To help you get familiar with the filters tool we have put together this video that goes over how to filter contacts by keywords and by creating your own unique filters to create reports! This article and video are specific to the Church Management portion of the dashboard and do not pertain to the People section in the main dashboard.
How to use filters
How to Use Church Management Filters
The filters feature in your church management platform helps you sift through large volumes of contact data to find exactly what you need. Whether you want to locate a specific contact or set up complex queries, you can rely on the filters feature under the Contacts page to assist you!
Basic Filtering: Keyword Search
One of the simplest and most intuitive ways to use the filters feature is through the Keyword Search. To use:
1. Navigate to the Contacts Page
Go to the Contacts page where you manage your list of contacts.
2. Locate the Filter by Keyword Box
Find the Filter by Keyword box in the top right corner of the page.
3. Enter Your Search Term
Type any keyword into the box. For example, enter "Bill" to immediately display all contacts with "Bill" in their names or details. This straightforward method works best for quick searches when you have a general idea of what you’re looking for!
Advanced Filtering: Building Custom Filters
For more refined searches, use the Advanced Filters feature:
1. Access Advanced Filters
Click on the Filters button located near the Keyword Search box.
2. View Default Filters
By default, the filter displays only "Active" and "Draft" status contacts, which means it excludes "Archived" contacts from view. Adjust the filter settings to include archived contacts if needed!
3. Add a New condition.
Click on the option to Add Condition to a filter. For example, select Age if you want to find contacts older than a certain age.
4. Define Filter Criteria
Choose the type of filter you want to apply to the condition. Options include "is greater than," "is less than," "equals," and more. For example, selecting "is greater than" and entering "18" will filter for contacts older than 18 years.
5. Adding Rules
You can also add additional rules to filter for several queries at once!
Practical Applications of Filtering with Examples
Upcoming Birthdays Filter Example
To filter for birthdays coming up in the next month, use this criteria:
"Status" = "is one of" = "Active," "Draft"
"Date of Birth - Month" = "Is one of" = (Enter the month you want to search for here!)
Applying these filters will show you all upcoming birthdays for the selected month!
Detail Sheet Filter Example
To filter for a detail sheet, use these criteria. In this example, I will use a membership detail sheet as an example and want to check how many contacts it has been filled out for.
"Status" = "is one of" = "Active," "Draft"
"Membership - Membership" = "Is not Empty"
Applying these filters will pull up a list of everyone who has this field filled out in the membership detail sheet.
Tips for Effective Filtering
Combine Filters: Use multiple filters simultaneously to narrow down your search results!
Save Frequently Used Filters: If you frequently use specific filters, save them for future use. Select the + Save button at the bottom of the filters menu to save your filters. You can then find them under the Saved tab for future use!