Tips for LGL users working from home unexpectedly

A fundraiser’s day is often spent interacting face-to-face with donors or entering donations into the database and generating acknowledgment letters. What to do if you find yourself working from home unexpectedly? We’ve put together ideas to help Little Green Light users maximize productivity during this time:

Tip #1: Catch up on trainings and webinars.

Whether you’re still learning Little Green Light or you’re looking for a refresher, we have a number of video resources that will help you make the most of your database. It can be hard to focus on those videos if you work in an office with lots of interruptions, so take advantage of your time at home to check them out here.

Tip #2: Check your database for duplicates. 

It’s an important database maintenance task, but it’s also one that’s easy to avoid…until suddenly you have a mailing to get out the door. Take care of that now, and your future self will thank you. You can use Little Green Light’s duplicate checker to do this.

Tip #3: Add additional users to your account if you need to.

If the change to your workflow means that additional coworkers will need to use Little Green Light, you can add them as new team members. You can add an unlimited number of team members to your account, and there is no charge to do so. Instructions are here.

Tip #4: Tidy up your acknowledgment templates.

Did you know you can archive acknowledgment templates in Little Green Light? If there are acknowledgment templates you’re no longer using, you can set their status to “Archived” so that they’re no longer available for selection during gift entry. You can always reactivate them in the future, but archiving old templates now can help simplify your gift entry process.

Tip #5: Test your online donation forms.

It’s a good idea to periodically test your forms to ensure they’re set up and mapped as expected—especially if you’ve made changes to an existing form. If you’re using LGL Forms to accept online donations, you can follow the instructions for testing them here.

Tip #6: Start writing your next appeal letter.

It doesn’t have to be a perfect final draft, and there will likely be details you won’t be able to fill in. But if you go ahead and draft a version now, you’ll be a big step ahead when it’s time to turn your focus to your appeal. Dealing with writer’s block? This resource will help you get past it.

Tip #7: Assess your work style.

A change in routine can help you notice things you otherwise wouldn’t. If you’ve been feeling frazzled at work, there may be some simple changes you can implement when you get back to the office that will help you be more productive and feel calmer. Check out our suggestions here.