New: Import your Whole Donor Database

February 3, 2010 – 2:54 pm

For a long time it’s been possible to import your donor list into Donor Tools. But up until now there hasn’t been an easy way to import donations as well. So many people have asked for this feature, and we’ve heard you! Introducing the new, improved Donor Tools data import feature. Now you can import your whole database – donors and donations included!

If you’re just getting started with Donor Tools, this is a fast and easy way to bring in data from your old database, so you can hit the ground running. And if you have historical data that you’d like to bring in, or if you receive donations from other sources, our import tool also handy because now you can simply import your donation spreadsheet right into your Donor Tools database.

We’ve tried to make this feature really intuitive and easy to use. You simply upload your spreadsheet (in CSV or Excel format), and then match the columns in your spreadsheet to fields in your Donor Tools database.

Matching fields with Donor Tools' data import feature.

As much as we hope that our new data import feature will “just work”, there are a lot of things that you can do to ensure that your data import is successful and that you get the results you want. We’ve put together a pretty comprehensive Introduction to Importing Data on our User Guide.

And as always, if you have any questions or trouble, our wonderful support staff is ready to help.

By Ryan | Posted in Donor Tools News | Comments

Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Through Facebook – A Stroke Of Genius

February 3, 2010 – 7:05 am

We often talk about the way social networking and the web can be used to the advantage of non-profit organizations and just when you think ‘we’ve seen it all now…’ something out the blue happens to knock your socks off and remind you just how powerful the web can be in critical non-profit activities such as fund-raising and creating awareness. One such event that shook the web towards the start of this year was the absolutely viral trend that just seemed to take over Facebook when women would update their status each day to simply state the color and style of the bra they’re wearing.

Interestingly, the statuses simply read vague colors like ‘pink’, ‘white’, champagne gold’ and when you see everyone doing this and have absolutely no  idea what is going on but everyone seems to be in on it the effect is simple…you think….”I want in on it too!!!” So you turn to Google or Yahoo to see what’s going on and find that it’s linked to breast cancer awareness. While this is the point where unfortunately (or not) guys have to drop out of the game women jump on board with the trend and join the bandwagon by updating their own statuses, The end result may look like millions of people playing a silly game online but the effect was millions of people inadvertently becoming  a little more aware about the seriousness of breast cancer. An article published in Dallas Morning News by Darla Atlas highlighted the effect of the trend for Komen Foundation For The Cure Of Breast Cancer whose Facebook page got 134,000 fans on the first day alone.

While this is not the most recent news, it’s still a a fantastic example of what the combination of social software and the work of non-profits and activities like creating awareness for a cause. The campaign which tapped into our curiosity and created awareness is a stroke of genius to say the least. Strangely it’s still not clear exactly who this genius is and where this all started. If only we did.

By Neil | Posted in Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments

How Nonprofits Can Harness Volunteer Power Through Web Based Software

January 28, 2010 – 7:48 am

It could be the long commutes to the work place, the insanity of fuel prices or just the sheer convenience of being able to work from the comfort of one’s own home but it’s very evident that more organizations are leaning towards a distributed workforce. While this trend is still picking up among these businesses when it comes to nonprofit organizations, the distributed workforce has been common practice long before it picked up in the Silicon Valley or elsewhere. Just take a look back into the work culture of some of the oldest churches in the country and you’ll probably discover a network of parishioners scattered across different locations still functioning as a single organization. Take an even closer look at nonprofits that rely heavily on volunteers and many have always been functioning this way not to mention those with global volunteers. They are the unsung heroes of world of nonprofit organizations and just as Batman needs Robin, volunteers working as a distributed workforce need reliable support (and preferably not as annoying as Batman’s sidekick). What I mean is a virtual work place which is not bound by a physical location.

