Articles: Managing Constituents

Idealware articles, like those in our Few Good Tools series, give nonprofits concise, critical information on the software choices available for specific organizational functions and goals. We compare software options, offer real life examples and case studies, and give you the tools to make the right decision based on your specific needs.

Articles: Managing Constituents

  • 10 Reasons To Change Your Broadcast Email Tool
    By Soha El Borno,
    August 2012

    If you’re looking for a new broadcast email tool for your nonprofit, there are a lot of different options to choose from. But how do you know when it’s time to change?

  • 10 Things To Consider in a CRM
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    May 2012

    Constituent Relationship Management systems allow you to track a 360 degree view of all your interactions with constituents. What’s more, all the available options—including Salesforce.com, CiviCRM, SugarCRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM—are relatively inexpensive for nonprofits, or even free. Sounds ideal, right? 

  • Keeping Your Data Safe in the Cloud
    By Jay Leslie,
    May 2012

    Many organizations question the security of information kept in the cloud. The internet can be a dangerous place for data, but no more so than your own computer, where your data faces many of the same threats—in fact, a good cloud storage vendor is likely to protect your data better than you’d reasonably be able to do on your own. With a little planning, it’s possible to take advantage of the benefits offered by the cloud while making sure your organization’s data is as safe as is practically possible.

  • Unleashing Innovation: Using Everyday Technology to Improve Your Services
    By Laura S. Quinn, Idealware and Amy Wagner, MAP For Nonprofits,
    March 2012

    Many nonprofits think of innovation as a luxury they can’t afford. Staff time and budgets are limited, and improving the way they use technology seems out of reach. But technology can offer straightforward, inexpensive means of providing higher quality services, and create numerous opportunities to do more with less—even in our current economic climate. Which makes innovation something organizations can no longer afford not to embrace. 

  • Ten Common Mistakes in Selecting Donor Databases (And How to Avoid Them)
    By Robert Weiner,
    February 2012

    You want a donor database that will provide clean data, solid reports, and happy staff, but the software itself is only half the story. How do you choose the right system, and how do you maximize its capabilities? Fundraising technology consultant Robert Weiner walks through 10 common mistakes that get in the way of selecting the right database—and using it properly. 

  • Multiple Constituent Groups, One Database? How to Track Everyone Who’s Anyone to You
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    December 2011

    Since most organizations don’t track just one type of constituent, the idea of a single database for all of them—donors, volunteers, clients, email subscribers, advocates and everyone else—is something of a holy grail. The ability to easily see how all your constituents interact with your organization, and with each other, makes for an attractive, ideal vision of what a database should be. 

  • Multiple Constituent Groups, One Database: Case Studies

    By Chris Bernard,
    December 2011

    Since most organizations don’t track just one type of constituent, the idea of a single database for all of them—donors, volunteers, clients, email subscribers, advocates and everyone else—is something of a holy grail.

  • Trends in Donor Management
    By Jay Leslie,
    October 2011

    (This article originally appeared in the Nonprofit Times.) As user demand increases, vendors are adapting their donor management system offerings to support mobile devices and cloud computing, one of several recent market trends that are adding value and capability to the software. They’re also enhancing functionality that’s critical for nonprofits, like integrated email and ease of use, in many cases adding substantial functionality without raising prices. 

  • 11 Ways To Use Technology To Thank Your Donors
    By Andrea Berry and Chris Bernard,
    August 2011
    This article was originally published in the August 2011 issue of The NonProfit Times.
     
    Organizations use technology to engage donors, manage them in databases, and even accept their donation payments online. With a little creative thinking you can save staff time on this important step and increase the likelihood that donors will give again.
     
    Such classic techniques as thank-you letters, phone calls, events and special gifts will never go out of style.

  • Comparing Google Apps to Microsoft Outlook
    By Laura S. Quinn and Jay Leslie,
    July 2011

    The Google Apps donation program provides organizational email, calendaring and document sharing as a free alternative to Microsoft Outlook. How do the two applications compare in the face of typical nonprofit needs?

  • A Few Good Association Management Systems
    By Eric Leland and Kyle Henri Andrei,
    July 2011

    An association management system can be a huge help in tracking your members, newsletter subscriptions, special gifts, invitations to events and workshops, discounts on products and services, and more. We asked a number of different nonprofit experts about the systems that have worked for them.

  • A Few Good Case Management Tools

    By Laura S. Quinn and Jay Leslie,
    April 2011

    If thoughts of detailed client histories and reports to funders make you break out in a cold sweat, it may be time to consider the many good case management tools that will help you track demographics, interactions, scheduling, billing information, and more. In this update of our 2009 article, we summarize what tools case management experts would recommend.

