Blackbaud Altru Q3 2011 New Features Guide · 2015-03-04 · 2 CHAPTER 1 Altru and the Web-Based User Experience With the Q3 2011 release, you now access Altru through a web browser

Q3 2011 New Features Guide

081511Altru©2011 Blackbaud, Inc. This publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Blackbaud, Inc.

The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. Blackbaud, Inc., assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions in this manual. In no event will Blackbaud, Inc., be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of the possibility of damages.

In the interest of continuing product development, Blackbaud, Inc., reserves the right to make improvements in this manual and the products it describes at any time, without notice or obligation.

All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

All other products and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holder.

NewFeaturesGuide‐2011

Contents

NEW FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Altru and the Web‐Based User Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Web Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Web Browser Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Altru Landing Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3General Feature Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3New Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7New Features for the Web‐Based User Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Microsoft Office 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Constituents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Communications Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Constituencies Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Life Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Online Information Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Relationships Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Seasonal Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Memberships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Memberships page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Ticketing Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Display Patron Information on Daily Sales Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Sell A Quick Membership Form Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Sales By Payment Method Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Merchandise Sales Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15My Sales By Payment Method Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Development Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Finance & Treasury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Financials page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Review Unmapped Transaction Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Enable or Disable General Ledger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Fiscal Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Post to General Ledger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21View Unlinked Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Deposit Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Marketing and Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Convert Letters in the Letter Template Library and Letters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Appeal Mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Revenue Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Tribute Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Communication Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Edit Letter Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Ask Ladders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Marketing Export Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Online/Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Membership Form Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Undelivered Email Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Updated Styles for Web Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Query and the Web‐Based User Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Constituent Organization Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Registrant Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Projected Totals in Exception Batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Batch and the Web‐Based User Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Three‐Domain Secure (3DS) Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Blackbaud Payment Service Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Consolidated Payments by Constituent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Revenue Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Configure Matching Gift Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Revenue Annual Statement Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Revenue Detail Group/Household Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Reconcile Deposits Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Revenue Dynamics Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Anonymous Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Matching Gift Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Total Revenue Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Multiple Direct Debit Header Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Email Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Supported Web Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

A‐Grade Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50C‐Grade Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

1chapter

New Features and Enhancements

Altru and the Web-Based User Experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Microsoft Office 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Constituents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Memberships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Ticketing Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Development Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Finance & Treasury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Marketing and Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Online/Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Batch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

This document provides information about new features and enhancements available in the Q3 2011 release of Altru. In addition to the descriptions that introduce each new item, we also include references to user guides where you can find more detailed information and procedures. For some new features, we also provide links to videos you can watch to see new functionality in action.

To make sure users are aware of the new features in this release, we encourage you to share this guide with everyone at your organization who uses Altru. To help users more easily find new functionality that is relevant to their job role, we have organized this document into sections based on department or work area. For example, users who work in the development office and handle the fundraising efforts can access “Development Office” on page 17 to see only the new features that are relevant to them.

Note: In addition to reading this guide, you can watch the Q3 2011 new features videos to get an overview of the main new features in this release.

1

http://www.blackbaud.com/support/guides/altruvideos.aspx

2 CHAPTER 1

Altru and the Web-Based User ExperienceWith the Q3 2011 release, you now access Altru through a web browser rather than through Microsoft Windows as in past releases. This web‐based user experience offers more flexibility in how you access the program, and provides new features and functionality, as well as enhancements to existing functionality. Before you start to work in Altru, we recommend you familiarize yourself with these changes.

Web BrowsersAltru supports the most recent versions of all major browsers. For more information, see “Supported Web Browsers” on page 49.

Web Browser ConsiderationsThe ability to access Altru through a web browser offers more flexibility in how you access the program. Web browser settings and options, such as toolbar views and shortcut keys, can vary from browser to browser. To maximize the web‐based user experience, we recommend you familiarize yourself with your web browser’s settings.

Consider the number of toolbars you actively display in your browser. Numerous toolbars can decrease the area in which Altru appears on your screen, which can require the need to scroll more. You can easily remove or hide toolbars as necessary.

Review your browser’s shortcut keys. For example, you can use shortcut keys in your browser to navigate web pages or open Help. Because there are shortcut keys for data entry within Altru, you need to be aware of any conflicts.

Adjust the magnification, or “zoom”, level for your browser as necessary. For example, larger zoom levels decease the area in which Altru appears and can require you to scroll.

To have the help file open as a new tab within the browser or as a new browser window that you can refer to as you work in Altru, configure the browser setting that determines whether new windows open as new tabs.

For optimal performance, only access Altru through a supported browser such as Firefox 4, Chrome, Safari 5, or Internet Explorer 8 or 9. For a complete list of supported browsers, see “Supported Web Browsers” on page 49.

Note: For more information about Altru’s system requirements, please visit the System Requirements page of the Blackbaud website.

NEW FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS 3

Altru Landing PageNow when you access Altru, the new Altru Landing page appears. On this page, you can start Altru, see what’s new, access utilities for applications such as Microsoft Excel and Windows Vista, view fundraising trends, access Altru on your mobile phone or other web‐enabled device, and watch BlackbaudTV.

Start Altru. This starts Altru.What’s New. This opens a new page that explains all the new features added to the latest release of

Altru. You can access items such as the new features guide and videos, the KnowHow blog, and links to additional pages that explain some of the new features.

Utilities. This opens a new page where you can download gadgets and add‐ons. You can also access reference documents. (You can only access this page using Internet Explorer.)

The Blackbaud Index. This opens a new page where you can view up‐to‐date information about fundraising trends with analysis by leaders in the sector.

Mobilize. This starts Altru on your mobile phone or other web‐enabled handheld device.

BlackbaudTV. This opens a new page where you can watch videos about Blackbaud and the Blackbaud community, nonprofit news, technology, and philanthropy.

General Feature EnhancementsThroughout the web‐based user experience, you can now use enhancements to general features such as basic navigation, searches, and data lists.

4 CHAPTER 1

Explorer BarOn the explorer bar, you can now quickly access recently viewed information. Under Recent searches, you can access recently performed searches, complete with the criteria most recently used. Under Recently accessed, you can access recently view pages and records.

Several tasks that previously appeared on the explorer bar now appear elsewhere or not at all.

• The Refresh task that previously appeared on the explorer bar no longer appears in the web‐based user experience. To refresh a page, simply refresh your browser.

• The Help task that previously appeared on the explorer bar now appears in the upper right‐hand corner of your screen, next to View calendar. From the Help menu, you can now access the help file or information about your version of Altru.

• Tasks that previously appeared on the explorer bar of a functional area’s page, such as Configuration and Reports, now appear on the page itself.

In the Windows‐based user experience, the explorer bar remained static when you scrolled through a page and displayed its own scroll bar as necessary. In the web‐based user experience, your browser’s scroll bars now control both the page and the explorer bar at the same time.

In the web‐based user experience, you can quickly expand or collapse the explorer bar as necessary. To expand or collapse the explorer bar, click Show the action menu or Hide the action menu, which appears as an arrow between the page and the explorer bar.


SearchTo access or select an item from search results in the Windows‐based user experience, you selected the item and clicked Select. In the web‐based user experience, search results now provide links to items directly from an item’s row. For example, to select a constituent or open a constituent’s record from a search, click the constituent’s row in the results.

