At first glance, Excel seems like the perfect solution for a resource-constrained nonprofit that needs a way to track supporters and donations. But looks can be deceiving, and what appears to be a free and easy option is actually going to cost your organization a fortune.

What are the hidden costs of Excel? Here are eight of the most common complaints I've heard from organizations I've worked with: [More]

Do you ever want to break up with your database? Sit it down and give it the "It's not you, it's me," speech? Ever thought that it might actually be you? I've been working in the nonprofit technology world since 2004 and I've met many organizations who want to break up with their databases. Sometimes it's the database's fault, but sometimes the organization is doing things that makes the database suck. In this series I've talked about what could happen if you don't have any standards or if you keep secret stashes. In this third installment I'm going to talk about... [More]

Too often when researching fundraising software, we get caught up in the technical features and forget to step back and examine the companies behind the technology. There are real people at those companies, and ultimately that is who you are entering into a relationship with. It’s wise to evaluate the potential providers of your nonprofit's CRM software the same way you would a romantic interest. But how do you find the perfect match? [More]

Since you clicked on the link to this blog post, chances are you are having trouble with your database, or maybe you know someone who does. Well you aren't alone. In this series we're looking at three things that can make your database suck be less than ideal. Last time we looked at what happens to your database when you have no standards. Today we're going to look at...

Part Two: Secret Stashes [More]

Some people hate their databases. If you are one of those people, it's OK to admit it. This post is a safe space. Having worked in the nonprofit technology world since 2004, I've met a lot of people who, for one reason or another, hate their database.

I want you to love your database.
In this three-part series, I'll be looking at three of the most common things that cause problems with nonprofit databases and CRMs - and how you can fix them. [More]