Finding The Perfect Donor Database In An Imperfect World

Finding the Perfect Donor Database in an Imperfect World

Robert Weiner

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Today’s Speaker

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Robert Weiner Robert L. Weiner Consulting

Agenda •  Why Are We Here Today? •  When to Change? •  What Might it Cost? •  How to Choose?

•  “After people, data is your most important resource.” — John Kenyon.

•  A database is your institutional memory. •  It allows the organization to survive staff turnover.

•  A good database helps you work smarter.

Why Are We Here Today?

When to Change? •  Routine reports are painful to produce. •  Critical information is on paper. •  Can’t track metrics or progress. •  Data scattered in spreadsheets. •  Data can’t be integrated across systems.

•  Can’t get 360 degree view of relationships, •  Data is in fundraisers’ heads. •  Your organization is changing. •  Bad vendor or wrong choice last time.

Principles •  There is no perfect database. •  First, decide what you’re looking for. •  Buy-in is critical. Stakeholders must be

involved in the decision. •  Structure software demos so you can

compare “apples to apples.” •  Make sure you understand all the costs. •  Trust but verify.

Buying A Database

1)  Secure the Funding. 2)  Convene the right team. 3)  Specify your needs and priorities. 4)  Identify a pool of potential vendors.

•  RFP/RFI 5)  Test vendors against your needs.

•  Scripted demos •  Usability testing •  Reference checks •  Site visits

6)  Get a detailed cost proposal.

Step 1: Secure the funding

Image: alancleaver_2000

Sample 5 Year Budget

Step 2: Convene the Team

Image: 2dayblog.com

Step 3: What Do You Need?

Image: Pete Reed

Step 3.1: Prioritize Your Needs

Source: NPower: Four Steps to Selecting Donor Management Software

Step 4: Identify The Vendor Pool

Image: 99 James Kieran Nguyen

Step 4.1: Optional: Request For Proposals

•  Can help narrow or expand the vendor pool. •  Ask clear, unambiguous questions. •  Be Specific:

•  “Show how your system would handle donations in $, ¥, €, and £” not “Can it track gifts?”

•  “Show where your system would track catering costs” not “Can it handle events?”

•  Anything you ask for you will have to read and score!

Step 5: In-depth Comparisons

Image: Brooks Elliott Image: Castaway in Scotland Now

Step 5.1: Simple Demo Script •  Show how to:

•  Enter gifts, including a corporate match with “soft credit” to the individual.

•  Track multiple relationships. •  Track a grant proposal from LOI to award.

•  Select records based on combined demographic and gift criteria.

•  Create a new report.

Step 5.2: Rate the Demos

AREA RATING COMMENTS

Data Entry

Membership Mgmt.

Prospect Management

Events Management

Step 5.3: Hands-on Testing

System Usability Scale: http://meiert.com/en/upload/2007/04/sus.pdf

Step 5.4: Reference Checks

Image: pjern

Step 6: Full Cost Proposal

Product 1 Product 2 Product 1 Product 2

Software 35 concurrent 50 user accounts

Oracle License Fee Training 19.5 days 33 days

Data Conversion 37.5 days 10 days Consulting Services 5 days 26.5 days

Travel expenses

3rd party Hardware Estimated Implementation Costs

Web-Community Module Pricing

Maintenance - Year 1 Estimated Maintenance - Year 2 Estimated

Maintenance - Year 3 Estimated

Average Implementation Time 7-12 months 10-12 months

Required Client resources during implementation 1.5 FTEs 1.5-2 FTEs Technical staff to maintain system ? 1-1.5 FTEs

So How Long Might This Take? •  Longer than you think it will.

•  For small organizations, 3 – 6 months (or more) to select a system, 4 – 12 months (or more) to implement.

•  For large organizations, 6 – 9 months (or more) to select, 12 – 24 months (or more) to implement.

•  Plan for the unplanned. •  Don’t hitch time-sensitive processes to going live

on your new database.

Selection Recap 1)  Secure the funding. 2)  Convene the right team. 3)  Specify your needs and priorities. 4)  Identify a pool of potential vendors. 5)  Test vendors against your needs.

•  RFP/RFI •  Scripted demos •  Usability testing •  Reference checks •  Determine the real cost.

11)   Choose. 12)  Negotiate the contract.

Databases Don’t Raise the Money But the right database can assist with:

•  Prioritizing and segmenting lists. •  Prospect management and tracking. •  Stewarding your current donors. •  Identifying future donors. •  Time-management. •  Measuring and forecasting. •  Asking the right person for the right gift at the right time for

the right purpose.

This is only possible if data is captured and made available to appropriate staff.

Don’t forget: databases don’t run themselves.

Resources Batchelder, Duff: Evaluating & Selecting Fundraising Software

www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/software/page4829.cfm

Battin, Tom: Should Nonprofit Agencies Build or Buy a Database? www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page5028.cfm

Petulla, Maria: Making Order Out of Chaos: How a Good Fundraising Database Can Help You Raise More Money

www.fundraising123.org/article/making-order-out-chaos-part-i-database-reports-proof-effectiveness

Idealware: A Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems: www.idealware.org/reports/consumers-guide-low-cost-donor-management-systems

Idealware: more articles on constituent databases www.idealware.org/articles/managing-constituents

Mills-Groninger, Tim: The Soft(ware) Side of Fundraising Effectiveness: www.nptimes.com/07Sep/070901SR2.pdf

TechSoup: Selecting Donor Management Software www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page4797.cfm

TechSoup: Technology for Fundraising discussion forum www.techsoup.org/forums/index.cfm?fuseaction=list&forum=2022&cid=117

Weiner, Robert: Finding the Perfect Fundraising Database in an Imperfect World

www.rlweiner.com/grf/grf_finding_perfect_database.pdf

Weiner, Robert: Ten Common Mistakes in Selecting Donor Databases www.idealware.org/articles/ten_common_mistakes_in_selecting_donor_databases.php

Weiner, Robert: Why Building Your Own Database Should Be Your Last Resort www.rlweiner.com/nten/why_building_your_own_database_should_be_your_last_resort.pdf

More resources are posted at www.rlweiner.com/resources

Resources

Questions?

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Questions? Submit your questions using the question box.

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Robert Weiner

robert@rlweiner.com

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