On the explorer bar, you can now access recently performed searches under Recent searches. When you access a recent search, it retains the criteria from the most recent search so you can quickly resume a previous search or adjust criteria as necessary.

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Data ListsIn the web‐based user experience, data lists now provide several enhancements and differences from the Windows‐based user experience.

Easy access to records. To access an item’s record from a data list in the Windows‐based user experience, you selected the item and clicked Go to on the action bar. In the web‐based user experience, the Go to action no longer appears. Data lists now include links to records directly from an item’s row. For example, to access a mailing’s record from a data list, click its name. Some data lists include links to multiple record types, such as to both a revenue record and the constituent associated with the transaction.

Right-click menu. From a data list in the web‐based user experience, you can access the same actions as the action bar through a right‐click menu. From the right‐click menu, you can also click Export section to download the data list to a comma‐separated values (*.csv) file or Microsoft Excel (*.xlsx) spreadsheet.

Selection of multiple rows. With some data lists, you can now select and act upon multiple items at one time. These data lists include a column of checkboxes, from which you can select multiple items. From the header of the data list, you can easily select or deselect all checkboxes within the column.

Details view. From a data list in the Windows‐based user experience, you could view additional information about an item from a Details window below the data list. In the web‐based user experience, a details view now appears directly beneath a selected row for the quick reference of additional information.


New NavigationThe web‐based user experience offers new ways to access information within Altru. For example, header icons that used to appear as top‐level page navigation now appear as tabs with easily accessible fly‐out menus.

This top‐level navigation also provides quick access to other common tasks and options.

Welcome menu. From the user name, you can access a menu to change your password, unlock optional modules, or run Altru as another user. In the Windows‐based user experience, you access these tasks through the Tools menu.

Pervasive search. You can quickly search all features in Altru, such as to find specific tasks or functionality. You can also adjust the search to return only specific types of records, such as to quickly find a constituent or deposit.

Add new. To quickly add a new constituent or revenue record from anywhere in the program, click Add new and select the type of record to add, such as Individual or Payment.

View calendar. To quickly access the organization calendar, such as to plan an event or communication, click View calendar.

Help menu. To quickly access the help file or view information about your version of Altru, select Help or About Altru from the Help menu.

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New Features for the Web-Based User ExperienceThe web‐based user experience offers new features, and enhancements to existing functionality, within Altru.

PagesEnhancements have been made to feature areas to allow widgets to view graphical information and access all related tasks. Examples of these enhancements can be found on Memberships and Financials page. In the future we look to add enhancements to all feature areas.

For information about the enhancements to memberships see, “Memberships page” on page 12.

For information about enhancements to financials see, “Financials page” on page 19.

WidgetsWith the web‐based user experience, you can use widgets for a graphical representation of data and performance, such as for quick analysis. Widgets appear on enhanced feature pages. With widgets, you can quickly view the overall performance of various aspects of your organization. For example, you can use widgets to track and determine the effectiveness of a membership program or revenue trends. You can view examples of these widgets on the memberships and financials page.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Key performance indicators (KPIs) track your organization’s strategic performance to help determine a course of action. The web‐based user experience offers new enhancements that make setup easier and KPI information easier to interpret. Your existing KPIs still work correctly.

KPI Terminology Changes“Yellow Until” and “Red until” terminology has been replaced with “Good Target” and “Satisfactory Target.”

Actual numbers below the Satisfactory Target are considered “Poor Performance.”

Actual numbers between the Satisfactory Target and the Good Target are considered “Satisfactory Performance.”

Actual numbers above the “Good Target” are considered “Good Performance.”

KPI ChangesAdding a KPI is essentially the same as it was with in the Windows‐based user experience, except for the Goal tab. With the new web‐based user experience, “sliders” on Goal tab graph have been removed, terminology has changed, and good target and satisfactory target numbers can be entered directly or as a percentage of the overall goal.

KPI dashboards no longer appear in the web‐based user experience. On the KPIs page, you can view “dashboard” information, including the KPI value chart, when you select a KPI instance listed in the grid. You can view and edit this KPI information from an open KPI instance as well.


You can now hover your mouse over the bullet graphs to display helpful tooltips for each element within the graph.

On the Goal Status tab of the record of a KPI, you can now quickly gauge the actual performance toward a goal and whether the value indicates poor, satisfactory, or good performance.

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QueryThe web‐based user experience offers new features, and enhancements to existing functionality, within Query. These changes include a new Favorites folder, and the ability to merge two ad‐hoc queries into one. For more information, see “Query and the Web‐Based User Experience” on page 31.

BatchThe web‐based user experience offers new features, and enhancements to existing functionality, within Batch. These changes include new ways to enter information into a batch. For more information, see “Batch and the Web‐Based User Experience” on page 40.

Marketing and CommunicationsWith the new web‐based user experience, you must convert all existing letters in the Letter Template Library and Letters page from a .doc file extension to a .docx file extension. This allows your documents to be compatible with printing and merging in Altru. For more information, see “Convert Letters in the Letter Template Library and Letters Page” on page 21.

Microsoft Office 2010Altru is now compatible with Microsoft Office 2010. For example, you can open merged communication letters in Word 2010 or comma‐separated value (*.csv) files for a mailing house in Excel 2010.

ConstituentsThe following Constituents enhancements are available in the Q3 2011 release. For more information about these features, see the Constituents Guide.

Communications TabEmail now appears on the Communications tab. Automatically generated emails, such as an acknowledgement sent when a user submits a donation, are associated with the new Online Confirmations communication type.

Also, a new Channel field appears on the Communications tab to filter communications by all, mail, or email.

Constituencies TabThe Community member constituency no longer appears automatically on the Constituencies tab when data from your Web forms site downloads to the constituent’s record. Also, the constituency has been removed from the tab for existing constituents who are members of your site.

If your organization wants to apply a constituency to these users, create a user defined constituency, such as Community member or Online user, under Configuration. Then, create a query of constituent records so you can globally apply the constituency to them.

Note: Email sent prior to Altru 2.91 is not associated with a communication type.


For more information about constituent record changes for members of your site, see “Communications Tab” on page 10 and “Online Information Page” on page 11.

Contact InformationIf you send an email that returns a hard bounce, a message now appears below the Email address field on the Edit email addresses screen to indicate that the address is blacklisted. A hard bounce indicates a permanent delivery failure such as when the Internet Service Provider (ISP) reports that the email address is canceled or nonexistent. The message also appears below the Email address field if you blacklist the email address on the Email Services page in Administration. You can the correct address in the address so that the constituent can receive email from your organization. You can also update its status on the Email Services page.

Life ChangesMarriage options for new relationships due to marriage are now available to configure on the Life Changes page. You can configure to create new relationships when a spouse relationship is created, such as step‐parents, step‐siblings, and in‐laws. After you create a new spouse relationship, you can manage new relationships that these options create when the Marriage Options page appears.

Online Information PageUnder More information, an Online information link now appears when a constituent registers through a web form. To view the constituent’s online activity, click the link.

Relationships TabWhen you create an organization relationship for an individual, the Responsibilities field now appears on the Employment and contact information tab. In this field, enter the constituent’s responsibilities for an employer. You can use this information to connect constituents with similar job responsibilities.

