of the module that works with your particular version of CiviCRM.
• Bugs in the version of CiviCRM you are using - after you have eliminated all the previous options, you can report your problem as a bug. In fact, we appreciate you doing this, because you are making CiviCRM better for everyone.

Recreating your problem on the demo site

Recreating your bug on one of the demo sites (http://demo.civicrm.org and select the demo site that matches your CiviCRM version) helps determine whether your problem is a result of a bug in the source code, or as a result of changes on your site. If you can show us that the code on the demo site turns up your bug, it's very likely that the CiviCRM source code is the problem, and your demonstration will help us find and fix it.

Still, no demo site can cover all possibilities. Issues involving email output or payment processing cannot be recreated on the demo sites.  So even if you can't reproduce your bug there, it might still be a bug in CiviCRM. It is, however, probably triggered by your server setup or other customisations.

Write to the forum and explain the problem you are experiencing. If the bug was reproduced on the demo site, describe exactly what you did there, and copy the demo site's URLs to document the steps you used. If not, include as much information about your server setup as you feasibly can. Configuration files from the web server, CMS, and CiviCRM will be valuable, but be careful to not including sensitive information such as your database log-in.

If the forum suggests you discovered a bug in CiviCRM, you can report it to the CiviCRM issue tracker (http://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM).

Writing good bug reports

The best bug reports give lots of background and context.  Don't forget that the way you are using CiviCRM is most likely very specific to your organisation.  The more background you can give on the bug, the better.

The best bug reports clearly state:

• What you did
• What you expected to happen
• What actually happened
• Version of CiviCRM (must be included)
  
• Which CMS platform and CMS version (must be included)
• Which browser and browser version (must be included)
• Version of PHP and MySQL
• Screen shots of the errors or issue
• History of the bug
• The recreatibility of the bug (e.g. bug always happens, bug is reported by some but can't recreate it or not consistently, bug happens when using this browser but not another browser, etc.)

Fixing bugs

The amount of time taken for the bug to be fixed depends on the severity and complexity of the bug.  It could be as quick as the same day, but it could take much longer.

To get bug fixes, the easiest way is just to download and install the latest revision of CiviCRM. Downloading bug fixes between releases and fixing, called patching, your existing software is possible. If you have technical abilities, then refer to the CiviCRM Developer's Guide for instructions on applying a patch, otherwise, seek out technical assistance to provide tests and a patch for the issue.

Localising CiviCRM

CiviCRM is written with English-language code and strings for display. It has, however, also been built for organisations worldwide. They need to be able to adapt the tool to local circumstances and demands without modifying the tool technically.

Localising CiviCRM (or any software) affects much more than you might initially think. To adapt CiviCRM to a local language is not just a matter of translating the text displayed on the screen. Consider for example the currency used in a given country (USD or $ in United States, GBP or £ in Great Britain), date and time formats (for example: November 16th, 2009 will be commonly written as 11/16/2009 in United States, but in Russia the format will be 16.11.2009) or the formatting of numbers (the same number will be written slightly differently in different countries: 1 234 567,89 in Slovakia or Hungary, but 1,234,567.89 in Japan or the United States).

CiviCRM provides plenty of functionality to support these language and region specific needs. The development team is constantly developing new tools in this area too.  The Localization screen (shown in the following screenshot) lets an administrator select the right locale for the language and country of the organization using CiviCRM. Go to: Administer > Configure > Global Settings > Localization.

 

Translations

CiviCRM accommodates different languages, however the developers rely on the community to translate the text displayed.

A number of languages have already been provided to a greater or lesser extent. Some have more than 90% of the text translated, others only 5%, and a number of languages have not been translated at all. Please check the online translation tool Transifex (http://www.transifex.net/projects/p/civicrm/) to find out about your language of interest. Download and install it on your CiviCRM installation to find out how well it will suit your needs.

You may find that although the translation is correct, you would want to use different terms in your situation. You are very much encouraged to take part in the translation of your language.

Facilities

A number of facilities in CiviCRM support the community in its translation efforts, though some are still under development.

1. Transifex is an online tool that enables groups of translators to translate strings of text and keep an overview on its progress. Register there, look for your language, join the team or, if your language is not available, start translating.
2. A glossary (http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Glossary+for+translations) on CiviCRM's wiki will help you maintain consistency in your translations. It will also help you get some insight on how much work it will be to translate those strings of text that your users will most often see and that would therefore be the first to translate.
3. A tips and tricks wiki page (http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Localisation+community+building+howto) explains how to set up your localization community.
4. A FAQ (http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Getting+started+with+CiviCRM+Localisation+FAQ) on the CiviCRM wiki covers localisation.

Getting Started

Feel like helping translating CiviCRM to a new language or improving the current translation? Here's how to do it (provided you have a bit of a technical background):

1. Go to transifex.net and create an account.
2. Look for your language on http://www.transifex.net/projects/p/civicrm/teams/ and either join a team, or request the creation of a new one if needed.
3. Start translating!

Team work

The CiviCRM translation work flow is still a work-in-progress and until the process becomes more mature, you should probably refer to http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Localisation+community+building+howto  for the most current instructions.

