How to Create a Training Sandbox

Updated on May 14, 2024

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How to Create a Training Sandbox: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1383987

Our Instructor-Led Training sessions will teach you core PatronManager functionality and our best practice recommendations to get the most out of the system.

That means there's a lot to cover! We won't spend much time reviewing the basics - and, in any case, these are best learned hands-on. If you'd like a safe environment to do some hands-on learning, you can create a training sandbox by taking the following steps:

Set up a sandbox
Create Contacts/Accounts
Add donations
Create an Event Inventory
Sell a ticket

This whole process should take you about four hours. Let's jump in!

1. Set up a sandbox

A sandbox lets you play around in PatronManager without worrying about how you're affecting your "real" account. This means it's perfect for hands-on learning!

To do: complete the steps in How to Create a New Sandbox for your Account

2. Create Contacts/Accounts (in your sandbox)

Your sandbox copies all the metadata from your production account - that is, any custom objects / fields. However, you'll quickly notice there aren't any records in it - that is, Contacts, Accounts, Donations, Ticket Orders, etc.

To perform test transactions and run useful reports, you'll need to add some. We recommend you create about 5-10 Contacts and Accounts, making sure to utilize your different record types (e.g. Business Account, Patron Contacts, etc.).

To do: create 5-10 Contacts & Accounts; follow along with this video tutorial if you're not sure how

3. Add donations to those Contacts (in your sandbox)

Now that you have Contacts, they should make some donations! Again, be sure to utilize all your different record types (e.g. Pledges, Major Gifts, Soft Credits, etc.). We also recommend adding donations of varying sizes, from $5 up to $10,000.

To do: create 5-10 Donation records; follow along with this video tutorial if you're not sure how

4. Create an Event Inventory (in your sandbox)

Before you can "sell" any tickets to these Contacts, you'll need shows you can sell. Have fun making up your dream season - it's your sandbox, after all!

We recommend building out a full season of 3-4 Ticketable Events, each containing at least 2 Event Instances. Make sure to utilize cloning - it'll make this process way faster!

To do: create a season of performances from Ticketable Event down to Price Level: