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How to manage automations with Workflows

Create automated workflows to perform actions when a specific trigger takes place, facilitating personalized, effortless donor management.

Alyssa avatar
Written by Alyssa
Updated this week

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workflow example

Save time and eliminate repetitive manual tasks by automating donor communications, tasks, and data entry. You can start from a pre-designed template automation from a range of triggers, or create a new workflow from scratch. Workflows begin with a single trigger which sets off specific actions.

To create a workflow, click Workflows in your dashboard, and click the New Workflow button in the upper right corner. You'll be prompted to begin from a template or a trigger to build a workflow from scratch.

new workflow

APIs, integrations (ie. Zapier), and in-platform offline transactions can trigger workflows. Imported contacts or transactions do not trigger workflows.

Workflow templates 💾

You can select a workflow from a selection of templates for popular use cases. Template workflows can be implemented as-is, or used as a starting point and customized. You can also add additional Actions to any template!

high value template

Celebrate first-time supporters

Sends a welcome email to first-time donors to any campaign.

  • Template Trigger: First-time donation

    • Campaign: Any campaign

    • Donation amount: Greater than $1,000

  • Template Action: Send email

    • Email: "Welcome to the [Insert nonprofit name] community of supporters!"

Show appreciation for donations greater than $100

Sends an email to supporters who donate more than $100 to any campaign.

  • Template Trigger: Donation made

    • Campaign: Any campaign

    • Donation amount: Greater than $100

  • Template Action: Send email

    • Email: "You're making a BIG difference."

“Top Supporter” tag for donations greater than $1,000

Adds a "Top Supporter" tag to contact profiles for donors who submit a single donation of $1,000 or more. (This refers to one-off $1,000+ donations, rather than lifetime or total donations.)

  • Template Trigger: Donation made

    • Campaign: Any campaign

    • Donation amount: Greater than $1,000

  • Template Actions: Tag contact

    • Tag: "Top Supporter"

Subscribed via signup widget

Send an email to supporters who sign up to a specific signup form widget or any signup form widget.

  • Template Trigger: Subscribed via signup widget

    • Widget: Select a specific widget or any widget

  • Template Actions: Send email

    • Email: "This is what [Insert nonprofit name] community is about..."

Send a welcome email when someone becomes a recurring donor

Sends an email to donors who sign up for a recurring plan.

  • Template Trigger: Becomes a recurring donor

    • Frequency: Monthly

    • Recurring Amount: Greater than $100

  • Template Action: Send email

    • Email: "Your recurring giving is making all the difference"

Send an email to a donor who hasn't given in the last year

Sends an email at 10am (your account timezone) to donors who haven't given in the last year.

  • Template Trigger: Last gift made

    • Campaign: Any campaign

    • Last gift made: 1 year ago

  • Template Action: Send email

    • Email: "We miss you! Renew your support for [Name of Organization] today."

Follow up with donors who have donated over $1,000

Creates a task to follow up with a high-value donor when a new donation of $1,000 or more is submitted.

  • Template Trigger: Donation made

    • Campaign: Any campaign

    • Donation amount: Greater than $1,000

  • Template Actions: Create task

    • Title: "Follow up with major donor"

    • Description: Blank

    • Assignee: Yourself

    • Due date: None

Follow up with first-time donors

Creates a task to follow up with a first-time donor when a new donation is submitted.

  • Template Trigger: Donation made

    • Campaign: Any campaign

  • Template Actions: Create task

    • Title: "Follow up with first time donor"

    • Description: Blank

    • Assignee: Yourself

    • Due date: None

Follow up with donors that haven't given in the last six months

Creates a task to follow up with a donor who hasn't submitted a new donation to your organization in the last 6 months.

