Whether you have just joined the Blackbaud family or need a refresher on the numerous features of our software, many classes and resources are available. Being properly trained through one of the following options is the best way to ensure you get the most from your investment in Blackbaud's educational software solutions.

1. Classroom training at Blackbaud Headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina

Courses are available in a wide range of Blackbaud educational, fundraising, and data management software products. Plus you will have the benefit of visiting one of the most leisurely and historic cities in the United States.

2. Regional training available in 50 cities across the United States and Canada.

Just like traveling to our facility in Charleston, regional training sessions are held in state-of-the-art facilities. Each student is provided with their own workstation for hands-on learning.

3. Distance learning options available for busy professionals.

Can't travel anywhere? Distance learning can help you just like our in-class options. Instructor-led classes are available in an interactive, live group setting along with the eLearning library which provides self-paced online software lessons.

While these courses and resources can be purchased individually, Blackbaud recognizes organizations have budget constraints but also need a well-trained, passionate staff. For one affordable yearly fee, Blackbaud Training Pass offers unlimited classroom, regional, and distance learning courses along with unlimited access to the eLearning library.

Users of Blackbaud school administrative software or any of their other services can connect with other users through the Blackbaud User Society. Maintained by volunteers, it was developed by Blackbaud users to provide an informational resource separate from the company itself.

The user society includes many items that help school and non-profit administrators maximize the usefulness of their software products. Forums are available for each of Blackbaud's products, including the Raiser's Edge, Education Edge, Intelligence Edge, etc. Users can post questions regarding specific issues that are then addressed by others.

For instance, one recent post was from a college administrator having a difficult time importing test scores into their Blackbaud database. With a quick post to the forum, they received many helpful responses to their inquiry.

The Blackbaud User Society also includes news releases from the company and other topics of interest - with RSS feed capability so users can have those directly downloaded to their desktops.

Another great feature of the society is the user suggestion area. Each year, members from the society meet with developers from Blackbaud to share their insights and suggestions for making their products better. Suggestions are organized into several different categories and ranked by other users.

While the user society is free, you must create an account to fully utilize the site.

Blackbaud recently combined several large, existing teams to create a new division exclusively focused on internet solutions and services for non-profits.

Blackbaud Interactive combines the company's Interactive Services and Support teams with OnDemand hosting to better meet the needs of their rapidly growing Internet solutions customer base.

Many donor management professionals had a growing desire to "build a sense of community among their supporters and an increasing adoption of multi-channeled fundraising strategies," said Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s chief executive officer.

Blackbaud Interactive provides a comprehensive set of end-to-end services for school fundraising, including strategy, design, development, training, and management.

An exciting new offering of Blackbaud Interactive is OnCall Services. School fundraisers can partner with a dedicated client manager and other experienced professionals to collaborate on website development and design, improving efficiency and delivering on long-term strategies.

Blackbaud Interactive believes first and foremost that communication is the driver of online success and that people want to be recognized as unique individuals when they interact with an organization.

Their solutions are used by many organizations including the Clinton Global Initiative, University of Dayton, and the Francis W. Parker School to name a few.

Visit http://interactive.blackbaud.com/ to find out how Blackbaud Interactive can make the most of technology for your school fundraising and donor management.