Training Solutions
Since eTapestry is a SaaS (Software as a Service) database and completely different than traditional software you may be familiar with, we offer our training differently too, it’s included! That’s right, with our eTapestry Starter, Essential and Pro packages our online unlimited recorded training is included.
Our beginning sessions which teach the basic functions of eTapestry are all recorded and organized into small informative sessions that can be watched as often as you need and by as many in your organization as necessary, at their desks. With these classes, you may also pause, rewind, or fast forward to get the most out of your training.
We also offer live on-line sessions. Our trainers are highly qualified professionals who have a total of over 25 years of experience supporting fundraising software and the non-profit community. With their guidance, you’ll soon see how eTapestry’s features as well as its ease of use will help you in your fundraising efforts. Already a current eTapestry customer and interested in learning about our training options for nonprofits already using eTapestry? Don’t let lack of training hold you back!
Annual Training
What is it?
It's a constant struggle for every nonprofit organization. You are faced with the need to keep your current staff fully trained, make sure new staff members are educated, and get volunteers the training they need. But the expense and the scheduling are often prohibitive, so you try to struggle through things on your own, try to teach yourself - and other staff - and accept the fact that you may be doing things the hard way. You are also keenly aware that your success at getting the most benefit out of your database is directly related to the training your staff receives. This innovative service from eTapestry puts an end to these struggles. It's called an Annual Training Agreement and it gives you unlimited training for all members of your staff.
How does it work?
With an Annual Training Agreement, you pay a one time fee plus a percentage of your eTapestry service fee for unlimited use of eTapestry's web-based training programs - both Recorded and Live sessions! Do you have multiple staff members at multiple locations with different schedules to coordinate? Need to take a class more than once to be sure you got all the details? Need a refresher or want to focus on a particular area of eTapestry? Have a new employee that needs initial training? How about someone who can only spend time on Training after business hours? If so, Annual Training Agreement may be just what you need! New employees, volunteers, board members, or anyone else in your organization can learn the best way to use eTapestry, without spending additional dollars.
To get started, each member of your organization can access all classess and sessions that eTapestry offers. Links will be provided for all Recorded Sessions along with instructions for signing up for Live Classes. Each registrant is contacted directly with details on how to prepare for the web training and provided the necessary login information for joining the live class.
Summary
The cost of an Annual Training Agreement is based on the size of the database. For database with Database with 1000 Records or less there is a onetime setup fee of $550 (USD) plus $25/month. Databases with 1000+ Records, there is a onetime setup fee of $900 (USD) plus 25% of your eTapestry license fee (based on number of accounts and concurrent users - minimum of $300/year). Subsequent yearly renewal for Annual Training is 25% of your license fee.
The Annual Training Agreement gives you unlimited use of all training items available including our popular Recorded Training sessions. There is no limit to the number of times a class is viewed or taken or the number of different individuals who participate. Participation in our live classes is subject to classroom availability and cancellation fees apply. The Annual Training Agreement also entitles your organization to unlimited IM Support. Don't let lack of training hold you back! Make the Annual Training Agreement an investment in your staff. To learn more, contact us at info@etapestry.com.
Class Registration
Recorded Online Training Sessions
eTapestry's Recorded Online Training Sessions bring training to your desktop on your schedule. Developed by the eTapestry support and training department, these pre-recorded sessions let you focus on specific areas of the eTapestry application. All Beginning eTapestry Training is provided to you as Recorded Sessions, so you can begin your training as soon as you become an eTapestry Customer. You will not have to wait for a scheduled live class!
Listen and watch as an eTapestry instructor explains and shows you how to do everything from adding gifts to sending mass email. Because these sessions are recorded, you can play – and replay – them as often as you need. It is a perfect solution for training multiple individuals in an organization, or getting some detailed training on a specific area of eTapestry – all at a very affordable price. Plus, classes are added and updated often at no extra cost.
eTapestry uses the latest technology to record both voice and screen activity to simulate classroom instruction. This provides a realistic training with example and explanation. Users gain full control of the training pace by using desktop controls to start, stop, pause, rewind, or fast-forward through the class. Need to review a specific function, such as adding pledge payments? You can quickly refer to our training guide that directs you to the specific location of the training class to play.
eTapestry's online training programs only require a high speed Internet connection, and speakers for the audio instruction. A unique link connects you to each session.
