IT for Charities & NFPs

Lets assume the ‘must have’ list of your priorities on what features you need (covered in our previous blog entries) has been reviewed and now agreed with all your colleagues.  Now you are ready to buy a database for your charity or NFP.

It’s now time to find out exactly what the database providers are offering,  and how well their products meet your needs and budget.

When choosing your database provider, here are some things to consider.

If any database provider blinds you with science and offers what they see as great must-have features, please “stick to your guns”. Compare your list of requirements against what the provider can offer, and don’t be persuaded away from your ideal specification. This way you will not end up paying for features that you will not use.

Ask to speak to some of their customers and find out what actual users think  of the software and long-term support provided.  But remember that the provider will probably only give you names of customers that will give a favourable report - so use your own discretion here!

Get a database provider to give you a demonstration of the software.  A word of warning  - find out how big a database the demonstration is based on, and the specification of the computer it is run on. If you have a larger number of records and will be running your database on a less powerful computer, your experience of the speed and power of the database might not be so impressive!

Do your research and  it will pay dividends….  Search on-line forums. Network at charity events. By talking to similar organsiations you will be able to learn from their experiences and see what worked for them.   And remember, word of mouth recommendations are worth their weight in gold.

Choosing your database provider is an important decision. Mistakes can be costly and time consuming. Some providers will be totally upfront about all features, and some won’t, but it is up to you to find out the true facts and to evaluate them against the specific needs of your organisation.  Make sure you are confident that your final choice is the right one.

Post us a comment - we would appreciate your views and welcome any questions.