Appendix Examples

Stacie Dennis · May 2015

Good Afternoon All,

I am in the final stages of our first draft policy and procedures manual. I would like to create a few appendix sections, and could you a brain dump from others who have gone through, or already have, a policy and procedures manual. My plan is to include one for Constituency Codes, one for attributes, and one for addressee/salutation standards. I know there are more things I should be referencing, but my brain is mush. Any and all help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

JoAnn Strommen · May 2015

For your appendix are you documenting what tables contain? Perhaps any other required constituent fields. It might be helpful to see what options are for relationship/reciprocal.

Just a thought.

Gina Gerhard · May 2015

I love policies and procedures and would be thrilled to share my index for my RE manual!! Of course, there are many many ways to do this - here's what worked for us.

I've included some sub-detail for those areas that have more sections.
Many sections we have an 'Understanding' introduction - this was great for staff that needed only some awareness of how things worked but not the detail. And it was also an introduction to the topic that leads into more detail for more technical staff.
We are a community foundation so perhaps the way we think of our structure may be different that for fundraising organizations -- but maybe some of this will be helpful.

01) Introduction to Raiser's Edge

Systems Overview
Navigating in Raiser's Edge
Responsibilities in Raiser's Edge
Confidentiality + Policies
User Name + Password
Types of Records
Searching

02) Using RE Efficiently and Getting Help

Using your Home Page
User Options
Using Default Sets
Business Rules
Changing your column views
Keyboard shortcuts
Using BB Support online
What if I have a question

03) Constituents

Constituent Records
- Understanding Constituent records
- Required fields for constituent records
Constituent Codes
Addressees + Salutations
Individuals
- Adding an individual record - Bio 1 and other tabs
- SSN numbers
Organizations
- Adding an organization record - Org 1, 2 and other tabs
Trust and Estate Records
US+State of NH

04) Relationships

Understanding Relationships
Individual + Organization relationships
- Create a constituent record from a relationship
- Deleting and unlinking relationships
- Head of Household
- Self Employment + Sole Proprietor
- Sharing non-constituent relationships
- Relationship + Reciprocal chart
Contacts
Fund relationships
Education + School relationships
Assigned Solicitor relationships

05) Addresses

Understanding Addresses
Adding Addresses
Changing + Updating addresses
Copying + Linking addresses
Address attributes
Address resources
Email

06) Advanced

Actions
Annotations
Attributes
Dashboards
Media
NetCommunity
Notes
Solicit Codes

07) Maintenance

Deceasing + Divorcing
Inactivating a record
Retirement
Special types of records (for some 'fake' type of records we use for specific purposes)

08) Donor Services

Prospects + Proposals
Professional Advisors
Gift Planning

09) Events

Understanding events
Creating an event
Managing your event
Adding participants to an event
Adding sponsors to an event
Globally adding participants/sponsors

10) Gifts (there's also a separate manual maintained by Finance for Gift Entry)

Understanding Gift records
How to set up contacts for acknowledgement letters
Linking gifts to proposals
Gifts on trust records
Viewing the Gift summary

11) Funds (there's also a separate manual for how to set up fund records across our systems)

Understanding fund records
Understanding fund relationships
Donor report instructions

12) Grants (probably wouldn't apply to most organizations - we're a foundation so we do grant management)

13) Letters & Email

Constituent Letters
- Understanding constituent letters
- Creating a constituent letter
- Modifying your letter menu
- Creating your own constituent letter formats
Email
- Understanding email
- Sending an email to a constituent from Raiser's Edge
- Sending an email globally to multiple constituents

14) Output (Query/Export/Mail/Reports)

Understanding Output
( ... lots of procedures under these sections)

15) [Your Org]-Specific Tasks (area where you can put procedures specific to just your organization)

Annual appeal
Annual celebration
Annual report
Importing student records

16) Admin+Config+Technical (area to put specific processes you've come across that you want to remember how to do)

17) RE Mobile App

18) Upgrades + New Features

Gina Gerhard · May 2015

Sorry, just realized you were asking about an appendix, not an index (it's the end of a long day...)

