Now, fifteen years later, we also debate about the applications of technology to our work, life and recreation. At the Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy, we have long recognized the usefulness of technological tools to improve alumni relations, donor engagement, community outreach, database management and organizational effectiveness. We have significantly expanded the initial offerings of our Technology Program in the past year and are committed to adding even more tools to our list of resources to improve not only fundraising but also board relations and strategic planning. I strongly encourage you to take full advantage of the expertise of our staff to enhance your organizational effectiveness.

 

There is no telling what the cutting-edge tools will be in the year 2024.  By then Facebook, Twitter, Google Docs and iTunes might seem as antiquated to that generation of campers as the Sony Walkman is to current tweens. But we do know that the digital age has transformed the way we all do business - and the Institute will continue to incorporate the latest technology into our work with you.

 

B'Shalom,

Eric

 

P.S.  Anyone up for a game of Galaga?

Do you utilize phone-a-thons for fundraising? If so, you might be able to use your Donor Management System to streamline the process.

 

Courtney Goss-Pupkin, Development Director of UMass Hillel holds regular phone-a-thons, leveraging current Hillel students  to reach out to potential donors. To manage the process, Courtney prepares an individualized report for each prospect. UMass Hillel, which uses DonorPerfect Online (DPO) for its donor management, uses the "Info Sheet" for this process.

 

The Info Sheet details the basic contact information about a prospect in the database, as well as their giving history. This information is used to personalize each call. UMass Hillel also uses the report info to send a pledge follow-up letter to each prospect who agrees to pledge to the fundraising campaign.

 

Note that the callers do not actually enter any pledge information into DPO themselves. They write the pledge amount on the Info Sheet, sign it, and hand it in for UMass Hillel staff members to enter into DPO. (See below for more information from Laurie Herrick about restricting access to donor/prospect data.)

 

Once the data is entered into DPO, the "Info Sheets" are shredded to protect the personal information of the prospects.

 

Although Courtney would prefer that this report was more customizable (it is a standard report in DPO that can be modified without custom programming), UMass Hillel has used it to streamline their phone-a-thon process.

 

Do you use your donor management system to make any processes more efficient or effective? Tell us about it! We are sure that others can learn from your experiences.