Mass Email Add-On for TntMPD (MEAT)

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Important Note: MEAT has been obsoleted by some exciting new features in TntMPD v2.0! If you're still using v1.x of TntMPD, I highly recommend that you upgrade due to many new features and fixes in the v2.0 series. MEAT is still available on this page in case you can't upgrade TntMPD or find some other use for MEAT.

The Mass Email Add-On for TntMPD (MEAT) is designed to help you quickly and easily create a new mass email (i.e. email newsletter/update) to a group of contacts using your favorite email program. It works in combination with the fantastic TntMPD donor tracking software from Campus Crusade for Christ, written by Troy Wolbrink. (Note: don't contact Troy for help with MEAT)

MEAT was written for 3 reasons:

1. Enable emailing a group of contacts without requiring MS Word and Outlook.
2. Support using more than one email address per contact. MEAT will use any of the 3 email addresses that TntMPD currently stores per contact. MEAT only uses the email addresses that have the checkboxes next to them checked in TntMPD itself.
3. Enable emailing a group of contacts without the complexity of a mail merge operation.

SetupMEAT-0.9.1.exe - MEAT v0.9.1 (Windows installer, also includes source code, public domain license), size: 4.5MB, last updated: July 16, 2005

• Install: Run (double click) the Setup program and follow the on-screen instructions in the installer.
• Uninstall: Use the normal Windows "Add/Remove Programs" mechanism.
• Upgrade: First uninstall MEAT, then install the new version from the Setup file.

In a nutshell, MEAT takes an exported CSV (Comma Separated Values) file of contact data from TntMPD and will send all the email addresses that are checked in TntMPD to the Bcc: field of a new email in your default email program.

Here are step-by-step instructions with screenshots:

1. In TntMPD itself, select a group of contacts that you want to email (for example, an "Email Newsletter" group). For help on doing that please refer to the excellent TntMPD documentation.

2. Next, export that group's data using the File -> Export menu choice. Be sure to include at least the following fields in your export (you may need to scroll around to find them all):

   • Short Name
   • Email 1
   • Email 1 Is Operational
   • Email 2
   • Email 2 Is Operational
   • Email 3
   • Email 3 Is Operational

   Choose a file to export the data to (you can reuse a filename that you exported to previously). It's recommended that you save your export file in your "My Documents" folder. For more help about exporting data please refer to the excellent TntMPD documentation.

3. Start MEAT if it's not already running. You may have an icon on your desktop, or else Start -> Programs -> TntMPD -> Mass Email Add-On for TntMPD will do it if you chose the defaults when you installed MEAT.

4. Click on the browse button.

   

5. Find and Open the CSV file that you exported from TntMPD. (Example file shown below, yours may be in a different location and have a different name.)

   

6. Change the email address output options as needed (defaults are fine for most people).

   

7. Enter your email address, a name for this email list (which the recipients will see), and the Subject of your email. The To: field of the mass email will be constructed as Mass Email List Name <your email address> so that your recipients will have an idea of why they're getting this email and so that the To: field won't be empty.

   

8. Click on the Compose New Email button and your default email program will start up with the selected email addresses in the Bcc: field, unless there are too many addresses for the underlying mechanism to handle. In that case the program will inform you that the addresses have been copied to the Clipboard and that you should Paste them into your email program's Bcc: field after it starts up.

   

MEAT was written by Jason Maas to help the staff of DiscipleMakers to use TntMPD without needing to purchase and use MS Office. If you encounter difficulties or have a suggestion you can reach me by email at maasj at dm.org though I can't make any guarantees that I will be able to help (unless you're on staff with DiscipleMakers).

If you know how to program in Python then feel free to look at or hack on the included source code. I have released it into the public domain.

To find out about other TntMPD Add-Ons available from DiscipleMakers, please view this list.