Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Interesting tool from our friends at the Foundation Center Foundation Center - Nonprofit Collaboration Database : Nonprofit Collaboration Database Search the Nonprofit Collaboration Database to find real-world examples of how nonprofits are working together. Learn more about the database, here MORE
Five tips to spring-clean your database - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders : "What about your database? Dirty data be gone! When was the last time you conducted some spring cleaning on your donor data so that data pulls, analysis and reporting didn’t require extra manual manipulation? MORE
Here are some of the coping strategies I’ve used during a database cleanup : Don’t purge files too soon , but go through them and put the contents in date order and dispose of any obvious duplicates (if needed). Nonprofit Management database clean-up donor database inherited files MORE
Here are a few examples of how different departments can save time and increase their impact by using a unified database. For nonprofits doing political advocacy and social justice work, having solid data management practices can sometimes be an afterthought. MORE
Nonprofits use databases to handle volunteers, donors, staff, and more. For smaller nonprofits, a database may be nothing more than an Excel file. Medium to large nonprofits might have an IT staff and a simple database, designed by the in-house development team. MORE
In general, although I am sometimes asked, I tend to avoid assisting clients with choosing a donor database package. Others I think about: CiviCRM had 4.8%, Organizer’s Database at 3%, Salesforce was at 2.6%, Democracy in Action at 0.6% I also have to wonder (shudder) how many home grown Access and Filemaker databases fall into the “Other&# category of the survey, almost 20% of the total. In that trio was Organizer’s Database, the desktop open source DMS. MORE
I'm working on an article with the title, "Maybe It's Not Your Database, It's You." The premise is that complaints about an organization's database may be misdirected: the problem is how the system is being managed (aka management problems disguised as technology problems). MORE
If you haven’t already, take a look at my Spring Cleaning Your Database article from this time last year. Take the time to check your database backups and review your disaster recovery plans. Other thoughts on optimizing your database? MORE
Database expert and consultant, Wes Trochlil, gives us a quick run-down of his top 5 database management tips and speaks about his upcoming Wild Apricot Free Expert Webinar. database management MORE
The good folks at Asipration have taken my list of donor databases and put it into the Social Source Commons wiki. What's more, they added descriptions, logos, and links to the vendors' sites. Very cool! You can go directly to the list at [link] or preview it below MORE
Foundation Center - Nonprofit Collaboration Database MORE
Bad data is bad business, and there’s a cost to it: Inaccurate reporting, … Technology Cleanup data DBA Maintenance Training MORE
Databases are the technology that nonprofits love to hate. Some people wish their database had more options, some wish it were simpler, and some just wish they could get the same results from a query twice in a row. If you’re unsure about your current database, you aren’t alone. MORE
The flip side to my list of donor databases would be a list of systems that no longer exist. Tags: Donor Databases Fundraising Advancement Services 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 1999). This probably isn’t as useful a list, but it’s short so here goes: SYSTEM. VENDOR. Alchemy. MORE
Charity Commission to join national fraud database : The Charity Commission is to become a member of Cifas, the national fraud database, so it can develop a risk fraud profile of the charity sector and provide a means of checking trustees for linkage to fraud and rights to remain in the UK. MORE
Here's how I responded: I’ve yet to see a published report that provided a convincing general argument that [insert any nonprofit name here] will raise more money by using [insert database name here]. The cost of fundraisers refusing to use the current database because it’s not user-friendly, so their pipeline and contact history is in their heads, in spreadsheets or paper files, or has to be entered by an assistant (though you can put a cost on the last one). MORE
Wild Apricot is a simple membership database software that makes it easy to register members, collect payments, and communicate with them. Start your free trial now MORE
The good folks at Aspiration have been working to put my list of donor databases into a wiki. Along the way the identified some that seem to have disappeared and weren't on my earlier list of defunct donor databases. Giving Database from Willow Mountain Consulting. Tags: Donor Databases Here are the new entries: Association Management System from Micro Solutions. Donation Management System from Cumulus 9. DonorAccess from DonorAccess. MORE
To make it easy for you to navigate this article, we’ve broken our discussion into three helpful sections: Donor Databases for Small Nonprofits. Donor Databases for Medium-Sized Nonprofits. Donor Databases for Large Nonprofits. Donor Databases for Small Nonprofits. MORE
We see this happen often within donor databases and nonprofit CRMs. A clutter-free and efficient migration of data into your new database is a great start, but all of that hard work will be for naught if that environment is not kept intact going forward. MORE
