Lessons from Bona View Farm – Tractors and Databases

Last weekend we sat on our porch and watched our neighbor mow his 80 acres and the scant few acres we have.  It took him several days to mow, rake and bale the hay.  He had a process and the right equipment. By the end of the weekend we were looking out on rolling acres of freshly mown hay.  But, what’s this got to do with databases?   There are lessons we can learn …

The right tractor – The SKC staff is often asked for our recommendations for donor databases to support fundraising and communications activities.  You may do well with a push mower during the start-up phase by utilizing excel spreadsheets or an Access database.  At some point, you’ll want to step up into a database software that helps you not only manage names, addresses and donor acknowledgement letters, but also is a tool that tracks and analyzes fundraising efforts and links to your fund development plan.  When considering what product to step up to, whether it’s the tractor with the air conditioning  and GPS (Raiser’s Edge) or something mid-range like DonorPerfect - do a three year cost analysis.  Can you afford the fees now and can you sustain the cost over time?  What’s the cost of human effort to implement and maintain?

Follow the contours of the land – There is no one size fits all setup.  Give considerable thought to the database layout and the customized fields.  Who are your key stakeholders and constituents?  How do you communicate with them?  How do you track and analyze their giving?  What information do the end-users (staff and board) need to see in the reports?  Keep your database and the information you collect relevant.   Keep the information in your database secure and respect the privacy of your donors.

Mow often – Use good database “hygiene.”   Develop procedures and protocols for putting data into the system and share with staff and volunteers.  Routinely query new records and gifts added to make sure procedures are understood and being followed.  Reconcile the income recorded in your database with your accounting system each month.  If you follow these three basic recommendations, you won’t be second guessing and wondering whether the information is accurate and trustworthy a few years down the road.

At SKC, we help nonprofits develop tools that support their work.  We see good database management as an essential building block to supporting communications, transparency, and the fundraising success of your organization.   The end product may not be as pretty as a field of freshly mown hay on a crisp fall day, but it’s a critical piece of your organization’s equipment.  

Debra Box
Executive Director