From donor payment information to determining engagement with previous campaigns, your fundraising database is an essential tool for your nonprofit, used in accounting, marketing, reporting, and so much more. But when this tool is filled with out-of-date or incorrect information, you’re operating at a disadvantage.
Our nonprofit accounting software consultation company is sharing some signs it’s time for a fundraising database assessment and how it can benefit your organization.
Challenges of a Fundraising Database
You’ve been using the same fundraising database platform for several years, and during that time, your organization has experienced the following:
- Staff turnover
- System conversions and updates
- Changes to revenue and funding streams
- Changes to how you report information
With so many changes in reporting in addition to who is doing the reporting, over time, the database becomes barely functional. You’re looking at outdated data, unnecessary information, incomplete information for updated reporting requirements, and other challenges. This combines with a staff that may not know how to fully leverage information in the database to run proper or comprehensive reports.
Does Your Organization Need a New Fundraising Database?
When they discover the fundraising database is causing problems, many nonprofit organizations will start over from scratch and begin adding information back in. However, when you begin a complete system migration using a new platform, you’re merely carrying over much of the outdated data and continuing the challenges you originally faced.
Our Fundraising Database Assessment Process
When we do a database assessment, whether it’s an accounting or fundraising database, we do an in-depth analysis to see where the greatest need is. We begin by reviewing the current system processes, and determining what is needed and not needed while aligning with current reporting regulations. The next step is where we look at how your database supports your reporting and tracking requirements, and the final step is where we talk to system users and stakeholders to see what is and what is not necessary according to their perspectives.
Benefits of Having a Database Assessment
Before you start over with a new database, having a third-party organization, such as Capital Business Solutions, provide you with a database assessment that can give you the clarity you need to effectively move forward. Many of our clients experience the following outcomes from their assessment:
- Eliminating unneeded segment values and reordering their data in an intuitive manner
- Cleaning up donor data and creating ways to hide or close out fiscal years
- Creating additional modules or segments that can make other tasks, including marketing, easier
- A staff that’s fully trained on how to leverage the fundraising database and can use it effectively
Not only will you be able to find information more easily and have more accurate data to build fundraising campaigns and donor outreach, but you’ll also save time running reports. Old data bogs down reporting, so cleaning up obsolete information speeds up the process as well as the analysis.
Schedule a Software Assessment with Our Team Today
If you’re struggling to run reports, need assistance with accounting software, or have an outdated fundraising database, we can help. Our team specializes in nonprofit accounting software solutions and can help you determine the steps you need to take to improve productivity, streamline operations, and save time whether it’s with accounting software, database organization, and more. Call us today at (843) 971-9061 or fill out the form below to learn more about our assessments and consultations.
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