Send Communications to Parents in Bulk

You can send communications in bulk to parents who have information in common, such as all parents on a specific payment plan who have students in the same grade level.

Tip: To add or update a parent's email address, see Update Family & Student Information.

  1. To contact families and students in bulk, from Families, select Email Parents.

  2. Select a View Mode (Family View or Student View) and then filter the list of results.

Select a View Mode.

  • Family View: All members of a family are listed on a single row. Student grade levels appear in parentheses. Select a parent name to access the Family page.

  • Student View: Each student in a family is listed on a separate row. Select a parent name to access the Family page.

To reduce the number of families in the list, apply one or more filters. The changes are applied automatically. The available filters are:

  • Payment Method

  • Payment Plan

  • Due Day

  • Fees

  • Discounts

  • Type Code

  • Delinquency: This filter is only available in Family View.

  • Grades: This filter is only available in Student View.

  • Show Students / Families With Last Name Starting With: Looks at last name of Family or Student depending on selected View Mode.

Select the parents or families you want to contact. You can also use the select all icon Box with a checkmark to select all of the families that meet your filter criteria.

You can create a custom list of families and/or students to email by creating a spreadsheet and uploading it.

  1. Select Upload List of Families And Students.

  2. Select Download Template. A spreadsheet file will download to your device.

  3. Open the spreadsheet file in Microscoft Excel or the spreadsheet software of your choice.

  4. The spreadsheet only has one column to fill out, FamilyId. Starting with the first cell underneath the column header and working your way down, either type or paste the Family ID numbers of the families you would like to include in the mailing list.

  5. When you have finished filling out the spreadsheet, save it again.

    Note: Make sure you save the spreadsheet in the original format as a CSV file. Changing the file type could affect the upload.

  6. Return to your internet browser window. Under Upload list of families, select Choose File. In the file browsing window, select the spreadsheet file you just saved and then Open.

  7. Select Upload. The families from the spreadsheet will now appear in a list.

Once you have finished selecting recipients via either the filtering option or the list upload option, select Prepare & Send Mail.

  1. Select a Mail Mode:

    • One Time Email: Use this option for emails you don't send regularly.

    • Template Based Email: Use this option for emails you send regularly. Select an existing template or create a new template.

  2. Mirror Email: Select whether the email will be sent only to the recipient's primary email address or if it should also be sent to their secondary email address.

  3. Enter an Email Subject.

  4. Enter an email address in Email CC if you want to send a copy of the email to an additional address.

  5. When a school user sends an email to payers via the Email Parents tool, the message will go out to payers from the email address customerservice@blackbaud.school. However, you can customize the Email Sent From Name and Reply To Email Address.

    • Email Sent From Name: This is the name that will appear in the "From" field in the recipient's inbox.

    • Reply To Email Address: This is the address where any replies will be directed.

  6. In Email Body, compose the email. Formatting options are available if needed.

  7. Select whether to include the School Logo, School Name, and School Code.

    Tip: For details on updating your school logo, see How do I submit a school logo?

  8. To include an attachment, select Choose Files. Browse and select one ore more files from your computer. Then select Open.

  9. You can view and remove families from the recipient list under Email Would Be Sent To Following Families. Take a family off the list by selecting Remove.

  10. Select Send Email. The email is also saved to the individual recipient's record.

Tip: To read all emails that have been sent to a family, see Communication History.