The work flow is heavily based on teamwork. Hopefully, there is already a team of translators for your language that you can join. This team will have built a glossary, will have started a translation set and will be able to review your translations and give constructive criticism.  If such a team does not yet exist, the opportunity is all yours to create one.

Components and files

There are quite a lot of strings (phrases) to translate in CiviCRM. To make it easier to translate the part that you are interested in (hopefully the one you know best), the strings that need translation have been divided into components, which are CiviCRM plugins (e.g., CiviCRM core, CiviMail, CiviContribute, etc.). A separate component should be available for each version of CiviCRM, starting with version 3.2 (or 3.1, for language teams that have chosen to do so).

Each component itself contains a number of files, which themselves contain the strings to translate. The main component "CiviCRM" (the core) has close to 20 files (for countries, provinces, menu, etc.).

Tools and technical details

The process you use to do translation depends on whether you prefer to do translation online or offline. Online translation does not require installation of any software. Offline translation is done with files downloaded from the translation website, using software that offers more features than the online system.

Online translation

Transifex is the tool to use for online translation. It does not have as many features as an offline tool such as PoEdit, but it's the easiest way to contribute translations and do the occasional quick correction. Every translator should have an account on the Transifex site, because translation teams can use the forums and messaging system to coordinate their work.

The basic steps in online translation are:

1. Select a component on http://www.transifex.net/projects/p/civicrm/. This will display the list of language teams for this component.
2. Click on the icon in the Options column next to the language you are interested in. This brings you to the list of files for this component.
3. Click on the "pencil and paper" icon. This brings you to the online translation screen, which lists all the translatable strings in this file.
4. For each string, you can then enter a translation.
5. When you are finished, you can click on the "Send for review" button at the end of the page.

Offline translation

Most translation is usually done with an offline translation tool. One of the most common is PoEdit (see http://www.poedit.net), which is free software and has a big community of users. The exact steps in translation using an offline tool depend on your tool of choice, but should follow the following steps:

1. Download the files from transifex.net you want to translate,
   
2. Load the files up in your translation tool and do your translations.
   
3. Send them back to the site when you are done.

Building a translation memory

PoEdit and other translation software will help you build a translation memory for your language. This translation memory can either be restricted to translations done in CiviCRM, or include translations from other projects. If you include other projects, automatic translation might be able to translate more strings, but you will lose consistency and most strings will be marked as fuzzy. This could be a way to bootstrap a new translation, though.

Building a translation memory based on words from the glossary could go a long way in insuring the consistency of your team's work.

Using version control (mostly for programmers)

Transifex keeps files in a version control system, http://github.com/civicrm/l10n. This is useful to some users who find interacting with the Github site easier than downloading each file separately from Transifex.

Consistency & consensus

To insure a good consistency in the translation, every team is encouraged to build and use a glossary and employ peer review. You can find a glossary of common terms on http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Glossary+for+translations. You definitely should translate these terms to your language, and make sure your team reaches a consensus on all terms.

Building and sharing a common translation memory, which is like a specialized glossary that can be used automatically by translation tools,  also helps to insure consistency. The PoEdit help system explains how to build this database (and most other translation software should do the same).

Team building and sprints

A good way to make progress in translation is to organize translation sprints. This means getting as many people as possible together in the same room to translate as many documents as they can. Here are a few things to keep in mind when organizing a translation sprint:

• Choose a good location, where people will be able to get online (enough computers for everybody, or desks to set up laptops and with a decent Internet connection).
  
• Provide instructions in advance on how to install an offline translation tool such as PoEdit, and have people ready to help others install and use it.
  
• Create the glossary in advance. Present the glossary, discuss terms which do not have consensus, make sure everybody has access to a copy of the glossary, and print a sufficient amount of copies beforehand.
• Determine goals for the sprint: which component will be translated, and what percentage your team is trying to achieve.
• Make sub-teams with clear objectives: per component or file or a part of it.
• If your translators are not familiar with CiviCRM, do a demo of the features your team is about to translate.
• Clearly designate someone who can be interrupted in order to answer questions.
• Make sure you've got enough coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. in reserve to keep everybody going through the night.
• At the end of the sprint, present the result of the translation in a demo CiviCRM installation.
• Discuss whether the team has reached its goal and how to improve further.

Contributing to this manual

If you would like to contribute to this book, please follow these steps:

1. Register

Register at FLOSS Manuals:
http://booki.flossmanuals.net/register

2. Write

Select the manual http://en.flossmanuals.net/bin/view/CiviCRM/WebHome  and a chapter to work on.

Make sure you are logged in, choose the WRITE version of the web site (the default is only READ) and click the "edit" link next to the chapter you want to work on. You can also create new chapters and put chapters in a different order.

3. Mailing List

For discussing all things about FLOSS Manuals, join our mailing list:
http://lists.flossmanuals.net/listinfo.cgi/discuss-flossmanuals.net

APPENDICES

History of this book

This book is the result of the collaborative effort of many people.  A lot of the content was written during two book sprints held in 2009 and 2010 in Tahoe, USA. Many contributions have also been made by individuals in the times between these sprints.

Third edition

This edition includes minor updates to reflect changes in CiviCRM 3.3 which was released in December 2010. It is being published on the eve of the second annual CiviCon conference. Thanks to