Training Exercises
The following exercises are intended to help supplement the online training that you attended. You will be using a special training database for these exercises, so be creative and have fun while doing this hands on portion of the eTapestry training class. Other organizations use this data also, so please do not put anything in that you would not want in our database. As always if you have any questions please feel free to look in the eTapestry online help area (the big yellow question mark on any screen) or just send us an email at support@etapestry.com.
Entering Accounts
Getting Started:
Go to eTapestry Training
For user ID and password use the following structure:
- Login: exercise.user1
- Password: training
- If you shoold receive a message that this user is already logged in, you can use login ID numbers 1 - 10, (i.e. exercise.user2, exercise.user3, etc.) The Password for all Login Id’s is training. So, if you get this message about someone already logged in, just try a different number.
- Please keep in mind that the information you enter during these exercises will be viewed by other eTapestry customers and employees. Have fun, but please be considerate of others.
Finding Accounts & Navigation
- Go to Find Account under the Main Menu
- On the Quick Find screen, type in Marshall.
- Select the PRIMARY Persona for John Marshall
- View the Home Page for John Marshall
- From the Home Page, view the Giving Summary Information
- At the top of the page, choose to go the Defined Fields page. (You can choose to Hide Empty Fields)
- Go back to Find Account under Main.
- Choose the shortcut icon that will take you directly to the New Gift/Pledge screen
- Go back to Find Account under Main.
- Choose the shortcut icon that will take you directly to the Journal.
- Where else can you go to search for accounts?
Adding Accounts:
- Go to Add Account. There are two places where you can go. Do you know where they are?
- Add your own name and address information to the system.
- You are going to add other new accounts, where do you go to do that?
- Add the name and address for someone famous to the system
- Add the name and address for your best friend to the system.
- Add the name and address for your favorite athlete.
Adding Additional Account Information:
- Look up your name. You need to add yourself as an Individual Account, a Board Member and enter your interests. This is done in one place. Do you know where to go?
- Go to Find Account and Search for your best friends account. From the Relationship Screen, relate your account to theirs as Friends.
- Still on the Relationship Screen, set up a Household Relationship between you and your favorite athlete. Make yourself the Primary, or Head of Household.
- Look up your famous person. Add a Seasonal Persona to their account for Aspen!
- Go to your account, change your Recognition Type to Anonymous. Do you know which screen?
If you shoold have questions, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
. Thanks for taking the time to complete these exercises!
Entering Journal Items
Getting Started:
Go to eTapestry Training
For user ID and password use the following structure:
- Login: exercise.user1
- Password: training
- If you should receive a message that this user is already logged in, you can use login ID numbers 1 - 10, (i.e. exercise.user2, exercise.user3, etc.) The Password for all Login Id’s is training. So, if you get this message about someone already logged in, just try a different number.
- Please keep in mind that the information you enter during these exercises will be viewed by other eTapestry customers and employees. Have fun, but please be considerate of others.
Adding Gifts, Pledges and Pledge Payments:
- If you have done your account exercises, go to Find Account and look up your account in the database. If you haven’t, look up Phil Browning. Use the shortcut icon to reach the New Gift/Pledge screen. (Do you remember which one?)
- Add an outright gift to your account for $1000, to the Unrestricted Fund, for the Annual Campaign with an Approach of Spring Mailing.
- Go back to Find Account and search for Sophie McIver.
- Use the shortcut icon to get to the Journal screen. Add a New Gift/Pledge for Sophie from the Journal. She gave a $500 check, numbered 2354. (Can you remember where the check info goes?)
- Mike Rusche has just made a $10,000 pledge to the Capital Campaign. He wants his pledge to go toward the West Wing Building Fund. The pledge was a result of a Personal Solicitation. He wants to pay this pledge in quarterly payments for the next 5 years. His first installment is due the 15th of next month.
- View the Payment Schedule once you have completed exercise 5 above.
- Allen Jones has just made a $50 payment to his pledge. Will this pay the pledge off? Go and see after you have entered the payment. Remember where to go to find Pledge Information?
Adding Tributes:
- Go to Add Account and add a Tribute to the database using the name of your favorite actor.
- Go to Find Account and look up the name of John Marshall.
- Select the shortcut icon that takes you the New Gift/Pledge screen.
