I'm planning a new workshop on selecting donor databases, focusing on the question, "Why is this so friggin' complicated?" Some initial thoughts: The maxim "Fast, cheap, or good--pick two" is true. You want the technology to be forward-looking but also want to avoid shiny object … [Read more...]
Controlling data entry
A member of the PRSPCT-L listserve (for prospect researchers) asked "What do other institutions do to regulate or “police” data entry work, specifically when you have multiple users with authority to make updates?" It's a tough problem. Here are a few approaches (other than locking … [Read more...]
Going from Accidental Techie to Technology Leader
I just wrote a guest blog post for NTEN on the topic of moving from an accidental techie role to a leadership role. Last July, Holly Ross wrote that it was time to retire the phrase "accidental techie". She said, "it's not very nice to call anyone an accidental anything. What's really gotten … [Read more...]
Choosing a donor database
I get a lot of emails like the following from small nonprofits: We desperately need to get a new donor database and most of them are totally unaffordable!! Looking at the Idealware Low Cost Database report, I find that there are so many considerations that it is quite complicated to make a choice. … [Read more...]
Making the Case for Advancement Services
I got a call last week from the Advancement Services manager at a small college asking for help. She's trying to make the case for investing in Advancement Services at a college that seems to only want to invest in fundraisers. She had already found my post on the Ingredients of a High … [Read more...]
Ingredients of a High Performing Advancement Services Shop
I've been thinking about what it takes to run a great Advancement Services operation (aka Development Services, Development Operations, Development Systems, the fundraising infrastructure, the back office). While outsiders sometimes view Advancement Services as data entry staff, there's a lot … [Read more...]
Donor Tracking vs. Business Intelligence
The Nonprofit Times recently published an article called Is It Donor Management Software Or Business Intelligence. It discusses what Laura Quinn calls the "movement from merely tracking data to an emphasis on using it strategically to make business decisions." This vision of … [Read more...]
Matching Gifts Best Practices
SupportingAdvancement.com has published the results of their 2008 survey on how nonprofits are handling corporate matching gifts. The responses came primarily from post-secondary schools, but also included elementary schools, healthcare, museums, gardens, performing arts, and service organizations. … [Read more...]
Defunct Donor Databases
The flip side to my list of donor databases would be a list of systems that no longer exist. This does not mean that these systems are no longer in use, just that they're no longer being sold or supported (I recently met someone who still uses FundMaster, which hasn't been sold since at least … [Read more...]
How Many Donor Databases Are There?
I thought it might be useful to compile a list of all of the commercial donor databases I'm aware of. This list came from my head, my bookmarks, and lists compiled by NTEN and Idealware for their donor management software surveys. (Caveat: I'm not certain all of these are actually donor databases). … [Read more...]