Crimson: Actions

Actions help you track how People Records interact with your committee or campaign.  You can track involvement of all kind, including event staffing, volunteer hours, and voter outreach like door knocking or phone calls. Actions are completely customizable so that you can easily identify the correct action for each record in your database. 

In Crimson, Actions have two layers: 

• Action Category – This tells the end user the nature of the action.  For example: 
  • Volunteer - is this action identifying a type of Volunteer and their hours spent 
  • Event – is this action related to an event activity 
  • Voter Outreach – is this action related to voter outreach management 

• Action – This identifies the exact type of Action.  For example, they might be Capitol Tour, Office Visit, Door Knocking, or Phone Banking.   
  • Volunteer 
    • Set-Up 
    • Check-In 
    • Booth 
  • Event 
    • Host 
    • Sponsor 
  • Voter Outreach 
    • Door Knocking 
    • Phone Calls 

Actions also have Custom Fields. Custom Fields help you record custom, key aspects about the People Record completing the action. For example, for the Volunteer Category you may want to have a custom field for hours. Your final Action Settings may look like: 

• Volunteer 
  • Set-Up 
    • Status (dropdown options: Signed Up/Attended) 
    • Volunteer Hours (free form text) 
    • Sign-Up Date (date selector) 

Setting up Action Codes 

In order to organize your records, you must first create the actions and the action categories. Note: Crimson does come with default Actions, however, you can modify these as needed. 

Click on the People Dashboard from the Main Menu on the left-hand side and then click the  button in the top right of the Navigation Bar to open People Settings.   

1. Select the Action tab. 
   1. To easily see all Actions, before viewing Categories, click . Skip to Step 5 to add Actions. 
2. A list of existing Action Categories will appear so that you can view and manage each one. Click the Add button to setup a new Action Category. 
   1. If the Action Category is already setup, skip to Step 7.
3. To add, fill out the Action Category and create any Custom Fields.  
4. To add a Custom field, click . 
5. After you add the Custom Field Name and select the Type for the value of the Custom Field. 
   1. Text – With text the answer you create a set of look up values for the user to answer 
   2. Number – Add a minimum and maximum range 
   3. Date – Select this if you want the value in a date style 
6. Click Save when done. 
7. Next, to add the Action, first select the respective Category by clicking . Then click  in the Edit Action Category window. 
8. Click  and add the Action name and Note, if desired: 
   1. Assign Attribute – Assign an Attribute to have one automatically appended to a People Record when this Action is assigned.  For more information, read our Attributes guide. 
   2. Custom Fields – In addition to being added at the Category level for all Actions in the category, these can also be created at the action level for further customization.
9. Click Save when done. 

Assigning Actions to People Records 

When in a People Profile, you can assign Actions, just select the Actions panel to start.  

From here, click the Add Action icon to assign a new one. 

When you begin to type in the Action field, available Actions will appear in a drop down for you to select.  Once an Action is selected, the appropriate Custom Fields will appear.   

Additional default fields: 

• Action Date – This a required field.  It will automatically prefill with the current date but can be edited. 

• Source Code – You can link a related Source Code to an Action.  For more information on this code, check out our guide on Fundraising Codes. 
• Note – Optional free text. 
• Attachment - Ability to upload documents.

Once an Action is assigned, it will be listed in the assigned Actions list. Of the People Profile. 

• Click to  edit 
• Click to  delete. 

Import – Actions Import 

When importing an Excel list of Actions, follow the same import process as you normally would for a new Contacts import, but in Step 2 – Import Type select Action.  Before importing, make sure the following Action related columns to import Action information: 

• Action Name – Put the Action name here, just the name not the Category. 
• NOTE: The Action must already be created in People Settings before importing. 
• Action Date – This is for the Action’s Date.  This is required for import. 

• Action Source Code – Source Code, not required. 
• Action Note – Free text, not required. 
• Custom Fields – You can import Custom Field information. The custom fields and the values do have to match options that are already in the system.  If you have not created them first, you can add them in People Settings.  For each custom field use the format below, adding a number for each additional custom field.  First, add the Field name, second add the value (look up value, number, or date).   
  • Action Custom Field 1 
    • Example: Status 
  • Action Custom Field Value 1 
    • Example: Attended 

Searching for Actions 

Running a search for Actions is similar to all other searches found throughout Crimson, with filters designed specifically for Actions.   

• To find the Action Search, go to the People Dashboard and click on the  icon in the Navigation Bar. 

• The search will provide transactional results, meaning a People Record may appear multiple times if they have multiple actions that match the filters.   

Action Filters 

• Action Category – Search for actions within an Action Category 
• Action – Search specific actions 

• Having All Action Categories and Having All Actions – Similar to the above, but you are searching for what matches ALL of the categories or actions that you list. 
• Action Date – Date of the actions 
• Action Source Code – Source Code of the actions 
• Custom Field Name and Value – Search by the Custom Fields created for the actions.  First, add the Custom Field name in the first box, then the second in the Value for the field.   
• Custom Field Name and Value Greater Than and Custom Field Name and Value Smaller Than – Same as above but will search for actions that are greater or smaller than the value entered. 
• There are also two Suppression filters 
• Action – suppresses any actions 
• Having All Action Categories – suppresses all actions listed