This field also appears when you add or edit an employment history relationship.

Seasonal AddressFor additional clarity, the Seasonal field now appears on the Contact tab of a constituent’s record at all times. Previously, the field appeared only for constituents with seasonal addresses. For a constituent without a seasonal address, the field now displays “Not applicable”.

Note: The Bounced field now exists in Query so you can create a group of records that contain an invalid email address.

Note: The Online information page replaces the Community member page. Also, the Email tab previously appeared on the Community member page. With the exception of the Incoming address field that now appears on the Online information page summary, email now appears on the Communications page. For information about email, see “Communications Tab” on page 10.

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MembershipsThe new features listed in this section are most relevant to people who configure membership programs and manage memberships. Users who work in this area are usually assigned the Membership manager role.

Memberships pageWhen you are associated with the Membership manager role, you can access Memberships. The Memberships page is a central location that contains links to tasks you frequently use and widgets to various membership reports. To access the page, click Memberships.

On the Memberships page, you can manage your membership programs and view revenue trends for the top performing membership programs based on a time period. You also have access to all your membership tasks and reports. If you select a membership program, you can view additional information such as the number of total active memberships and any membership alerts.

On the Activity tab, you can view all membership activity for a membership program such as renewed, lapsed, and new memberships.

On the Revenue tab, you can view and filter revenue information based on level and on the Membership levels tab, you can manage the different membership levels on a membership program

Ticketing SalesThe new features listed in this section are most relevant to people who configure programs and merchandise, as well as sell tickets and merchandise items. Users who work in this area are usually assigned either the Guest Services Manager or Ticket Seller system role.

PrintingWe made two printing enhancements:

• You can now disable printing receipts for orders with no balance due. To disable it, from Tickets, under Printing, click Sales documents. The Sales Documents Template page appears. Under Itemized Receipt, select a receipt template. The Itemized Receipt page appears. Under Printing rules for orders no balance, click Disable.

• We added a workstation interface to allow you to open the cash drawer and print tickets and other sales documents in webshell. To set up the workstation interface, from Tickets, click Print setup, under Initial setup. Then click Workstation interface. You must use Internet Explorer 8 or 9 to set up the workstation interface and to open the cash drawer and print sales documents. Internet Explorer 8 and 9 are also required to print.

Tip: To view the exact number on a graph, hover your cursor on a data point.

Note: To avoid any issues with printing sales documents, tickets, etc., and opening the cash drawer, we recommend all current clients install the workstation interface on their necessary workstations after upgrade.


RefundsWe made several enhancements to refunds:

• To successfully post to the general ledger, a refund (with a depositable payment method) must be linked with a deposit.

• The status summary section of a refund record no longer displays the refund's post date and post status. The Post date and Post status fields now appear as columns on the Refund Methods tab of a refund record.

• In the status summary section of a refund record, we removed the “Deposited” value from the Reconciliation status field. Now, when a refund is included in a deposit, the Refund Methods tab displays each refund method with an associated deposit number. The deposit number appears in the new Deposit column (when linked to a deposit).

• You can now link and unlink refund payments with deposits from the Refunds tab of a deposit record. To link a refund with a deposit, click Link in the action bar. The new Link refund payment screen appears where you can search for an unlinked refund payment. To unlink a refund from a deposit, click Unlink in the action bar. A message appears confirming the unlink process.

• You can now refund donations from a sales order. You can also now search by designation when you search for a refund. Donation refunds are now included in all applicable reports.

Display Patron Information on Daily Sales PageAfter you associate a patron with the order on the Daily Sales page, you can click the constituent link to view additional information about the patron, including memberships. When you click the link, the Daily Sales buttons hide, and the patron information appears in their place. To view the Daily Sales buttons, click the constituent link again. The renewal and upgrade buttons now appear beside the membership information instead of on the sales buttons panel. To view more information about a specific membership, click the membership link. To view constituent information, click Go to constituent.

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Sell A Quick Membership Form EnhancementsThe Sell a membership screen for quick membership sales has been updated to be more efficient. The screen is now split into three tabs to make the information easier to read. This also allows you to only see the information you really need to, such as if there are no additional members to add to the membership, you do not ever have to access the Other members tab.

The membership program information at the top of the screen is now a button you can click to edit the membership level, term, and type if necessary. Also, if a patron is already associated with the order, their primary contact information is automatically entered into the screen when it is opened.

Sales By Payment Method ReportThe Sales By Payment Method report now includes revenue information for security deposit payments. Refunds for security deposits are also included, as well as refunds for all other items. Group Sales payments also now appear on the Sales By Payment Method report the day they are made, as opposed to when the order is marked as Complete.

If you have proper security permissions, you can run a Sales By Payment Method report. With this report, you can view details for sales made by all or selected ticket sellers during the current day or a specific date range. To view this report, from Sales, click Sales by payment method under Reports. The Sales By Payment Method page appears.


Merchandise Sales ReportOrder and adjustable discounts are now included in the Merchandise Sales report. Information for all discounts appear in the Discounts column.

With this report, you can view all merchandise sales revenue your organization has received and see the percentage of income each merchandise department generates. You can use the date parameters provided to run the report for specific periods of time and generate a year‐to‐date report of merchandise sales revenue. Typically, a Guest Service Manger will print this report and review it to monitor sales numbers and trends.

To view this report, from Merchandise or Sales, click Merchandise sales report. The Merchandise Sales page appears. In the Department field, select whether to view sales from all or specific departments, or a selection of items based on a department query. You can also include merchandise sales through all or specific sales methods and select date filters. After you select the options, click View Report.

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My Sales By Payment Method ReportThe My Sales By Payment Method report now includes revenue information for security deposit payments. Refunds for security deposits are also included, as well as refunds for all other items. Group Sales payments also now appear on the My Sales By Payment Method report the day they are made, as opposed to when the order is marked as Complete.


With the My Sales By Payment Method report, you can view details for sales you made during the current day or a specific date range. Only sales made while you are logged in appear in the report results. To view this report, from Sales, click My sales by payment method under Reports. The My Sales By Payment Method page appears.

Development OfficeThe new features listed in this section are most relevant to people who work in the development office and handle the fundraising efforts within your organization. Users who work in this area are usually assigned either the Director of Development or Development Data Entry system role.

Membership Statistics Comparison ReportThe Membership Statistics Comparison report now includes information for membership discounts and all membership refunds in its results.

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The Membership Statistics Comparison report compares membership data for different time periods. You select the time periods to compare and the membership program to use for the report. The report compares membership dues amount and count information for the tiers and levels in the program. You can group the report by channel or by activity. Channel displays how revenue was received such as by mail or phone. Activity displays the type of transaction, such as a join or a renew.

To run the report, from Analysis, click Membership reports, Membership statistics comparison. The report appears.

Membership Revenue ReportThe Membership Revenue report now includes revenue information from membership discounts, as well as membership refunds.


The Membership Revenue Report displays revenue transaction details for a membership program in a time frame that you specify. The Memberships column displays the number of active memberships for the specified level, and the Additional Gifts column displays the amount of revenue from all gifts given by any member of the specified level.

