FundRaiser Blog
How a training intensive saved the day for a long term care facility experiencing a donor database crisis
The crunch was on at Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home. They had to find a replacement for their Development Coordinator, and get her up to speed on their FundRaiser program fast. Ward Orem, CEO for LLDL Home, was pulling his hair out. “We had a huge mailing coming up, and then a spring campaign, and immediately after that a large fundraising event.” The Lisner-Louis-Dickson-Hurt Home is the only long term care facility in Washington, DC exclusively serving disadvantaged senior citizens of the city. They are FundRaiser Professional users.
Virtually at the last minute, they found a new Development Coordinator, Debbie Lyle. “Debbie is new in the position and was literally being dumped into boiling hot water,” says Ward. He decided to invest in onsite training for her. “Debbie had to get her feet on the ground and start running immediately. Individualization was critical. Although we have benefited in the past from FundRaiser training webinars, we felt that it would be so much more beneficial to have a FundRaiser trainer sitting right next to us. It was well worth the investment,” says Ward.
Debbie was happy about his choice. “I learn best one-on-one and I was new in the position of Development Coordinator. I didn’t know anything about FundRaiser before the training.”
Arranging for onsite training
FundRaiser made all the arrangements for Larry Weaver, head of FundRaiser’s Training Department, to come onsite to the organization. Larry flew out and worked with Debbie and others at the organization for two days.
How the training went
“I am really surprised how quickly I picked up the technology,” says Debbie. “Larry did a great job of explaining things in a way that I would understand. He’s also been there for any questions I’ve had since then.”
Ward was happy too. “It was wonderful to have Larry visit us and train our team. He was absolutely remarkable and made the experience educational, practical, and enjoyable. We all walked away far more knowledgeable about the system and its many applications. It truly was a valuable two days.”
Follow-up to onsite training
Since the onsite training, Debbie has continued to feel satisfied. “Larry helped me get familiar with the system initially, and has been good at following up.” How did the first mass mailing go, just a few weeks after Debbie was hired? “That was complicated because I didn’t know how to set up the email. I called Tech Support and got the help I needed. We got the mailing out, and I feel confident that I can get a hold of someone to help me whenever I need it.”
For his part, Larry enjoyed the experience, too. “I really enjoyed being able to be there and guide them through the steps to accomplish tasks that are unique to them. In a webinar, I point out how things work, but it can’t be geared as precisely to one individual or situation.”
“It’s also really nice to be able to see the organization and see what they do,” says Larry. “It is wonderful to see the direct benefit of what FundRaiser is giving them.”
“We cannot say enough good things about the training,” says Ward. “Larry is a stitch and we are a comical crowd. We like to laugh and at the same time he taught us so well.”
If you'd like more information on FundRaiser Onsite training, contact
Autumn Shirley at 800-880-3454 ext 302 or by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
