9/27/2013 #bbcon 1

Creating a Blackbaud Product User Group

DAVID A. BERGER

NATIONAL DIRECTOR, DATABASE MANAGEMENT & PROSPECT RESEARCH

DEVEREUX FOUNDATION

NORA ISAAC

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

THE ALS ASSOCIATION, GREATER PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER

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DEFINING A

BLACKBAUD PRODUCT

USER GROUP

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“In personal or business computing, a user group is a set of

people who have similar interests, goals, or concerns. The

members have regular meetings where they can share their ideas.”

- WhatIs.com

• “An organization of users of a specific hardware or software

product. Members share experiences and ideas to improve their

understanding and use of a particular product. User groups are

often responsible for influencing vendors to modify or enhance

their products.”

- PC Magazine Encyclopedia

WHAT IS A USER GROUP

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- Independently run [from a Blackbaud User Group]

- Members within same geographic area

- Group is managed members

- Meetings are open to anyone interested

- Group success depends on the members involvement

- Members use similar Blackbaud products

- Group usually has an online presence:

• Facebook, LinkedIn, website

USER GROUP

CHARACTERISTICS

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FACEBOOK:

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LINKEDIN:

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WEBSITE:

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Networking: • Meet people who share your work experience and use the tools to

get the job done.

• Develop contacts for ongoing information exchange.

Knowledge Exchange:

• Learn from people who have developed processes to make doing

the job easier.

• Learn about other new products from people who use them.

• Benefit from presentations by vendors.

Community Voice:

• Speak as a group to Blackbaud and/or a software vendor and

have a say in how the application is developed.

• Provide helpful information to the vendor to make the tools better.

INDEPENDENT USER

GROUP BENEFITS

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STARTING YOUR OWN USER GROUP

Your User Group will need invested coordinators:

• People who will invest their time in making the group work

• Find and encourage people to attend

• Maintain a membership list

• Coordinate the meetings

• Determine the location of the meeting

• Arrange for meeting registration for group members

• Make sure there are topics to be discussed

• Prepare an agenda

• Optionally arrange for a discussion group online

• Get the word out on meetings and other info through email

• Offer handouts & have drawings

Once you have a coordinator, you can ask for others to

help take ownership of the group to share the duties.

COORDINATION AND FACILITATION:

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STARTING YOUR OWN USER GROUP

Once you have someone on board to coordinate and facilitate the

group, you need a place to meet:

• Group member’s place of business

• Learn about their cause – get to know our members

• Person from the organization can arrange for food, space and

resources

• Same place every time

• Members get used to the location

• No worries about picking a spot to meet

• Available places: public libraries, Group leader’s home,

Conference Room/Centers

What you need at the location: Public transportation, room with

tables and access for everyone, audio visual equipment, and a

person to take ownership of the meeting place so it is ready for the

meeting.

A PLACE TO MEET:

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STARTING YOUR OWN USER GROUP

You know where you can meet, you have someone facilitating this

meeting - you need to reach other Blackbaud Users in your

geographic area:

• Difficult to manage as some members have limited access to social

networking sites

• One person can manage a list and email members

• Use sites such as Blackbaud forums, Blackbus.org, LinkedIn,

Facebook, Twitter

• Start small – it’s not the number of people who attend, it’s the quality

of the discussion

• Build members by word of mouth

Get the word out and see what happens - you may be surprised!

A WAY TO COMMUNICATE

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STARTING YOUR OWN USER GROUP

You have your members and have set up your first meeting, now

what?

• Arrange for speakers:

• Members who demonstrate a competent use of BB products

• Vendors - local and national

• Determine topics of discussion:

• Poll members

• Scan boards and pick up on latest topics being discussed

• Create an Agenda

• Notify your members:

• Publicize the meeting location and include directions and public

transportation info.

• Suggest carpooling to members

The meeting has to have substance

to make it worth the time away from the office!

PREPARE FOR THE MEETING

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BLACKBAUD USER GROUP AGENDA

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INDEPENDENT USER GROUP AGENDA

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PREPARING FOR YOUR MEETING

Speakers provide topics of discussion, facilitate focus groups,

offer goodies for members, training and best tips and tricks.

Speaker resources include:

• Blackbaud: demo products, answer questions, address issues

• Blackbaud's partners: O-matic Software, Papersave

• Vendors who offer Blackbaud related products: Beyond Nines,

Leading Edge Software Solutions

• Group members: demos of product features, share policies and

procedures, facilitate a focus group

Poll your members on who they want at the meetings.

