Minneapolis Powerbase Training: December 3 - 5, 2018

Materials

Materials will not be printed for you at the training. If you want a paper copy, please download and print before you come.

• Day One: Fundamentals
  • Agenda
  • User Packet
• Day Two: Advanced Organizing
  • Agenda
  • User Packet
  • Trainer Import CSV File
  • Participant import files
  • Online examples of collecting data
• Day Three: Dreams come true
  • Agenda

Logistics

The training will take place at Hope Community: 611 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 (map)

Let's have a successful training. Here are some thoughts:

• Arrive on time. Let's have our computer online with the training PowerBase open. The URL, your log-in ID and password will be provided. Also, please use an up-to-date version of Firefox or Chrome web browser. Do not use Internet Explorer or Safari. Do not use an iPad or Android tablet. If you have questions on this please write to support@progressivetech.org and ask us.

• We'll be using organizing scenarios. While you may not be doing direct organizing, the scenarios will cover skills that all users should be familiar with. If you have a scenario or campaign that you are actually working on or are about to begin planning, please remember that these skills you'll apply in day 1 and 2 will be useful to do actual planning in your own PowerBase on day 3.

• New to PowerBase? Please familiarize yourself with the available resources PTP offers. In your PowerBase, please visit the help menu where you'll find links to an online book, a PTP wiki where many common questions and scenarios are asked and answered, over 40 online video tutorials and more. We hope to see you on day 1.

• Attending the advanced session (day 2)? We'll assume that you have experience with the basics of PowerBase. Please look at the descriptions below for more guidance. We will continue to cover the topics using scenarios

• Day three will offer the greatest amount of flexibility. We'll build on the skills that we covered in day 1 and 2, as well as the skills you bring and combine them with projects or workflows that you want to create or perfect. We want you to walk out of day three with your questions answered and your PowerBase customized according your work. We'll suggest (and go over) planning your work using workflows. Mapping your work before you log into PowerBase will save you time and help you to use data in a more effective manner. So, what would you like to make sure you walk out of here with?

Session 1: PowerBase Fundamentals

Date: Monday, December 3, Time: 9:00AM to 5PM

This session emphasizes hands-on learning, with exercises designed to show participants how to accomplish the typical day-to-day operations of an organization using PowerBase. Participants, working at their own pace, will learn to use PowerBase confidently. Specifically we will cover how to:

• Support an organizing campaign, from entering door knocking data through taking attendance at a meeting
• Enter and retrieve data about your base: contact information, demographic information that matters to you, issues interest, other special data you want to collect
• Send mass emails and SMS to a targeted list
• Manage events in PowerBase and organize your staff to make turn out calls
• Keep track of relationships and interactions with members, constituents, elected officials, media

Prerequisite: Session 1 is designed for participants who want to learn basic skills in using PowerBase or CiviCRM to accomplish the day-today operations needed for an organization.

Session 2: Advanced Organizing Strategies

Date: Tuesday, December 4th Time: 9AM to 5PM

Everything we do involves organizing people to do something - whether it is coming to an event, attending a demonstration, volunteering at a phone bank, making a donation or getting out the vote. There is more than one way to organize and there is more than one way to use PowerBase. Session 2 focuses on applying various organizing strategies to PowerBase. We will demonstrate how to use PowerBase to accomplish these strategies most effectively. Specifically, we will cover:

• Leadership Engagement: how do you know who a leader is? How do you find your most engaged leaders?
• Strategic segmentation: Who are you constituents? How can you most strategically segment them? How do you use groups, relationships and other features in PowerBase to accomplish this goal?
• Advanced Workflows: How can you manage data from various locations, like the VAN, or external petitions? How do strategically import the data you need and classify it so you can effectively use it
• Organizing Strategies: How can you use online organizing to build our base? Should you use e-advocacy? How can you collect donations and event registrations at the same time? How do we organize gala events, with tables and sponsors?
• Mobilizing: what is the best way to get people to an event? Or collect donations?

Prerequisite: Session 2 is designed for participants who have basic experience and comfort with PowerBase or CiviCRM or have completed a PowerBase Fundamentals session.

Session 3: Being More Effective & Strategic: Making All Your PowerBase Dreams Come True

Date: Wednesday, December 5th Time: 9AM to 5:00 PM

You may have specific campaigns, organizational workflows or daily tasks that you want to manage using PowerBase, and there are so many possibilities! Session 3 is a supervised work session where you can spend time configuring and organizing your PowerBase the way you want it. The day will start with each participant or group sharing the plan you want to accomplish for the day. Then, we will spend the day preparing PowerBase and designing the workflow to support your plan with two PowerBase professionals to coach you every step of the way. When you are done, we'll end with a show-and-tell. The following are examples of plans you may bring to this training:

• Set up the de-dupe rules that make sense for your organization and designing your de-dupe process
• Create up the perfect Gala work flow, with a registration page, sponsorships and group tables
• Develop up a strategic grassroots fundraising campaign workflow, peer-to-peer campaign, and more
• Track Voter Engagement Efforts and voter info, and conduct a phonebank or create walk lists
• Identify the right membership strategy for your organization - with multiple levels and the ability to pay dues monthly or annually, in person or on-line
• Re-work your groups / smart groups and establish a new organization-wide policy on bulk email messages
• Prepare for a major volunteer driven phone banking donation sprint

NEW for Session 3! We will include a workshop on our latest extension: Remoteform. Build profile or contribution pages directly on your own web site!

Prerequisite: Session 3 is designed for participants who have basic experience and comfort with PowerBase or CiviCRM or have completed a PowerBase Fundamentals session.