Decisions, Decisions...

Why is it so hard to get a group of people- be it your staff, your board of directors, or even your own family- to make a decision?

We asked that same question here at SofterWare, and this last Tuesday, we met and brought in an outside facilitator to help us understand this perplexing problem.

Though we spent half the day, it boiled down to following these steps in order to arrive at a decision:

1. Get the Facts
2. Discuss the Facts
3. Give Opinions
4. Make a Decision

While it sounds pretty simple, how many times were decisions at your organization made, and then discussed later? Have you been at meetings with lots of discussion (or most likely best guesses) without the facts?

We're going to be using this model for now on- so far it really cuts down on the decision making process so that we actually make a decision!

Day One

12.6. 12.6 miles from my home in Chalfont, PA to headquarters in Ft. Washington, PA. (Map link- I love google maps) I was determined to bike it- at least I was pretty sure I could do it- and exactly 53 minutes later, I was at work more or less in one piece. (Though it's difficult to go up and down stairs- I wonder how long it will take me to recover.)

I'm not looking forward to biking back home this afternoon, but I guess one nice thing is that I will be forced to do it because I don't have a car!

They say that in order for anything to be a habit, you have to do it 21 times. So I have 20 more times before I make it a habit to bike to every day to work (maybe half that since it's both ways). Meanwhile, my wife thinks I'm crazy, my kids think it's cool, and our staff was taking bets whether I would make it or not.

I'm on day one of something that I hope changes my life. What day are you on?

Easy Coding There, Mister...

Like many database products, DonorPerfect Online uses codes to help you track and maintain information on your donors. For example, you can add a "BD" code to the Flags field for a donor to designate them as being a "Board Member", or a "GP" for "Grand Parent".

The nice thing in DPO is that you don't have to remember the codes- you can use drop down lists or checkboxes to select them.

However, to add codes to the system, you click on Utilities, Code Maintenance, and select the the coded field you want to edit.

BUT WAIT! Starting TODAY, there is a much easier way to add or edit your codes! Simply pull up any screen, and double-click on the prompt next to the drop down list or multiple select checkboxes and DPO will instantly take you to the code listing for that field. It's that easy!

This makes adding new codes to your system much easier, and also allows you to edit codes (especially deleting or inactivating old codes).

This feature was actually supposed to wait until this summer's release, but it was ready now, and we know it's going to be a big hit.

Try it today!

Don't Catch MVOTT!

I was in New York City yesterday, and spent some time with one of our larger clients, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. They've been a DonorPerfect client for years, and about a year ago we consolidated all of their separate databases into one large fundraising database in DonorPerfect Online.

There system is set up in such a way to really take advantage of one of the more powerful features of DPO- segmenting the database using security features. This feature allows them to segment their DPO database by their own defined regions, so that each user in each region works with their own database, but the headquarters has access to the entire database.

Their DPO solution finally eliminates a condition that they (and perhaps you!) have been experiencing for years: MVOTT. It stands for Multiple Versions of the Truth. Now, with all of their data in one location, over the web, they can finally get accurate and up to the minute information online.

If you're interested in setting up this type of security, simply call our support department and we can help you with the process and you can experience the benefits of avoiding MVOTT!

TAGS: nptech, nptech tools, fundraising, crm

The Secret of Cat Herding

Is getting your board together for a meeting or an impromptu phone call like herding cats? One person is out of town, another is only available from 3-5, and just when you think you have a time set, someone can't make it.

We actually have a similar issue here getting together, and about a year ago we discovered a FREE online tool called Meeting Wizard.

Here's how it works:

1. You visit www.meetingwizard.com
2. Schedule a series of time slots to hold your meeting
3. One click and the system will email invitations to your board members
4. Your board members will receive an email, and when they click on a link, they can easily click on the times when they are available.
5. At any time, you can see the results of their feedback, presented in a grid like fashion. The system will let you know which is the best time slot to hold the meeting.
6. Simply click confirm, and Meeting Wizard will email the meeting time and have your meeting!

It's that simple and saves countless hours trying to 'rustle' up your board members.

Try it today!

Life in the Trenches

Over the weekend, I introduced my next door neighbor to DonorPerfect Online. He's on the board of directors of Woody's Circle of Care, a community based organization that provides short-term financial assistance to people in the area.

Like many small non-profit organizations, his organization is at a crossroads: Do they continue to organically grow and slowly build their organization? Or do they hire paid staff and take their organization to the next level?

Regardless, the administration burden of managing the donors has proven too large for Excel sheets, or even Microsoft Access. Even though we've been neighbors for 7 years, he was surprised to find out about DonorPerfect Online. (How much do you really know about your neighbor?) In about 20 minutes, we had his data imported and ready to process donations from their latest event. He's now confident he's got the right tool to manage the organization regardless of which path they choose.

Perhaps your organization is in a similar situation- sometimes it makes sense to keep it small and keep it local, while it may be your mission to make it vocal and go global. Either way, DonorPerfect can make it easy no matter which route you take.