Get started, begin here:
a rapid-fire guide to what Cameo can do and where to look.
Getting help
when something changes
- When something new is added to Cameo, or something changes, we will announce it here on cameo-membership.uk
You might want to sign up, in the sidebar alongside this article,
to get emails when a new post is published.
how do I …?
- ask how to to do something
Help button at top of window, then ask a question in the how do I … ? box;
see article: a new way of asking for help
help in context
- help for each section
question mark button on the right side of each section heading
also from the index in the How To window as above
App layout
screen divided into three
- main menu down the left
Click a menu button to show a list of sections for that menu entry
- quick search box and list of people found down the right
Click a result to see detail for that member
- work to be done in the middle, divided into sections. Many sections work on the currently selected search result or results,
Click a section heading to see the section
- not everyone can see or do everything
Administrators can set permissions in
admin → cameo users
concertina lists
- search results and lists of items open up to reveal detail when you click on an item’s one-line summary
- clicking a search result selects (or deselects) it, identifying which person a task should be applied to
- sometimes this has several levels, each opening up further detail; for example, one from a list of batches of emails opens up summaries of the emails in that batch and a click on an email summary opens up the email detail
filters
- most lists of things have boxes in the heading where you can limit or extend what you see. For example, a list of emails may have a date column, and entering a date in the heading shows emails on, before or after that date, depending on what is most useful in context.
- some columns also have a vertical arrow which sorts the results based on that column
- most lists show a limited number of entries with links at the bottom to show more
People
Storing and searching membership records:
paying members
- current (paid up to date or mildly overdue) – grey
- old (expired, resigned etc) – pink
- new (not yet enrolled) – yellow
In the right hand column under the main search box
contacts
(Non-paying members) divided into categories:
- supporters (people who actively want to be involved, but not as members)
- stakeholders (people you want to involve, e.g. council officers)
- customers (e.g. event ticket purchasers, who aren’t already a member or contact)
- representatives (as in councillors, MPs etc; when enabled)
then further sub-divided by your own contact types, e.g. advertisers, council officers etc.
as shown in the right hand column under the main search box;
see article: contact categories
- coloured mauve by default, but customisable
in organisation settings → contact types
search
- search by name/number/email/postcode in the main search box
top right of window
- other more detailed searches, including by dates, geographical, political
search more → general search,
search more → map search, etc
- combine searches
filter button in main search box (see article: refine search controls), or
search more → general search etc, and search within existing search results;
see article: easier searching with multiple criteria
- used lists (qv) for saved searches
communication → lists
- all search results shown in right-hand column
add members
using:
- join form embedded in your website (see forms), and later enrolling them
forms → manage forms
- manual one-off additions
new members → import members
- flexibly import bulk data (e.g. from another database) from spreadsheet (or JSON)
new members → import members;
see article: import membership records from spreadsheets
- convert a contact to a new member
member tasks → membership status, cards and qrcodes
- enrol new members to make them current members
new members → enrol;
see article: the membership life-cycle
edit membership data
just change it in place in the right hand column
non-fussy search
- accents ignored (e.g. â matches a and vice-versa)
everywhere you can search
- dates in any sensible format (including relative dates like “yesterday” or “3 weeks ago”), or use a date-picker calendar
everywhere you can enter dates;
see article: about dates in Cameo
statistics
library → statistics
- such as counts by type, location, turnover
- saved monthly, compare over time
see article: statistics comparisons
custom fields in membership records
- social media handles, websites and alternate email addresses
+@ to the right of each individual;
see article: store social media handles, extra emails and phone numbers
- custom fields for dates, email addresses, single and multiple select, text, paragraphs, tick boxes
admin → custom fields
- for links between records (e.g. “this person is this other person’s tutor”)
- use in searches and substitutions (see templates)
multiple separately named individuals in a household
- child data processing consent (GDPR)
join form, and
member tasks → membership status, cards and qrcodes;
see article: under 16 data processing consent
organise delivery rounds
- for e.g. distributing paper newsletters
organisation settings → delivery rounds,
field in membership record,
list source deliverers,
mailing labels
membership life-cycle
see article: the membership life cycle
- join
- pay
- enrol
- renew
- expire
- resign
- delete (purge over time: GDPR says you must not keep data indefinitely)
Data Integrity
Undo and Redo
- for all changes made (unusual in a web app)
buttons at the top next to the main search box
extensive help
- and searchable FAQ (“How do I…”)
Help button at the top next to the main search box
daily off-site (encrypted) backups
- stored in a standard JSON format, so can also be used to export and move data between systems
- audit trail of all membership record changes made
member info → change history
- extensive logging of activity
- email bounce handling (e.g. your mailshot rejected as false positive spam)
communications → sent email;
see article: email delivery and bounces
Send email
content
- comes from templates (see below) into which member and other data is substituted (“mail merge”)
communications → templates,
then new template and choose email
mailshots
- sent to lists of people either selected according to some criteria you choose (automatic) or explicitly subscribed (manual)
communications → lists ; set audience of template to a list
- to ad-hoc groups of people (individually chosen by searching)
set audience of template to individually chosen
- as a side-effect of doing some other task (the “template services task…”), such as enrolment or generating renewal reminders
communications → templates audience;
each task has a button to create a proforma template for the task which you can customise.