When it comes to nonprofit organizations and hosted or web based software the partnership just can’t get better. They are just an ideal match! By moving administrative functions and collaboration activity online, nonprofits can really harness the power of volunteers in a way a centralized office environment can not match. Just about any function that’s critical to the working of a nonprofit can be managed online. With social networking tools like Ning and others volunteers can have discussions, share ideas, plan, communicate, collaborate and more. Online document and file sharing ensures that paperwork and administration can be shared and done by volunteers as long as they have access to the web. Specific functions like accounting and donations management has been made simpler using hosted solutions like Paypal and our very own Donor Tools. The possibilities are endless. Whether working with volunteers or full time employees working remotely, managing different administrative functions and running day to day operations becomes a breeze with the right web software tools.

While there are pro’s and cons to both centralized and distributed workforces based on volunteers and there are good arguments that can be made for both, we’ll save that for another time. For now, for those who choose not to be bound by working with excel sheets on the office computer there some really great alternatives to desktop software. Web based alternatives that can not just match what you can do on a desktop  but do it blindfolded with both hands tied behind it’s back, make it look as easy as pie ….and let’s you work from wherever you choose to. Now how can you beat that?

By Neil | Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments

Featured Nonprofit Girl Power 2 Cure

January 27, 2010 – 11:41 am

We love to hear and share notes about our community of great nonprofits. This one hits really moves me.

Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for treatments and a cure for Rett Syndrome. We are all about harnessing the spirit of girls as volunteers, as mentors, and as a power of positive change in their communities in support of their fellow girlfriends who are suffering from Rett Syndrome.

“Donor Tools has been an amazing addition to our admin — I can now get such a clearer picture of our donors, their past giving histories and our progress by fund! And having everything internet-based is the icing on the cake! I know our families will benefit greatly from all of this being better organized. Thank you Donor Tools!”

Ingird Harding
Girl Power 2 Cure

Take a look at their video.

I just ordered their CD for my little daughter to dance to. Feel free to do the same at their website.

By Chris Dumas | Posted in Success Stories | Comments

The Value Of Thank You In Effective Donor Management

January 26, 2010 – 8:15 am

Thank You – perhaps of the most important words in anyone’s vocabulary and undoubtedly the most important in the fundraising and donor management realm. It’s gratitude in it’s simplest form and an acknowledgment for a donation or contribution whether in cash or in kind and no matter how big or small that contribution is, the “thank you” is key to getting it right.

Yet somewhere in the process of managing donations, overlooking transactions, collection and accounting it’s easy to forget to thank a donor for a contribution. It may not be intentional but how difficult is it really to lose track of donations when they are made and forget to thank someone over the phone, email or through a letter? It happens to the best of us.
Rather than leave the Thank You part as an afterthought we decided to build it in as an important part of the donor management process. The neat thing about having all your donations managed through a simple web application is really two fold:
1.    It’s easy to track who have made donations daily, weekly or at any given time and pull up their names
2.    With a few clicks you can draft thank you letters and emails instantly through the same software
Instead of setting aside a time to write out thank you letters and look through the records to see who made recent contributions that need to be acknowledged, you have a quick and efficient way of doing this built right into the system which ensures it’s done right away.

So it’s just another feature among others …who cares right?. How much difference will a few additional features like that make anyway? I would rank this among the most critical features to have in your donor management system. The way I see it they are the two words that separate an organization with basic fund raising skills and one that really values their donors and know how to show it! Think about it… how valuable is a Thank You note for a non-profit organization that relies on effective donor management skills?

By Neil | Posted in Best Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments

Ingrid Harding from Girl Power 2 Cure

January 15, 2010 – 4:27 pm

DonorTools has been an amazing addition to our admin – I can now get such a clearer picture of our donors, their past giving histories and our progress by fund! And having everything internet-based is the icing on the cake! Thank you DonorTools!