It’s their meeting, make it what they need it to be!

ARRANGE FOR SPEAKERS

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PREPARING FOR YOUR MEETING

Meetings can be structured with general discussions, focus groups,

presentations and training and tips and tricks demos:

• Choose a couple of good topics that can spur general discussion

• Contact possible speakers early to get on their calendars.

• Ask group members to present at the meeting.

• Allow for members to break up in groups to discuss common topics

and issues

• It’s ok to allow for a little griping, but make sure the focus is on the

solution – not the problem.

It’s a user group – the group needs to make it work.

Get ideas from users. Everyone gets to participate.

DETERMINE TOPICS FOR THE MEETINGS

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PREPARING FOR YOUR MEETING

An organized meeting assures that you make the most of your

meeting time.

• Choose a couple of good topics that can spur general discussion

• Contact possible speakers early to get on their calendars.

• Ask group members to present at the meeting.

• Allow for members to break up in groups to discuss common

topics and issues

• Include meeting place, time and directions

Get your agenda out early. It will encourage user group members

to make the time available in their schedules.

CREATE AN AGENDA

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READY TO GO

• Get the word out in every way you can, people communicate

differently

• Arrange for a door prize or giveaways from vendors

• Plan on some food - vendor supported, members chip in,

brown bag it.

• Think about tweeting at the meeting

• Have someone take notes and share them on the web or in

email after the meeting

• Have fun!

It’s not about the number of people who attend –

it’s about the members who are there and the experience you share!

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Canada:

Calgary AB, Edmonton AB, Vancouver BC, Victoria BC, Halifax, NS, Toronto,

ON, Montreal, QC

United States:

CA, CO, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NY, OH, OR, PA,

SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA

Product Focus: The Raiser’s Edge, eTapestry, Charities & Education, K12,

Arts & Cultural, O-matic Software, Financial Edge, BBNC, EC – Higher Ed,

FundWare, Sphere.

Did You Know: On average, Blackbaud typically holds about 30 User Group

Meetings a year in the USA and there is no cost to attend; it’s included in the

Annual Maintenance Contract.

UNITED STATES & CANADA

BLACKBAUD USER GROUP LOCATIONS

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Australia:

Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

England:

Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Liverpool, Manchester

Ireland:

Belfast, Dublin

New Zealand:

Auckland

Scotland:

Edinburgh, Glasgow

Product Focus: The Raiser’s Edge, eTapestry, Charities & Education

Blackbaud Pacific and Blackbaud Europe offices conducts several user

groups per year. Blackbaud Europe and is divided into Charities &

Education customers while Blackbaud Pacific comprises The Raiser’s

Edge and eTapestry User Groups.

INTERNATIONAL

BLACKBAUD USER GROUP LOCATIONS

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United States:

Delaware (DBUG - statewide)

Philadelphia (PBUG), PA

Jacksonville, FL

Denver, CO

Minneapolis-Saint Paul [Twin Cities], MN

Charleston, SC (CBUG)

Grand Rapids, MI

Phoenix, AZ

Seattle/Puget Sound, WA

Chicago, IL

Houston, TX

San Francisco, CA

St. Louis, MO

INDEPENDENT

BLACKBAUD USER GROUPS

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VENDOR CONTACTS

THESE VENDORS HAVE SUPPORTED OUR USER GROUPS

Vendor Contact Info

Taylor Hayes Event Marketer II, Client Events &

Memberships

usergroups@blackbaud.com

Kevin Kreamer Sales Manager

kevink@omaticsoftware.com

Holly Condon VP Sales and Marketing

hcondon@papersave.com

Sandy Wilder sandy@lessllc.com

Lisa Lane CEO

<lisa@beyondnines.com>

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• Blackbus http://blackbus.org/Forums.aspx

This will be where we will post upcoming info on user groups. You

can use this site for your user group.

Check here for updates on new and current user groups.

• Facebook

- The Raiser’s Edge Users Group Support Forum

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/thereusersgroupsupportforum/

- Philadelphia Blackbaud User Group

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/Philabug/

• LinkedIn

- Independent Blackbaud Users Forum

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Independent-Blackbaud-User-Group-Forum-

4447534?trk=groups_most_recent-h-dsc&goback=%2Egmr_4447534

ONLINE RESOURCES

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