Unfortunately, the day-to-day work of managing fundraising efforts often falls to one person who is the sole user of the donor database or CRM software. Here are three reasons why everyone in your organization should have their hands in the donor database regularly: 1. MORE
Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology How’s that donor database of yours? December 2, 2008 In general, although I am sometimes asked, I tend to avoid assisting clients with choosing a donor database package. Others I think about: CiviCRM had 4.8%, Organizer’s Database at 3%, Salesforce was at 2.6%, Democracy in Action at 0.6% MORE
I get asked the question often, “What should we look for in donor database tools?” All good donor database tools worth your time and money will include: 1. I believe there are three crucial elements that you need. A dashboard. This allows you to see how things are going at a glance. MORE
Though database technology may not be anyone's first thought related the the human services field, experienced staff of these organizations know just how important these tools are, allowing them to work more efficiently, saving time and money, and maximizing the impact of their work at every level. MORE
We are very pleased to announce that we completed a successful and significant upgrade of our core database systems last night. While not as flashy as some of our feature upgrades for users, this is the kind of infrastructure upgrade that sustains VisionLink and our customers over time. MORE
I’m no database expert, and I’m not going to claim to be one. The post Data Deduping Tips for a Tidy Database appeared first on John Haydon. Big data actually sort of makes my head hurt. MORE
In my last blog I talked about a segment of your audience that could use a bit more love: non-donors, prospects, casual observers—the usual suspects. Call them what you will, but these are the people that expressed interest in your organization and mission and are waiting to hear more. MORE
I'm planning a new workshop on selecting donor databases, focusing on the question, "Why is this so friggin' complicated?" It needs to be easy to get reports from the database, but it also needs to support complex selection criteria. MORE
Shopping for a donor database is a complicated process, which is made even more difficult when it is hard to find information about a software's compatibility with your organization's unique mission and needs. That's why we've put together a collection of guides to the process of evaluating and selecting database tools, customized for several types of organizations that we commonly work with. MORE
At the end of last year, I spent a good deal of time analyzing our database (yes, my inner geek is showing) and asking the big questions: where do I need to make an investment? The reason marketers start here is the same reason a nonprofit should – making a connection to the real people in your database. Author: Jennifer Atkins. MORE
One fundraising database breaks down silos and benefits every department : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success : The natural conclusion then is that one database for the whole organization — that crucially meets the specific needs of each department — is the best way to go. And in the case of the fundraisers that responded to the recent Lehman surveyOpens in a new window of fundraising databases, that’s where most people are. MORE
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. The only way I know of to answer your question is to go through these steps: Write down what you need in a database, in as much detail as you can. MORE
Donor Databases Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Technology SoftwareA colleague forwarded the following email from a vendor and asked how I think a potential buyer should respond. I've redacted the message to anonymize the vendor: Dear _, I thought you might be interested in a recent analysis of low cost fundraising software, conducted jointly by independent organizations Idealware and N-TEN. MORE
What exactly is a membership database and how can it help you achieve your organization's goals? Here are details on an Expert Webinar with Wes Trochlil that can answer your database questions. webinar membership database MORE
The following story, posted with permission, was sent to the FUNDSVCS list in response to a question about how to reign in schools and departments at a university that keep their own shadow databases of contacts. The response hit the nail on the head: We started working on folding shadow databases into (Raiser''s Edge, our central database) about 8 years ago. I have a story that we have used quite often: A few years ago, we imported a shadow database into Raiser''s Edge. MORE
Any fundraiser who has ever used a donor database knows what a nightmare it can be if their nonprofit’s donor data is messy, inconsistent, inaccessible or nonexistent. But a donor database doesn’t just go bad on its own, and no system is immune from neglect or over-indulgence. MORE
New database will show how charity money is spent | Philanthropy Impact : The database will consist of information from the annual returns sent to the Charity Commission from charities in England and Wales. It will give headline income and expenditure and show how charities with an income of over 500,000 allocate their revenue across fundraising and governance, charitable activities and reserves. MORE
Database are extremely useful in simplifying business operations, communication, and workflow for both the for-profit sector and nonprofit sector. Nonprofits and charities use databases to manage donor, volunteer, and B2B profiles and aggregate data. Image courtesy of WiseGeek. MORE