To run the report, from Analysis, click Membership reports, Membership revenue report. The report appears.

Finance & TreasuryThe new features listed in this section are most relevant to people who work in the business office and handle the financials within your organization. Users who work in this area are usually assigned the Accounting Manager or Treasury Manager system role.

Financials pageWhen you are associated with the Accounting Manager system role, you can access Financials. The Financials page is a single location that contains links to the financial tasks you frequently use. To access the page, click Financials.

On the Tasks tab of the page, you can search for and work with deposits, banks, and miscellaneous payments; post revenue to the general ledger; view reports; and work with EFT processes. You can also add fiscal years and review unmapped transactions messages.

On the Revenue tab, you can view and filter revenue information by sales channel and payment method. You can also view payments and refunds that are currently unlinked to a deposit.

Tip: To view the exact number on a graph, hover your cursor on a data point.

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Review Unmapped Transaction MessagesThe program now provides a list of unmapped transactions as well as a business process to help you make corrections. For the program to track unmapped transaction messages, you must use the Unmapped transaction setting link to associate an account with transactions that are missing a valid GL transaction mapping. You can access this link from the General Ledger Setup page.

Unmapped transaction messages are generated due to unmapped segments, missing transaction mappings, and missing GL accounts. A message is unique and is generated for one or more transactions with incomplete or missing mappings. You can click on a message to view a list of all transactions that pertain to that specific message. If necessary, you can click a transaction to access the specific record associated with the transaction, such as a payment, pledge, or planned gift.

Use the messages to correct any incomplete mappings. Once you make corrections, you can run a process to update the GL distributions for those transactions.

Enable or Disable General LedgerFrom the General ledger setup page of an account system in Administration, you can now click Enable/disable general ledger under Configuration in the explorer bar to enable or disable general ledger.

General ledger is, by default, enabled and creates transactions with a post status of “Not posted.”

However, you may find that your organization needs to track constituents and other activity within the system, but has no need to post transaction activity from within the program for use with an external general ledger. To meet this need, you can now disable general ledger within the program.

When you disable general ledger, tasks in the General ledger setup area of Administration are no longer required. Valid transaction and segment mappings, GL accounts, and an account structure are no longer necessary to save and post transactions in your system. Going forward, the program will create transactions without GL distributions. Since no distributions exist, a GL distribution tab may continue to appear on a transaction record, but will not display distribution account rows for the transaction. Transactions you enter in the program will have a post status of “Do not post.”

When general ledger is disabled, the tasks in the General ledger setup area of Administration are still available to you. You can choose to create transaction and segment mappings, GL accounts, and an account structure. You may find it easier to set up your general ledger while general ledger is disabled. Remember, you must enable general ledger in order for all parts of your general ledger setup to work properly and for transactions to post.

Note: You do not need to turn on general ledger unless you previously disabled it and now wish to enable it again. Note that when you enable general ledger after you previously disabled it, transactions you previously entered in the program will retain a post status of “Do not post.”

Note: If general ledger is enabled and you now wish to disable it, and your system includes transactions with a post status of “Not posted,” a warning message appears. Before you can disable general ledger, you must either manually post those transactions or change their post status to “Do not post.”

Note: If you work with ticketing transactions, such as group sales or daily sales, and you select to disable general ledger, you must first create a bank account so that your sales can reconcile using a sales deposit. You create bank accounts in Treasury.


Fiscal YearsYou can now add previous fiscal years to the database at any time. From the Fiscal Years page in Administration, to add a previous fiscal year, click Add previous in the action bar. To add a new fiscal year, click Add new in the action bar.

You can now delete the oldest or newest fiscal year as long as no activity exists for the fiscal year.

Post to General LedgerOn the Posting Details tab of the Add a post to GL process screen, you can now select to summarize cash and revenue ticketing transactions. Summarized transactions appear on the post report.

View Unlinked PaymentsFrom the Link multiple payments screen appears, when you select a deposit and click Apply, the Unlinked payments tab displays all payments available to be linked to the deposit. The program can now display more than one hundred available payments. To access the Link multiple payments screen, click Link multiple payments from the Treasury page.

Deposit ReportIn the Detail and Summary sections of a Deposit report, credit card sub‐types now appear for all credit card payments included in the deposit. In addition, on the Payments tab of a deposit, the Payment method field now displays the sub‐type for a credit card payment.

Marketing and CommunicationsThe new features listed in this section are most relevant to people who configure and manage appeal mailings and donor relations communications such as acknowledgements and reminders. Users who work in this area are usually assigned the Marketing Manager system role. For more information about these communications, see the Marketing and Communications Guide.

Convert Letters in the Letter Template Library and Letters PageWith the new web‐based user experience, you must convert all existing letters in the Letter Template Library and Letters page, such as group sales contracts and membership renewal letters, from a .doc file extension to a .docx file extension. This allows your letters to be compatible with printing and merging in Altru.

Note: If you use Microsoft Word 2003 or older, you must install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to open files with a .docx extension. You can download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack at http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=3.

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Convert letters from .doc to .docx

This procedure explains how to convert letters in the Letter Template Library, however, this procedure must also be performed on all letters on the Letters page in Marketing and Communications.

1. From Marketing and Communications, click Letter template library under Configuration. The Letter Template Library page appears.

2. Under Letter template, select the letter for which to convert, and click Edit on the action bar. The Edit a letter template screen appears.

3. In the Letter field, click the link to the file for which to convert. The File Download screen appears.

4. Click Open. The file opens in Microsoft Word.

5. For Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010, click the Office Button, and select Save As. The Save As screen appears.

For Microsoft Word 2003 or earlier, click File, and select Save As. The Save As screen appears.

6. In the Save as type field, select Word Document (*.docx).

7. For Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010, click Maintain compatibility with Word 97‐2003 if the checkbox is not already selected.

8. Click Save.

9. In Altru, on the Letter Template Library page, select the letter for which you just converted and click Edit on the action bar. The Edit a letter template screen appears.

10. Click Choose file. The Choose File to Upload screen appears.

11. Browse to the location where you just saved the converted letter, and click Open. You return to the Edit a letter template screen and the converted file appears in the Letter field.

Warning: This checkbox must be selected so the letter can be opened with versions earlier than Microsoft Word 2007.


12. Click Save. You return to the Letter Template Library page, and the letter now contains the converted file.

Appeal MailingsWhen you create letters for appeal mailings, you can compose separate content based on delivery channel such as mail or email. For a streamlined experience, you now use a new HTML editor to create content for your letters within the context of the mailing. For information about the HTML editor and enhanced letter creation, see “Communication Letters” on page 27.

From the new Letters tab on an appeal mailing record, you can add and manage the mailing’s letters as necessary. To suggest a donation amount based on each recipient’s giving history, you can assign an ask ladder to each letter. Previously, you assigned an ask ladder to the overall appeal mailing.

Prior to the Q3 2011 update, you created appeal mailing letters in Microsoft Word and associated a letter to an appeal mailing process through a package. To use appeal mailing letters created before the Q3 2011 update, regardless of activation status, you must recreate the content as new letters. To view and manage your archived appeal mailing content, from the Appeal Mailings page, click View archived content under Tasks. On the new Archived Appeal Mailing Content page, you can click Download to open an existing appeal mailing letter in Word so you can copy and paste its content into a new appeal mailing letter. You can also download existing letter content from the record of an appeal mailing.

