The Nonprofit Matrix is an online directory and guide to Application Service Providers (ASPs) and portals offering web-based services for nonprofits and charities.
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January 17th, 2008 at 12:44pm
Organizations often face data integration challenges as they manage multiple online and offline services, lists and databases in different areas of their activities. Achieving data integration can mean either adopting a single all-in-one platforms with a common database that serves all needs, or creating a complex structure of data updates and lookups that attempt to synchronize disparate data sources. This second option allows for more flexibility but requires more investment and expertise in data management. With newer software systems adopting more open architectures that facilitate data exchange with other systems, this is becoming an easier path to follow.
NTEN, Idealware and Beaconfire Consulting have collaborated on a new report titled “Getting your Systems Talking: A Framework to Evaluate APIs and Data Exchange Features” that looks at data portability issues and provides “an evaluation framework that will help weigh the advantages and trade-offs of the data integration features across different applications.”
The report is available for download from the NTEN website.
> Download Getting your Systems Talking: A Framework to Evaluate APIs and Data Exchange Features
September 26th, 2007 at 01:00am
Another installment in Techsoup’s series of handy quick overviews of online services for nonprofits - this time looking at the technology options and choices for handling online event registrations.
TechSoup’s article covers the basics - giving pointers on identifying the type of online event registration provider that best matches the scale and features of the event being planned, and offering tips on integration of online event management functions into the overall event planning process.
An excerpt:
Event registration means different things to different organizations. It’s important to decide what it means to you before choosing a tool. In particular:
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- Do you simply need a quick, inexpensive, and easy credit-card registration tool?
- Are you planning to run complex conferences or events?
- Are you going to need to take other kinds of online payments as well?
- Is integrating the registrants into your database a key concern?
The article also provides short profiles of some of the leading online event registration service providers.
> Read the full article: A Few Good Event Registration Tools
August 18th, 2007 at 12:51pm
ICT hub has published an article outlining the critical steps and considerations for organizations approaching a database implementation project. The article is something of a top-level check-list and could be helpful in assigning job responsibilities and developing timelines for managing what is often a complex and daunting process.
Here’s an excerpt:
Your first year
Your database will have a major impact, change the way you work, and requires commitment.
The key things to remember for a successful implementation are:
- Take it slowly – rushing leads to error
- Pay attention to detail
- Clean up your data before you add it
- People are your biggest issue (and asset)
- Evaluate what you do
> Read Implementing a database – practical and strategic issues
August 18th, 2007 at 12:35pm
TechSoup has published a short but concise and well-illustrated introduction for nonprofits to the world of Facebook, the current hot-item in the online social networking world. The article was originally pubished by Wild Apricot blogger Soha El-Borno, and gives a step-by-step walkthrough to getting started with a Facebook account, plus a bit of background and helpful links on how nonprofits are starting to use this networking platform to promote their organizations and causes.
> Read A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook
Also see this article from Nov 2006: How nonprofits can use Facebook
July 18th, 2007 at 09:29am
Idealware has released another in their “A Few Good Tools” series of compact overview guides of online tools for nonprofits. This new guide focuses on tools for running online auctions.
Real-life auctions have a long history in the nonprofit sector and online actions have been a popular fundraising tool for some online charities since the rise of eBay in the early days of the Internet. eBay is a popular tools for running online charity auctions, but there are a wide variety of other web services available to meet the diverse needs of the nonprofit sector.
Idealware’s guide covers the basics of how to organize and run a successful online auction, including:
- planning the overall approach
- acquiring items to auction
- reaching out to those you want to participate
- purchase fulfillment and shipping of auctioned items
- choosing the right tool for your auction
The guide also profiles several of the leading online charity auction service providers such as MissionFish, cMarket, Benefit Events and others.
> Goto Idealware: A Few Good Online Auction Tools
March 6th, 2007 at 12:29am
Techsoup has published an overview of an emerging category of online fundraising tools: charity badges.
Charity badges — also known as fundraising widgets — are small graphic modules (similar in appearance to online banner ads) designed to help individuals and nonprofits raise funds online. Charity badges solicit donations for a specific cause or organization and can be posted to Web sites, blogs, and social networking pages.
The article describes the basic function and purpose of charity badges and profiles two of the leading providers, as well as offering a case study and strategic advice to using charity badges in fundraising campaigns.
Read Techsoup’s article Charity Badges: Turn Your Supporters into Fundraisers.
February 27th, 2007 at 08:15am
Target Analysis Group and DonorDigital have released the results of a donor benchmarking study that compares the behaviours and characteristics of online and offline donors.
The study examined internet giving in the context of a primarily direct mail fundraising program, and how this emerging channel impacts donor value.
A few of the top-level results:
- Online donors are much younger and have higher incomes than direct mail donors
- Online donors tend to join at higher giving levels and to have higher lifetime giving
- Online donors’ higher giving levels may mask issues with cultivation and renewal
Download the summary report here
February 23rd, 2007 at 08:53am
Idealware continues to be a source of highly practical and valuable guides to the world of nonprofit software and software services. Their new paper looks at online payment “multiitasking” providers - the Jacks of all Trades of the online fundraising world.
If you’re looking to accept donations, register people for events, or sell items online, there are many applications out there to help you complete any one of these transactions. But what if you’re looking to process more than one type of payment? What if your needs are a little out of the ordinary? Are there any software options that will support a variety of online transactions?
This paper gives an overview of the challenges and options, and features mini-profiles of about a dozen service providers of hosted online multi-payment tools, hosted integrated packages, and “roll your own” payment systems.
Read Idealware’s paper here
View NonProfit Matrix listings for online donation processing tools and integrated online solutions
February 7th, 2007 at 08:59am
Convio and Strategic One have unveiled a new report on integrated marketing approaches to nonprofit communications.
The report, titled Integrating Online Marketing (eCRM) With Direct Mail Fundraising, is built around an in-depth case study of the SPCA of Texas, and looks at the impact on fundraising results from a program of coordinated communications with donors using multiple channels (direct mail, phone, radio, print).
The study comprised a number of test and control segments with comparative results.
From the report’s conclusion:
The primary objective of this study was to quantify the influence of eCRM – online constituent relationship management in multi-channel communications context. In this case study, the increased value of adding an online donation channel for donors acquired offline is $44.71 per donor over 12 months. Additionally, donors receiving eCRM out-perform those who only receive offline communications, giving twice as much in their lifetimes.
Download the full report here.
February 2nd, 2007 at 09:00am
Personal Democracy Forum has released a “tell-all “consumer’ guide to more than a dozen Software-as-a-service providers including all of the big names in the industry as well as a selection of lesser-knowns and up-and-comers.
Service providers selected for the guide are given a full profile which describes their philosophy, describes the core uses of their software services, and highlights some of their strengths and top clients.
The part of the guide that will most interest those who are in the market for a software-as-a-service provider will be the aggregate user ratings (i.e. stars) and user-reports of levels of customer service, and the fairness of pricing.
The guide many be viewed in summary on the Personal Democracy Forum site.
To access the full version of the guide, which includes full company profiles, as well as private forums with ongoing dialogues with users of their tools, you have to register as a premium member of PDF ($25).
View Software-as-a-service listings on the NonProfit Matrix
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