There are a bewildering variety of database solutions for nonprofits these days. And once you commit, it’s yours for a long while. So how do you decide which platform is the most appropriate for your organization? Participants will gain an understanding of: • What a database is • How data and processes fit together in an organization • How to properly size a solution and What considerations to make when choosing a database

1. Y O U R M I S S I O N I S T O B U I L D A B E T T E R W O R L D .
O U R S I S T O H E L P Y O U S U C C E E D .
Effective Data Management
for Nonprofits

2. Agenda
 About Us
 Data Management
 Choosing a System
 Assess & Identify
 Prioritize & Map
 Decide
 Takeaways
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3. Database Selection vs. Data Management
Data management is the process of
collecting, organizing, and managing data as an
important organizational resource
 What is your end goal?
 Increase Capacity
 Track Outcomes
 Access to better information
 Consistency
 Basic infrastructure
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4. Data Management Plan
 Goals
 Data Dictionary: types of data, definition, source
 Data Entry Protocols
 Data Presentation
 Data Security
 Data Archival
 Roles and Responsibilities
 Budget
 Training and Review
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5. Assess organizational needs
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R E L A T E D T O :
• Strategic goals
• Technology systems
• Processes
• People
W H E R E A R E W E N O W - > W H E R E A R E W E G O I N G ?

6. Strategic planning
 What are your plans to grow or change your client base?
 Any foreseeable organizational shifts?
 Any new alliances?
 Any environmental or political changes in the wind?
 Any imminent Leadership changes?
 Any funding changes? How do these translate to your
Fundraising strategy?
 Is your current technology stable, or should it be reevaluated?
 How will any new technology serve your organization’s vision?
 How will it enhance the community you serve?
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7. Technology systems considerations
 Do an inventory of your current technology systems
o In-house vs. Cloud
o Servers ◊ File-sharing ◊ Email platform ◊ General office suite ◊ Tools
and business software ◊ Databases
o How do various tools intersect? Is there data entry multiple times?
o Do we connect electronically to any other organization?
o Do we connect remotely?
o Security and access control
 Use strategic technology planning to drive your database
selection process – not the other way around
 Avoid too big and too small
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8. People
• What does the organizational chart look like? Staff Size?
• What are current staff demographics? Their current adoption of technology and tools?
What kind of staff turnover do we face?
• Is there a formal information technology structure with dedicated responsibilities?
• What is the role of volunteers? Is there a dedicated volunteer coordinator?
• What is the relationship with the donor and accounting responsibilities?
• Is the ED on board for a project of this nature?
Define Project Roles
 Sponsor
 Owner
 Project Manager
 End Users
** Include staff who will be using the new database in the decision-making process **
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9. Processes
 Fit the technology to how your work, not your
organization to the technology
 Clearly Define:
 Who
 What
 When
 How
 Documenting current processes can help identify
possibilities!
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10. • Be clear about where you want to go
• Document specific needs and know order of importance
• Create a functional requirements outline
Prioritize & Map
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11. Functional Requirements
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12. Example: Requirements -Volunteer Management
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 Capture info around:
 Volunteer Profile
 Activity Tracking
 Labor/health and safety regulations
 Scheduling
 Communication: email/print
 Web integration/Online features
 Reporting & Exporting

13. Review costs and trade-offs
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14. Software Considerations
 Product vs. Platform
 Buying vs. building your own
 Open source vs. proprietary
 Cloud-based vs. on-premise
 Integration
 $$
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15. Customization
Unique Attributes -
High Cost
Standardization
“One Size Fits All” –
Low Cost
How Unique are we?
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What’s the balance?

16. Total cost of ownership (TCO)
 The software itself
 New hardware
 Staff training
 Ongoing maintenance
 Support
 Data migration
 Customization
 Staff downtime during conversion
 Lost revenue from possible technical failures
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17. Research
• Talk to other nonprofits
• Do online research at vendors website
• Read reviews
• Read discussion forum posts
• What do your IT people think?
• What do your internal stakeholders think?
• Engage a consultant
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18. Resources
 IdealWare: www.idealware.org
 NTEN: www.nten.org
 TechSoup: www.techsoup.org
 501 Commons: www.501commons.org
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19. • Narrow down the list -- which choices emerge as
winners? Losers?
• Identify your top contenders
• Contact vendors
• Requests for information vs. RFP
Decide
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20. Factors for vendor comparison
 How long has the company been in business?
 What percentage of their customers are nonprofits?
 Any references for nonprofits they’ve worked with?
 Business stability and sustainability plans.
 Approach and staffing for implementation and data migration
 How to they provide maintenance services and what is the cost?
 Do they provide guidelines for preparing or cleaning up existing data
before the transfer?
 What platforms do they focus on?
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21. Final steps
 Compare responses from vendors
 Ask the reps for software demonstrations
 Take advantage of free demo versions and
trial accounts
 Pilot the software
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22. Some database options*
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 Free – “like kittens!”
 Salesforce (10 licenses)
 CiviCRM
 Access**
 SQL**
 Subscription based
 Blackbaud – Raisers Edge, eTapestry, Luminate
 SugarCRM
 Microsoft Dynamics
 Little Green Light
 Batchbook
…and many more
* Focused on nonprofits
**Available to NPOs for reduced fees

23. Some databases featured in 2011 NTEN survey*
 Raiser’s Edge (from Blackbaud)
 Salesforce
 CiviCRM
 Convio Common Ground (acquired then retired by Blackbaud)
 Giftworks
 eTapestry
 Donor Perfect
 DonorPro
 Volgistics
 Volunteer Reporter
 DemocracyInAction
 Custom built software
* “2011 Nonprofit Data Ecosystem Survey”
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24. NTEN Survey Results – Donor Platform Grades
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Volunteer Platform Grades
from NTEN’s 2011 survey
Summary from Idealware-
Techsoup’s “Consumer
Guide to Software for
Volunteer Management”

26. NTEN Survey Results – Activist Platform Grades
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27. NTEN Survey Results – Case/Client Platform Grades
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28. NTEN Survey Results – Multi-Purpose System Grade
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30. Take Aways
Define the Objective:
To create a Data Management Plan or choose a Database?
While choosing a Database -
 Assess the scope of organizational needs
 Identify technology goals
 Prioritize requirements
 Map out the needed software features
 Identify resources, both $$ and people
 Decide which solution is the best fit
In the end, it is always about people!
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31. http://www.501commons.org/services/technology-services/deep-dive-cohort
Each participating nonprofit will receive:
• An assessment of the organization’s technology infrastructure and technology usage
• A key issues report and plan based on the assessment for more effectively using
technology to support the organization’s mission
• Access to additional tech trainings offered by the HandsOn Tech Team and skills-based
volunteers
DEEP DIVE PROGRAM
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