Selecting Software for Your Nonprofit

Posted on 29th Jan 2019

Article By: Blackbaud

Analyze Your Organization’s Needs

Develop a Plan

The first step in assessing your technology needs is to consider the current size and scope of your
organization and compare that to where you hope to be in several years. Answering the following
questions should help you with this assessment and provide some guidelines for your software search.
These questions will vary based on the type of system(s) (accounting, development, education or a
combination) you are seeking.

Assess the Way You Work

As you work through the assessment of your organization’s needs, you should review each person’s job
responsibilities to ensure every role is defi ned to maximize efficiency and productivity throughout your
office. Consider the amount of time each staff member will spend on the computer using the accounting,
fundraising or student records databases. Try to identify redundant tasks that could be eliminated by
dividing assignments more logically or by implementing a more sophisticated system.

Establish Policies

This is also the ideal time to ensure that your organization has policies in place for many basic functions
including data entry and passwords. As your staff grows and changes, many people may have access to
your data. Maintaining the integrity of your database is critical, and adhering to established procedures
will help ensure consistency among your records. Remember that information you retrieve from your
system can only be as good as what you put into your databases.

Determine Functionality

Now that you’ve assessed your organization’s needs, staff and procedures, you should be able to
compile a list of expectations for your new software. Be as specific as possible when considering the
functionality of your new system. You may find it useful to prioritize your requirements as “must-have” or
“wish list.” This will also be a great help to vendors when they respond to your request for information.
Also, consider how you would like the new system to work with software that your organization is already
using. Keep in mind that different systems accomplish integration in different ways. Because software
vendors can draw experience from their clients, they may provide suggestions you have not considered.
In summary, be specific about what you need the system to do, and be open to how you expect it to
accomplish your goals.

By: Blackbaud