- Enter information for a new gift, (choose any Fund, Campaign and Approach you would like. Go to the Tribute information section and link this gift with the Tribute Account for your favorite Actor.
Adding Contact, Note and Calendar Items:
- If you have completed your account exercises, go to Find Account and search for your best friend. If that account isn’t there, search for Christopher Smith.
- You have been working with this account to get him to join your Special Events committee. You had lunch with him yesterday and he told you that he was interested, especially in chairing the committee. Enter a Contact with this information! Oh, by the way, he wants to see some information about your organization.
- Sophie McIver was featured on a local TV station for her work with the United Way. This may be something you would like to remember. Add a Note!
- You need to notify the Finance Committee of their next meeting on Friday at 4:00pm. The meeting usually lasts about 90 minutes. Grace Manning, Harry Crawford, Marge Simpson, Faith Moore and Gunther Foster are also members. Add a Calendar Item inviting them. (This database is NOT attached to an email server, so just “pretend” that you have checked Send Email to Attendees! Thanks)
- Go back to the Welcome screen. Is your Calendar Item there? Did it also save to the above accounts? If not, check the date range on the Journal Page. Remember, the date range on the Journal only goes out for one week in advance.
If you should have questions, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
. Thanks for taking the time to complete these exercises!
All About Queries
Getting Started:
Go to eTapestry Training
For user ID and password use the following structure:
- Login: exercise.user1
- Password: training
- If you should receive a message that this user is already logged in, you can use login ID numbers 1 - 10, (i.e. exercise.user2, exercise.user3, etc.) The Password for all Login Id’s is training. So, if you get this message about someone already logged in, just try a different number.
- Please keep in mind that the information you enter during these exercises will be viewed by other eTapestry customers and employees. Have fun, but please be considerate of others.
Queries:
- Go to Query under the Main menu. Add a New Category with your name on it, such as Dorothy’s Queries.
- Select your new Category. Add a New Account Query to select All Donor accounts that are Current Board Members. (Don’t forget to name your new queries!) Preview to see how many accounts were selected. Change the data return type to Journal Entries and preview the Journal Entries for this query. Do you remember why there may be more entries appearing in the Journal then the Account?
- Create an Account Query that will select any of the donor accounts that you do not wish to mail to. Call it your Do Not Mail List
- Your boss needs to know the accounts whose total outright giving is more than $5000. She/he needs this information for Last Calendar Year. (Hint: Donor Journal Entry Date Category!) Preview this query both for the number of accounts and number of transactions. (see exercise 2)
- Create a Query that will show Journal Entries for donor accounts that have given to the General/Operating Fund. Create a Journal Entry query for people who may be behind in the their pledge payments. (Hint: Arrears) Preview this query.
- You are planning to use your list of General Fund donors for a mailing later. However, you do not want to mail to the people on the Do Not Mail list. Create a New Compound Query to subtract the Do Not Mail List from the General Fund Donors. Call this query your General Fund Final Mailing.
- You’re curious as to how many Board Members may have given to the General Fund. Create a New Compound query that will find the accounts that are in both queries. (Hint: Intersect) Did you have very many?
- Your board president has a special letter going to just a small group of accounts. You can’t find anything that they have in common with each other to get them into a query. The names on the president’s list are Patricia Hamilton, Lacy Bazilio, Robert Haddad, James McNamara and Max Anderson. What can you do? (Hint: Custom)
If you should have questions, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
. Thanks for taking the time to complete these exercises!
Reports, Exports & More
Getting Started:
Go to eTapestry Training
For user ID and password use the following structure:
- Login: exercise.user1
- Password: training
- If you should receive a message that this user is already logged in, you can use login ID numbers 1 - 10, (i.e. exercise.user2, exercise.user3, etc.) The Password for all Login Id’s is training. So, if you get this message about someone already logged in, just try a different number.
- Please keep in mind that the information you enter during these exercises will be viewed by other eTapestry customers and employees. Have fun, but please be considerate of others.
Special Reports:
- Run an Approach Activity Summary for Last Year. (Hint: Don’t forget to choose a query for Donor Journal Entry Date!) Print out the detail for the gifts made from Personal Solicitations.
- Wonder who are the Top 10 Donors for all time based on Received Amounts? Can you find out? Is there an Account Report that can help?