Tip: As you create letters for appeal mailings, you can copy content from your existing letters; paste it into the HTML editor; and adjust the format, images, and merge fields as necessary.

Note: A constituent that appears in the recipient selections for multiple letters receives only the first applicable letter, so we recommend you arrange the letters so letters with specific audiences generate before letters with general audiences.

Tip: As you create new appeal mailing letters, you can copy content from your existing appeal mailing letters; paste it into the HTML editor; and adjust the format, images, and merge fields as necessary.

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Revenue AcknowledgementsYou can now use a new, streamlined process to acknowledge revenue transactions. Previously, you created and maintained multiple acknowledgements processes, each with a single letter created outside of the program. Now you set up one process and can create multiple letters to acknowledge transactions, such as to target major gifts differently than smaller revenue amounts, from one location in the program. To access this process from Marketing and Communications, click Acknowledgements.

When you create an acknowledgement letter for the new process, you can compose separate content based on delivery channel such as mail or email. For a streamlined experience, you now use a new HTML editor to create content for your letters within the context of the process. For information about the HTML editor and enhanced letter creation, see “Communication Letters” on page 27.


You can schedule the process to run automatically on a daily or weekly basis or manually on demand. For example, after you configure the process options and create your acknowledgement letters, you can set the process to automatically run overnight to generate acknowledgements for the previous day’s transactions. When the process runs, it generates the letters in the order you determine and automatically sends any email content to its recipients. From the History tab of the process page, you can download merged mail content as Microsoft Word documents or merge information as a comma‐separated value (*.csv) file, such as for a mailing house.

If your organization used the previous process to acknowledge revenue transactions or tributes, you can temporarily continue to access your existing processes. For example, as you set up the new process, you can refer to your previous processes and letter content as necessary. To access your previous acknowledgements processes from the Acknowledgements page, click Archived acknowledgements under Tasks.

Tribute AcknowledgementsTo access your tribute acknowledgement processes, you can now click Tribute acknowledgements from Marketing and Communications. On the new Tribute Acknowledgements page, you can view and manage your letters and processes used to notify acknowledgees of revenue received toward tributes. These processes are the same as used prior to the Q3 2011 update.

You can also access your tribute acknowledgement processes with your archived revenue acknowledgement processes. For information about archived acknowledgements, see “Revenue Acknowledgements” on page 24.

Note: A donor with a transaction that appears in the recipient selections for multiple letters receives only the first applicable letter, so we recommend you arrange the letters so letters with specific audiences generate before letters with general audiences.

Tip: As you create letters for the new acknowledgements process, you can copy content from your existing acknowledgement letters; paste it into the HTML editor; and adjust the format, images, and merge fields as necessary.

Note: Currently, the new acknowledgement process acknowledges only revenue transactions. To inform tributees when you receive donations as tributes, you can still create and run tribute acknowledgements processes from the archived Acknowledgements page or the new Tribute Acknowledgements page. For information about tribute acknowledgements, see “Tribute Acknowledgements” on page 25.

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RemindersYou can now use a new, streamlined process to remind donors of pending or overdue pledge installments and recurring gift payments. Previously, you created and maintained multiple reminders processes, each with a single letter created outside of the program. Now you set up one process and can create multiple letters to remind constituents of commitments, such as to target upcoming commitments differently than overdue commitments, from one location in the program. To access this process from Marketing and Communications, click Reminders.

When you create a letter for the new reminders process, you can compose separate content based on delivery channel such as mail or email. For a streamlined experience, you now use a new HTML editor to create content for your letters, within the context of the process. For information about the HTML editor and enhanced letter creation, see “Communication Letters” on page 27.

You can schedule the process to run automatically on a weekly or monthly basis or manually on demand. For example, after you configure the process options and create your reminder letters, you can set the process to automatically run every weekend to generate reminders on a weekly basis. When the process runs, it generates the letters in the order you determine and automatically sends any email content to its recipients. From the History tab of the process page, you can download merged mail content as Microsoft Word documents or merge information as a comma‐separated value (*.csv) file, such as for a mailing house.

Note: A donor with a transaction that appears in the recipient selections for multiple letters receives only the first applicable letter, so we recommend you arrange the letters so letters with specific audiences generate before letters with general audiences.


If your organization used the previous process to remind donors of revenue commitments, you can temporarily continue to access your existing processes. For example, as you set up the new process, you can refer to your previous processes and letter content as necessary. To access your previous reminders processes from the Reminders page, click Archived reminders under Tasks.

Communication LettersTo create content for appeal mailings, acknowledgement letters, and reminder letters, you now use an easy‐to‐use “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) HTML editor. With the editor, you compose content based on channel, such as mail and email, to target audiences appropriately. You use a toolbar with many options and capabilities to format your content as desired, complete with images and, for email content, links to your organization’s website. For email content, the privacy and opt‐out information is required to prevent your email from being blacklisted or marked as spam.

When you download mail output for a communication letter, you now download a Microsoft Office open XML document (*.docx), which you can then open and manage in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or several other applications.

Edit Letter ContentWith the new web‐based user interface for Altru, you must download letters to your local workstation to edit its’ content. For example, if you want to edit a renewal letter, you click Save on the download prompt, select a location on your workstation to save the file, open the file with a compatible editor, make the necessary changes, save it, and re‐upload it into Altru.

ReceiptsYou no longer use a separate process to generate receipts for revenue transactions. To provide receipt information to donors for tax purposes, include this information as part of your acknowledgement letters. For information about the new acknowledgement process, see “Revenue Acknowledgements” on page 24.

PackagesTo calculate package costs more precisely, you can now enter the base cost for packages, using four decimal places. For example, if a vendor charges you $.0268 per piece, in previous versions you had to round the amount up to $.03 or down to $.02, which made the total costs inaccurate.

If you purchase pieces in increments of a thousand, you can now select “Per thousand” as the distribution for the base cost of packages.

Tip: As you create letters for the new reminders process, you can copy content from your existing reminder letters; paste it into the HTML editor; and adjust the format, images, and merge fields as necessary.

Tip: As you create letters within the new editor, you can copy content from Microsoft Word and then paste it into the HTML editor and adjust the format, images, and merge fields as necessary.

Note: This method only applies to membership, direct marketing, and tribute acknowledgement letters.

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Ask LaddersOn the Add/Edit ask ladder screens, we changed the labels for screen items to better describe their purpose.

Amounts over — This column is now labeled Amounts at or above

Round to — This column is now labeled Round up to

Multiple — This ask ladder type is now labeled Multiply

These changes do not affect how ask ladders function; they simply make these screens easier to understand.

Marketing Export DefinitionsWe added two new tabs to export definitions. From the Column order tab, you can reorder and rename column headings for the export file. From the Sort order for rows tab, you can specify a sort order for the export. The sort order helps ensure that mail merge documents, such as envelopes or labels, are in the order required by vendors.

