How are small organizations tracking constituents? What are they struggling with, and what works well?
If someone asked you how many of your new donors also volunteered this year, how long would it take you to answer? What about the number of activists you have in a particular county? In what areas has water quality improved most over the last five years?
Databases can transform organizations' ability to answer these types of questions. They are an invaluable tool for small organizations in particular, as they are a very cost-effective way to focus energy on the things that are really making a difference. Databases allow you to find and manage data for thousands of people or programs. Creating a list of people to contact becomes straightforward. And database software makes reporting much easier: Rather than having to laboriously tally spreadsheets or contacts, you can generate overviews at the touch of a button.
What is a Database?
A database, at least for the purposes of this article, is something that allows you to organize - and thus view and edit - a related set of information. A database might store all your constituents, all of your educational programs, environmental data, or anything else you want to be able to easily track and report on.
What about Excel? Is it a database? Well, technically it is, but it's not the type of database that we're talking about here. When most people refer to a database, they mean what's called a "relational database." A relational database can link multiple types and levels of information together, making it far easier to store, say, people, the organizations they work for, and volunteer programs, and manage the relationships between all of those things.
This article focuses on relational database software - anything from Access or FileMaker Pro (tools that allow you to build your own database) to packaged software like GiftWorks, DonorPerfect, DemocracyInAction, or Salesforce - that can help you manage your organization's information.
Planning for a Database
Before you consider what actual database tool is right for you, it's important to think through what's important for your organization.
- Understand who will use it. Your organization's databases shouldn't be the domain of the technical. Many people will need to use it - for instance, a constituent database should be used by anyone looking up a constituent phone number or tracking a contact with someone.
- Think through the processes and data you need to track. What do you currently do that should be supported in the new system? What isn't working well right now that could be improved with a new system? What do you think you might want to do down the road? Try to consider all the ways that you could interact with the data you're going to track.
- Begin with your outputs in mind. Make a list of the reports, lists, and other things that you will want to output from the system. What information will you need? In what ways will you need to filter the data?
- Get a sense for what's possible. Understanding what organizations like yours are doing, or some of the features that are offered in common database software can help you understand what you might want to do yourself. On the other hand, be critical of "sexy" features: Don't be seduced by features that are just nifty rather than actually useful.
- Prioritize your needs. Define which of your needs are critical, and which are just nice to have. Trying to support everything at once can result in a system that's too complicated for your needs or not being able to find a system at all.
Planning sets the groundwork for a good database choice, and for effective use of your database once you get it. A little thought and a few meetings up front can make the difference between a great technology tool and an expensive mistake.
Choosing a Solution
With a sense of what you're looking for, you'll need to take a look at the available database packages.
- Know the options. Don't just decide to go with the only software package with which you're familiar. Get a sense of what's available. For an overview, see our article A Few Good Low-Cost Constituent Databases.
- Be skeptical of building your own. It can seem like an easy answer to just build something that does exactly what you want in Access or FileMaker Pro, and this might make sense if you have unusual needs. Ask yourself, though, whether your organization is effectively equipped to produce software. Do you have the resources to design it, build it, and test it effectively? To maintain and update it down the road? What will happen if the person who builds it is no longer available?
- Integrate, don't proliferate. Strive to have as few databases as possible. All the information about each person your organization touches should ideally be in a single database. If you find that you need to add another database system, think through how you will integrate the data with the systems you already have.
- Use price as only one criteria. A database that is free or cheap but doesn't meet your needs isn't useful. In fact, the time you spend in trying to work around it is likely to cost you far more than you would have paid for the right database.
- Don't assume bigger is better. More features and more power almost invariably translate to something that will be harder for your staff to learn and use. Look for something that meets your core needs without a bunch of additional features.
You'll need to balance the desire to look at every possible solution and find the perfect database with the realities of your time and the market. If you define your needs up front, though, you be able to tell when a database is good enough to be effective for your organization.
Database Care and Feeding
Picking a great solution is just the beginning of a process to make sure your database is useful and used.
- Don't underestimate the start-up process. Getting your new database ready to use can be time consuming. You'll need to move all your existing data - whether from an existing database or from spreadsheets, Outlook, or other sources - into the database, and train your staff in how to use the new package. Keep in mind that change can be difficult, and you may need to work through resistance to the new system.
- Define and document data practices and standards. Make sure that everyone understands how data should be entered. What does each category or code mean? Should addresses be capital or lowercase? Data that's entered inconsistently is a nightmare when it's time to create lists or reports. Written documentation or "cheat sheets" of best practices - particularly on how to use categories or codes in the system - can make a huge difference in people's ability to use these practices effectively.
- Put someone in charge. Someone needs to keep an eye on the database and the data that's entered to make sure that things are going smoothly and to troubleshoot problems. Staff members will need to know who to go to with questions as well.
With a little bit of time devoted to training, standards, and oversight, you can keep things on an even keel and avoid big headaches down the road.
Wrapping It Up
Databases can provide huge benefits, but choosing one wily-nilly and slapping it into place is likely to cause only trouble down the road. Think through what you need, take a look at what other organizations are doing, choose a solution carefully, and keep a careful eye on your ongoing data and processes. With some care, a database can be a tremendously powerful too, allowing you to easily identify groups of constituents, quickly generate reports, improve your programs and relationships, and, above all, to better achieve your mission.
This article is courtesy of Idealware, which provides candid information to help nonprofits choose effective software. For more articles and reviews, go to http://www.idealware.org/.
Copyright: Idealware
Source: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page7129.cfm