Monash Memo - articles - 21 November 2001

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Advancing development

Hundreds of staff will undertake information and training sessions using an innovative software system, which will help faculties improve their fundraising and alumni activities.

The sessions, to be held in a new dedicated training room in the Yarrowonga's (building 58) at the Clayton campus, will involve using a network of computers and telephones to train staff in the Advance C/S System.

University Development manager Mr Serhat Abdurazak said the new training facilities, which have been adopted to manage Monash's donor and alumni relationship building program, demonstrated how professional the university was becoming in its development activities.

"We're pleased that the training facilities are up and running and that staff can now take advantage of our specialised database services," he said. "We aim to train hundreds of university staff in using Advance."

Database coordinator Ms Lesley Green said the unit was committed to providing the training and support that staff need.

"Advance is used in development activities by many Ivy League education institutions in North America and at more than 130 institutions and not-for-profit organisations across the US," she said.

In 1997, Monash was the first university outside the US to introduce the system and has since been joined by the University of Melbourne and the London School of Economics.

The system can store information on the broader Monash community, alumni and other prospective donors, including details such as contact made, donations given and activities attended as well as family information.

It also allows Monash to coordinate fundraising approaches to companies and individuals.

"The beauty of the database is that it can be used as a tool for any faculty or area within the university," Mr Abdurazak said.