Self-Guided Training

This guide walks you through getting started with Momentum, from logging in to building automations and reusable templates. Use it to learn the Inbox, Segments and Lists, the AI Writer, and Workspace tools at your own pace. Use this guide to manage donor outreach confidently without live support.

Table of Contents

1. Logging In
2. Your Inbox
3. Creating New Actions
4. Lists & Segments: Organize Your People
5. Train the AI Writer
6. Automations
7. Workspace Tools: Templates, Cadences, Prospecting

Logging In

Sign in to Momentum to get started.

1. In Momentum, select Sign in with Google or Sign in with Microsoft, then sign in with your work email credentials.

2. Grant read/write permissions so Momentum can access your work email to send and track emails, and sync with your CRM to log actions automatically. You only need to complete this once. Momentum remembers your login and settings after that.

After you sign in, you land in your Inbox, where scheduled tasks, AI recommendations, and follow-ups appear. If this is your first time, your Inbox may be empty. It fills in as you create actions, receive automations, and set up Lists and Segments.

Your Inbox

The Inbox is where you manage donor engagement in Momentum. It combines automated recommendations, scheduled actions, and follow-ups in one queue. The Inbox shows what's due in the next 3 days, so you have time to review and tailor each outreach before sending it. To get started using your Inbox, follow these steps.

1. Review What's in Your Inbox. Your Inbox queue is organized by due date and includes:

• Manual Actions: actions you created or that were assigned to you
• Automated Recommendations: based on triggers such as no contact for 30 days or a donor's birthday
• Prospecting Suggestions: delivered weekly from the Workspace

2. Review a Recommendation. These may be emails or an action like logging a call or letter. Select an action in your Inbox. Review the donor sidebar (the Momentum Donor Record) on the right, which includes Overview, Plan, and History tabs. Review the draft in the Composer and compare it with the details in the sidebar to confirm the AI draft reflects the donor's record accurately.

Remember: Emails send through your connected Outlook or Gmail account, and the interaction logs automatically to your CRM. Calls, cards, or letters are completed off-line, but Momentum logs the action to your CRM with a copy of your draft.

3. Review Group Actions. Some actions appear as group outreach, for example from a Cadence. These aren't mass emails, but rather, they let you apply one message style across multiple donors while still drafting and sending to each individually. Select the group action, then work through each recipient, tailoring each message before sending.

Creating New Actions

Use the New Action button at the top right to plan ahead.

The New Action form lets you define:

• Who – Select a segment, list, or individuals
• When – Choose the date this outreach should begin
• What – Add a subject, prompt, or saved template
• How – Pick an outreach type (email, call, letter, handwritten card)

Your outreach will:

• Appear in your Inbox when it's time to draft and send
• Remind you to follow up if there’s no reply (if enabled)
• Be saved in the donor’s plan and activity history

Lists & Segments: Organize Your People

Use Segments for long-term engagement strategies and Lists for short-term tasks.

Segments

• Persistent groups, such as recurring donors or new gifts over $500
• Power your automations and reporting
• Support intentional stewardship for different donor types

Lists

• Temporary groupings, such as event attendees or gala follow-up
• Useful for one-off or seasonal campaigns

• Created manually or through import

  

Start with one or two Segments that match your major donor strategy, then add your top contacts and assign a cadence or follow-up.

Train the AI Writer

The AI Writer drafts outreach based on a donor's history and your writing style, using your User Bio to match your tone. The AI learns from your writing voice, tone, and values—so the better your bio, the more your drafts will sound like you. To train the AI Writer, 

1. Go to Workspace → Profile
2. Fill in the User Bio, Org Bio, and Email Examples. This will train the AI writer on your:
   • Writing style (e.g., Warm, casual, encouraging)
   • Things you often say (e.g., “Grateful to partner with you”)
   • Org description (How you usually describe your mission)
   • Personal sign-off (e.g., “Warmly, Jess”)
3. Save Changes and test it next time you generate a draft

Make sure to review and polish all AI drafts before sending. They should be treated as a starting point, not a finished message. Best practices:

• Review and edit each draft before sending
• Add a personal detail or story
• Select the Regenerate icon if the draft doesn't fit

Automations

Momentum can recommend actions automatically based on triggers such as:

• No contact in a set number of days
• Thank-you for a gift
• Follow-up if there's no reply
• Birthday or giving anniversary

Select the ellipsis icon at the end of an Automation row to open the quick menu, where you can configure each rule for each Segment.

Workspace Tools: Templates, Cadences, Prospecting

The Workspace holds the reusable tools that support your outreach: AI templates, mail merge templates, cadences, prospecting, and your User & Org Bio. The AI Writer uses your User & Org Bio to match your tone and voice. This means the more complete it is, the closer your drafts will sound to you.

Step 1: Create an AI Template

Instead of writing the same message again and again, prompts let you reuse your best ideas. The AI tailors them to each donor.

1. Go to Workspace → Templates → Add New AI Templates
2. In the body, give clear guidance for the AI:
   Write a warm thank-you note to a new donor. Mention that their gift helps students access meals and school supplies. Keep it personal and encouraging.
3. Save it!

Use this in a New Action later by choosing this prompt when you draft outreach.

Step 2: Create a Mail Merge Template

These templates pull in donor-specific details (like name, gift amount, or campaign) automatically—so your message feels personal, even when writing to a group.

1. Go to Workspace → Templates → Add New Mail Merge
2. In the body, use merge variables like

Hi [donor.first_name],
It was great seeing you at the gala. We are so grateful for your gift of donor.stats.last_gift.amount.
Hope to see you again soon!

   5. Save and preview.

Later, when you start a group outreach, you can apply this template and tailor each message individually.

Step 3: Build a Simple Cadence

Cadences help you create a repeatable journey for a specific type of donor—like a welcome series or a multi-step cultivation plan.

1. Go to Workspace → Cadences
2. Click New Cadence
3. Title it: “3-Touch Welcome Series”
4. Add 3 steps:
   • Day 1: Thank-you email
   • Day 14: Impact update
   • Day 30: Invitation to next event
5. Assign a template or prompt to each step
6. Save the cadence

Later, apply it to a Segment (e.g., New Donors) from the Constituents tab.

Step 4: Set Up Prospecting

Prospecting lets you chip away at a big list of unassigned or mid-level donors by surfacing just a few top priorities each week.

1. Go to Workspace → Prospecting
2. Click Enable Prospecting
3. Choose a Segment or List (e.g., "2023 Gala Attendees")
4. Assign a cadence OR a saved template
5. Set a goal: "Show me 3 new prospects each week"
6. Save

Each week, those top prospects will show up in your Inbox with clear outreach recommendations—so you can stay on top of long-term pipeline growth without getting overwhelmed.

What Comes Next

Once your Workspace is set up, Momentum will help you:

• Write faster with better AI support
• Stay consistent in your messaging
• Create repeatable workflows you can share with others
• Focus your energy on relationship-building, not reinventing the wheel