Importing Mail Actions

Courtney Klein 2

So at my prior job, I was importing an action into records showing that they received an ask mailing whether it be an ask, invitation ask etc. 

Category = mailing

action type = event ask/gift solicitation

and in the notes I would specify such as Gala 2015 ask, 2014 year-end appeal.



Does anyone have an opinion on specifying the action type instead of using the notes to do that. So in the action type saying Gala 2015, 2014 year-end appeal etc. There is no maintenance to this but I am hesitant because over many years that'll add up to a lot of action types. I don't know if that be annoying etc and if I should stick to what I did at my prior job.



Thanks so much!

Blake Moody

Throughout RE, I like to use dropdowns/tables entires such as constituent codes, types, categories, etc. with overaching or umbrella terms so I can have between 5 to 25 options. "Staff" instead of "2014 Staff", "Board" vs. "Denver Board", "Contact Report" instead of "Phone Call about Gala" 



The overaching category allows you to have more valuable reporting at a higher level of interest, and easier data entry due to smaller quantity of values in your dropdown thus easier to find the right one.



So your past use of saying event ask/gift solicitation is the action type makes sense, and putting more detail in another field (Note Descroption, Attribute, etc.) as more of a "drill-down category" that falls underneath your umbrella term of event ask/gift solicitation. BTW, Have you considered entering your appeal record such as "Gala" or "Year End Ask" in the appeal field on the action, instead of a note?

Paula Alionyte

Completely agree with Blake - I would not suggest specifying action types more than you're doing now. It will make querying/reporting and exporting way more difficult than it should be. There's always the action attribute section to record any specific information about the action and it does always work easily when querying!

Leah Ross 2

I also agree with Blake and Paula, that keeping action types more broad will be better in the long run. I also think assigned constituent appeals is another great option. That way you can see exactly what they received and what the responses were!