Email list

Jolynn Uyehara · April 2021

I created a list with constituent emails for our e-newsletters, but the 2nd email (email 2) is on the same line (different column) as email 1. How do I create it where they are listed separately but in the same column?

Example: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith. Joe has an email and so does his wife Sue. But when I create my list, it only has Joe Smith's name, his email address and Sue's email address but not her name.

Appreciate anyone's help!

Thank you!

Heather MacKenzie · April 2021

If I'm interpreting you correctly, sounds to me like you want a different type of export. The Constituent export type lists stuff all on the same row and the Gift type export lists everything on different rows, or it's the other way around. I never can remember until I go and do one of them! But anyway, if you're using the one, choose the other, and unless I'm completely wrong about what you're doing here, that should help you out.

Jolynn Uyehara · April 2021

Thank you, I'll give it a try!

Alan French · April 2021

Heather MacKenzie:

The Constituent export type lists stuff all on the same row and the Gift type export lists everything on different rows, or it's the other way around. I never can remember until I go and do one of them!

Exports give you one row per [whatever the export type is], so a Constituent export will give you one row per constituent, with multiple columns if you choose to export more than one of something per constituent, e.g. email address.

A Gift export will give you one row per gift, with multiple columns if you export more than one of something per gift, e.g. gift attributes. It will not export ANY rows for constituents who don't have any gifts, so it may not be the best choice for a newsletter mailing list unless all of the recipients are definitely donors. Also you'll get a line for each gift, so if someone's given 20 gifts then they'll be included 20 times!

Are Mr & Mrs Joe Smith both constituents, or is one of them only a non-constituent relationship on the other's record? If the former, choose the "export both constituents separately" under the Head of Household Processing options in the export.

If it's the latter, the only thing I can think of would be to include spouse name in your export as well, so that your columns are [constituent name] [constituent email] [spouse name] [spouse email]. Then in Excel you can filter to show only the rows that have a spouse, copy and paste the spouse info from columns 3 & 4 onto the bottom of columns 1 & 2, then you can delete columns 3 & 4. There's probably a better way, but we rarely mail to non-constituents so I haven't played around with it much.

JoAnn Strommen · April 2021

Jolynn Uyehara‍ I think Alan identified your issue and said what I was thinking better I. Sounded like a constituent question and processing.

Karen Diener 2 · May 2021

Jolynn Uyehara‍ are you using webview to send the newsletter? If so, how your output looks in the list shouldn't make any difference at all.

If you aren't using webview, it is a different story, and we'd need to dig in to how your records are set up (i.e., are spouses constituents or non-constituent relationships), email types, use of Primary on an email, etc.

Karen

Jolynn Uyehara · May 2021

I am using lists in webview, then saving it in database view as static query, then exporting it. I still am unable to get them on separate lines.

JoAnn Strommen · May 2021

Going back to your original post, does Sue have her own record in RE? If she's only a relationship record, not a constituent record, I don't know that you can easily have her 'be her own row.'

If she's a constituent, in db are you exporting the query or taking the query to the Export function?

Maybe thru a relationship export but that probably requires a relationship query and I've just never had the need to play with these to see what the options are.

Jolynn Uyehara · May 2021

Good question JoAnn. I actually have that written down to ask my BB support person next time she and I meet. I wondered what the difference was when I was setting up a new constituent and I added the spouse, I didn't know if I should add spouse as a constituent or not.

But in this case, they are both constituents but only the husband's name is being listed on my email list but both husband and wife's emails are listed but on the same row.

When we switched over to Blackbaud 6 months ago, I thought running lists and reports would be much simpler. But it seems that there are so many steps involved. A little frustrating when I can't get BB support but I'm so glad to have this forum to reach out to for help. I appreciate your feedback!

JoAnn Strommen · May 2021

If you are doing a constituent query, it sounds like both emails are listed on his record. Are they?

As Alan French‍ said below: If the former, choose the "export both constituents separately" under the Head of Household Processing options in the export.

