Raiser’s Edge™ Etiquette

Published

"Etiquette" as it applies to policies and procedures in Raiser's Edge is something I can say we all strive for, but competing priorities always seem to get in the way (and that's okay!). It's not just about keeping your Raiser's Edge's database clean and tidy, but using Raiser's Edge in such a way that it benefits you and everyone else.

Here are a few examples of what is generally accepted as good etiquette in Raiser's Edge:

As a team/organization, agree on a list of fields you are going to ensure are filled in (and accurate) in Raiser's Edge. Plus, agree on HOW you will fill in such fields as addressees/salutations. For example: does your organization always default addressee/salutation to a specific format, or is it left up to the constituent's preference? Be sure to document!
Also as a team/organization, agree on a methodology for tracking actions, especially as it relates to staff/fundraisers interacting with constituents/prospects. This applies to action types, status, notes, and more. I've personally seen Raiser's Edge database that had a combination of 3-4 different strategies used for tracking actions (including in constituent attributes - yikes!). Be sure to document!
Keep the backend of Raiser's Edge clean: configuration tables, attributes, fields, etc. This should go without saying, but this affects every user in your Raiser's Edge database. See Database Management and Cleanup Tips for more information on this.

Want more tips? I'm leading an interactive webinar called 30-Minute Tips & Timesavers on January 24th at 1pm ET where you can learn more about etiquette tips from me and other Raiser's Edge users.

News Raiser's Edge® Blog 01/08/2018 11:30am EST

Added by Chris Geady

8 Comments

Kristine Marvin Mar '19

Still working on setting these guidelines for etiqutte. Thank you for the suggestions.

Kelly Hogan Mar '19

Good reminder to have those discussions on the why, makes getting everyone to buy into the process easier!

Rebecca McKinney Mar '19

Great suggestions.

Lynn Jones Mar '19

Great ideas.

Jessica Thrift Jun '18

I worked on a database where they had stored event attendance in actions. That was fun to clean up. :D

Chris Geady Apr '18

@Hallie, hope this helps.

Policies and procedures – two valuable links:

Bill Connors’ presentation from bbcon 2010 – very valuable content on best practices for creating documentation: http://www.billconnors.com/media/Bill%20Connors%20Pol%20and%20Proc%20Documentation%202010.pdf
A great Knowledgebase article – creating a P&P manual: https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Article/75202

*** Remember it’s not so much about “buttonology” (that’s what training is for), it’s more about how and why! ***

Hallie Guiseppe Apr '18

Hi Chris. I was looking for the link to the policy manuel you mentioned. Am I missing the link somewhere?

Chris Geady Jan '18

Note: Q&A from the webinar on 1/24/2018 has been posted to https://community.blackbaud.com/events/item/2/1889