August 2009 Newsletter
Nonprofit Neighborhood
thedatabank's Fall 2009 Webinar Series
This September and October, thedatabank is hosting a series of five FREE webinars that bring together some of the leading nonprofit industry experts to share their knowledge and help make your organization more successful. Topics will include Fundraising, Advocacy, Email Marketing, and more. Visit our website for the list of dates and to sign up.
Clients: Refer Someone to thedatabank and get $50 in Cash!
That's right! To show our appreciation for our happy customers, you can get $50 in cash just for referring someone to thedatabank. Learn more.
Recent Product Enhancements
Search by Relative Date Range
In addition to searching based on specific dates in your tables, you now have the option to search based on a relative date range (for example: in the last year, last month, last week, etc). When these date range search fields are included in a Saved Search, the results will always be relative to each time you run the search.
Click to view Next and Previous member record
When viewing a member record that is part of a selection, you now have the option to click a Next or Previous button at the top of the page to see the other records in the selection.
New Data Service for Databank Clients
Databank clients can now order Email Verification services right from their Databank. This service will check for emails marked as bad in your entire database (or from a list that you've selected) and estimate the cost to find and update bad emails that can be turned back to OK. Please Note: You must have access to the Setup menu in your Databank to order this or any other data service we provide.
New Email Feature for Contact Notes
Contact notes entered in your Databank can now be emailed to anyone of your choosing. After entering a new contact note, click the email icon in the New Contact box to open your email program, pre-filled with the contact information.
Which Tables Contain Data?
It is now easier to see which tables in a person's record contain data. Tables containing data display as black, while tables that do not contain data display as gray. Please note: All tables are still clickable.
Target Contact Forms for Advocacy Software Module Now more Accessible
When a client sends out an email action alert encouraging an activist to contact a target using a website contact form, the form (when clicked upon), will now display right on the client's action page, rather than in a new tab or window, which forced the activist to leave your site.
New Support System
To help us better manage support requests from our growing number of clients, thedatabank is adopting a new technical support system effective August 17, 2009. Submitting a request will still work the same way: simply click Support under your Help menu, and fill out the form. This creates a support ticket for us, and gives us some important information that helps diagnose problems. The first time you create a Support Request, you'll receive a Welcome Email, asking you to set up a password so you can log in at http://support.thedatabank.com to see your requests. Learn More.
Consultants: Join us for Breakfast at our Office on 8/27
thedatabank invites nonprofit consultants and other complementary service providers to join us for breakfast at our office on August 27th. Breakfast will include pastries and coffee, along with a brief presentation by thedatabank's CEO and Business Development Director where you will learn about recent updates at thedatabank and how we can assist your clients with their technology needs. Feel free to bring a friend! Click here to register for this free event.
New Clients
Maine LCV / Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund - The mission of the Maine League of Conservation Voters is to make the protection of Maine’s environment a political priority. The Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund preserves Maine's natural resources by engaging Maine people in public policy decisions that affect our environment. MLCV and MCVEF have been considering a new database for a few years, and finally decided they had to purchase a new system so they could more effectively track their fundraising efforts and membership. As Tracy Gregoire, Office Manager and Outreach Coordinator shared, “The Databank allows us to consolidate our fundraising, email action, and e-newsletter into one system. In these tough economic times, it is more critical than ever to maintain our member communications and fundraising efforts."
Karen’s Blog
Performance Enhancement
A few weeks ago, I read about the proposal to put asterisks next to certain players' names in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I now feel compelled to make my own confession about performance enhancing drugs.
Well, I was on prescription steroids for a few days.
So I entered the neighborhood Hula Hoop contest. Competitors started dropping like flies when we had to put our arms in the air, and then came the command to stand on one foot...well, I could tell it was between me and that 14-year-old who was smugly licking an ice cream cone while her hoop circled her slim little hips. I taunted her. "Watch out, Ice Cream, you're going DOWN!" Yes, I really said this. It was the Roid Rage.
Speaking of performance enhancement, did you read the list of
Databank enhancements in this newsletter? Our programmers have been busy this month doing what they do best, implementing client suggestions and a few of their own bright ideas. My personal favorite is the visual indication of which tables in a person's file contain data, using color.
Our free fall webinar series is another way you can enhance your use of the Databank. Build fundraising and communication muscle through a practical combination of tips, best practices and case studies.
By the way, Ice Cream won. I took second.
Karen