  • Template Trigger: Last gift made

    • Campaign: Any campaign

    • Last gift made: 6 months ago

  • Template Actions: Create task

    • Title: "Follow up with past donor"

    • Description: Blank

    • Assignee: Yourself

    • Due date: None

Building workflows 🛠️

To create your own workflow from scratch, you'll need to start with a single trigger. In the workflow builder, select the Triggers tab. You'll see a list of all available triggers to begin a workflow. Multiple actions can be configured from a single trigger.

Triggers ⚡

A trigger is a specific event that initiates a sequence of automated rules and actions. Click on any option below to view details and configurable options for each trigger.

triggers

First-time donation

Triggers when a donation of any amount is made by a new donor. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any campaign

Donation made

Triggers when a donation is made that is less than, equal to, or greater than a certain amount. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any campaign

  • Donation amount (optional): Less than, Equal to, or Greater than

Total contributions

Triggers when a supporter has met a certain amount of total contributions. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any campaign

  • Total contributions: Greater than or equal to

Tag applied

Triggers when a specific tag is applied to a contact. Configurable options include:

  • Tag: Select a tag to use as a trigger

Becomes a recurring donor

Triggers when a contact signs up for a recurring plan. Configurable options include:

  • Frequency: Any, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly

  • Amount: Greater than, Equal to, Less than, or Between

trigger example

Recurring plan anniversary

Triggers when a supporter's recurring plan has an annual anniversary. Configurable options include:

  • Frequency: Any, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly

  • Anniversary year: 1st - 10th anniversary, or Any

  • Recurring amount (optional): Greater than, less than, equal to, or between

Canceled recurring plan

Triggers when a supporter cancels a recurring plan. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any auction campaign

  • Frequency: Any, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly

  • Recurring amount (optional): Greater than, less than, equal to, or between

Subscribed via signup widget

Triggers when a supporter signs up through a Signup Form widget. Configurable options include:

  • Widget: Select a specific widget

Last gift made

Triggers when a supporter hasn't given in a specific period of time. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any campaign

  • Last gift made: 3 months ago, 6 months, 1 year ago, 2 years ago, or Custom

Register team member

Triggers when team member completes registration on a campaign. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any campaign

Issued a ticket

Triggers when a ticket is issued to an event. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific campaign or any campaign

Supporter's birthday

Triggers at 10am (in your timezone) on a supporter's birthday. Configurable options include:

  • Tag: Optionally select a tag to target specific supporters (any tag or all tags)

Attended the event

Triggers when a supporter has attended an event, defined by the time at which the guest checks in for a scheduled event. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific Event campaign or any Event campaign

Check-in can be completed at an event via the Givebutter app (ticket QR code) or the dashboard. We strongly recommend adding a suitable delay to any resulting actions to ensure correct timing in relation to your event.

Registered for auction

Triggers when a supporter registers to bid in an auction. Configurable options include:

  • Campaign: Select a specific auction campaign or any auction campaign

After picking a trigger for your workflow, click Start building in the upper right corner.

start building

Actions 🎬

The list of available actions is the same across all triggers. You can set multiple actions per workflow. Some actions (donor-facing actions) will also allow you to choose when the action takes place. Click on any option below to view details and configurable options for each action.

Send email

Sends an email to the relevant contact via Engage when triggered. Configurable options include:

  • Start from scratch: Compose a new email to send when triggered.

  • Use existing template: Select a pre-designed email template.

You must set an email sender before you can publish this action.

Send text

Sends a text to the relevant contact via Engage when triggered. Available for verified nonprofits only. Configurable options include:

  • Start from scratch: Compose a new SMS to send when triggered.

  • Use existing template: Select a pre-designed SMS template.

action example

You must set an SMS number before you can publish this action.

Create a task

Creates a new task with a title, details, assignee, and automatically-calculated due date when triggered. Configurable options include:

  • Task title (required): Enter a title

  • Details: Add a description

  • Assignee: Assign a specific person to this task

  • Due date: Specific number of days, weeks, or months after triggered, with the option to skip weekends

Once created, you'll manage these tasks in your dashboard under Tasks.

