Robert Weiner

AUGUST 18, 2009

Idealware published a new article of mine today, on a subject that comes up whenever I teach workshops for small nonprofits: "Why not use Excel as my donor database?" Tags: Donor Databases. " The article is at [link].

Database 100

Database Donor Teach Tag 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 29, 2009

Lokey, who has appeared on The Chronicle’s list of America’s top donors every year since 2000. How could a small institution with big aspirations engage donors with significant financial capability? What do you see as the ED’s role in working with major donors? Tags: Fundraising.

Mind 100

Mind Donor Proposal America 100

Robert Weiner

AUGUST 19, 2009

Idealware just published a new article of mine, on a subject that comes up whenever I teach workshops for small nonprofits: "Why not use Excel as my donor database?". Tags: TechSoup.

Database 100

Database Donor Teach System 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 11, 2009

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 (and I’m not certain all of these are actually donor databases). Donor Quest.

Database 100

Database Donor Kintera Oracle 100

Robert Weiner

APRIL 28, 2009

Our friends at Idealware and NTEN have released their Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems. The guide presents detailed comparisons of 33 donor databases that cost less than $4,250 in the first year. Tags: TechSoup.

System 100

System Guide Comparison Donor 100

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

Idealware just published an article by Keith Heller called Do You Need New Donor Management Software? Tags: TechSoup. Keith urges nonprofits to look before they leap into new software, cautioning that "new software may not make anything better — in fact, it could make things worse."

Software 100

Software Management Donor Summary 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 5, 2009

Marketing research firm Campbell Rinker has published the results of its latest survey of donor and member management software. Tags: TechSoup. Of the 841 respondents, 27% would NOT recommend their current systems to a comparable organization, 26% were unsure, and 47% would give a positive recommendation.

Survey 100

Survey Results Database Donor 100

Robert Weiner

MAY 13, 2010

I received an email newsletter today with the following pitch for a web-based donor database (perhaps you can guess which one): The Cloud offers you constituent relationship management (CRM) software that's less expensive, easier to maintain, more accessible, more intuitive, and with greater flexibility and capacity than you've ever seen before.

Software 122

Software Free Database Newsletter 122

Robert Weiner

JUNE 9, 2010

Tags: Donor Databases. Jay Love, the founder and CEO of eTapestry (and before that, of Master Software), is leaving Blackbaud to become CEO of Social Solutions: [link]. I spoke with Jay yesterday and he says that Blackbaud is committed to etapestry and will continue to invest in the product. Time will tell.

Blackbaud 112

Blackbaud Database Software Product 112

Robert Weiner

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

If you have an urgent call to action, a way of reaching a mass audience, and don’t mind not being able to identify, steward, or resolicit most of the donors who give via text, mobile giving can definitely be effective. That will bring down the startup and monthly costs and allow you to identify your mobile donors.

System 138

System Time Paypal Donation 138

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 10, 2010

It describes the process of raising funds via SMS from the donors' and the nonprofits' perspectives, including costs and tips for getting started. Tags: TechSoup. In the wake of the huge number of donations given to Haiti earthquake relief via text mesage, MobileActive has published Texting for Charitable Dollars: The Definitive Guide.

Guide 100

Guide Haiti Raise Tag 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 27, 2010

C3 is looking for examples of how organizations can increase internal communication, communication between donors, clients and communities, and/or effective communication strategies in times of crisis or other large scale campaigns. Tags: TechSoup.

Grant 100

Grant Donation Audio Program 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 22, 2010

He suggests several, including donor retention. Donor retention can definitely be affected--positively and negatively--by Advancement Services. Do donors get timely, accurate receipts and thank-you letters? Tags: Advancement Services. Are they listed properly in the honor roll and other publications?

Service 183

Service Retention Evaluation System 183

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 3, 2009

She advises organizations to: Give donors what they want: To feel good. Tags: TechSoup. NetworkforGood’s Katya Andresen’s blog, Nonprofit Marketing, offers nonprofits 5 suggestions for surviving the economic downturn. To hear from people they know. Tangibility.

Advice 100

Advice Tag Marketing Donor 100

Robert Weiner

APRIL 14, 2009

Well, maybe it doesn’t exactly suck, but potential donors can’t figure it out. Tags: TechSoup. In a recent study of nonprofit Web sites , usability guru Jakob Nielsen asked participants "what information they want to see on nonprofit Web sites before they decide whether to donate?"

Site 100

Site Web Studies Tag 100

Robert Weiner

MAY 5, 2010

Donors were still giving, but in smaller amounts. Tags: TechSoup. Convio released their 2010 Online Nonprofit Benchmark Study in March, based on results from nearly 500 clients. Its findings included: 14% growth in online giving overall. The average gift size was $80.80. Most organizations saw declines in average gift size.

Stats 131

Stats Online Giving Convio 131

Robert Weiner

AUGUST 17, 2009

All of the industry sectors analyzed in the index had revenue declines over this period, and all but one sector had declines in donors as well. For the first time since the index began in 2002, overall revenue per donor declined; revenue per donor declines were experienced by two-thirds of the organizations in the index.

