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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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“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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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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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