Tag/untag contact

Adds or removes one tag or multiple tags from the relevant contact when triggered. Configurable options include:

  • Tag/Untag: Select an option

  • Tags: Enter one or more tags you want to add or remove when triggered

Add note to contact

Adds an internal note to the relevant contact's profile when triggered. Configurable options include:

  • Date: Based on when trigger occurs

  • Notes: Enter the text you want to add when triggered

Set custom field

Sets a contact custom field value for a contact when triggered. Configurable options include:

  • Custom field: Select a contact custom field

  • Custom field answer: Select a contact custom field reply/value

This action refers to contact custom fields only. You cannot use workflows to set custom fields at the campaign or ticket level.

Rules 📝

Workflows can be further customized by using built-in time delays and branching (yes/no) dependencies.

Wait 📆

Some actions allow you to add a delay between the trigger and the resulting action. You can choose from a range of preset options or customize the delay, including skipping weekends. Scheduling options are excellent for spacing out communications, such as outbound emails or texts.

The timezone shown in the Wait step is taken from your Account Settings.

Branch 🌲

Branching (yes/no dependency) is a crucial component of an effective automation. By adding branches to your workflow, you can execute different actions based on specific conditions to create flexible, adaptable, and efficient workflows.

branching

If you're preparing for an event, your goals might include selling tickets or registering bidders for an auction. Branching makes it easier to guide your contacts toward these goals and send relevant communications based on the actions they take.

Example: You're hosting an auction and want to encourage participants to register to bid. Some ticketholders might register to bid right away, but others will need another follow-up. With branching, you can configure your workflow to send follow-up emails to ticketholders who did not register to bid within a week of the first email.

  • Trigger: Issued a ticket

  • Action: Send email "Please register to bid"

  • Wait: 1 week

  • Branch: Registered to bid

    • Yes: Send text "Thanks for registering! See you soon."

    • No: Send email "Our auction is coming up – please register!"

You can branch workflows by the following conditions:

Tags

The supporter is tagged with any or all tags entered (yes or no)

Opened a message

The supporter opened an outbound email sent via Engage (yes or no)

Clicked on any link in a message

The supporter clicked on any URL/hyperlink included in an outbound email or SMS message sent via Engage (yes or no)

Made a donation

The supporter made a donation to any campaign or a specific campaign (yes or no)

Purchased a ticket

The supporter purchased a ticket on any campaign or a specific campaign (yes or no)

Registered to bid

The supporter registered to bid in any auction campaign or a specific auction campaign (yes or no)

Opened a message and Clicked on any link in a message will be greyed out if there isn't a message preceding them in the workflow.

Publishing workflows ✅

After editing your template or building your workflow, click Next in the upper right corner to review before publishing.

If any errors are detected in your workflow, you won't be able to click Next. You'll need to review Alerts and correct any issues before continuing.

alerts

Before publishing your workflow, you'll need to review:

  • Frequency – If supporters can enter this workflow more than once

The Frequency setting allows you to choose whether or not this workflow will trigger once for each instance or each time a supporter meets the criteria for the selected trigger. This option will only apply to some triggers.

  • Trigger – The event that triggers this workflow

  • Actions – The resulting actions that fire

Click Publish changes to set your workflow live.

Managing workflows 🧮

Your workflows will be saved in your dashboard under Active, Paused, and Drafts tabs, as applicable. In each tab, you'll see a list of workflows, when they were last triggered, and their creation date.

workflows list

Clicking on a workflow will take you to its details page, where you can view a preview, a graph of year-to-date trigger volume, and an activity log of individual contacts who have entered this workflow, including revenue generated as a result.

graph and contact log

Editing workflows ✏️

You can edit workflows at any time. To edit a workflow, click the three dots [...] on the right side of the workflow, then click Edit. You can also click the Edit icon from the workflow's details page to open up the workflow builder.

edit workflow

You can edit the trigger configuration, but you cannot change the trigger event itself. To change the trigger, you must create a new workflow. After a workflow has been created, you can edit, add, and delete actions.

