When you start using EveryAction, you'll encounter terms that might be new to you. Learning these common terms will help you navigate the system with confidence.
People and Contacts
EveryAction puts people at the center of its database. Understanding these core contact management terms will help you organize and find information about your supporters.
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Contact - Any person in your database – donors, volunteers, advocates, or staff members
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Profile - The page where you can see and update a contact's information
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Lists - Groups of contacts created for specific purposes like sending emails or tracking event attendees (can be static or dynamic)
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Household - A connection between family members who share an address
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Tags - Labels you can add to contacts to note interests or other characteristics
Money and Donations
Managing your organization's finances in EveryAction involves several important concepts. These terms help you track and process donations effectively.
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Contribution - Any monetary gift to your organization, whether one-time or recurring
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Recurring Contributions - Automatic donations that repeat on a schedule
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Pledge - A promise to donate a certain amount, often paid over time
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Soft Credits - Recognition given to someone who helped secure a donation but didn't give the money themselves
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Designation - Indicates which program or fund should receive a donation
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Acknowledgments - Thank-you messages sent to donors
Communications
EveryAction offers multiple ways to connect with your supporters. These terms describe the various tools available for engagement and outreach.
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Email Blast - A message sent to many contacts at once
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Online Forms - Web pages that collect information or donations from supporters
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Actions - Things supporters can do to help your cause, like signing petitions or completing surveys
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Event - Any gathering you create and manage in EveryAction
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Campaigns - Groups of related activities and messages under a single strategy
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Distributed Organizing - Tools that let supporters host their own events or fundraise for you
System Administration
The backbone of your EveryAction account involves several administrative concepts. These terms help you understand how to configure and manage your system.
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Permissions - Controls that determine what actions users can perform in the system
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Committee - An organizational unit that separates data for reporting or legal compliance
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My Campaign Network (MCN) - The framework that connects multiple committees in one organization
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Codes - Values you create to categorize and track items like donations or contacts
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Ladders - Tools that track how supporters move through different levels of engagement
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Syncs - Connections that share data between EveryAction and other systems you use
Reports and Measurement
EveryAction provides powerful tools to measure your success. These terms describe how you can track and analyze your organization's performance.
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Reports - Tools that show specific information from your database in organized formats
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Dashboards - Visual displays of key metrics for quick review
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Queries - Searches that find contacts who meet specific criteria
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Cross-tabs - Reports showing relationships between two different data points
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Activity History - Records of all actions and interactions with contacts
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Conversion Rates - Measurements of how often supporters complete the actions you want them to take
Learning these terms will make it easier to use EveryAction and communicate with your team and support staff. As you work in the system, you'll become more familiar with how these concepts apply to your specific organization's needs.
What do you need help with?
Understanding EveryAction Basics
How do I log into EveryAction?
How do I tell the difference between an Individual and Organization contact record? | Why can’t I edit or change a VAN ID? | How do I set up a recurring donation in EveryAction? | Why can’t I add a contribution without a designation? | How do I track where a donation came from? | What’s the difference between a campaign and a source code? | How do I export a list of contacts from EveryAction?