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Email

ChurchCRM provides built-in tools to email individuals, groups, and cart selections directly from the app, plus optional Mailchimp integration for newsletters.

Prerequisites​

Before sending emails, ensure your system administrator has configured email settings in Admin → System Settings → Email Settings.

In-App Email Composer​

As of 7.5.0, ChurchCRM includes an in-app email composer that replaces the old mailto: link approach. The composer works across all email entry points — people dashboard, group view, and cart — and handles unlimited recipient lists without hitting browser URL length limits.

How to use it​

  1. Navigate to the page you want to email from (see entry points below).
  2. Click the Email button (or "Email Group", "Email Cart", etc.).
  3. The composer modal opens showing:
    • Recipient count badge — total recipients, with a collapsible list grouped by role (e.g. Head of Household, Member).
    • BCC toggle — switch between To: and BCC: addressing.
    • Copy Addresses — copies all email addresses to your clipboard so you can paste them into any email client.
    • Open in Email Client — opens your default mail app with recipients pre-filled. Available for lists of 50 addresses or fewer; disabled with a tooltip for larger lists (use Copy Addresses instead).

Entry points​

WhereHow to reach it
People / mailing listPeople → Email Members on the dashboard
Group membersOpen a group → Email Group button
CartCart → List Cart Items → Email Cart

Mailchimp Integration​

Mailchimp is recommended for newsletters and announcements to large audiences. Free accounts support up to 500 contacts.

Setting Up Mailchimp​

  1. Create a Mailchimp account.
  2. Generate an API Key in your Mailchimp account.
  3. In ChurchCRM, go to Admin → System Settings → Integration.
  4. Enter your API key in the sMailChimpApiKey field and save.

Subscribing Families to Newsletters​

  1. Open a Family record.
  2. Enable the Newsletter option.
  3. Use Mailchimp's audience sync to import subscribers.

Best Practices​

  • Always get consent before adding someone to an email list.
  • Use Mailchimp for newsletters and large announcements.
  • Use the in-app composer for ad-hoc group and cart emails.
  • Keep your Classifications updated to target the right audiences.

Migration Note (7.5.1)​

The sMailtoDelimiter setting (previously in Admin → System Settings) has been removed in 7.5.1. It controlled the separator used in the old mailto: links, which are no longer generated. The 7.5.1 database migration removes this setting automatically — no manual action required.