- as a side-effect of someone filling in a form – the template services form …
- can substitute data collected by the form
- often a confirmation at completion, but also to validate email addresses
communications → templates audience;
when you turn on email in a form (forms → manage forms)
there is a button to create a proforma template
- as a side-effect of an event booking (either via a form or manual “box office” transaction, e.g. sends e-tickets, the template services event…)
communications → templates audience;
when you manage events (events & bookings→ events and especially one-off event),
buttons let you create proforma templates
Templates
communications → templates
- conversational style emails and letters (“Dear …, please renew…, Yours sincerely…”)
- professional e-newsletters, via news builder
communications → templates, then the news builder button in the editor content formatting controls;
see tutorial: using news builder
see article: news builder: a small button with big impact
- email attachments (personalised PNG or PDF)
communications → templates, attachment menu;
each attachment is itself formed from a further template;
see article: PDF templates
- tabular data (reports and for filling in other people’s forms)
communications → templates, then new template, choose report;
see article: how to make spreadsheet CSV reports
- insert into pre-printed forms, like Royal Mail “Drop ‘n’ go, or cheque paying in slips.
communications → templates, then new template, choose letter
also use templates and merging to make:
communications → templates, then new template
- letters
choose letter
- mailing labels
choose letter
- event tickets (printed or electronic with scannable barcodes)
start with templates created for you in events
- reports (spreadsheets of member data)
choose report;
see article: how to make spreadsheet CSV reports
- PDFs
choose PDF;
see article: PDF templates
- invoices and purchase orders (as email attachments, for posting, or as stand-alone documents – see trading
create proforma invoice in trading → invoices, quotations and purchase orders;
see article: trading documents
Lists
use lists to group people together in arbitrary ways
communications → lists, list source
- manually, e.g. “sub-committee members”, “volunteer photographers”
- automatically, based on criteria such as where they live, communication preferences, event bookings made, email or postal
opt-outs
- automated opt-outs, evidence management for GDPR
forms→ manage forms, then new form and choose optout form type;
member tasks → list subscriptions to control manual opt-outs;
opt-outs also indicated for each individual in membership record in right-hand column
- use lists as the recipients (audience) of mailshots
communications → templates; audience
Forms
- use forms embedded in your website for self-service collection of data of various kinds, for example joining
forms→ manage forms
- customise all text, order of fields, and style
forms→ manage forms
forms→ colour scheme and style
collect payments, by:
- credit/debit card,
- direct debit,
- PayPal,
- bank,
- cheque,
- vouchers,
- …
forms→ manage forms
organisation settings → payment methods
- collect Gift Aid declarations when collecting payments; submit Gift Aid claims to HMRC; make tax year exceptions
forms → manage forms
accounting info → gift aid
declaration noted at end of membership record
member info → attachments to attach the original declaration if e.g. emailed
WordPress plugins
- for easy embedding of forms
forms → wordpress plugins
form personalisation
- send an email link to a page containing a form that identifies the visitor, e.g. opt-out link in mailshots, “show email in browser” link, button to book an event so the booking form knows who they are
communications → templates, personalise link button in content controls
forms→ manage forms
- send emails to confirm completion, or verify email address etc
forms→ manage forms, email control button
different kinds of form
forms→ manage forms, then new form
Many different form types, including:
- join (paid membership)
- renew (paid membership)
- sign up as contact
- “contact us”
- book for an event
- merchandise sales (coming soon)
- questionnaires, petitions, consultations and surveys: graphical and geographical response analysis
- mailing list opt-outs
- changes of address, phone, email etc
- collecting donations and gift-aid declarations
Events
free or paid, with multiple pricing categories (e.g. adult/child, member discounts, earlybird discounts, discount voucher codes)
use events for
- one-off events
- multi-day events (like conferences)
- repeated performances at same or different venues
- differently priced seating areas, optional individual seat selection (seating plan)
- appointment bookings
- timed equipment loans/rentals
events & bookings → venues
events & bookings → price plans;
see article: events management
ticketing
- e-tickets and/or paper tickets
- separate barcode scanner app for on-the-door check-ins and ticket validation
events & bookings→ events and especially one-off event
https://checkin.cameo.example.com
- self-service or box-office-style booking
forms → manage forms then new form, then
booking, or one-off event makes a proforma form for you;
events & bookings → reservations, bookings and attendance
- custom data collection with booking (e.g. “do you have any special dietary requirements?”)
forms → manage forms, booking form, custom fields button
- season tickets
events & bookings → venues
- mailing lists based on previous bookings and/or attendees
events & bookings → events then assigned to lists control,
communications → lists, source event attendees or events assigned
centralise event descriptions
- WordPress plugins to manage event summaries and descriptions on your website (switching events as time passes, grouping by event genre etc)
events & bookings → events
events & bookings → venues
events & bookings → price plans;
see article: formatted full event descriptions
see article: events listings WordPress plugin
- news builder blocks to easily include forthcoming event information in mailshots
communications → templates, then news builder button in template content controls;
see tutorial: using news builder
see article: news builder event blocks
booking progress summaries
- on demand
- emailed at intervals
events & bookings → booking notifications;
see article: booking summary improvements
Notifications
library → notifications
- set reminders
library → add reminder
- get emailed selectively (using tags)
profile → profile & log out, subscribe to notifications,
or click a tag in library → notifications
- include attachments with notifications
see article: notifications: file attachments and contactus form
activity summaries
- automatically posted and emailed
- new members
- renewals
- amendments
- event bookings
Subscribe to tags:
#ImportedNewMembers, #ImportedNewContacts
#Imported Renewals
#EventBookings;
see article: new member summary notifications
Attachments
store files for various purposes:
- general file store, organised with tags, protect by privilege
- attach to a membership record (keep incoming correspondence, files supporting applications etc)
- with bank statements (scans or PDFs of statements, original CSVs from which transactions are imported)
- invoices and purchase orders (e.f. incoming bill attached to PO, or their PO attached to your outgoing invoice)
- bank deposit evidence (keep photos of cheques in case of dispute)
- photo ids for individuals
- responses to questionnaires, event bookings and contact forms
- attachments to calendar entries
see article: managing attachments
email attachments direct to Cameo
profile → incoming email
link to scanner app for direct upload from scans
- e.g. Readdle Scanner Pro
profile → scanner PIN;
see tutorial: adding scanned attachments with Scanner Pro: a step-by-step guide
Calendar
library→ calendar;
see article: appointments and meetings calendar
- comprehensive calendar
- link to people records
- tag and filter by tags
- repeating entries
- add attachments
- get notified
Accounting
complete accounting system
- including intelligent reconciliation to chart of accounts
organisation settings → book-keeping chart of accounts;
see article: introducing accounting and trading
attribution to memberships
- track subscription payments and donations
accounting tasks → reconciliation
- track overdue membership payments
accounting tasks → overdue automatic payments and
renewals → overdue manual renewals
- track overdue invoices
trading → aged receivables (unpaid invoices) (and notification tag InvoicesOverdue for email)
issue invoices, quotations and purchase orders
trading → invoices, quotations and purchase orders;
see article: trading documents
financial reports
accounting info → reports
track receipts
trading → receipts
see article: receipts and expenses claims
- forward emails or scan into Cameo
profile → incoming email
- attach to corresponding bank transaction
accounting tasks → import statements
- submit expense claims
trading → receipts and expenses claims
third-party links
import statement lines from
organisation settings → bank accounts
- Xero
- PayPal
- Stripe (card payments)
- GoCardless (direct debits)
Trading
e.g. merchandise
issue invoices, purchase orders and quotations
trading → invoices, quotations and purchase orders
list stock of goods and services for sale
trading → inventory and stock
including photos, descriptions and prices, feeding into:
- invoices
trading → invoices, quotations and purchase orders
- shopping cart (coming soon)
forms → manage forms
- accounting reconciliation
accounting tasks → reconciliation
Lobbying (if enabled)
organisation settings → politics and government
- group people by political areas (constituencies, wards etc)
communications → lists, list source political areas
- indicate who people’s representatives are
member info → map and representatives
- import and update representative details (where available)
organisation settings → politics and government
Access control
- two factor authentication
profile → two-step verification
- key and biometric authentication
profile → profile and logout, Key/biometric login;
see article: more choices for biometric and physical key log-in
- privileges control who can do and see what (e.g. financial information)
admin → cameo users
- vulnerable password checking
on setting password at login
see article: about passwords
- modern, up-to-date web security safeguards