Retention 100

Retention Metrics News Analytics 100

Robert Weiner

JULY 17, 2009

The findings included: 96% of respondents accept matching gifts (down from 99% in 2008), but only 60% actively ask individual donors to request matching gifts. 67% said they include matching gifts when calculating donor recognition in gift clubs or other donor recognition levels. Tags: Fundraising. in last years' survey.

Gift 100

Gift Practice Survey Technique 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 5, 2009

An organization’s databases store its history: contact records; people served; donors, funders, and prospects; VIPs, volunteers, and vendors; event attendees, and more. Tags: TechSoup. My friend and fellow consultant John Kenyon is fond of saying that, after people, data is an organization’s most important asset.

Data 100

Data Database History Attention 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 27, 2009

The findings included: Although 99% of respondents accept matching gifts, only 67% actively ask individual donors to request matching gifts. 72% said they include matching gifts when calculating donor recognition in gift clubs or other donor recognition levels. Tags: Fundraising Advancement Services.

Gift 100

Gift Practice Survey Museum 100

Robert Weiner

NOVEMBER 17, 2009

UC Berkeley talked about a badge that donors can post to their Facebook pages after making a gift ("I Feed The Bears"). Tags: Fundraising Online Fundraising Social Media. Very few speakers or attendees reported using these tools for fundraising, though.

Social Media 112

Social Media Guam Badge Media 112

Robert Weiner

NOVEMBER 14, 2009

While the majority (of respondents) began using social networking with an expectation that it would help the organization attract donors and volunteers, results have been particularly disappointing in those categories. Tags: TechSoup. However, despite poor results to date, "the overwhelming majority of respondents.

Social Media 100

Social Media Volunteer Media Social 100

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 10, 2010

Unlike their earlier guides (to inexpensive donor databases, content management systems, online donation tools, etc.) Tags: TechSoup. Idealware recently released its Fundraising, Communications and Outreach. this one is an actual book (84 pages, paperback) and costs actual money ($19.95, plus, I assume, shipping and maybe tax).

Software 100

Software Guide Communication Fundraising 100

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 10, 2009

Hildy Gottlieb takes the con side in her post Avoiding the Siren’s Song of Social Media Fundraising , arguing that these efforts are counterproductive: These efforts tell donors, “You will have the satisfaction of knowing you helped.” Tags: Social Media Online Fundraising.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Fundraising Social 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 7, 2009

The impact of long recessions on giving varies by donor types. He summarizes: Overcoming fears and concerns of staff, board members, and donors may be THE most important task at hand today. Middle donors – those giving from $500 to about $10,000 a year will likely be squeezed hard economically and may step back in large numbers.

Gift 100

Gift Fundraising Comparison Foundation 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 5, 2009

An organization’s databases store its history: contact records; people served; donors, funders, and prospects; VIPs, volunteers, and vendors; event attendees, and more. Tags: IT Management Security Databases. Yet many organizations don’t pay enough attention to the care and feeding of their databases.

Data 100

Data Database Laptop Convio 100

Robert Weiner

MAY 4, 2010

Tags: Databases Donor Databases IT Management Nonprofit Technology Software. Resources : My article Finding the Perfect Fundraising Database in an Imperfect World includes a section called "To RFP or not to RFP" Idealware article: The Perfect Fit: A Guide to Evaluating and Purchasing Major Software Systems.

Software 112

Software Database Phase Proposal 112

Robert Weiner

MARCH 4, 2010

Private donations will be made in your name from our esteemed Voluntary Donors in your region and other parts of the world and you'll be allowed to deduct 10 percent (10%) of the total amount on these donations. Tags: Phishing Spam. GENDER : AGE : EMAIL ADDRESS: COUNTRY : Your prompt response is solicited. Registered No. MHQLTH1084442.

Haiti 122

Haiti Fundraising Spam gMail 122

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Tags: TechSoup. " read more.

Raise 100

Raise United States Analysis University 100

Robert Weiner

MARCH 20, 2009

A new study released by Blackbaud’s Target Analytics division suggests that first-time online donors do not become recurring donors. But, says the study, higher acquisition rates and larger gifts from online givers may be masking the difficulties many nonprofit groups have had in retaining these donors. read more.

Donor 100

Donor Online Giving Mail 100

Robert Weiner

JANUARY 5, 2010

These are the people who need to determine whether a contribution can be counted as a gift, which fund it should go to, who is the legal donor, whether it's tax deductible and who gets tax credit, whether accepting it violates any federal, state,or organization rules, who should be notified of the gift's arrival, etc. Play well with others.

Service 171

Service Policy Law System 171

Robert Weiner

FEBRUARY 20, 2009

If she meets her goal, donors will get to vote on whether she remakes Beyoncé’s "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" video, eats a " bacon explosion ," or plays her college marching band trombone in San Francisco’s Union Square (I think she’s hoping voters will choose the bacon). Tags: TechSoup.

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Fundraising NTEN Video 100