Trafalgar boosts engagement with holistic approach to technology

Located in Montreal, Quebec, Trafalgar School for Girls was the first English language all-girls school in Canada and the first feeder school for McGill University. Established to prepare women for higher education, and now operating for 135 years, Trafalgar prepares young women for university and
beyond through quality education and foundational experiences.

Trafalgar’s administrative team identified the need to audit their systems to reduce time-consuming tasks and processes for the staff in 2018. Through
this examination, they found that each department was using different software system, for a total of six unique systems, causing data silos across the institution. Knowing how much time could be saved with an integrated technology solution, Trafalgar contacted Blackbaud as a trusted name in the sector to streamline their systems and processes.

With Blackbaud’s strong support for smaller institutions, the school could embrace a connected set of solutions while staying within budget.
Trafalgar even had the flexibility to hire a dedicated staff member to focus on implementation, learn the software, and train the entire staff with the
support of a dedicated Blackbaud representative. By converting from multiple technology platforms to one with Blackbaud’s Total School Solution, Trafalgar has reduced data entry by four to six times, with staff saving an estimated 350 work hours a year overall when factoring in the added benefits of automation and seamless workflows.

A Better Way to Communicate

Since embracing the total Blackbaud suite of school solutions, Trafalgar has seen a marked increase in engagement with 100% of Trafalgar parents using their unique profiles to access important information in one convenient place.
The school utilizes their dedicated database coordinator to ensure all new families are set up and educated in how to make the most of the system to ensure their engaged from enrollment onwards. “Parents love that they can access all of the relevant info in a single place,” said Trafalgar Director of Finance and Operations Alicia Black. Because it’s so easy for parents to learn and use Blackbaud technology to interact with the school, it’s “the only way we communicate with families,” Black said.

Blackbaud’s Total School Solution has aided daily communication with parents and students, from class information to assignments, attendance and more. With push-page insights, administrative staff can validate the efficacy of communications through newsletter and email engagement metrics.
Teachers value that they can see that students are checking, and often double-checking, their assignments and important bulletins.

Integrated Solutions for Billing and Enrollment

Trafalgar also introduced efficiencies with the adoption of Blackbaud Billing Management, which provides flexible options for families for tuition payments and is integrated with Blackbaud Enrollment Management System as well as core student information and billing for extracurriculars. The shift created “a better workflow than we could have hoped for,” Black said.

“Internally we have noticed significant time saved by not having to re-enter student and parent information into our billing system and having enrollment deposits and the payments plan automatically generated on a student’s profile once the contract is complete,” she said. “Being able to process charges to an entire sports team without having to select the specific students or create the group ourselves is also a timesaver.”

Supporting Fundraising for a Big Move

With the help of Blackbaud solutions such as Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT for fundraising and relationship management, Trafalgar is preparing to relocate for the first time in their history as part of their innovative Be Moved campaign. Born of a close partnership with McGill University, the campaign’s goal is to build a bridge between research and learning by constructing one of Canada’s most advanced independent schools in the heart of downtown Montreal on the McGill campus.

The move allows Trafalgar to strengthen their long-standing relationship with the university while preserving the history and traditions that Trafalgar is known for. Their vision for this new learning complex sees respect for the past met with contemporary design and leading-edge function to create novel educational approaches and unparalleled opportunities for future-ready students.

With a deep-rooted culture and a relentless commitment to growth and innovation, Trafalgar School for Girls utilizes Blackbaud solutions to help balance their longstanding historical roots with their innovative goals for the future.