Reaching members isn’t always a one-channel game. Email is fast, text messages are immediate, and attachments make it easy to share documents. But sometimes the most effective message is the one that lands in a mailbox.
That’s why this update matters. You can now generate hard copy printed letters directly from an existing email template. And include personalized fields, such as first name.
The idea: reuse what already works
If you already maintain email templates (even simple ones filled with placeholder text), you’ve done the hard part: you’ve written and approved messaging that matches your organization’s tone.
Those templates often include personalization tokens—such as a first name substitution—so each message feels relevant to the recipient. When you run a member query, the system can merge that personalization for each selected individual.
What’s new: printed letters from email templates
Until now, your options were essentially digital:
- Send an instant email you write on the spot
- Send a text message
- Choose an existing email template (optionally with an attachment) and email it to your list
Now you can take that same email template and choose to create printed letters for the members you’ve selected. The result is a set of letters generated from the template, ready to be produced as hard copy.
Why printed letters still win in key situations
Email is efficient, but hard copy has advantages when you need higher visibility or a more formal touch. Printed letters can be especially useful for:
- Board communications that require a more official presentation
- Fundraising outreach where a mailed letter may get more attention than another inbox message
- Committee or leadership groups where you want the communication to stand out
- Targeted audiences based on role or member attributes, rather than blasting everyone
In short: you’re no longer limited to emailing when your goal is to reach specific individuals with a tangible, high-impact message.
How it fits into your workflow
A common workflow looks like this:
- Start with an existing email template (even a basic one).
- Use a member query to select recipients.
- Apply personalization (such as first-name substitution).
- Choose the option to create printed letters for the selected recipients.
That’s it—same messaging assets, expanded delivery method.
The takeaway
This isn’t a brand-new concept so much as a smart expansion of what you already do: build templates once, personalize them through queries, and deliver them to the right people.
The difference is you can now deliver that message as printed letters, not just email—making targeted member outreach more flexible, more intentional, and often more effective.
