25 years begging and starving in the nonprofit world

1
Welcome!

• 25 years begging and starving in the non-profit
  world
• 3 years making money hand-over-fist in
  consulting management and technology

2
Why Is Everything So Difficult In The Digital Age?

• We spend far too many hours coaxing our
  technology into submission, however briefly. We
  spend time installing it, learning it, restarting
  it, and then updating it. We are constantly
  setting the time, changing batteries, re-entering
  information. We live in the age of digital
  information, a world that promises multiple
  blessings. That doesn't mean we are going to like
  it Donald A. Norman

3
Todays Presentation Wont Cover

• You wont leave knowing which software to buy
• You wont leave knowing how to use fundraising
  software
• You wont learn the pros and cons of one product
  over another

4
What You Will Leave With

• A strategy for software purchase that puts your
  needs first
• Real tools to narrow the choices
• Ways to avoid a costly wrong decision

5
The Non-Profit Challenge

• Good
• Fast
• Cheap
• The unattainable triangle!

6
A 21st Century Reality

• In todays highly competitive world, there arent
  many slow tortoises winning races.
• So we all need to become speedy, yet consistent
  rabbits, just like corporations have!
• No matter what it costs

7
Cost

• What is the most costly software-related item?
• Hardware?
• Support?
• Training?
• Upgrades?

8
Cost

• 1 Cost People
• You will spend more on your staff in the next
  year to use the package you buy, than you will to
  purchase all of the above things
• Cost of software is cheap in comparison
• Cost of making the wrong decision is huge

9
What is CRM Software?

• Used to call it Donor Software
• Buzzword now CRM

10
Cuddly Red Mice

• Constituent Relationship Management
• Storing lots of names with connected facts that
  can be sorted and searched in any way imaginable.

11
Google for Donors

• When a donor calls, you can surprise her by
  mentioning that 200 donation last fall
• Connect donors with companies and other people

12
Whats in Your PC?

• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

13
Whats in Your PC?

• Are you using an in-house program that a
  volunteer wrote?
• An expensive, do-everything program that no one
  understands?

14
How to Buy the Wrong Software

• Start by looking at demos
• Go for elaborate. Every feature on the planet.
• Go for simple. When you need industrial
  strength.
• Go for cheap. Look at price first and screen out
  the ones you cant afford.

15
How to Buy Right

• Quantify what you need
• What fundraising methods are you now using or
  plan to use in the near future? Direct mail,
  corporate foundation grants, special events,
  planned giving, major gift program?

16
How to Buy Right

• What do you want your program to do?
• Relationship tracking?
• Major gifts module?
• Grant tracking module?
• Special events module?

17
How to Buy Right

• Web based or server based?
• Web pros easier to share, no updates to install,
  no backup worries
• Server pros data is secure, usually cheaper in
  the long run, faster, not dependent on a working
  Internet connection

18
How To Choose Wisely

• Your software must fit your ability to manage and
  use it effectively
• It must be easy to use. No excuse for software
  that is not user friendly.
• It must do what you require

19
The Dreaded Matrix

• Matching needs to features and vendors
• Qualified list of good vendors
• And a Top 10 list of must-have features

20
How to Create a Top 10 List

• Get a list of every feature available in
  fundraising software today
• Go through every one in excruciating detail
• Determine which 10 you must have

21
Start With a Master List

• Every software feature available
• Start with Techsoup.org
• Evaluate each feature with all staff involved
• Rate each feature, tabulate results
• Distill into Top 10 List

22
Top 10 List

• System has canned reports. How many? Our
  limited staff size means we dont have the
  resources to tweak reports constantly. Need
  useful reports that require only a push of a
  button, not time-consuming set-up work.
• System compatible with MS Word mail merge to
  generate automated thank you letters. Need a
  simple way to produce thank you letters in a
  timely fashion.
• Ability to print name, address, phone directly
  from contact screen. Ease of use issue.
• System tracks honor/memoriam/tribute gifts and
  notifications. Starting new program and need
  this.

23
Top 3 Vendors

• Get a list of all vendors
• Look at comparisons that Techsoup.org does
• Look at vendor Web sites
• Look at independent reviews
• Look at financial strength of companies

24
Look Beyond the Software

• Evaluate the company
• How many staff do they have
• How long have they been in business
• Are they publicly traded? If so, research their
  financials. Do they make money!?
• How many clients do they have?
• References?

25
The Dreaded Matrix!
26
How to Use the Matrix

• Check off features as you go through demos
• Use the matrix to direct your demos
• Tally the results
• Butbefore you make a decision

27
Look at the Whole Picture

• Is the software easy to use?
• Does the company stack up?
• Is its training affordable and available?
• Does the company offer conversion?
• Will it set you up?
• Is it an innovator? Ask whats in the pipeline.
• Does the company know your business?

28
Price Matters!

• Does the company negotiate price?
• Watch out for feature/module bloat
• Can you lock in annual costs?
• Are there guarantees? A trial period?
• Skeletons in the closet?

29
After the Sale

• Should your vendor handle your data conversion?
• Are there guarantees?

30
After the Sale

• Set up Will the company set up reports, thank
  you letters, accounting structure?
• Do you need this help?
• Should you pay more for it?

31
New Policies After the Sale

• Determine data flow in the office
• May need to reassign staff duties
• Set policies about how data will be managed

32
Data Management Policy

• To avoid this scenario, the organization needs to
  have a policy to specify how information will
  flow.
• Need enough licenses so everyone who needs access
  gets it.

33
The 500 Pound Gorilla

• Will your CRM software help or hinder your Web
  plans?
• Will it handle the basic chores such as importing
  user-entered data through a batch process?
• Real-time interaction with your constituency,
  with data flowing in and out of your CRM?

34
Keys to a Good Decision

• Quantify what you need
• Carefully create a Top 10 list of features
• Narrow the field to three top vendors
• Keep vendor presentations on track with your
  matrix
• Buy affordable, manageable software
• Remember After the Sale items

35
Final Key to Success

• Knowing what you dont know is the best way to
  avoid a bad decision
• I offer a free one-hour consultation
• Reasonable rates
• Contact
• Davlin Resources LLC
• David Martin
• 914-261-1238