  • Back Away From That Spreadsheet: Why Excel Isn't a Donor Database
    By Robert L. Weiner,
    August 2009

    quick, easy, and you already have it.  Excel seems like it might be a great fit to manage your donor data.  But just back away from that spreadsheet – there’s a lot of reasons why it’s not a good idea.  

  • In Search of HIPAA-Compliant Software
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    August 2009

    Through HIPAA, the US government provides a set of instructions and guidelines for working with patient health data. What you should look for to ensure that a software package will comply with the HIPAA standards? We asked a number of experts and rounded up their answers.

  • Implementing Your Donor Management Software
    By Kieth Heller,
    May 2009

    You’ve defined your requirements, talked to vendors, seen demos, found the right donor management software for you and worked through the contract—now you’re done, right? Not so fast. You still need to implement the system, which requires additional planning, teamwork, configuration, data migration and testing—my favorite part!

  • Four Principles of Choosing Donor Management Software
    By Keith Heller,
    March 2009

    What do you need your software to do today to support your organization’s strategies, or for your needs over the next three or four years? What are the common issues other organizations face when selecting such software? Keith Heller takes a look at four things to keep in mind throughout the software selection process.

  • Do You Need New Donor Management Software?
    By Keith Heller,
    February 2009

    New donor management software will improve your life, solve all your organization’s problems and make all your goals a reality. Right? And it comes with prime waterfront property in the Everglades. This last sentence is only slightly less true than the first, but we take it as common wisdom. In fact, many non-profits change systems when they don’t need to, for the wrong reasons, or in an ineffective manner—and sometimes all of the above!

  • A Few Good Donor Management Systems
    By Eric Leland,
    November 2008

    The right donor management software can make a big difference in your ability to raise funds. We asked six different nonprofit technology experts about donor management software that have worked well for their nonprofit colleagues.

  • Managing Constituent Relationships: Four Case Studies
    By Anthony Pisapia and Brett Bonfield,
    July 2008

    A Constituent Relationship Management can help track of all the ways that you interact with each of your supporters. But what does it take to implement one? Does it have to cost an arm and a leg? What changes will your organization need to make to support it? We look at four different organizations' CRM stories.

  • Comparing Lower-Cost Online Integrated Application
    By Eric Leland,
    December 2007

    Online integrated applications allow nonprofits to manage a number of different aspects of their constituent information and Web presence all together in one package. Eric Leland took a close look at eight packages to compare their functionality in a variety of areas.

  • In Search of CRM Part 2: Searching for Software
    By Paul Hagen,
    June 2007

    Finding Constituent Relationship Management software isn’t easy – there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. This article, the conclusion of Paul Hagen’s two-part series, helps you understand the CRM marketplace and offers practical advice to help you define a software infrastructure that will work for you.

  • In Search of CRM Part 1: Understanding Constituents and Processes
    By Paul Hagen,
    May 2007

    Constituent Relationship Management can help to provide an important 360° view of your constituents. However, an effective technology solution requires a detailed understanding of your constituents and processes. Paul Hagen explains, in Part One of a two part series exploring the issues behind CRM.

  • Tales of River Databases: Tracking Constituents in Small and Mid-Sized Organizations
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    May 2007

    How are small organizations tracking constituents? What are they struggling with, and what works well? In partnership with the River Network, we spoke to a number of river conservation groups about their constituent databases, and report back with best practices and case studies that apply to any smaller organization.

  • A Few Good Tools: Low Cost Constituent Databases
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    March 2007

    Looking for an inexpensive way to track your volunteers, donors, partners, and other constituents? We've full updated this popular article, which recommends a set of free and low cost databases that have worked for those in the field. We've added new tools, tips and thoughts to help you find something that works for your organization.

  • An Introduction to Integrating Constituent Data
    By Laura S. Quinn,
    February 2007

    Integrating all your constituent tracking applications so they can share data is highly desirable, but how should you go about it? We walk through the pros and cons of three basic methods of integrating data: Manual Import/ Export, Integrated Packages, and Automated Connectors.

  • Retooling the eNonprofit: Expanding the Options for Integrated Online Software

    By Michael Stein,
    January 2007

    New integrated online software tools lead to more possibilities for nonprofits. How do you choose?   Internet strategist Michael Stein describes what's available and offers some considerations when choosing tools that can help with emailing, online donations, advocacy online, and more.

  • Creating the Relationship-Centric Organization: Nonprofit CRM
    By Paul Hagen,
    May 2006

    It's a challenge to manage information about all your organization’s constituents.  But this challenge is common to both commercial companies and nonprofits. A strategy borrowed from the commercial sector has been gaining popularity in the nonprofit sector over the last couple years: CRM.

Articles: Managing Constituents

1416
1422
1423
1428
1430
1439
1447
1448
1451
1452