Release 4.7.4 - September 27, 2023

Release 4.7.4 - September 27, 2023

What’s new

Intra Organization Announcement

In this release, we're introducing a new communication feature for Sumac Administrators!

With this update, Sumac Administrators now have the ability to display announcements directly on Sumac users’ dashboard.


This feature offers several benefits, including:
  1. Instant Communication: Enables fast and targeted information sharing.
  2. Centralized Updates: Organizes important updates in one accessible place.
  3. Boosts Engagement: Keeps employees informed and engaged, fostering a positive work environment.
To send announcements, your user account must have administrator-level access to your Sumac Database.

Navigate to Utilities > Preferences > User > Office Announcements.


On the Office Announcement screen, you can:

  • View a list of your announcements

  • Add or delete new announcements

  • Choose the user contact segment or user type that can view the announcement

Preferences Cleanup

We also cleaned up the Preferences area to give you a more organized and intuitive interface. 

A panel for the main preference categories has been added, along with tabs to further categorize and simplify your preferences.

With this update, Sumac Users can swiftly navigate to their desired preference without sifting through numerous tabs.
The panel icons align with those on the main Sumac console, aiding in visual navigation.

While this update brings a fresh look, we've retained enough of the original preferences area to ease users through the transition.



Here are some benefits of this cleanup:
  1. Efficient Navigation: Streamlines finding and adjusting settings for an enhanced user experience.
  2. Reduced Complexity: Minimizes confusion, reducing the chance of accidental configuration errors.
  3. Encourages Exploration: Stimulates user engagement by making it easier to personalize settings, leading to higher satisfaction and involvement.

Import Updates

We’ve also introduced some updates to our Universal Import and regular Import functionality based on customer feedback and recommendations.

      Postal Code/Zip Code Format Autocorrect

Using Universal Import for data from platforms like Canadahelps just got even better! Now, it automatically corrects postal or zip code formatting where needed, saving you time.

Examples of what it can do:

  • P1p 1P1 → P1P 1P1

  • P1p1P1 → P1P 1P1

  • 123 → 00123

            Any rows the system can't validate will be provided as a separate downloadable file. You can then correct these using Import Workspace.

Recognize Payments That "Will Never Be Receipted"

Universal Imports using the CanadaHelps Template can now recognize payment types that have been marked as “Will Never Be Receipted” as an addition to the current feature
that is available when importing donations.

With this update, you can now use Universal Import to bring in data exactly the way you need it.

Recognize Donations Imported for Donors Who Opted to be "Anonymous"

Sumac can now recognize donations from donors who have opted to be recognized as “Anonymous” when using Sumac’s Universal or regular Import functionality.

Enhancements To Reminders

We've made some exciting updates to our Reminders and Action Plans, designed to be more intuitive and help you do more, better!


This update helps improve the following benefits: 

  1. Simplicity and Ease: Easier task organization and setup, ensuring a hassle-free experience.
  2. Efficient Task Handling: Advanced features aid in better task management, saving time and boosting productivity.
  3. Streamlined Time Management: Automated processes save time and effort, allowing customers to focus on what matters.

Here are some of the changes we’ve introduced:

Send Email From A Reminder

To streamline communication with your contacts while using the Reminders window, we've introduced a new action button. This button allows you to send an email with a simple click.



Clicking this button will open your default email compose window for easy and efficient emailing.

User Interface Updates

We've enhanced the user interface of our reminder records with subtle yet meaningful changes to enhance your user experience:

  • Reminder Priority Levels: 

    • Added a label for easier identification.

  • Action Plan Interface Enhancements:

    • Adjusted column header spacing for better visibility.

    • Ensured action plan steps descriptions are not truncated.

  • Streamlined Labels:

    • Updated "Bring Forward Date" to the commonly used "Due Date."

    • Updated "What to Do" to the more familiar "Action Required."

  • Enhanced Note-taking:

    • Added the option for line breaks in Reminder notes.

    • Wrapped the help text to prevent truncation.



Time Zone Quick Setup

To simplify the process of setting the time zone in Sumac Databases, we've enhanced the Time Zone notification for a quick and easy setup.


Increase Password Length For SMTP Email Accounts

We've increased the allowable password length for SMTP email accounts from 64 characters to 128 characters to comply with stricter requirements from email providers.


We would love to hear your feedback about the changes made in this release.  Please let us know at product@silentpartnersoftware.com






    Our products got an upgrade!



    Some screenshots and help videos have been made using older versions of our products. Though your version's colours and themes may appear different than what you see here, the instructions, links and advice in this article are still accurate and useful!

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