So hope I didn't miss the mark on my reply ---

Diana Trapani · May 2015

Hi Gina,

I love that you love P&P's! Are you able to share your P&P? If so, will you please email? dtrapani@chartwell.org

Thank you! Diana

Gina Gerhard:

I love policies and procedures and would be thrilled to share my index for my RE manual!! Of course, there are many many ways to do this - here's what worked for us.

I've included some sub-detail for those areas that have more sections.

Many sections we have an 'Understanding' introduction - this was great for staff that needed only some awareness of how things worked but not the detail. And it was also an introduction to the topic that leads into more detail for more technical staff.

We are a community foundation so perhaps the way we think of our structure may be different that for fundraising organizations -- but maybe some of this will be helpful.

01) Introduction to Raiser's Edge
Systems Overview

Navigating in Raiser's Edge

Responsibilities in Raiser's Edge

Confidentiality + Policies

User Name + Password

Types of Records

Searching
02) Using RE Efficiently and Getting Help
Using your Home Page

User Options

Using Default Sets

Business Rules

Changing your column views

Keyboard shortcuts

Using BB Support online

What if I have a question
03) Constituents
Constituent Records
Understanding Constituent records

Required fields for constituent records

Constituent Codes

Addressees + Salutations

Individuals
Adding an individual record - Bio 1 and other tabs

SSN numbers

Organizations
Adding an organization record - Org 1, 2 and other tabs

Trust and Estate Records

US+State of NH
04) Relationships
Understanding Relationships

Individual + Organization relationships
Create a constituent record from a relationship

Deleting and unlinking relationships

Head of Household

Self Employment + Sole Proprietor

Sharing non-constituent relationships

Relationship + Reciprocal chart

Contacts

Fund relationships

Education + School relationships

Assigned Solicitor relationships
05) Addresses
Understanding Addresses

Adding Addresses

Changing + Updating addresses

Copying + Linking addresses

Address attributes

Address resources

Email
06) Advanced
Actions

Annotations

Attributes

Dashboards

Media

NetCommunity

Notes

Solicit Codes
07) Maintenance
Deceasing + Divorcing

Inactivating a record

Retirement

Special types of records (for some 'fake' type of records we use for specific purposes)
08) Donor Services
Prospects + Proposals

Professional Advisors

Gift Planning
09) Events
Understanding events

Creating an event

Managing your event

Adding participants to an event

Adding sponsors to an event

Globally adding participants/sponsors
10) Gifts (there's also a separate manual maintained by Finance for Gift Entry)
Understanding Gift records

How to set up contacts for acknowledgement letters

Linking gifts to proposals

Gifts on trust records

Viewing the Gift summary
11) Funds (there's also a separate manual for how to set up fund records across our systems)
Understanding fund records

Understanding fund relationships

Donor report instructions

12) Grants (probably wouldn't apply to most organizations - we're a foundation so we do grant management)

13) Letters & Email
Constituent Letters
Understanding constituent letters

Creating a constituent letter

Modifying your letter menu

Creating your own constituent letter formats

Email
Understanding email

Sending an email to a constituent from Raiser's Edge

Sending an email globally to multiple constituents

14) Output (Query/Export/Mail/Reports)
Understanding Output

( ... lots of procedures under these sections)
15) [Your Org]-Specific Tasks (area where you can put procedures specific to just your organization)
Annual appeal

Annual celebration

Annual report

Importing student records

16) Admin+Config+Technical (area to put specific processes you've come across that you want to remember how to do)

17) RE Mobile App

18) Upgrades + New Features

Cindy Benson · May 2015

Gina,

I'm very glad you published your manual index! And, like Diana (below), I would sure love to see your manual, too! We have come as far as developing procedures for each task, as I was training a new employee over the last year, but they're all a lot of separate documents, with no intro or "understanding" sections at all. Your index has just inspired me to get a move-on! If you are ok with sharing, I'd be very grateful! If not, I understand! Just in case, though, my email is cindy.benson@pfeiffer.edu. Thanks in advance!

Patti Hommes, bCRE-PRO · May 2015

I would love to see some manuals as well! I have been in my current position for just over six months, and one of my many tasks is to produce a P & P manual. I've downloaded a few samples but would welcome some additional material!

Gina Gerhard · May 2015

Cindy - Unfortunately the entire manual is made up of hundreds of 'pieces' so it's really difficult to share.