- You need some good information on your Pledges. What should you run?
- It’s time for your Annual Report! You need to get a breakdown of donors for the following dollar ranges, based on received amounts:
0.00 - 49.99
50.00 - 999.99
1000.00 - 4999.99
5000.00+
You need this breakdown for people who gave last year. (Hint: Donor Journal Entry Date!)
System and Special Exports:
- Your boss has asked you to run some Mailing Labels. (Do you remember where this definition is found?) You may first want to print them to screen so you can make sure you have the correct group. The query you will need is found under Dorothy Queries and the name of the query is Indiana Residents. Run this first to screen, then go back and do an Export. Once the file is exported and you have saved it to your computer, try going to Word and perform the merge for Mailing Labels!
- Do you remember a quick and easy way to process your Thank You Letters? Pretend you only do your letters once a week. First, go in and add some gifts to about three accounts. Then, use the query Donor Journal Entry Date and the Query of This Week when you run the Thank You Letter Definition. (Remember, if other customers have been adding gifts this week, you may find more than your three in your query. Try creating a Thank You Letter in Word once the export is completed.
- Review the Special Export Category.
Creating your own Report/Export Definition:
Create a new Report/Export Category for your definitions.
Create a new definition that shows the phone number, name and city. Sort the new definition alphabetically. Run it to screen using the Base and All Donor query. Do you remember how you would then export this out of eTapestry?
Create a new Journal Definition selecting the name, date, fund, campaign and received amount. Also run this with the All Donor query. Run this report with a Journal Entry Query selecting dollar amounts.
If you should have questions, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
. Thanks for taking the time to complete these exercises!
CFRE Credit and Cash!
CFRE Credit
eTapestry training is now recognized by CFRE International (Certified Fund Raising Executives) as qualifying for CFRE Education points. Each hour of an authorized eTapestry training program provides you one point of CFRE credit. CFRE International offers the only internationally recognized baseline professional credential for philanthropic fundraising executives. As stewards of the public trust, Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) International certifies fundraising professionals who demonstrate the knowledge, skills and commitment to the highest standards of ethical and professional practice in serving the philanthropic sector. CFRE International fulfills this mission by establishing and administering a voluntary certification process based on current and valid standards that measure competency in the practice of philanthropic fundraising.
Download the approval forms
eTapestry's User Certification Program!
eTapestry’s User Certification Program!
eTapestry’s User Certification Program is a great opportunity for you and your organization. Read below to find out how you can become a Certified User on the leading Internet Fundraising Software!
Requirements for becoming a certified eTapestry User:
Score at least 90% or better on the eTapestry User Certification Test.
Your organization will receive:
- $50 off toward any new eTapestry service!
- * This $50 is per user, so, for example, if you have 5 users in your organization that becomes certified, that is $250 off of a new eTapestry service for your organization. (Limit of $500 per Organization)
- A skilled workforce in eTapestry that will make your fundraising efforts more efficient.
- The confidence that your users are helping you get the MOST out of your fundraising database.
Certified Users will receive:
- A much greater knowledge of the eTapestry database.
- A skill that is valuable to thousands of fundraising organizations world wide.
- An eTapestry Certified User certificate that is definitely suitable for framing!
To become certified:
- Train on the eTapestry product by watching all of the eTapestry training sessions.
- Request the link for the certification test from Dorothy McIver, Training Director. (See below)
- Follow the instructions to send us the results of test. We will then verify that you have in fact viewed all of the Recorded Training Sessions along with your score in our testing system.
- eTapestry will
- Contact you letting you know that you have been certified.
- Send you a personalized Certificate of Achievement.
- Apply the $50 credit towards new products on your Organization’s account.
What happens if you do not Pass?
- Review videos and/or sign-up for the live Master Classes that focus on the areas that you need help on.
- Retake the certification test.
- There is no limit to the number of times you can re-take the test.
For more information contact dorothy.mciver@etapestry.com.
Curriculum-Based Training
Curriculum-based training can accommodate multiple staff members and cover a wide range of topics. Training can occur either onsite or remote. Training topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- General Overview
- Review of Menus
- Constituent Level Data
- Journal Entry Data
- Queries
- Basic Queries
- Custom Queries
- Compound Queries
- Reports
- Standard Reports
- Custom Reports