Duplicating workflows 👯

If you want to duplicate an existing workflow, you can do so from the workflow's details page. Click the Duplicate icon in the upper right.

A duplicate workflow will be created as a new draft, with "(Copy)" added to the title. Duplicates are not automatically published, so you can make any desired changes before clicking Publish.

Duplicated workflows can be helpful for adding personalization and relevancy, such as catering to a specific campaign or donation level.

Pausing workflows ⏸️

Pausing a workflow temporarily prevents a workflow from firing, even if the trigger event occurs. To edit a workflow, click the three dots [...] on the right side of the workflow, then click Pause. You can also click the Pause button on the workflow's details page. Follow these same steps again to resume a workflow.

pause workflow


Deleting workflows ❌

To permanently remove a workflow from your account, click the three dots [...] on the right side of the workflow, then click Delete. You can also click the Delete icon from the workflow's details page.

delete workflow

Ideas + use cases 💡

Send birthday messages to your supporters

Create a workflow to send a customized text message on a supporter's birthday.

  • Trigger: Supporter's birthday (triggers at 10am that day)

  • Action: Send text (Create a customized text to send, with an optional delay)

Upgrade giving tier levels when donors reach donation milestones

Automatically set giving levels or implement a donor tier system using contact custom fields and workflows.

  • Create a new Option contact custom field for your giving levels, ie. Bronze, Silver, and Gold Tiers.

  • Create separate workflows to automatically set a custom field value when contributions reach a certain amount:

    • Trigger: Total contributions (ie. Greater than $1,000)

    • Action: Set custom field (Select the Giving Level custom field, and set the value, ie. Silver Tier)

Create an email segment for donors to a specific campaign

Tag contacts that donate more than a certain amount to a campaign so they can be easily segmented for future email communications relating to that campaign.

  • Create a workflow to apply a tag when someone donates a specific amount:

    • Trigger: Donation made (Select a specific campaign, ie. Giving Tuesday, and amount, ie. Over $100)

    • Action: Tag/untag a contact (Enter a tag that allows you to easily track this donor group, ie. "Giving Tuesday $100+")

  • When it's time to email this segment, create an outbound email and filter recipients by the applied tag.

Email your contacts information about volunteer opportunities

Automatically send specific contacts more information about available volunteer opportunities when tagged, then follow up with them later.

  • Create a workflow to send an email when a tag is applied to a contact:

    • Trigger: Tag applied (Select "Volunteer Interest" as the trigger)

    • Action 1: Send email or SMS (Thank them for their interest, and include currently available opportunities and instructions for signing up)

    • Action 2: Create a task (Assign yourself a task to follow up with a prospective volunteer)

  • When a contact is tagged with "Volunteer Interest" by a member of your team (or added/imported to your account with the tag "Volunteer Interest"), they'll be automatically sent an email with more information.

Text auction registrants instructions for how to place bids

Ensure a seamless event experience by sending your bidders an SMS with instructions for what to expect at your event.

  • Create a workflow to send a text to auction bidders:

FAQ 🤔

Can I create a workflow with more than one trigger? For example, when a contact becomes a recurring donor and donates to a specific campaign.

No, you cannot currently configure multiple triggers that work together. Each workflow supports one trigger which can result in one or more actions.

Do messages created from workflows appear on contact activity feeds?

Yes, all Engage communications (Email, SMS, and Mailings) will appear on a contact's activity feed, including those created with workflows.

Can tags be applied retroactively to trigger a workflow?

Tags cannot be applied retroactively using a workflow, but you can work around this by adding tags in bulk, which can then trigger a workflow as a result.

Do imports, offline transactions, or integrations trigger workflows if they meet the trigger criteria?

Offline transactions and integrations can trigger workflows, but imported data (contacts or transactions) cannot.

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