diff --git a/baseelement.go b/baseelement.go
index bbc0269..4be1b11 100644
--- a/baseelement.go
+++ b/baseelement.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func formatToken(format string, token string) (string, error) {
 	v := make(map[string]interface{})
 	v["text"] = token
 
-	tmpl, err := template.New(format).Parse(format)
+	tmpl, err := template.New(format).Funcs(TemplateFuncMap).Parse(format)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/templatehelper.go b/templatehelper.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..636cff3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templatehelper.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package gold
+
+import (
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"text/template"
+)
+
+// TemplateFuncMap contains a few useful template helpers
+var (
+	TemplateFuncMap = template.FuncMap{
+		"Left": func(values ...interface{}) string {
+			s := values[0].(string)
+			n := values[1].(int)
+			if n > len(s) {
+				n = len(s)
+			}
+
+			return s[:n]
+		},
+		"Matches": func(values ...interface{}) bool {
+			ok, _ := regexp.MatchString(values[1].(string), values[0].(string))
+			return ok
+		},
+		"Mid": func(values ...interface{}) string {
+			s := values[0].(string)
+			l := values[1].(int)
+			if l > len(s) {
+				l = len(s)
+			}
+
+			if len(values) > 2 {
+				r := values[2].(int)
+				if r > len(s) {
+					r = len(s)
+				}
+				return s[l:r]
+			}
+			return s[l:]
+		},
+		"Right": func(values ...interface{}) string {
+			s := values[0].(string)
+			n := len(s) - values[1].(int)
+			if n < 0 {
+				n = 0
+			}
+
+			return s[n:]
+		},
+		"Last": func(values ...interface{}) string {
+			return values[0].([]string)[len(values[0].([]string))-1]
+		},
+		// strings functions
+		"Compare":      strings.Compare, // 1.5+ only
+		"Contains":     strings.Contains,
+		"ContainsAny":  strings.ContainsAny,
+		"Count":        strings.Count,
+		"EqualFold":    strings.EqualFold,
+		"HasPrefix":    strings.HasPrefix,
+		"HasSuffix":    strings.HasSuffix,
+		"Index":        strings.Index,
+		"IndexAny":     strings.IndexAny,
+		"Join":         strings.Join,
+		"LastIndex":    strings.LastIndex,
+		"LastIndexAny": strings.LastIndexAny,
+		"Repeat":       strings.Repeat,
+		"Replace":      strings.Replace,
+		"Split":        strings.Split,
+		"SplitAfter":   strings.SplitAfter,
+		"SplitAfterN":  strings.SplitAfterN,
+		"SplitN":       strings.SplitN,
+		"Title":        strings.Title,
+		"ToLower":      strings.ToLower,
+		"ToTitle":      strings.ToTitle,
+		"ToUpper":      strings.ToUpper,
+		"Trim":         strings.Trim,
+		"TrimLeft":     strings.TrimLeft,
+		"TrimPrefix":   strings.TrimPrefix,
+		"TrimRight":    strings.TrimRight,
+		"TrimSpace":    strings.TrimSpace,
+		"TrimSuffix":   strings.TrimSuffix,
+	}
+)