When does a small nonprofit need a database? CoolData blog : "When should an organization acquire some kind of database system or CRM? Any organization, no matter how small, has to track activity and record information for operational purposes. This may be especially true for nonprofits that need to report on the impact they’re having in the community. I usually think in terms of tracking donors, but nonprofits may have an additional need to track clients and services." 'via MORE
I've been enjoying the discussion in the Chronicle of Philanthropy's LinkedIn group in response to the question, " What's a good, affordable donor database program for a small non profit? " (you'll probably need to join the group to read the responses). Advancement Services Donor Databases Fundraising Nonprofit Technology MORE
Over the past few years I've been compiling what turned out to be a huge list of donor databases. The entries came from a variety of other lists and from customer satisfaction surveys done by Campbell Research, NTEN, and Idealware. Once I posted the list I started getting requests to add links to vendor websites, tags, and comments. Now the good folks at Aspiration have taken my list and put it into the Social Source Commons wiki. read more. MORE
Get all of your organization’s information in one centralized database. One database manages your supporter relationships and their gifts, pledges and payments. The post Finding the Right Donor Database for Your Nonprofit appeared first on Nonprofit Hub. Consider this—7 out of every 10 donors only donate once. Not enough to shock you? Let’s add to the mix. 77 percent of donors leave due to a lack of communication. Those are downright terrifying numbers. MORE
A question was posted to a listserve for nonprofit techies looking for tips on training staff on a new database. The trainer needs to understand the database, present technical concepts clearly and without jargon, teach at the students' level, and be incredibly patient. Train end users on a sample database, not production data. The sample database should be configured with your own codes, menus, security settings, and any customizations. MORE
Database Related Topics Connection Cafe
AUGUST 28, 2017
Here are some of the coping strategies I’ve used during a database cleanup : Don’t purge files too soon , but go through them and put the contents in date order and dispose of any obvious duplicates (if needed). Nonprofit Management database clean-up donor database inherited files
Connection Cafe
MARCH 14, 2013
Bad data is bad business, and there’s a cost to it: Inaccurate reporting, … Technology Cleanup data DBA Maintenance Training
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Robert Weiner
MAY 10, 2013
The following story, posted with permission, was sent to the FUNDSVCS list in response to a question about how to reign in schools and departments at a university that keep their own shadow databases of contacts. The response hit the nail on the head: We started working on folding shadow databases into (Raiser''s Edge, our central database) about 8 years ago. I have a story that we have used quite often: A few years ago, we imported a shadow database into Raiser''s Edge.
TechImpact
SEPTEMBER 3, 2013
Nonprofits use databases to handle volunteers, donors, staff, and more. For smaller nonprofits, a database may be nothing more than an Excel file. Medium to large nonprofits might have an IT staff and a simple database, designed by the in-house development team.
TechImpact
NOVEMBER 26, 2013
Database are extremely useful in simplifying business operations, communication, and workflow for both the for-profit sector and nonprofit sector. Nonprofits and charities use databases to manage donor, volunteer, and B2B profiles and aggregate data. Image courtesy of WiseGeek.
AFP Blog
OCTOBER 23, 2012
Foundation Center - Nonprofit Collaboration Database
Connection Cafe
JULY 30, 2015
In my last blog I talked about a segment of your audience that could use a bit more love: non-donors, prospects, casual observers—the usual suspects. Call them what you will, but these are the people that expressed interest in your organization and mission and are waiting to hear more.
AFP Blog
MAY 6, 2014
Interesting tool from our friends at the Foundation Center Foundation Center - Nonprofit Collaboration Database : Nonprofit Collaboration Database Search the Nonprofit Collaboration Database to find real-world examples of how nonprofits are working together. Learn more about the database, here
Robert Weiner
JULY 10, 2012
Here's how I responded: I’ve yet to see a published report that provided a convincing general argument that [insert any nonprofit name here] will raise more money by using [insert database name here]. The cost of fundraisers refusing to use the current database because it’s not user-friendly, so their pipeline and contact history is in their heads, in spreadsheets or paper files, or has to be entered by an assistant (though you can put a cost on the last one).
Robert Weiner
JULY 25, 2010
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. The only way I know of to answer your question is to go through these steps: Write down what you need in a database, in as much detail as you can.
Robert Weiner
DECEMBER 6, 2012
I'm working on an article with the title, "Maybe It's Not Your Database, It's You." The premise is that complaints about an organization's database may be misdirected: the problem is how the system is being managed (aka management problems disguised as technology problems).
Robert Weiner
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
I'm planning a new workshop on selecting donor databases, focusing on the question, "Why is this so friggin' complicated?" It needs to be easy to get reports from the database, but it also needs to support complex selection criteria.
