Two aspects of education institution automation are admission services and parent-teacher organizations (PTOs). You might ask: How so?
Well, when it comes to admissions services, are you recording every aspect of the admissions process? From first contact, to campus tours and other events, to the application process, to ultimate admission?
Why is that important? It’s because you need to (or should) track a student, and his or her family, throughout the entire admissions process. Using a system like Salesforce, you can. For example, how many calls have been made between the student or the student’s family and Admissions? If you haven’t spoken with them in a while, perhaps it’s a good idea. Are you keeping that student appraised of campus tours and events through email? You can see if you have through Salesforce and, if necessary, shoot them an email or give them a call about an event. Has the student received a tour? Hook him or her up with a volunteer tour guide via Salesforce.
All of this information is extremely powerful, because the ultimate goal is successful admission. What better way to facilitate this process than through digital means, where there’s a record of all of your interactions?
The same goes for PTOs. You want there to be clear lines of communication, and a record of everything that has been done. With a system like Salesforce, you can register parents for PTO events, monitor their donations, send out periodic emails and more. The parents will feel much more connected to the PTO, and you’ll have a better idea of each parent’s involvement.
A well-informed school is a better school. Tracking students’ and parents’ involvement with your school gives you a clearer picture of that involvement. And it can lead to greater involvement and, ultimately, online donations.
Have questions? We’re here to help!
Joe Paone is a content strategist at DonorLynk who loves informing nonprofits.