Your REACH Theme is the general design and framework of your REACH portal, based on Liquid templates. REACH provides a fully-functional Theme engine to each organization that uses REACH, giving you the ability to fully customize the style and design of your REACH portals.

Note: We highly recommend each organization stays current and updates their REACH theme as new versions are released. This will ensure you can benefit from the most up-to-date features and capabilities of REACH.

Your REACH website, or any of the REACH pages used with your existing website that are used to bring information to your supporters and take them through your sponsorship or donation process, are all based on your Active Theme.

Your REACH Theme is where the REACH development team pushes updates to the overall code on the backend of REACH. This could include feature updates or minor bug or error fixes (examples could be misspellings or buttons not working as intended).

Theme FAQs#

When do I update my REACH Theme?#

When an organization first signs up for REACH, they are automatically assigned the latest version of a REACH Theme. From then on, it is up to the organization to update their Theme as new versions are released.

Are REACH Themes fully customizable?#

Yes, you have complete control over your REACH Theme allowing you to fully customize the style and design of your REACH portals as desired.

How can we tell what REACH Theme we are currently using? #

To determine your current REACH Theme, from your Admin Console, go to Settings > Themes > Your Themes tab. Your current Theme will have the Status of Active.

Why do I need to update my REACH Theme?#

To stay current, we highly recommend you update your REACH Theme as new versions are released. This will ensure you have the most current features and should there be any Theme fixes (mis-spellings, broken buttons, etc.) these are released with new Theme updates. Keeping your Theme updated is similar to keeping an app updated on your device.

What if I only use REACH for sponsorships? #

Updating your REACH Theme does not effect your entire website if you only use REACH for sponsorships. You will still want to keep your REACH Theme updated to ensure you benefit from any updates and new features that our development team makes to sponsorships.

To determine if our new Theme updates include an update to sponsorships, you can view our New Features List by REACH Theme article.

Can we preview a new Theme before activating it? #

Yes, you can preview a new Theme before activating it. For detailed instructions, see our Updating your REACH Theme article. Please note that previewing works best one page at a time, and Javascript may not function as expected in preview mode.

What are the most current REACH Themes?#

As of July 2022, the most current REACH Themes are Quartz 2.3 and Ruby 2.3. The most current Version will always be displayed on the available themes in the Theme Store. You can view these by going to Settings > Themes > Theme Store.

Is there a list of new features available by REACH Theme?#

Yes, you can review the new features list by viewing our New Features List by REACH Theme article.

If you are using REACH for sponsorships only, simply preview the sponsorship(s) pages only when updating to ensure they look and function as intended.

How am I notified of new REACH Theme versions?#

We will notify you that a new REACH Theme version is available by posting a notification on your Admin Console, in our monthly newsletter, on our Change Log (which is also shown in your Admin Console Dashboard Widget area) and via our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook).

How do I update my REACH Theme?#

For guided instructions on how to update your REACH Theme, please see our Updating your REACH Theme article.

Can I revert back to previous Themes? #

Yes, to revert back to a previous Theme, you will simply need to find that Theme in the Your Themes list, click on Actions > Activate to reactivate your previous Theme.

What if I have added customizations to my current Theme? #

If you have added a number of customizations to your current Theme, we recommend you simply bring in those customizations to your new Theme.

The easiest way to do this is to Preview the updated version, then copy and paste the specific customized code from your previous Theme version to the newer, updated Theme version. Or, if you are proficient in HTML, you can selectively add your customizations. Preview your new Theme as desired and then Activate it once ready.

What if I am using a REACH Theme other than Quartz and Ruby?#

Themes older than Quartz and Ruby are not materially different; however, they are no longer supported by our development team. If you are using a previous theme, the main differences with Quartz and Ruby are an updated look and newer features, such as Donation Levels and Family Sponsorships. A full list of newer features can be found by viewing our New Features List by REACH Theme article.

If you are on an older REACH Theme, we do recommend you consider updating to take full advantage of our newest features and coding updates.

Is there documentation available for your Quartz and Ruby Themes?#

Yes, you can review developer documentation on our Quartz 2 and Ruby 2 Theme Documentation article.

What are the design components of a REACH Theme?#

A REACH Theme uses four main Theme Design components: layout file, template files, partials, and assets. Learn more by reviewing our Theme Design Components article.

What about basic updates to my REACH portal, such as colors and text? #

Many of the basic updates to your REACH portal are handled using Portal Setup and Portal Branding. View our Portal Setup and Portal Branding articles for more detailed information.

How do I use Menus in my REACH Theme? #

REACH allows you to create and use multiple Menus in your REACH Theme to organize and categorize your information. To learn more, view our Theme Menu article.

What coding language is used for REACH Themes?#

REACH Themes use Liquid Objects and other functionality based on the Liquid Templating language. For a full list of Liquid Objects available, please see our Liquid Objects article.