The more 'modular' approach has been very helpful in being able to refer/link to relevant sections in other procedures.
Also we were able to develop training tracks for different levels of employees and provide only the pieces they need training on - so you could essentially assemble different manuals for each level.
In our organization, we have many people who create and work in the system so I've chosen to include more detail in my procedures than perhaps you need if you have a central data administrator who is more knowledgeable.

Based on the index, if there are areas that you're specifically interested perhaps I can share either more details on the full contents within that section or some key procedures that might be helpful.

I will enclose here an 'Understanding' procedure and a more detailed procedure on creating records - to just show the type of documentation to maybe give some idea at what level of detail was included, formatting, etc.

In the past, I've shared the index and sample with others and gotten comments that it's been helpful to see the overall organizing scheme and a sample format. It may help to reduce the anxiety and procedure-paralysis when faced with the dautnting task of producing documentation.

Stacie Dennis · May 2015

Gina,

Thank you so much! I was looking for appendix ideas, but that index is very helpful as well. I see that there are several areas I am missing, so thank you again!

Kristen Crooker · May 2015

Wow, this is a great resource. Thanks for sharing Gina!

Cheryl Haimann · May 2015

Adding my thanks for the index, Gina! We are new-ish to RE, and finally at the point of solidifying our procedures. Firguring out how to organize everything is a BIG task.

Gina Gerhard · May 2015

Cheryl - The overall organizing scheme is half the battle because there's so many ways of doing it.

The way I organized was also tied to how I was going to deliver training - so I chose to have sections like 'Advanced' and 'Maintenance' where some of the higher-level tasks are housed - and could use these sections for training for targeted staff only.

So for example, general staff got training on sections 1, 2, 3 and the 'Understanding' pages only for sections 4 and 5.
Medium-level staff got the above plus the full sections 4 and 5 and 'Understanding' pages for all subsequent sections.
Power-level staff got all sections except for Admin+Technical.

This made it much easier to prepare the materials for them - otherwise you're pulling all these different pages and sections and it's crazy. So that seemed to work well to tie the skill/training levels with the procedural sections.

Good luck!

Cindy Benson · May 2015

Gina Gerhard:

Cindy - Unfortunately the entire manual is made up of hundreds of 'pieces' so it's really difficult to share.

The more 'modular' approach has been very helpful in being able to refer/link to relevant sections in other procedures.

Also we were able to develop training tracks for different levels of employees and provide only the pieces they need training on - so you could essentially assemble different manuals for each level.

In our organization, we have many people who create and work in the system so I've chosen to include more detail in my procedures than perhaps you need if you have a central data administrator who is more knowledgeable.
Based on the index, if there are areas that you're specifically interested perhaps I can share either more details on the full contents within that section or some key procedures that might be helpful.
I will enclose here an 'Understanding' procedure and a more detailed procedure on creating records - to just show the type of documentation to maybe give some idea at what level of detail was included, formatting, etc.

In the past, I've shared the index and sample with others and gotten comments that it's been helpful to see the overall organizing scheme and a sample format. It may help to reduce the anxiety and procedure-paralysis when faced with the dautnting task of producing documentation.

Gina, thank you very very much. Looks like there are a lot of us in the same boat! Your willingness to share is greatly appreciated!

Kathy Lively · May 2015

Holy Moly Gina, you are a rock star. I've been planning on starting our P&P Manual since we started RE. Have not had much success because the project is just so huge! Your index will help me get started. You should pull everything together and "sell" it to Blackbaud to make it more generic so they can share it with all new users. Your index is great, love the samples too.

Thanks

Kathy Lively

Captain Planet Foundation

Shannon Morin · May 2015

Really great answers above! Thanks all for sharing your index/table of contents! That really helped. I'm working on our new manual as well.

You might want to include appeals in your appendix, as these are sometimes used multiple ways. I'd also include a section about relationships and rules for soft crediting.

Thanks again!

Jody Johnson · May 2015

The answers above are great, and I add a lot of what is mentioned above.

I also really like putting in a couple of real life examples so that they will know how to deal with it.For example, how to get a tax receipt re-issued, how to add contact restrictions, how to add a letter to an action, etc.

Appendix Examples

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