October 26, 2005
In this Issue:
Dear Friend,
The past month has been filled with some very exciting development for us. I think you'll find that some of the most common requests and suggestions have been addressed in the updates we've recently released.
- We've improved the Broadcast Email tool, making it easier to use.
- We've added a system for handling bounced messages from your broadcast (that doesn't involve clogging your inbox.)
- We've built-in an Unsubscribe Link tool to make managing your mailing list easier.
- We've improved Financial tools to allow for Soft Allocations.
- We've changed the schedule for processing FundRaiser payments, so that FundRaiser campaigns get their funds faster!
You can find information about all of these additions by searching through the Help File (in the System Menu in BackOffice and VoterManager.)
I can't thank you enough for choosing CompleteCampaigns.com. Our clients (and their feedback and requests) have helped us to become a leader in political software. Thank you for your continued confidence; and continue to let us know what you need. We will always do our best for you.
-Ben Katz
Hot Tip - Government Report Troubleshooting
The trickiest part of campaign finance reporting is figuring out why your report doesn't exactly match your transaction register or match up with your previously filed report. That's why we've built tools to make it easier to work out the kinks.
A. Report of Register and Government Report Discrepancies
Comparing the report to the register side by side would not only be time consuming, but a complete pain in the neck. To save you a lot of trouble finding and fixing your minor report discrepancies, we've built a report utility to automatically compare your Register to your Government Report, and tell you what the difference is!
Here's how to use it:
- From the Reports menu in BackOffice, select Government Reports.
- In the Utilities section, clisk on Report of Register & Government Report Discrepancies.
- Enter the beginning and ending dates of the report. (For example, a first quarter report will be from 1/1/2005 to 3/31/2005.)
- Clicking Generate will bring up a list of transactions on the screen, with a description of why those transactions don't appear on the report the way they do in the register.
- Clicking the Excel Report button generates the same list as an Excel document that you can save on your desktop.
- Clicking the Print button sends the list directly to your printer.
B. Changed Transaction Report
On occasions where the starting balance of your new report doesn't match the ending balance of the previous report, your key is to find out what transactions have been modified after the previous report was filed.
This is a trick you could do by hand with a well-crafted Custom Report and a Custom Exports format, but why build it by hand when you can use our new Changed Transaction Report!
Here's how to use it:
- From the Reports menu in BackOffice, select Government Reports.
- In the Utilities section, clisk on Changed Transaction Report.
- Enter the closing date of the last report you filed, and the date on which it was filed. (For example, a first quarter report would end on 3/31/2005 and might have been filed on 4/15/2005.)
- Clicking Generate will bring up a list of transactions on the screen, with a description of why those transactions might be related to the problem you're trying to solve.
- Clicking the Print button sends the list directly to your printer.
Once you've generated your handy lists, you are armed with all the information you need to correct and file your perfect report. Easy as pie!
CampaignGuide Highlight: One Single Idea
by Deborah KeltnerBranding Your Campaign
A critical component of every campaign's outreach efforts is the development and execution of a relevant, consistent, and well-managed brand. There is, however, a lot of confusion about what a brand actually is.
A brand is not a logo, a website, or a brochure. A brand is the promise that your campaign is making. It is demonstrated by your campaign logo, slogan, website, brochures, and direct mail campaigns. Further, it is demonstrated by the way your staff answers the phones, the way you conduct yourself during public events, and the way you thank donors. It is infused into all actions and interactions. It is the One Single Idea that ties all of your messages together.
Read more in our online campaign resource, CampaignGuide.
Focus On: Recommended Accounting Practices
Click here to download the lastest Focus On tutorial. This month, we are covering our recommended accounting practices for making your job simpler and faster!
We're always looking for new content and articles for our CampaignGuide. We'd love to hear from you, since we know that our clients are the most talented people in the business. If you decide to share your expertise with us, we'll include your contact info and a web link to your business with your article. Review our CampaignGuide and please, don't hold back if you have material that needs to be covered!
Thanks for all your interest!
www.completecampaigns.com
610 Gateway Center Way, Suite K
San Diego, CA 92102
888-217-9600
Sincerely,
CompleteCampaigns.com
P.S. You have been included in this mailing because you are a client or user of CompleteCampaigns.com. If you wish to be removed from our training and product updates, please respond to this email, including in the Subject line the word REMOVE and the email address to which it was sent.