Each supporter has a detailed supporter record in REACH.

Managing supporter records in REACH provides a centralized view of each individual’s or organization’s engagement with your organization. This overview allows you to efficiently track interactions, update information, and maintain accurate records.

Supporters Overview#

• Access supporters under Supporters in the Admin Console
• Use the search bar or filters (name, email, status, group, etc.) to quickly locate a record
• Click a supporter’s name to open their profile

Individual Supporter Profile Overview#

This comprehensive profile ensures that all relevant information is readily accessible for effective supporter management.

Tip: You can drag and drop the various sections in the supporter profile to your preferred view.

Each supporter record encompasses several key sections:

• Details Tab: Displays basic information such as name, email, phone number, and address.
• Contact Methods Tab: Allows you to add and edit contact information, including phone numbers, secondary email addresses, and mailing addresses.
• Donations Tab: Provides a detailed history of donations, including recurring donations, pledges, and soft credits.
• Sponsorship History Tab: Lists current and past sponsorships associated with the supporter.
• Notes Tab: Enables you to add internal notes regarding the supporter.
• Tasks Tab: Allows you to create and manage tasks related to the supporter.
• Groups and Segments: Organize supporters into specific categories for targeted communication and reporting.

Editing a Supporter Record#

From the supporter’s profile, select Edit to update information such as:

• Basic info: name, email, address, phone, contact methods
• Custom fields: organization-specific fields you’ve set up
• Payment information: add or update payment methods (credit card, ACH, offline)
• Profile image or notes

Tip: Be cautious when editing email addresses. The email is the supporter’s unique identifier and affects logins and communication.

Note: If you update the supporter’s first name, last name, or organization name, you can regenerate the permalink by clicking Actions > Re-Generate Permalink. This ensures the permalink reflects the updated information.

Adding a Profile Image#

To add or update a profile image:

1. Click Actions > Edit.
2. On the Details page, select Choose File next to Image.
3. Select your desired profile image (recommended size: square and under 3MB).
4. Click Save.

Supporter Contact Methods#

• Contact methods track how a supporter prefers to be reached (email, phone, postal mail, etc.).
• View our Supporter Contact Methods article to learn more.

Bulk Updating Supporter Records#

• To update multiple supporter records simultaneously:
• Go to Data Setup > Data Import/Export.
• In the Export tab, select Supporter List to export your supporter data.
• Under the Import tab, click on System Import Templates and choose the Supporter Import Template.
• Copy the supporter permalinks from the exported list into the import template to match records.
• Add or edit the necessary data.
• Import the updated file back into REACH.

Required fields for bulk updates:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email Address or Supporter Permalink
• Any additional fields as needed

Record Tools#

Each supporter record contains tools for tracking engagement:

• Tasks – assign follow-up tasks to staff members
• Notes – log conversations, preferences, or details
• Files – upload related documents such as forms, letters, or photos
• Activity Log – view a timeline of donations, sponsorships, communication, and updates
• Supporter Notifications – create custom emails that can be sent automatically to your supporters after certain events take place in REACH

Resolving and Merging Duplicates#

Duplicate records can occur if a supporter is entered with a different email address. REACH provides tools to:

• Identify possible duplicates using email, phone, and address
• Merge records to keep supporter history accurate
• Clean up contact methods after merging

Learn more about Resolving and Merging Duplicates.

Handling Special Cases#

Deceased supporters#

If a supporter has passed away:

• If no donation or sponsorship history exists: go to the supporter, Actions → Delete
• If history exists:
  • Cancel recurring items: from the supporter’s profile, go to Donations > Recurring Donations > Actions > Cancel Recurring (choose “Cancel Without Email Notification” if desired)
  • Remove payment methods: Payment Methods > Remove Payment Method
  • Disable the account: Actions > Edit > check “Disable” (blocks Donor Portal access and excludes them from certain exports and reports)
  • Set contact options to No and save
  • (Optional) Merge into a spouse’s record: from the spouse’s profile, go to Actions > Merge, select the deceased supporter, then Merge (cannot be undone)

Cancelled supporters#

Supporters can cancel their own account in the Donor Portal. When they cancel:

• Donor Portal access is removed
• All recurring donations and sponsorships are cancelled
• All personal contact information is removed, and their email address is replaced with a system value (such as cancelled_user_xxxxx@reachapp.co)
• Donation and sponsorship history remains visible for your records

To be notified of cancellations, enable the Cancelled Supporter notification under Settings > Admin Users > Edit > Notifications.

Restarting a cancelled account#

If a cancelled supporter returns:

• Open the supporter profile and edit the email field back to their real email address. Update the username to match.
• Uncheck Disable and save.
• Use Actions > Reset Password to send login instructions.
• Re-add contact information and payment methods, then restart any recurring items with their consent.

Disabled supporters#

Disabling a supporter prevents Donor Portal access but retains their information. This is different from supporter cancellation, which removes personal data.

End Result#

Supporter records are your central hub for maintaining accurate information, tracking communication preferences, and viewing engagement history. Keeping these records updated ensures clear communication and accurate reporting.