Include Donor Statement Links in Email Marketing

You can include donor statement links directly in Email Marketing using a merge field. When an email is sent, the system automatically generates a unique, contact-specific statement URL for each recipient, allowing them to view their statement online.

This feature is commonly used for:

• Annual giving or tax statements

• Donor statements

• Letters generated from statement templates

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How donor statement links work

When you add a donor statement merge field to an email, the system resolves it at send time for each contact. Each recipient receives a personalized link to their own statement based on the template you specify.

The merge field includes a statement template reference code, which tells the system which type of statement to generate.

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Step 1: Find the statement template reference code

1. Navigate to Donor Statements & Letters.

2. Locate the statement or letter template you want to link to.

3. Copy the template’s reference code shown in the list.

Example reference code:
ABC41A

This code is required for the statement link to work correctly.

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Step 2: Insert the statement URL merge field into your email

1. Go to Email Marketing and open an existing email or create a new one.

2. In the email editor, insert the "Statement Url" merge field which will look this below:

3. Replace INSERT_TEMPLATE_CODE_HERE with the reference code you copied.

Example

If your statement template reference code is ABC41A, the merge field should be:

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Step 3: Add the merge field as a clickable link (recommended)

For the best recipient experience, use the merge field as the URL of a hyperlink.

Example:

• Link text: View your donor statement

• Link URL:

This displays friendly link text while still using the personalized statement URL.

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Step 4: Replace the placeholder before sending (required)

The placeholder text INSERT_TEMPLATE_CODE_HERE is not valid.

If it remains in the email:

• The statement link will not resolve

• The system will warn you when saving or sending the email

Always confirm that the placeholder has been replaced with a real reference code.

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Step 5: Test the email before sending (recommended)

Always test donor statement links before sending to your full audience.

Recommended testing steps:

1. Confirm the merge field uses a real reference code (for example, ).

2. Use Send Sample Email to send the message to yourself or a known test contact.

3. Click the statement link and confirm:

   • The link opens successfully

   • The statement matches the test contact

   • The correct statement template is displayed

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Troubleshooting

The email still shows INSERT_TEMPLATE_CODE_HERE

Cause: The placeholder was not replaced.

Fix:
Replace:

With:

• (example)

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The statement link is blank or does not work

Common causes:

• Incorrect or mistyped template reference code

• The contact does not have statement data available for that template

• The test contact does not meet the statement’s criteria

Fix:

• Verify the reference code in Donor Statements & Letters

• Test with a contact known to have statement data

• Send a new sample email after making updates

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Quick copy-and-paste examples

Placeholder (must be updated):

Valid example: