Announcements - Budget Mailout Video Guide

Welcome to the Announcements: Budget Mailout overview. In this video we will demonstrate how to create, send, and print a budget mailout announcement.

To get started, select Announcements from the main menu. This will open the announcements page where you can search, create, and update announcements for your building.

Begin by selecting Create New Announcement. Then, select Budget Mailout. Next, input the data for the budget mailout. First, enter a name for the announcement. This will appear in the subject line of the email notification. 

Then, download CSV Excel template and enter the relevant data. Column A. will be the unit number and Column B. will be the total common expense fee. This includes parking, lockers, and any other monthly fees. Do not use any dollar signs or commas in the common expense fee field. Once completed, select Choose file to upload the completed budget mailout CSV file.

Next, enter the last unit number listed in Column A. of the CSV file. Then, enter the start date for the new fees and the end date will be automatically populated to 1 year from the selected start date. Once completed, click Next.

You will now see a copy of the data imported from the CSV file. If you need to make any revisions, select Back, and upload the revised CSV file. If the data is correct, click Next.

Then, prepare the Announcement E-mail notification. Begin by selecting if you want to enable online payments for the common element fees. Online payments must already be configured on the setup page to use this feature.

Then, determine if you want to use our printing and mailing services for any hard copies of the budget mailout. If you select No, I will do the printing and mailing myself, you will be able to generate and download templates after the announcement is posted.

Next, select the groups the budget mailout should be sent to. Once you select the target audience, customize the announcement details. You can update the draft message provided or create your own from scratch. Drag and drop the fields on the left into the details section as needed. The unit number, monthly fee, and dates will be populated by the data in the CSV file. Check the email preview on the righthand side to ensure the details are filled out correctly.

Then, enter the date when the announcement no longer needs to display on the Home Page. After this date, Residents can still view the announcement on the announcements page.

If applicable, upload any files you want included with the budget mailout announcement. These documents will be sent to everyone in the selected groups so they should contain generic information.  

Then, select I agree in the disclaimer section to verify the announcement is not a commercial message. Once completed, review the announcement to ensure the details are accurate. After the announcement has been sent it cannot be rescinded, only deleted on the Condo Control system. When you are satisfied with the announcement, select Post Announcement. 

You will now see a confirmation that the budget mailout is being processed. If you opted to print and mail paper copies independently, you can then generate paper copies of the budget mailout. First, select if you want copies for the units without e-consent or for everyone in the building. Then, download the paper copies template. Update the template as needed and upload it into the system by selecting Choose File. Next, select Generate Letters to download a PDF of the customized template with the residents’ data. Once completed, click Next.

You then have the option to customize and generate envelopes for the budget mailout. Begin by selecting the envelope size from the drop-down menu. Then, follow the same process as before: download the template, customize it as needed and upload it to the system. Once completed, select Generate Envelopes to download the PDF document. Return to the announcements page by selecting All Announcements Page. You will now see the Budget Mailout Announcement on the announcements list. 

If you elected to use our printing services, you will see a link to download the mailing label report and door to door report. Download these reports if you are mailing the budget mailout independently. Then, select Connect me to Print Jobs Page to configure your printing and mailing options.

First, select if you want black and white or colour copies using the drop-down menu under Select Print Package. Next, select if you want the packages sent directly to the recipients or sent to you, which you can then mail and distribute using the reports you previously downloaded. If you are sending the budget mailout directly to the recipients, enter a return address in the Return Address box. Then, enter any special instructions in the box provided. Once completed, click Continue. Review the details of the print job and click Submit to finalize the order. You will now see a confirmation that your print job has been sent.

This concludes the Announcements: Budget Mailout overview. For more information on the budget mailout feature, please refer to our user guide.