Connection Cafe
MARCH 10, 2014
If you haven’t already, take a look at my Spring Cleaning Your Database article from this time last year. Take the time to check your database backups and review your disaster recovery plans. Other thoughts on optimizing your database?
AFP Blog
MAY 4, 2015
When does a small nonprofit need a database? CoolData blog : "When should an organization acquire some kind of database system or CRM? Any organization, no matter how small, has to track activity and record information for operational purposes. This may be especially true for nonprofits that need to report on the impact they’re having in the community. I usually think in terms of tracking donors, but nonprofits may have an additional need to track clients and services." 'via
AFP Blog
FEBRUARY 18, 2014
Charity Commission to join national fraud database : The Charity Commission is to become a member of Cifas, the national fraud database, so it can develop a risk fraud profile of the charity sector and provide a means of checking trustees for linkage to fraud and rights to remain in the UK.
Idealware
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
Databases are the technology that nonprofits love to hate. Some people wish their database had more options, some wish it were simpler, and some just wish they could get the same results from a query twice in a row. If you’re unsure about your current database, you aren’t alone.
NonProfit Hub
JULY 12, 2017
To make it easy for you to navigate this article, we’ve broken our discussion into three helpful sections: Donor Databases for Small Nonprofits. Donor Databases for Medium-Sized Nonprofits. Donor Databases for Large Nonprofits. Donor Databases for Small Nonprofits.
NonProfit Hub
JUNE 27, 2015
I get asked the question often, “What should we look for in donor database tools?” All good donor database tools worth your time and money will include: 1. I believe there are three crucial elements that you need. A dashboard. This allows you to see how things are going at a glance.
Robert Weiner
MARCH 17, 2013
Donor Databases Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Technology SoftwareA colleague forwarded the following email from a vendor and asked how I think a potential buyer should respond. I've redacted the message to anonymize the vendor: Dear _, I thought you might be interested in a recent analysis of low cost fundraising software, conducted jointly by independent organizations Idealware and N-TEN.
VisionLink
DECEMBER 9, 2010
We are very pleased to announce that we completed a successful and significant upgrade of our core database systems last night. While not as flashy as some of our feature upgrades for users, this is the kind of infrastructure upgrade that sustains VisionLink and our customers over time.
Wild Apricot
MAY 16, 2019
Wild Apricot is a simple membership database software that makes it easy to register members, collect payments, and communicate with them. Start your free trial now
Robert Weiner
AUGUST 19, 2009
The good folks at Aspiration have been working to put my list of donor databases into a wiki. Along the way the identified some that seem to have disappeared and weren't on my earlier list of defunct donor databases. Giving Database from Willow Mountain Consulting. Tags: Donor Databases Here are the new entries: Association Management System from Micro Solutions. Donation Management System from Cumulus 9. DonorAccess from DonorAccess.
NonProfit Hub
APRIL 11, 2014
We see this happen often within donor databases and nonprofit CRMs. A clutter-free and efficient migration of data into your new database is a great start, but all of that hard work will be for naught if that environment is not kept intact going forward.
Robert Weiner
FEBRUARY 24, 2012
I've been enjoying the discussion in the Chronicle of Philanthropy's LinkedIn group in response to the question, " What's a good, affordable donor database program for a small non profit? " (you'll probably need to join the group to read the responses). Advancement Services Donor Databases Fundraising Nonprofit Technology
Everyaction
JULY 16, 2018
Though database technology may not be anyone's first thought related the the human services field, experienced staff of these organizations know just how important these tools are, allowing them to work more efficiently, saving time and money, and maximizing the impact of their work at every level.
Connection Cafe
MARCH 2, 2011
At the end of last year, I spent a good deal of time analyzing our database (yes, my inner geek is showing) and asking the big questions: where do I need to make an investment? The reason marketers start here is the same reason a nonprofit should – making a connection to the real people in your database. Author: Jennifer Atkins.
NonProfit Hub
FEBRUARY 27, 2014
Unfortunately, the day-to-day work of managing fundraising efforts often falls to one person who is the sole user of the donor database or CRM software. Here are three reasons why everyone in your organization should have their hands in the donor database regularly: 1.
Robert Weiner
JANUARY 13, 2009
The flip side to my list of donor databases would be a list of systems that no longer exist. Tags: Donor Databases Fundraising Advancement Services 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 1999). This probably isn’t as useful a list, but it’s short so here goes: SYSTEM. VENDOR. Alchemy.