SegmentsWe made enhancements that allow you to quickly verify that segments and selections include the correct constituents. Use the new Go to constituent button to open a segment member’s constituent record directly from the Current Members tab of a segment or from the Segment Members page of a marketing effort. You also have the option to open the member’s associated membership record.

The Constituent lookup ID and Finder number columns now appear on the Segment Members page of a marketing effort. The Constituent lookup ID column also appears on the Current Members tab of a segment. These columns provide another way to verify that a constituent belongs in the segment. For example, if you have two constituents with the same name, you can use the Constituent lookup ID column to verify that you have the correct one in your segment.

On the Segments tab of the Segments page, you can now view the date a segment was last refreshed as well as the number of records it included at that time.

When you search for a segment, the search results grid now includes the refresh date and record counts.

Online/WebsiteThe new features listed in this section are most relevant to people who configure and manage your web forms. Users who work in this area are usually assigned the Web Forms Administrator system role.


Membership Form UpdatesThe membership forms that you create in Web have been streamlined to include all options in a single location. Previously, the form included multiple tabs that users navigated through to purchase memberships online.

With the streamlined membership form, tabs no longer appear on the form. Instead, all available options appear when website users go to the form, and users can now select membership options and register members directly from a central location.

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The streamlined membership form also includes a new This membership is a gift checkbox to allow website users to designate memberships as gifts.

When website users select this checkbox, additional fields appear. In these fields, users select who receives membership renewal notices and provide biographical and contact information for gift recipients.

In addition to these changes that website users view on the membership form, the form’s configuration options also changed. Options related to the form’s tabs no longer appear, and the membership options screen now includes a Fields to include section.

In this new section, you can select the optional fields to include on the form and whether to require website users to complete the fields.


Undelivered Email PageThe new Undelivered Email page allows you to monitor undelivered email jobs to ensure that your email is working properly. The page displays undelivered email jobs within an hour of the time you send, and it removes any email jobs that are subsequently delivered. To open the page, go to Administration and click Undelivered email under Email in the explorer bar on the left.

The page summary lists the current statuses for those undelivered email jobs that were sent during the past month, along with the number of email jobs for each status and a description of the status. The grid below the summary displays details about undelivered email jobs. By default, email jobs remain in the grid for a month, but you can filter the grid to display a different time frame. However, the summary still only displays numbers for undelivered email jobs during the past month.

To receive alerts when the program adds undelivered email jobs to the list, you can click View RSS Feed to open a web browser and subscribe to an RSS feed, or you can create a custom email alert for the Undelivered Email Data List.

Updated Styles for Web FormsThe default styles for web forms have been updated to give the forms a cleaner, more modern look. You can still adjust styles for your web forms as necessay, but the default web forms now feature a more polished, modern look that is easier for website users to navigate.

For example, the default styles for the program form were previously text‐heavy.

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But the updated styles now feature large target areas with improved navigational tools.

The updated styles are applied through new layouts on the Select Layout tab of the page designer. When you select one of these new layouts, your web forms inherit the new default styles. For new installs, the new layouts replace the existing layouts entirely. However, if you are already using Altru and upgrade, the new layouts appear after the existing layouts on the Select Layouts tab. We recommend that you switch your web forms to use the updated layouts, but we have maintained the existing layouts so that you do not lose any style changes that you made to your forms.

QueryThe following Query enhancements are available in the Q3 2011 release. For more information about these features, see the Query and Export Guide.

Query and the Web-Based User ExperienceThe web‐based user experience offers new features, and changes to existing functionality, within Query. We recommend you review these changes before working in Query.


Ad-hoc QueryWhen you select a source view to add an ad‐hoc query, frequently used source views now appear under Most commonly used in the list.

The New Ad‐hoc Query screen and Edit Ad‐hoc Query screen now feature several enhancements to help ease the creation and use of a query. These enhancements range from more instructive names for tabs and frames to completely new features. You can now also manage the query’s properties as you add or edit the query.

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On the Select filter and output fields tab (previously the Output/Filters tab), you can browse to and select the output fields to include in the query results. To quickly find a field, you can now also search by its name in the Find field field. Under Include records where, you can apply filter criteria to fields. Under Results fields to display, you select the output fields to include in the results. You can continue to summarize amounts and dates by criteria such as SUM (total), MIN (smallest), or MAX (largest). To change how the name of a selected output field appears in the header of an export file, you can now click Change column header and enter the name to appear in an export.


On the Set sort and group options tab (previously the Sort/Group Filters tab), you select the fields to use to sort records in the results and how to order the results, such as ascending or descending. If you summarize output fields, under Include records where, you can apply filter criteria to those records. For example, if you select to view the sum of revenue transactions from constituents, a constituent appears one time rather than for each transaction.

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On the Preview results tab (previously the Results tab), you can continue to preview the first 500 records of your query results. From this tab, you can also now select whether to display a column for the query ID of each record. You can also view the Structured Query Language (SQL) statement used to generate the query or download the preview to a comma‐separated values (*.csv) file or XML spreadsheet (*.xlsx) file, such as for use in Microsoft Excel.


On the new Set save options tab, you can enter a unique name and description to help identify the query. You can also manage the properties of the query, such as whether to create a selection based on its results and which users can use and manage the query. Previously, you managed this information on a Query Properties screen.

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Smart QueryWhen you add or edit an instance of a smart query, the Previews tab now includes new features. From this tab, you can now select whether to display a column for the query ID of each record. You can also download the preview to a *.csv file or XML spreadsheet (*.xlsx) file, such as for use in Microsoft Excel.


On the New Smart Query screen and Edit Smart Query screen, the Set save options tab now appears. On this tab, you can enter a unique name and description to help identify the query. You can also manage the properties of the query, such as whether to create a selection based on its results and which users can use and manage the query. Previously, you managed this information on a Query Properties screen.

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Query ResultsFrom a query’s results page, you can now download the results to a *.csv file or XML spreadsheet (*.xlsx) file, such as for use in Microsoft Excel. To download the results, click Export on the action bar and select the file format to download.

Previously, you could only download and save the query results as a Microsoft Excel workbook (*.xls) file.

Constituent Organization RelationshipWhen you create a constituent query, you can now include the name of a constituent’s organization relationship in the output. From the constituent query, select the Constituent name field from the Relationship node under Addresses.

AcknowledgementsWith the new, single acknowledgements process, you can no longer create a query of acknowledgement processes. In a revenue query, you can use the Letter name field in the Revenue Letters node to include the name of an acknowledgement letter as criteria or results. For information about the new acknowledgements process, see “Revenue Acknowledgements” on page 24.

Registrant InformationWe enhanced the way you query event and registrant information.

• For the Registrants query and Registrants export definition, we added an Event Hierarchy table. When you click Event Hierarchy, the Events and Registrants tables appear as secondary tables and include all available event and registrant fields. Use the Event Hierarchy table to query and create streamlined output that combines both event and registrant fields.


• For the Registrants query, from within the Events table, when you select to use the Event record field as a filter, two new query operators and a checkbox are available and are used to filter data stored hierarchically:

1. When you select “Under” as the query operator for Event Hierarchy/Events/Event record or Event/Event record, results include all supporting events of the top tier event. When you select the new Include current hierarchy node checkbox, the top tier event is also included in your results. Click the binoculars in the Value field to access the Event Search screen.

