Choosing Software for Non-profit

Organizations

Peter Turkpeter.turk@sumac.com

January 2015Copyright 2015 Peter Turk

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3The Fifth DemandmentIra Nayman, Welcome to the Multiverse, 2013

Information is sacred. Not, we hasten to add, in a way that would threaten anybodys deistic beliefs; more in the sense that it is the lifeblood of the organization. Not, we hasten to add, in a way that would threaten anybodys medicalistic beliefs, either. Look, were trying to tell you information is really, really, really, really, really important, and thats five reallys, so you know were serious. Treat information with five reallys of respect.

4Objective

Manage Relationships With Constituencies

Create Organizational Memory

5A Database

One place to store your data

Shared

Non-redundant

6Functionality

7Functionality Basic Efficiency

Basic data sharing: group contact (client) management

Automate routine operations:

donation processing

bulk mailing: mail merge, labels, email

8Functionality Communication

Relationships between contacts

Communications: record and manage all types of communications

9Functionality Analysis

Built-in reports

Searching for anything you can think of

Ad hoc reporting

Terminology: knowledge management, decision support

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Functionality Computer Stuff

Configurability

Complete import and export (data management)

Documentation and help

Security (user profiles)

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Functionality DesirableCampaigns

Prospect rating

Reminders

Moves management (workflow management)

Mission-specific functionalitye.g. box office, auditions, course registration, case management, sponsorships

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Functionality Integration(No Islands)

donate to you: campaigns, donations, pledges, proposals, prospectinggive you money: auctions, funding programs and requestsbuy from you: payment processing, sales, ticketingwork for you: auditions, time tracking, volunteersparticipate in your activities: course registrations, events, memberships, submissions, tour bookingcommunicate with you: communications, contacts, email, reminders

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Benefitsefficiency: Do things more quickly with less effort.

effectiveness: Do things that could not be done before.

enhance relationship with community: Provide better service, reach higher revenues.

building organizational memory: Build an information resource that can be used day-to-day and mined for future work.

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Time Line

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Selection Step 1 Selection CriteriaActivities:

decide who is running the selection processset scope: who will use the software to do whatbuild internal consensus on requirementsapproximate budgetdecide whether to buy or build

Costs:consultants to help select the softwarestaff time

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Selection Step 2 Contact Software Vendors

Activities:identify those that might do the job for youdetermine rough pricing and functionality quickly so that you dont waste their and your timecolumn fodder is nasty

Costs:staff time

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Selection Step 3 DemonstrationsActivities:

arrange demonstrationshave the right people thereallow sufficient time (at least two hours)identify in advance what you want to seeif they wont show it to you, it doesnt exist or is too hard to use

Costs:staff time

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Selection Step 4 CheckActivities:

check references (what parts of the software do they actually use, what is good, what is bad)check type and quality of after-sales supportcheck documentationcheck user groupscheck organization

Costs:staff time

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Selection Step 5 Internal Buy-InActivities:

get agreement from internal interested usersget agreement from boardinform your IT consultants

Costs:staff time

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Selection Step 6 Make A DealActivities:

negotiate with the vendorsign the contractvendors usually have a standard contractsome room for negotiation on servicesprice is always negotiable

Costs:initial license feeannual renewal feeinstallation and training fee

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Selection Step 7 Data ConversionActivities:

get data out of your existing systemsput the data into the new system

Costs:staff timedata conversion feesIT consultants

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Selection Step 8 InstallationActivities:

upgrade your computers as requiredput the software on your computers

Costs:new computer gearIT consultantsdatabase manager license fee

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Selection Step 9 TrainingActivities:

learn how to use the systemlearn how to administer the system

Costs:travel to training locationstaff timecourse fees

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Selection Step 10 Ongoing Operations

Activities:install updates to the software as they ariseretrain staff as new versions are releasedperform regular data backup

Costs:IT consultants to (re-)install the softwaresupport feesstaff retraining timethis is where most of the cost resides

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Software Costs: DIME

Development

Introduction

Maintenance

End of Life

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Software Costs (1)

Development

Introductionnetwork, server, and workstation upgrades: hardware, software, installation, integration purchasingmigration (export, convert, import data)installation (server and workstation software)initial training

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Software Costs (2)

Maintenanceinfrastructure, electricity, coolingsecurity, backupperformance: technical (i.e. users waiting)performance: usability (i.e. users figuring out how to do something)upgrades to server and application software (staff and consultant time)ongoing training (staff and consultant time)

End of Life

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Beware

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Bewareweb sites that purport to be objective but actually front for a software vendor (fundraisingsoftware.org)result-selective consultants: (a) pretend to be objective but always recommend the software that they re-sell; (b) cost so much they must recommend expensive softwarehidden feesprice does not indicate what will work best for youthe answer to Can it do X? is always Yes. Ask:

Show me.What does X cost?What would it cost to enable it to do X?

