What is TrainingPoint?

TrainingPoint is an experimental project that offers registered users the ability to upload and download freely distributable technology curriculum. The goal of the site is to be a "living" resource where training providers to the nonprofit sector can share curricula with peers, as well as serve as an online community where consumers and providers can share opinions about materials and knowledge about training, in general. The long-term success and viability of TrainingPoint will depend on the participation and support it receives from the community it strives to serve.

Who developed TrainingPoint?

TrainingPoint is a project of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, a nonprofit consulting and training organization with offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.  The mission of CompassPoint is to increase the effectiveness and impact of people working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector.  The largest nonprofit management support provider in the country, CompassPoint holds workshops, provides consulting and conducts research in nonprofit management topics such as strategic planning, nonprofit financial systems, boards of directors, technology and Internet applications and strategies, program evaluation, organization development, and executive transition.

The management and technological development of this site is conducted by Prajna IT Consulting, a systems integrator providing start-to-finish architecture, implementation and deployment software services.

The design of this site was created by onehouse.net, a web design and development firm located in Berkeley, CA.

Who is TrainingPoint geared to?

TrainingPoint is geared toward nonprofit technical assistance providers, organizations or individuals who provide training to nonprofit clientele.

How do I access TrainingPoint?

To access TrainingPoint (whether you plan on posting or retrieving materials, or both), you must first register with the site. If you are already logged in, you are ready to use all the features of the site. If not you can click on the "become a member" link to register.

For additional information, see Registration Help for International Users

How much does it cost to use TrainingPoint?

TrainingPoint is free.

Can I freely reproduce the document that I download?

Each posted curriculum has a publishing license type associated with it that dictates the terms of usage for that document. Depending on the license type, some documents may be freely revised, copied and distributed and others may have restrictions to their use. Please refer to the individual item you've downloaded for more information on the license type associated with that document.

For additional information, see License types: definitions

How often is the information revised?

Revisions are done on a case by case basis by the provider of the materials.  You can elect to be notified by email of these revisions by checking the "email notify" box that appears on your user home page in the "Materials You Have Retrieved" section.

Registered users who retrieved materials are also invited to post their feedback about the materials on the site.  You will receive an email fourteen days after retrieving a document prompting you for your feedback.  You can provide your feedback then or at a later time.  Alternatively, you can also go to the TrainingPoint page for a specific set of materials and use the "Write Review" button on that page to post feedback on those materials.

You can edit the information in your user profile at any time by logging in and then selecting the "update profile" option that appears on the menu on your user home page.

Who can provide curricula to the site?

Technical assistance providers, organizations or individuals who have registered with the site can post materials.

How do I post my materials to the site?

Once you have registered with the site and logged on, you will be able to upload materials and post links to online resources by following the directions on your user home page.  For uploads it is strongly encouraged that you follow one of the uploading formats recommended by TrainingPoint to make your materials as accessible as possible to the largest number of users.  You will be able to provide information about your materials when posting them on TrainingPoint.

For additional information, see Information on Uploading Documents.

How do I retrieve materials from the site?

Once you have registered with the site and logged on, you will be able to retrieve materials by using the Browse or Search functions that appear on your user home page. Although we recommend that providers post materials in formats that are accessible to a wide variety of users, some users may post materials in recent software releases or in formats that you are unable to access due to constraints of your computer system. In such cases, it may be necessary for you to upgrade your computer software before accessing this information.

For additional information, see Information on Retrieving Materials.

How do I know a file doesn't have a virus?

To protect yourself from computer viruses, we highly recommend that you scan every file that you download for viruses before opening them. This means scanning zip or compressed files (.exe files) as well as the individual files within a zip or compressed file.

What should I do if I want to comment on material that I have retrieved?

Any registered user can write a review by selecting an item and clicking on the "Write Review" button. Additionally, fourteen days after you retrieve an item, you will receive an email prompting you for your feedback.

What should I do if I find an error in materials that I retrieved?

You can send an email to the author if that was provided. You can also write a review and describe the error there.

Where can I find more information on the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for TrainingPoint?

Click on the following links to access the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.  These links also appear at the bottom of every page.