2. When you select “Not under” as the query operator for Event Hierarchy/Events/Event record or Event/Event record, results include all other events in the event hierarchy except the supporting events of the top tier event you select. When you select the new Include current hierarchy node checkbox, the top tier event is also included in your results but the supporting events of the top tier event you select are still excluded. Click the binoculars in the Value field to access the Event Search screen.

• We added the new Multi‐level Event Registrants smart query. This smart query offers streamlined registrant information for any event within a multi‐level event. For example, your organization is hosting the 2011 Alumni Reunion Weekend. This event includes three supporting events: a tailgate, a family picnic, and a formal gala, and you want to view registrants for events associated with the entire multi‐level event. In the Event field on the Parameters tab of the smart query, you select “2011 Alumni Reunion Weekend.” In the Registrants field, you can select a registrant selection query to narrow your search results. For example, you can include a selection of host registrants or registrants with an outstanding balance. The Results tab displays one registration for each constituent registered for any event within the event hierarchy.

SelectionsOn the Selections tab of the Query page, you can now view the date a static selection was last refreshed as well as the number of records it included at that time.

BatchThe following Batch enhancements are available in the Q3 2011 release of Altru. For more information about these features, see the Batch and Import Guide.

Projected Totals in Exception BatchesWhen an exception batch is created from a revenue or sponsorship batch, the Projected # and Projected amount now reflect the number and amount of transactions in the exception batch. However, if the original batch did not contain projected totals, the exception batch will not have them either. You can still manually update the projected totals by selecting Edit, Update projected totals. Previously, exception batches did not calculate projected totals.

Batch and the Web-Based User ExperienceThe web‐based user experience offers new features, and changes to existing functionality, within Batch. We recommend you review these changes before working in Batch.

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• The ability to create a new Revenue Batch or Revenue Update Batch is not available with this release. Please note, you can open existing Revenue and Revenue Update batches as read‐only.

We recommend you use the Enhanced Revenue Batch for your revenue transactions.

• Batches now utilize a new toolbar ribbon with tasks grouped together under tabs. For detailed information, see “Batch Entry Toolbar” on page 42.

• Many of the shortcut keys for batch data entry have changed. Ctrl + M now calls up shortcut keys specific to the tasks available in an open batch. For detailed information, see “Batch Entry Toolbar” on page 42.

• The Go to <batch> button on the action bar of the Batch Entry page has been removed. To access a batch, simply double‐click the batch in the grid, right‐click and select Edit, or highlight and select Edit on the toolbar.

• The Go to batch chain button on the action bar of the Batch Entry page has been removed. You now select the batch number, which displays as a hyperlink, if there is an exception chain.

• To view the batch commit parameters and status of your committed batches, you now select the Committed hyperlink in the Status column on the Committed Batches tab.

• The Details pane no longer appears at the bottom of the Batch Entry page when you select a batch. Now, the detail information expands directly underneath the batch you select.

• When working within a batch, cells with errors now display red “ticks” within the cell, so that you can easily identify them.

• When working within a batch, the ability to export information and freeze columns is not available with this release.

• A minimized batch data entry screen appears as a link at the bottom right of your browser. To maximize the screen, click the link.


Batch Entry ToolbarAs you enter information into a batch, you can use the toolbar ribbon to quickly find the commands that you need to complete a task. The tasks on the toolbar ribbon are unique to each batch type, and are grouped together under tabs. Each tab on the toolbar ribbon relates to a type of activity, such as Processes, Configuration, or Messages.

To quickly perform tasks on toolbar ribbon using your keyboard, select the Ctrl + M. Shortcut keys are then displayed over each feature that is available in the current view.

To access a task on the toolbar ribbon, select the corresponding letter. To exit the shortcut key display mode, you can select Esc, or simply click your mouse.

RevenueThree-Domain Secure (3DS) SupportWhen you add or edit a merchant account, you can now enable Three‐Domain Secure (3DS) authentication for Card Not Present transactions if using a payment processor that supports 3DS.

3DS authentication was developed by the major credit card providers as an additional security layer for online transactions. Examples of 3DS authentication include Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode.

Note: If shortcut keys do not display, check your web browser’s pop‐up blocker settings.

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To access merchant accounts, from Revenue, click Blackbaud Payment Services merchant accounts under Configuration.

Blackbaud Payment Service Login When you enter your credentials for the Blackbaud Payment Service, you can now test your connection to the service. From Revenue, click Blackbaud Payment Service merchant accounts under Configuration. On the merchant accounts page, click Edit Blackbaud Payment Service login under Tasks. On the Edit Blackbaud Payment Service login screen, you can enter your credentials and click Test connection.

Consolidated Payments by ConstituentWhen you process direct debit and credit card transactions, multiple payments from the same account or cardholder within a short period of time may trigger fraud alerts. To prevent transactions from being mistakenly marked as suspect, you can now configure some revenue processes to consolidate payments received from the same constituent. For a Generate payments process, Generate direct debit files process, or Credit card processing process, the Consolidate multiple commitments to a single payment by constituent checkbox now appears. When you select this option, the process automatically groups multiple payments from the same constituent within the batch into a single transaction when the account number is the same.

To access these processes from Revenue, click EFT.

Revenue LettersFrom the Letters tab on a revenue record, you can view and delete the acknowledgement letters assigned to the transaction. Previously, you could add and edit letters as well as mark letters out of date. You now use the new single acknowledgement process to generate and assign acknowledgement letters to revenue transactions. For information about the new acknowledgements process, see “Revenue Acknowledgements” on page 24.

Configure Matching Gift PreferencesIn Revenue, you can configure system preferences for matching gifts. Previously, you determined the criteria for when the program automatically creates a matching gift claim. You also selected the default matching gift recognition credit types for matching gift recognition credits the program creates. Additionally, you determined if recognition credits should be generated for the donor only or for any constituents associated with the original revenue as well.

Now, you also specify that recognition credit should be generated for the organization matching the gift, either at the time the matching gift claim is generated or when the payment for the matching gift claim is added.

From Revenue, click Matching gift preferences under Configuration.


Revenue Annual Statement ReportThe Revenue Annual Statement report now includes revenue from refunds of all items, including admission tickets and tickets for scheduled programs, memberships, event registrations, merchandise, and donations in its results.

The Revenue Annual Statement Report provides constituent giving histories for a time period you select. It can include receipt information, including receipts with no receipt amount. This report is useful to send to constituents as an end‐of‐the‐year report so they can review their donations for tax purposes. Each constituent’s information appears on a separate page. The data included depends on the parameters you select.

Revenue Detail Group/Household ReportThe Revenue Detail Group/Household report now includes revenue from donations taken during sales orders, as well as donation refunds, in its results.

The Revenue Detail Group/Household report provides information about group or household member giving during a time period you define. The report includes totals of revenue received within the date range for each designation, as well as constituent name and group/household information. The data included in the report depends on the parameters you select.

Tip: The Revenue Detail Group/Household report displays member giving for a constituent group only when the constituent group type is configured to include member giving.