Since she's a constituent too, this should cause her record to be it's own row as long as she meets your query/list criteria.

JoAnn Strommen · May 2021

Jolynn Uyehara‍, if you haven't done so, I strongly recommend the BB trainings on records, query, export etc., etc. I think you will find them quite helpful.

Web view has limitations that are frustrating for those of us who 'grew up' on db view. I can't imagine coming in as a new user and trying to work/learn both simultaneously. Understanding record structure from the db side probably helps understand the web view side.

Take a deep breath!

Jolynn Uyehara · May 2021

I did select that in the export to export both constituents separately but the spouse still did not appear on my list. Odd huh?

JoAnn Strommen · May 2021

Then look at your list/query criteria. Does she meet the criteria. I'm guessing not.

Karen Diener 2 · May 2021

Jolynn Uyehara:

I am using lists in webview, then saving it in database view as static query, then exporting it. I still am unable to get them on separate lines.

What system do you use to actually send the email?

Karen

Jolynn Uyehara · May 2021

Aloha Karen,

We are using Finalsite to send our e-newsletters so I need to update the lists periodically and send them in excel format to our communications dept.

I spoke with BB support yesterday and he said RENXT is unable to do what I am trying to do with having the emails in one column rather than on the same line.

That was surprising to hear being that this seemed like the Cadillac model of database management.

Hope they look into having the feature available in the near future so I don't need to copy and paste over 7000 names. ?

Have a great day!

Jolynn

Eitan Herskovitz · May 2021

Don't know if this is helpful at all...

In etapestry, you can run a report, and pull fields "email address 1" or "...2" and that will split the emails from the email field into different cells.

Karen Diener 2 · May 2021

Hi Jolynn -

I didn't see this post until just today. There is an integration between Finalsite and Raiser's Edge that might help with the manual work. More information is here.

You're right that RE is (arguably) the Cadillac of systems. But much like Apple, it works well when you follow somewhat specific rules. Neither company can do anything if drive your car too fast, don't change the oil, don't keep it clean, download things from sketchy sites, click on phishing emails, and so on. Blackbaud hands over a database and if you don't use it as designed, it won't work well! I'm definitely not saying that you did or didn't do that. My point is that everyone wants every piece of software to work perfectly and it doesn't always.

You may be able to get want you want from query and export in database view, and not by lists in webview. What I do appreciates about Blackbaud is that you do have a lot of options. Not all software does - I've definitely worked with some that are more limited and forces you into rigid structures and a lot more workarounds than RE.

Good luck with this. I do hope you find a process that is a lot more efficient!

Karen

Sandra Moore 2 · October 2022

@Alan French:

Exports give you one row per [whatever the export type is], so a Constituent export will give you one row per constituent, with multiple columns if you choose to export more than one of something per constituent, e.g. email address.

This is true, but is it possible to divide the email types by column in an export? I have tried everything I can find and think of to list Email 1 in the first email column, Email 2 in the second email column etc. but it seems like I am stuck with RE putting email 2 in the first column if the constituent has no email 1. Impossible to use one email on a list by hierarchy. I always have to export and mess around in Excel. At least now with Power Query I can record the steps, but as Jolynn said, amazing such a powerful program doesn't allow for better formatting with email exports.

Alan French · October 2022

@Sandra Moore yes you absolutely can have only certain email types in each column. When you add the email field to the export, change the radio button from “all phones” to “selected phones” and select the type you want by moving it over to the right side of the screen. Click OK, then add the email field to the export again and repeat the process but select a different phone type. Repeat as much as necessary!

The thing that makes this not very intuitive to set up is that you need to be careful with where you drag and drop the email field when you're adding it for the second time (or third, fourth etc.) You need to drag and drop it ABOVE where that field already appears in your list of output fields (you should see the mouse icon change from a single column of data to 3 stacked tables when it's in the right place) otherwise it'll just add another field identical to the one you already have rather than prompting you for new criteria for that field.

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