AFP Blog
MARCH 23, 2016
The One: 5 Benefits of Committing to a Single, Centralized Database - Target Marketing : 'via Blog this
John Haydon
JUNE 16, 2016
I’m no database expert, and I’m not going to claim to be one. The post Data Deduping Tips for a Tidy Database appeared first on John Haydon. Big data actually sort of makes my head hurt.
Wild Apricot
JUNE 19, 2015
Database expert and consultant, Wes Trochlil, gives us a quick run-down of his top 5 database management tips and speaks about his upcoming Wild Apricot Free Expert Webinar. database management
Everyaction
JUNE 18, 2018
Shopping for a donor database is a complicated process, which is made even more difficult when it is hard to find information about a software's compatibility with your organization's unique mission and needs. That's why we've put together a collection of guides to the process of evaluating and selecting database tools, customized for several types of organizations that we commonly work with.
NonProfit Hub
AUGUST 25, 2015
Any fundraiser who has ever used a donor database knows what a nightmare it can be if their nonprofit’s donor data is messy, inconsistent, inaccessible or nonexistent. But a donor database doesn’t just go bad on its own, and no system is immune from neglect or over-indulgence.
Everyaction
JULY 9, 2018
Here are a few examples of how different departments can save time and increase their impact by using a unified database. For nonprofits doing political advocacy and social justice work, having solid data management practices can sometimes be an afterthought.
AFP Blog
MARCH 26, 2015
Five tips to spring-clean your database - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders : "What about your database? Dirty data be gone! When was the last time you conducted some spring cleaning on your donor data so that data pulls, analysis and reporting didn’t require extra manual manipulation?
Robert Weiner
AUGUST 26, 2009
The good folks at Asipration have taken my list of donor databases and put it into the Social Source Commons wiki. What's more, they added descriptions, logos, and links to the vendors' sites. Very cool! You can go directly to the list at [link] or preview it below
AFP Blog
JUNE 21, 2013
New database will show how charity money is spent | Philanthropy Impact : The database will consist of information from the annual returns sent to the Charity Commission from charities in England and Wales. It will give headline income and expenditure and show how charities with an income of over 500,000 allocate their revenue across fundraising and governance, charitable activities and reserves.
AFP Blog
NOVEMBER 8, 2011
One fundraising database breaks down silos and benefits every department : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success : The natural conclusion then is that one database for the whole organization — that crucially meets the specific needs of each department — is the best way to go. And in the case of the fundraisers that responded to the recent Lehman surveyOpens in a new window of fundraising databases, that’s where most people are.
Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology
DECEMBER 2, 2008
Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology How’s that donor database of yours? December 2, 2008 In general, although I am sometimes asked, I tend to avoid assisting clients with choosing a donor database package. Others I think about: CiviCRM had 4.8%, Organizer’s Database at 3%, Salesforce was at 2.6%, Democracy in Action at 0.6%
NonProfit Hub
FEBRUARY 3, 2014
Get all of your organization’s information in one centralized database. One database manages your supporter relationships and their gifts, pledges and payments. The post Finding the Right Donor Database for Your Nonprofit appeared first on Nonprofit Hub. Consider this—7 out of every 10 donors only donate once. Not enough to shock you? Let’s add to the mix. 77 percent of donors leave due to a lack of communication. Those are downright terrifying numbers.
Wild Apricot
MAY 20, 2015
What exactly is a membership database and how can it help you achieve your organization's goals? Here are details on an Expert Webinar with Wes Trochlil that can answer your database questions. webinar membership database
Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology
DECEMBER 2, 2008
In general, although I am sometimes asked, I tend to avoid assisting clients with choosing a donor database package. Others I think about: CiviCRM had 4.8%, Organizer’s Database at 3%, Salesforce was at 2.6%, Democracy in Action at 0.6% I also have to wonder (shudder) how many home grown Access and Filemaker databases fall into the “Other&# category of the survey, almost 20% of the total. In that trio was Organizer’s Database, the desktop open source DMS.
Robert Weiner
SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
Over the past few years I've been compiling what turned out to be a huge list of donor databases. The entries came from a variety of other lists and from customer satisfaction surveys done by Campbell Research, NTEN, and Idealware. Once I posted the list I started getting requests to add links to vendor websites, tags, and comments. Now the good folks at Aspiration have taken my list and put it into the Social Source Commons wiki. read more.
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