By Ryan | Posted in Testimonials | Comments

Great Nonprofit Training Coming Up

January 15, 2010 – 12:15 pm

As a side project we help run nonprofitwebinars.com. Here is a list of webinars that we encourage you to be part of as our guest:

Registration is $25 but we have a couple of coupon codes for each that will make it free. Use coupon code FriendDT

All Webinars are at 10am Pacific Standard Time / 1pm Eastern Standard Time

Read More »

By Chris Dumas | Posted in Donor Tools News, Links, Resources | Tagged , | Comments

Helping Haiti

January 14, 2010 – 9:59 am

Want to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti? Here are two organizations that are providing immediate disaster relief in Haiti:

Zanmi Lakay

Zanmi Lakay is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for current and former street children in Haiti by providing educational and economic opportunities and resources to help these children while they are on the streets and to help build a life for them off the streets.
Donate Now to Zanmi Lakay’s relief fund

Haiti Hope Fund

Haiti Hope Fund provides funding and logistical support for the Arts and Christian education in the North of Haiti, and disaster relief in times of need.
Donate Now to Haiti Hope Fund’s relief effort

By Chris Dumas | Posted in Fundraising, Links | Comments

Common Vision Loves Donor Tools Nonprofit Software

January 6, 2010 – 3:18 pm

“Donor Tools is a dream come true for Common Vision. Here’s a project the Donor Tools is helping.  This video describes it better than I can.”

That’s what Michael Flynn From Common Vision wrote us recently to say.

Needless to say we wanted to share Michael’s compliments since we like kind words.

Common Vision is a cool organization. Check out their video below. “In the last 6 years, the Fruit Tree Tour Program has directly impacted 45,000 students, transformed over 150 low income schools and community centers into abundant orchards with the planting of over 3,500 fruit trees1.” We’re so glad to be able to work with neat organizations like Common Vision!

Here’s that video Michael mentioned:

  1. http://commonvision.org/programs/fruittreetour/fruittreetour.php [↩]
By Chris Dumas | Posted in Success Stories | Comments

Karma Update and Results

January 4, 2010 – 1:36 pm

Wow, things are moving fast around here! On top of all the holidays I have been a little sick so sorry for being a couple day’s late with this post.

After much debate we finally picked two winners for our Karma Idea. We will officially be helping Z Space and Nanka and Bob Castulik with whatever they need! Congratulations to them and thank you to everyone who suggested ideas. We will do a post with a video of what we end up helping them with.

Here is their Mission:

Z Space strives to fuel the development of American theater on a national level by nurturing new voices, new works, and new opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area. We fulfill the function by:

- Serving as an artistic and creative home to over 300 local theater artists and organizations.
- Commissioning, developing, and producing new works from local and national playwrights, writers, artists, and directors through our Z Plays Development Program and Word for Word Performing Arts Company.

- Creating and overseeing development and touring initiatives, such as the Western Presenters Commissioning Initiative, with other presenters in California and beyond designed to bring these newly created San Francisco theater pieces to audiences across the country.

- Administering the Z/Word Youth Arts Program, which reaches over 20,000 school-aged children and adults per year through youth-targeted tours, workshops, and residencies, as well as student matinees and talkbacks with resident artists.

Ryan is going to be helping Nanka Castulik develop a continuity plan. Nanka and her husband Bob provide IT services for nonprofit organizations. Nanka said:

We are concerned about what will happen with some of our clients should something happen to us. We would like to figure out a good way to maintain continuity – possibly by forming a service-oriented non-profit utilizing services of other retirees, corporate volunteers, maybe tech school coops. We would love to get some help drafting a plan and shaping an approach that will help us find, organize and mobilize others like us so that support can be ongoing.

Being the programmer, helping develop an IT plan is right up Ryan’s alley.

Off the record, Ryan also helped the Haiti Hope Fund prepare and mail their year-end newsletter. Haiti Hope Fund is headed up by Ryan’s dad, so we figured it would be cheating to count it toward our Karma commitment, but it was fun to help out anyway.

Also off the record, I (Chris) also cruised over to Voices in Napa and help them move for a couple of hours. Since I know Ian and their offices are blocks from my house I decided to give them a couple of hours of helping move but not for my karma commitment. It was fun to meet a great group of people and see how they ran their organization. I helped pack, clean, load things and even removed nails from a wall. Wish I could of done more for them.

Here is a photo from when I helped Ian @ Voices move.

Ian at voices organizing the move.

By Chris Dumas | Posted in Donor Tools News | Comments