This knowledge base article provides a comprehensive guide to managing Events, Campaigns, and Grants in Sumac. It covers creating and linking events, setting up basic and sophisticated campaigns, and managing grant applications and funding.
Events in Sumac represent scheduled activities such as galas or performances. Sumac enables you to:
Create events with details like name, date, time, and type.
Link communications (e.g., invitations, RSVPs, attendance) to events.
Link donations to track sponsorships or funds raised.
Link time dockets to record volunteer hours.
In the Sumac console, navigate to Events to view the event list.
Click New to create a new event.
Enter the required fields: Name, Date, Time, and Type.
Optionally, add more details for future reference (e.g., location, notes).
Save the event to link communications, donations, or time dockets.
To track event-related communications (e.g., invitations, RSVPs, attendance):
Identify contacts with a Communication Preference for receiving event invitations:
Go to the Contact list, expand the Advanced search panel.
Set Search Type to Communication Preference and select Invitations.
Click Search to find relevant contacts.
For print invitations:
Expand the Mailing menu, select Mail Merge, and choose a .docx or .rtf template created in Microsoft Word.
Optionally, filter out contacts marked as Deceased, Inactive, Moved, or those who opted out of solicitations.
For email invitations:
Expand the Email menu, select Send Email, and confirm the contact list.
In the bulk email window, set the sender name, address, and subject line.
Select an HTML template (created using Sumac Template Editor or tools like Adobe, Photoshop, Illustrator, or free editors like SeaMonkey).
Optionally, filter out contacts marked as Deceased, Inactive, Moved, or those who opted out of solicitations.
Monitor email progress in the bottom-right corner of the Sumac interface. Do not close the window or log out until emails are sent.
Record RSVPs or attendance by selecting invited contacts, using Add to Contact, and setting Communication Type: Attended Event with the linked event.
To track funds raised at events:
Navigate to the Donations list and click New.
Select the Donor, Payment Type, and Amount.
Set the Donation Type (e.g., Sponsorship, Individual) and link the relevant Event.
Save the record to associate the donation with the event.
Sumac can generate reports on:
Campaigns in Sumac represent fundraising efforts, such as solicitation mailings or focused initiatives to boost donations or interest in your organization’s mission. Campaigns can be simple or complex, depending on your needs. You can create:
Basic Campaigns: Simple campaigns for linking communications and donations.
Sophisticated Campaigns: Multi-level campaigns with parent and child segments for targeted outreach.
Navigate to Fundraising > Campaigns.
Click New to create a top-level campaign.
Enter the campaign name in the Description field and set the start and end dates.
Click OK to save the campaign.
Basic campaigns are ideal for linking communications and donations for tracking and reporting without managing solicitations in Sumac.
Sophisticated campaigns involve a hierarchy of Parent and Child levels to organize solicitation segments and contact groups::
Create a top-level campaign as described above.
Add Child levels to organize contacts:
Exclusions: Define contacts to exclude (e.g., deceased, inactive, no solicitations, recent donors, or missing addresses) using Sumac’s Search Builder. Set the child Type to “Exclusion” to ensure these contacts are not contacted.
Donor Group: Segment donors (e.g., Major, Mid-level, Low-level) using Search Builder to target specific donation amounts (e.g., Mid-level: $100–$4,999).
Non-Donor Group: Target contacts who have never donated to encourage first-time gifts.
Organize child levels by priority (e.g., Exclusions first, then Major Donors, Mid-level Donors, Low-level Donors, Non-Donors) using Special Editing > Move Up/Down.
Select the top-level campaign, click Identify Contacts to verify contact counts, and ensure the sum of child-level contacts matches the parent total.
Click Finalize to lock the campaign structure. Use Sumac’s Mailing features for campaign mailings or export contacts for external services.
Communications: In the communication record, select the campaign to tag contacts receiving solicitation packages.
Donations: In the donation record, select the campaign to track funds raised. For online donation forms integrated with Sumac, assign a campaign to automatically link imported donations.
Contact support@sumac.com to set up online donation integration.
Grants Management in Sumac is designed for organizations applying to multiple grants annually. Key components include:
Funder Contacts: Funding bodies are stored as contacts with a Funder tab to track details like funder type, fiscal year, assets, board, and annual distribution.
Funding Programs: Represent grants or funding opportunities.
Funder Requests: Track grant applications and their status.
Navigate to Fundraising > Funding Programs and click New.
Enter details:
Funder (linked to a contact record).
Funding Program Name.
Funder’s objective, past recipients, grant description, annual distribution, minimum/maximum grant amounts, deadlines, and eligibility (“Applicable” checkbox).
Action Plan linked to the Reminders area for application steps.
Save the record to track potential or future grant opportunities.
Navigate to Fundraising > Funder Requests and click New.
Enter details:
Linked Funding Program.
Status (e.g., Applied, In Progress, Review Meeting; customizable).
Due date, purpose, requirements, and requested amount.
Awarded amount (once approved).
Report due dates (set reminders with the Create Reminders button).
Reporting notes, acknowledgment instructions, disposition notes (e.g., reasons for success or failure), and attached application files.
Save the record to track application progress.
When funds are received, click Funds Received > New in the Funder Request record or enter a donation in the Donations list and link it to the Funder Request.
Optionally, track budgets in the Budget area:
Add budget lines with expenditure type, amount, and description.
Update expenditures as funds are spent.
Note: Budget tracking is for reference only and does not integrate with external accounting software.
Mail Merge Templates: Create .docx or .rtf templates in Microsoft Word for print mailings.
Email Templates: Use HTML templates (e.g., via SeaMonkey, Adobe products) for emails to ensure proper formatting.
Search Builder: Learn more about Sumac’s database query tool in the Support Portal.
Online Donations: Email support@sumac.com to integrate donation forms with Sumac.
Support: Contact support@sumac.com for assistance or to follow up on webinar questions.
This guide covers the essentials of managing Events, Campaigns, and Grants in Sumac, enabling you to track communications, donations, and grant applications effectively.