10 common mistakes in selecting donor databases
1. Letting techies make the decision.
2. Wishful budgeting.
3. Prioritizing price above everything else.
4. Randomly looking at demos.
5. Falling in love with cool features.
6. Falling in love with the salesperson.
7. Buying more than you need.
8. Confusing highly functional software with highly trained staff.
9. Hoping that the database will install itself.
10. Leaving the database to fend for itself.
These tips come from Strategic Technology Consultant Robert Weiner's workshop at last week’s Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professional Fundraising Morning Conference. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Robert before and he’s one of the most thoughtful, organized and experienced consultants in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you need help selecting your next database, check out his website for a wealth of materials or simply give him a call to discuss your needs.
Labels: Fundraising_Resources
1 Comments:
Hello Gayle:
I appreciate your posts and this one in particular, given my role here at Mission Research, helping users of GiftWorks maximize its value to their nonprofit.
The one about "prioritizing cost above everything else" really caught my eye. So, I blogged about it on our company site [see http://blog.missionresearch.com/ ].
I used it to introduce the dilemma of the disservice prospective users give when they think fundraising software can't be any good because it is comparatively cheap.
Measures of value in today's rapidly evolving technology market is best discovered by seeing and trying something...and understanding what it is you want from your fundraising software.
Keep up the good work!
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