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Beware The High Cost ofFree/Custom Software (1)

documentation: What will it cost to document a custom package?

training: Who will train you to use a custom package?

support: How fast can you actually get in touch with a university student, during exam time, or Summer when he is planting trees in B.C.? When the student graduates, moves away, or loses interest, all support disappears. A year or two after that the system will stop because of a system software change or need to move to a different operating system.

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Beware The High Cost ofFree/Custom Software (2)

data conversion: What will it cost to import existing data, clean it up, find duplicates, etc.

fees paid to the volunteer: Often non-zero.

inevitable need to switch to another system in two or three years: This entails real costs. You will need to export the data from your custom system and import it into something else. Is the custom system even able to export data?

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Beware The High Cost ofFree/Custom Software (3)

lack of integration means data will be duplicated: Volunteers in one database, donors in another, adds data entry burden.

time to start: Custom software must be developed, tested, and re-developed. How much time and effort will it cost you to spend time working with the developer as he gives you new releases, you try them, find them lacking, and cycle back to get another release? This will take many months.

data loss: Almost every in-house developed system we have displaced (there have been lots) has contained bugs that caused it to lose track of data or record things incorrectly.

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Architecture

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Architecture Terminologyuser: youuser interface: presents the application on a display-keyboard-mouseapplication: the functionality that you want, e.g. add a contact, delete a reminder, receipt a donationdata management: a database management system (DBMS); usually a relational database using Structured Query Language (SQL) for managing the data, e.g. Access, DB2, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Serverdata: the stuff that needs to be stored

User Interface

Application

Data Management

Data

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Architecture Single User

Is there more than one person in your organization?

User Interface

Application

Data Management

Data

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Architecture Multi User(Hosted)

Possibly hosted by an Application Service Provider (ASP) providing Software as a Service (SaaS).

Where is the data? Confidentiality issues, if data is sent over the open Internet or stored outside of Canada. What if your ISP or ASP is down or bankrupt? Can you get your data out?

Costs? Nickles add up.

Usability concerns.

User Interface

Application

Data Management

Data

User Interface

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Architecture Multi User(Client Server)

User Interface

Application

Data Management

Data

User Interface

Application

Need to update the application on multiple machines. How easy is this?

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Success FactorsFunctionality. Access to the functionality (i.e. ease of use).

Big bang rarely works. Go step by step. Set a small number of basic objectives.

Organizational desire to use the software and make it work.

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Giftworks Muskoka ConservancyIntegrates well with Quickbooks - when a donation comes in, it creates a charitable receipt record in the accounting softwareAllows you to track types of supporters, providing their entire history with organization member, purchased product, events, etc. Can be complicated to use Easy to learn the basics, but learning in-depth functions can be a time wasterLots of on-line support, and in-person supportProvides for multiple users in the office

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Giftworks Couchiching Conservancy

More difficult to use when computers are not networked together Some challenges in setting up and training staffGaps in service

Tanya ClarkDevelopment Coordinator, Couchiching Conservancy

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Sumac Ontario Farmland TrustTransferred to Sumac from Giftworks, Canadahelps and Paypal was looking for an integrated systemUnlimited customer support includedThey now use payment processor iATS which is compatible with Sumac

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Closing

CoverSlide 2Slide 3- ObjectiveSlide 5Functionality- Basic Efficiency- Communication- Analysis- Computer Stuff- Desirable- Integration (No Islands)- BenefitsTime Line1 Selection Criteria2 Contact Software Vendors3 Demonstrations4 Check5 Internal Buy-In6 Make A Deal7 Data Conversion8 Installation9 Training10 Ongoing OperationsSoftware Costs (a DIME)- Software Costs (1)- Software Costs (2)Warnings- Beware- High Cost of Free Software (1)- High Cost of Free Software (2)- High Cost of Free Software (3)Architecture- Terminology- Single User- Multi User (Hosted)- Multi User (Client Server)- Success FactorsSlide 39Slide 40Slide 41Closing