Understanding Stewardship Automation Touchpoints

Stewardship Touchpoints in Humanitru are automated rules that trigger outreach to your constituents based on specific events or milestones. This guide explains how the Touchpoints module is organized, what each component does, and how automated stewardship fits into your donor engagement strategy.

Use this guide when you are new to the Stewardship module and want to understand what touchpoints are, how they work, and how they can automate your donor engagement workflow. This is a foundational article — read this before creating or editing individual touchpoints.

Part A: Navigate to the Stewardship Module

1. Log in to Humanitru and click Stewardship in the left-hand navigation menu.
2. The Stewardship Automation page loads, displaying a list of all touchpoints configured for your organization.

Stewardship Touchpoints page showing the full list of configured touchpoints

Part B: Understand the Touchpoint List View

1. Each row in the touchpoint list represents one automation rule. You will see the touchpoint name, a brief description of what triggers it, and its current status.
2. The status indicator shows one of three states: Active (currently running and will trigger when conditions are met), Paused (configured but not currently triggering), or Dry Run (simulating triggers without actually sending messages, useful for testing).
3. Click the Configure button on any touchpoint row to open the configuration modal and view or edit its settings.

Part C: Understand the WHEN / THEN Structure

1. Every touchpoint follows a WHEN / THEN logic. The WHEN section defines the trigger condition — the event that starts the automation (for example, a first donation, a membership anniversary, or reaching a giving milestone).
2. The THEN section defines the delivery action — what Humanitru does when the trigger fires. Delivery channels include Email, SMS, Task (assigned to a staff member), or Internal Note (logged to the constituent record).
3. Some touchpoints include additional conditions such as a delay (e.g., send 3 days after the trigger event) or filters (e.g., only apply to constituents with a specific tag).

Configuration of Touchpoint

Part D: Understand Delivery Channels

1. Email: Sends an automated email to the constituent using a template you configure through an individual Outlook or Gmail account. Best for thank-you messages, acknowledgments, and milestone celebrations.
2. SMS: Sends a text message to the constituent's mobile number on file. Requires Twilio integration. Best for time-sensitive outreach.
3. Letter: Processed through a required Handwrytten account, this allows you to send a message through direct mail.
4. Internal Note: Logs a note to the constituent's record without sending any external communication. Useful for tracking milestones internally.

• Start with Dry Run mode when creating a new touchpoint. This lets you verify the trigger logic and preview the output before any messages are actually sent to constituents.
• Review your touchpoint list quarterly to ensure triggers are still aligned with your engagement calendar and organizational priorities.
• Remember that touchpoints fire automatically — if a trigger condition is met and the touchpoint is Active, the delivery action will execute. Always double-check your WHEN conditions before activating.
• Use the Task delivery channel for major donor milestones. Automated emails are great for broad outreach, but your top donors deserve a personal phone call or handwritten note prompted by a task.
• The Approval Interval allows you to review and edit (or even delete) messages prior to them being sent. Strategic review of pending communication allows you to maximize automation while also creating the opportunity to personalize your messaging as needed.