Introduction to Powerbase

Description

Intended for beginners but open to all, Introduction to Powerbase lays the foundation for using the database. In addition to receiving an overview of everything Powerbase can do, you will learn basic skills including how to login, change your password, enter new contacts, organize data, and conduct simple searches. It concludes with the concept of groups and the all important "smart" group.

Agenda

Training materials, including login information on the training database will be provided to everyone who is registered when you arrive to the first day of the training.

Day 1: Logging in and getting around

1:00 pm Eastern Time (approximately 120 minutes)

• Community Agreements and Introductions (AI) - A
• Orientation - N
  • Review agenda
  • Introduce network site and training site
• Logging in and getting around - J
  • Ensure all students can login with their assigned usernames and passwords
  • Show how to change your password
  • Show how to change your name
  • Show how to add yourself to the STAFF group
  • You can review screencast of how to login, change your password, and change your name
• DEMO: Adding contacts to the database (followed by practice time / assignment) - A
  • Review Individual & Organization Records
  • Each participant will be assigned 5 contacts to add to Powerbase:
    • Add a new contact by clicking on Contacts -> New Individual
    • In the Contact Details area:
      • add First Name and Last Name
      • add Email and keep the email type as HOME and the phone type as MOBILE
      • click to open the ADDRESS area, then enter the address and keep the address location as HOME
    • In the Constituent Type - Individuals area, in the field called Individual Constituent Type, check the box for Organizing Prospect
    • In the Constituent Type - Individuals area, assign your name as Staff Responsible for each contact
    • Click SAVE
• PRACTICE TIME / Assignment: We just demonstrated how to add a new contact. Trainees practice adding 5 contacts now, or complete this as an assignment before tomorrow's training - A
  • Adding a new contact, and for a little extra detail watch screen cast on basic data entry
  • ENTER the 5 contacts FROM THIS LIST that match your user name, be sure to make a note of your contacts to remember them for tomorrow. Pick the contacts matching your login name.

Day 2: Understanding and Organizing the data

1:00 pm Eastern Time (approximately 120 minutes)

• Welcome! Review questions from previous day's screen cast and assignment - N
• Organizing our data - J
  • Exercise to figure out what data to record and what data not to record
    • Please List all the "things" you do in the course of your organizing, fundraising or administrative work
    • Bold the "things" you would want to track in Powerbase
    • Cross out the "things" you would NOT enter in Powerbase
    • Discuss why
  • Overview of Powerbase tabs
  • Adding a relationship
  • Adding Current Employer
• The basics of searching - A
  • Example: Find all your contacts using the "Staff Responsible" field.
• Search Quiz - A
  • Download quiz and fill out search numbers
• DEMO: Update your contacts with Door Knocking activity (followed by practice time / assignment) - N
  • Search for your each of your contacts using the Staff Responsible field, then:
    • Add an activity for Door Knocking,
    • Select a Campaign called "Climate Crisis is for Reals"
    • Set the Date to yesterday's date
    • Set Activity Status to Completed
    • You can review how to add an activity in the screen cast on basic data entry
    • Add an Activity to Multiple Contacts - watch screen cast
  • PRACTICE TIME (or complete this as an assignment before tomorrow's training): Update each of your contacts with a door knocking activity by 1) adding the activity manually to the first contact in the search list, and 2) selecting the remaining 4 contacts from your search list and adding the activity to all at once (hint: start with a search for all the folx you are responsible for!)

Day 3: Understanding groups

1:00 pm Eastern Time (approximately 120 minutes)

• Welcome and Review Homework: - N
  • Adding activities to your contacts
• Evaluation of how it's going so far - N
• What is a group? Why do we use them? - A
• Groups vs. Tags - A
  • see documentation
• Regular Groups. Demonstrate - A
  • Create a group
  • Add a contact to a group
  • Remove a contact from a group (delete versus remove)
  • Find everyone in a group
  • Watch screen cast on regular or static groups
• Smart groups. Demonstrate - J
  • How to save a search as a smart group
  • What does "smart" mean? Dynamically updated
  • Cache times
  • Watch screen cast on smart groups
• Review of groups and Straw Poll: Here are four examples. Would it make more sense for your organization to use a smart group or a static group and why? - A
  • Committees
  • Volunteers
  • Big Donors
  • Allies
• Practice time: creating smart and static groups - N
  • Create a smart group for all contacts where the Staff Responsible is assigned to you
  • Create a smart group for all contacts who have a Door Knocking activity
  • Create a static group and add contacts
• Managing groups - naming conventions - A
• If time allows - Powerbase Tour of other features: - N
  • Donation Pages
  • Mass Email
  • Events with online registration
  • Memberships
  • Petitions
• If time allows - Powerbase Scavenger Hunt!
  • How many contacts are in the GROUP "Day 3 Scavenger Hunt"?
  • Change your Password
  • Find all “Organizing Prospects” in the database, how many are there?
  • How many contacts have BOTH made a contribution AND have attended an event?
  • Create a smart group for everyone who has given $25 or more within the last 12 months
• Closing Questions / Wrap-Up - N