You can request a ThankView account by submitting a Help Desk ticket at http://services.advancement.virginia.edu/support/tickets/new. Once your account is created, you will receive an email from info@thankview.com with a link to set up your ThankView account password. The message also contains a link to the UVA ThankView portal. If you don't already have one, you will also receive an email to establish an EverTrue account. EverTrue is the best way to determine which constituents have previously received recent ThankView messages.

A new user orientation that covers the basics of the ThankView platform is available via this webinar recording. You can access other on-demand video training on ThankView’s YouTube channel.  Additional details on UVA-specific protocols for using the ThankView platform to manage recipient lists, document and store contacts, and organize video content will be provided to users following the completion of this training. Advancement Operations, Donor Relations, and Advancement Communications keep system users informed of best practices and are available for ongoing support as needed.

Overview ThankView is a video delivery platform that the development community at UVA has contracted to enable our staff to send video messages to donors. The platform can be used to send individual donors customized video messages or to send personal-feeling messages to a group of donors. Additionally, ThankView can be used to collect videos via a simple upload link. ThankView does not offer video editing tools or capability, its strengths are in sending and collecting ready-to-use content. Ideas to Maximize ThankView for Stewardship Thank you from scholarship recipient or student beneficiary Message from a grateful student Customized message for individual principal donor Holiday greetings Birthday greeting Showcasing a space on Grounds that they can’t visit Thank you from a team of gift officers In place of a recognition event New User Orientation and Training We rely on the staff at ThankView for new user training as they offer two webinars a week that any system user or potential user can sign up directly on their website or visit their YouTube channel to watch a pre-recorded training session: https://faq.thankview.com/en/articles/1746628-do-you-ever-do-webinars-or-video- walkthroughs. We also recommend that users reference the extensive FAQ section of the ThankView website to troubleshoot issues: https://faq.thankview.com/en/. ThankView Strategy at UVA We encourage ThankView users to carefully and strategically curate recipient lists so that receiving this type of video communication remains a special touchpoint for our donors. The best practice is that donors receive a ThankView message no more than once every eight weeks. When building a recipient list, we encourage referencing EverTrue to ensure that a donor(s) has not received other ThankView touchpoints within the past eight weeks. You may also check a donor’s individual record on EverTrue to view details on any ThankView campaigns delivered to that donor. . Please note that we encourage all users to carefully consider whether or not to include PP/PRD donors, members of the Campaign Executive Committee, and members of the Board of Visitors on a case-by-case basis. Options to Customize ThankView Messages ThankView was designed by Advancement Communications to reflect the Honor the Future brand identity, the background, headers, and envelope designs may not be customized for individual messages. Customizable fields include: Email subject line Email sender name and reply address Recipient name on the envelope Welcome message above envelope Personal message under video message School/unit logo before and/or after the video plays Musical interlude before video plays Best practices for filming a video on your cell phone: Don’t shoot vertical video Don’t use the digital Zoom Find the best natural light or add light if you have it Avoid backlit situations – meaning the light is coming from behind the subject Choose a neutral uncluttered background Keep your shot relatively still Use a tripod if you have it Use a microphone if you have it Don’t walk and film If you do move, use your body as a tripod and hold the camera as still as possible Use a selfie stick, if you have it, for different angles Practice your script/remarks before filming Best practices for filming a video on your computer: Don’t shoot vertical video Don’t use the digital Zoom Find the best natural light or add light if you have it Avoid backlit situations – meaning the light is coming from behind the subject Choose a neutral uncluttered background Use a microphone if you have it Sit in a chair that doesn’t move or swivel The computer should be situated at eye level or slightly higher than the subject so they are looking directly into or slightly up, instead of down, into the computer Practice the script/remarks before filming Questions about using ThankView for donor stewardship? Contact Sarah Robinson, University Advancement Strategic Stewardship at ser4ff@virginia.edu. General questions about ThankView? Contact Joe Ruoto, Advancement Operations at jar4ju@virginia.edu.

Personalized message to a donor from the Batten School dean Mass Thanksgiving message to the Cornerstone Society Members Personalized message to donor couple for Annual Fund Gift from chief development officer  Mass request a meeting message from Ambassador 

Naming and Data Conventions To ensure we can manage and report on ThankView activity, adhere to the following data guidelines. Campaign Type = Contact Purpose (options are “cultivation” or “scheduling” or “stewardship”) Always include recipients’ Advance IDs Message Customization The following fields are recommended for each ThankView message, regardless of whether the message is being sent to an individual or a group of donors. Name on outside of envelope* Welcome message above the envelope* Sender name* (default is “University of Virginia;” we recommend an individual’s or school/unit name) Video message (best practice is under 3 minutes; 1-2 minutes is recommended) Text under video message Logo after the video (default is “University of Virginia;” we recommend school/unit logo) Music before the video (default is no music, ‘Good Old Song’ is available) You may also choose not to use an envelope and elect to have a preview of the video message displayed in the body of the email Filming a Video on Your Phone Don’t shoot vertical video Don’t use digital zoom Find the best natural light or add light if able Avoid backlit situations – meaning the light is coming from behind the subject Choose a neutral uncluttered background Find a quiet place with no ambient noise (like wind, birds, background voices, etc.) Keep your shot relatively still Use a tripod if you have one Use a microphone if you have one Don’t walk and film If you do move, use your body as a tripod and hold the camera as still as possible Use a selfie stick, if you have one, for different angles Practice your script/remarks before filming Filming a Video on Your Computer Don’t shoot vertical video Don’t use digital zoom Find the best natural light or add light if able Avoid backlit situations – meaning the light is coming from behind the subject Choose a neutral uncluttered background Find a quiet place with no ambient noise (like wind, birds, background voices, etc.) Use a microphone if you have it Sit in a chair that doesn’t move or swivel The computer should be situated at eye level or slightly higher than the subject so they are looking directly into or slightly up, instead of down, into the computer Practice the script/remarks before filming Watch this fun video for additional tips.

Links to advice and answers from ThankView and the UVA Donor RelationsTeam. Getting Started How do I request a ThankView account? Where can I or my team get ThankView training? Messaging What are great Email Message examples? What should I include on the front of the envelope? What's the area beneath the envelope for? What are great Subject Line examples? Videos How can I get rid of the black bars on my video? Can I make my video to be a few seconds shorter? Where can I see examples of UVA-created videos? Can I delete videos? Metrics How can I view who opened/ replied to my campaign? Can I pull lists from my Metrics?

Contact Reports ThankView contact reports are no different from other types of contact reports. If you have questions that the information below doesn't answer, email dev-prospect@virginia.edu. If you create a new, personalized ThankView that takes some effort and time, and it is a meaningful/significant/strategic contact, enter a contact report in Advance.  Type= “Video Message” Purpose= “Scheduling” or “Stewardship” or “Cultivation” or “General Contact” Contact Report Types and Purposes on the Hub defines terms At this time ThankView should not be used for solicitations. ThankViews are best used for stewarding donors to your program/area and requesting discovery appointments from unengaged prospects.  If you create a ThankView for securing appointments (purpose = scheduling) or for mass stewardship, mass add those contacts in Advance (see the Mass Add job aid on the Hub for instructions).  While entering appropriate ThankView contacts in Advance will result in two similar interactions in Evertrue, there will be only one contact in Advance and Tableau. Both Evertrue and the ThankView platform will have a complete record of all ThankViews sent. See Checking for ThankViews Sent in the Past 8 Weeks for step-by-step instructions on finding ThankView interactions in EverTrue and the ThankView FAQs for additional tips on using ThankView.