GC Outreach Basics: Getting Started

After a GiveCampus team member enables GC Outreach, you'll see a new left navigation item and buttons in GC Events and Online Giving to use Outreach features. You'll also get emails with start guides and next steps. Once added, optional settings can enhance its capabilities—see details here.

Where to start?

We suggest beginning in these areas to integrate GC Outreach into your email workflows:

1. Create a draft outreach: Use the Outreach menu to build emails and upload recipient lists. Try exploring the email editor—watch this video for tips. Send yourself a test email to preview it, and upload a recent recipient list to practice (you can delete drafts anytime).
2. Send Thank You emails: In Online Giving, go to a campaign with donations needing thank-yous. Click "Send Outreach" in the donors tab to auto-fill recipients. You can filter recipients by gift amount or date, remove some if needed, then preview and send or schedule the email.
3. Send event reminders: In GC Events, select an upcoming event and choose to email registrants or registrants plus guests. Filter recipients based on event data for targeted messaging. If no upcoming events exist, send a follow-up to recent attendees with thanks, future event invites, photos, or other info by selecting the event and using "Send Outreach" on the Attendance tab.

After exploring these steps, reach out with questions and check other GCU articles to learn more about GC Outreach.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Q: How do I find tutorials for GC Outreach email building?

A: There are tutorials available to help you get started with building emails in GC Outreach. These resources walk you through features and best practices for using the email builder.

Q: How do I know if my outreach was sent and when?

A: Go to the Outreach History tab to see the full history of when each outreach was sent and what was included.

Q: Can I save multiple email drafts?

A: Yes. You can create, manage, and delete multiple email drafts in GC Outreach as needed.

Q: Can I schedule an email to send on a specific date and time?

A: Yes. To schedule an email:

1. Build your email and add recipients.
2. Click the "Preview and Send" button.
3. Choose to schedule the email for a future date and time.
4. Select your desired date and time, then confirm to schedule the send.

Testing Your Outreach Before Sending

Before sending your outreach to your full recipient list, always test your email to ensure it displays correctly and links work properly.

How to Send Test Emails

1. In your outreach draft, look for the "Send Test" or "Test Email" option

2. Make sure the checkbox "Send test email to myself" is checked

3. Click to send the test

4. Check your email inbox (including spam folder) for the test email

Common Test Email Issues

• Verify the "Send test email to myself" checkbox is selected
• Check your spam/junk folder
• Ensure your email address is correct in your account settings
• Try sending another test after a few minutes

• Social media buttons may not display as expected in Outlook
• Logo icons might not appear in some email clients

Common variations of this question

• "I'm not receiving test emails from GC Outreach"
• "Test emails aren't coming through"
• "How do I test my outreach before sending?"
• "My test email didn't arrive"
• "Why aren't I getting outreach test emails?"