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Reconcile Deposits ReportThe Reconcile Deposits report now includes revenue from refunds of all items, including admission tickets and tickets for scheduled programs, memberships, event registrations, merchandise, and donations in its results.


You must reconcile the payments entered in the program or posted to the general ledger with your organization’s bank deposit. To help reconcile the payments your organization receives to the revenue deposited to your organization’s bank account, the program provides the Reconcile Deposits report.

The Reconcile Deposits report provides information about the cash, check, credit card, and direct debit payments received from a selection of revenue records, including the sum of the selected payments, the constituent who made each payment, the date of each payment, and the payment method and amount of each payment. The report groups payments by batch and provides the sum and count of payments received that can be deposited, by payment type.

Revenue Dynamics ReportThe Revenue Dynamics report now includes revenue from donations taken during sales that have a patron associated with the order, as well as donation refunds, in its results. Anonymous donations are not included in this report.

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The Revenue Dynamics report provides a comparison of gift revenue activity for two periods of time. For example, you can generate a Revenue Dynamics report to compare the activity of two fiscal years. You can run the report to include gift revenue transactions during the selected time periods or only those made toward a specific designation or campaign. By default, the report includes all pledges and payments toward a donation or recurring gift that meet the selected criteria.

Anonymous IndicatorThe Anonymous indicator is used to help you identify a donor's anonymous revenue. To more easily identify anonymous information, we updated the Anonymous indicator icon.

Matching Gift ClaimsWe made the following changes to matching gift claims:

• When you select Auto‐create matching gift claim from matching gift relationships on the Matching gift preferences screen, the program creates a matching gift claim for payments added through the enhanced revenue batch template and the revenue update batch template. Matching gift claims appear on the Matching Gifts tab of a payment record. To select matching gift preferences, click Matching gift preferences from Revenue.

• You can now manually add a matching gift claim to a recurring gift payment through the enhanced revenue batch template and the revenue update batch template. To access the Add matching gift claims screen, select a transaction in the batch, and click Revenue, Matching Gift from the menu bar.

We enhanced the way you can view matching gift claim information:


• From both the Add and Edit a payment screen, when you select “Matching gift claim” in the Application field, matching gift claim information appears in a grid. We rearranged the fields included in this grid to appear in a more consistent format. In addition, the Lookup ID is now included next to the constituent's name in the grid.

• On the Details tab of a payment record, for matching gift claim information, the Lookup ID now appears next to the constituent's name.

• On the Designations tab of a matching gift claim record, under Details, the Lookup ID now appears next to the constituent's name.

• When you access the Apply to commitments screen from both an Enhanced Revenue Batch and a Revenue Update Batch, the constituent's Lookup ID now appears next to the constituent's name in the Description field. If necessary, you can hover your mouse over the Description field to view the entire Lookup ID as a tooltip.

Total Revenue ReportThe Show payment method distribution checkbox now appears on the Total revenue report. When you select Show payment method distribution, the Total Revenue by Payment Method Report section appears and displays a summary of the payment methods for the reported revenue. Information in this section includes the number of payments for each payment method as well as each payment method type, sub‐type, and amount.

Multiple Direct Debit Header FilesWe made several enhancements to direct debit header files and the fields associated with both the direct debit header file and direct debit transmission file.

• In Revenue, we removed the Direct debit header file link under Configuration. You now specify EFT details, including direct debit header file information, from a bank account record in Treasury.

• From a bank account record in Treasury, we added the Add EFT information link under Tasks. Click this link to access the new Edit EFT file information screen. On this screen, you can add EFT information specific to a bank account such as the Immediate destination, Immediate origin, Company ID, and Company ID prefix. When you create a direct debit transmission file, the program pulls EFT information you specify in Treasury as well as organization information in Constituents.

• After you add EFT information for a bank account, the new EFT Information tab appears on the bank account page. This tab displays EFT information specific to the bank account. To edit this information, click Edit on the action bar. The Edit EFT file information screen appears where you can add or edit details. This screen is the same screen that appears when you click Add EFT information under Tasks in the explorer bar. Note that after you add EFT information for the first time, Add EFT information no longer displays under Tasks.

• On the Add a direct debit file process and Add a prenotification process screens, we removed the Immediate destination name field and Create credit offset transaction checkbox. These items now appear on the Edit EFT file information screen in Treasury. In addition, we renamed Create credit offset transaction to Create offsetting transactions.

• The Create credit offset transaction checkbox no longer appears on the Run direct debit file process and Run prenotification process screens.

• The Credit offsetting transaction section of a direct debit transmission file is now called Offsetting transactions and includes any transactions that credit your organization's account for the money debited from the donor's accounts.

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ExportWe added two new tabs to export definitions.

From the Column order tab, you can reorder and rename column headings for the export file.

From the Sort order for rows tab, you can specify a sort order for the export. The sort order helps ensure that mail merge documents, such as envelopes or labels, are in the necessary order.

AdministrationThe following Administration‐related enhancements are available in the Q3 2011 release of Altru. For more information about these features, see the Administration Guide.

Email ServicesFrom Administration, you can now manage the global change processes used to send email through the program such as for communications and notifications. From the Email Services page, you can manage processes to submit general purpose email messages, such as newsletters, and transactional email messages, such as revenue acknowledgements, to the Shared Services hosted by Blackbaud. To update the status of general purpose and transactional email jobs and any invalid email recipients, you can also add an email status process. To access the Email Services page, from Administration, click Email services under Configuration.

When you run the email status process, the program records any invalid email addresses based on delivery failure notifications received in response to an email job. From the Email Services page, you can view invalid email address information received from the Shared Services server and a history of previous instances of the email processes.

From the Email Services Configuration page, you can configure the connection to the Shared Services server, hosted by Blackbaud, used to send email messages through the program. You can prioritize the order in which the program submits general purpose email jobs for messages such as email blasts and newsletters to the server. To access this page from the Email Services page, click Email service settings under Configuration.

Supported Web BrowsersThe ability to access Altru through a web browser offers more flexibility in how you access the program. For example, you can now access Altru from your non‐Windows operating systems and mobile devices. Altru supports these web browsers.

A-Grade BrowsersFor an optimal experience in Altru, we strongly recommend that you use one of the following browsers, which have been fully tested and support 100% of the new web‐based functionality:

Warning: To set up the new workstation interface required to print directly from Altru, such as for tickets and sales documents, you must use Internet Explorer 8 or 9. For information about printing through Altru, see “Printing” on page 12.


• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9. 32 bit (Windows Vista/Windows 7)

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 8. 32 bit (Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7)

• Mozilla Firefox 4 and 5. (Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Mac OS 10.6 and higher)

• Google Chrome. (Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Mac OS 10.6 and higher)

• Apple Safari 5. (Mac OS 10.6 and higher)

C-Grade BrowsersIf necessary, you can use one of the following browsers with Altru, but these browsers may not provide the same results as A‐Grade browsers.



• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. (Windows XP/Windows Vista)

• Mozilla Firefox 3.6. (Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Mac OS 10.6)

• Apple Safari for iOS 4. (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)

• Opera 11. (Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Mac OS 10.6)

• Google Android (Android)

Note: For more information about Altru’s system requirements, please visit the System Requirements page of the Blackbaud website.

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