Choosing Software for Your Foundation Henry A. Bromelkamp, President Bromelkamp Company

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Choosing Software for Your FoundationHenry A.
Bromelkamp, PresidentBromelkamp Company
Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004
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Software Tasks

• contacts tracking
• grants management
• fundraising
• accounting/fund accounting
• matching contributions
• volunteer tracking
• scholarship management
• event registration
• timesheets
• document management

Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004
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Why?

• speed
• accuracy
• public accountability
• service to constituents
• ease of use
• reliability
• adaptability
• integration Never type the same thing twice.

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Contacts Tracking

• make labels
• record seasonal addresses
• compose single and group emails
• generate single letters
• generate form letters
• dial the phone
• look up geographic information
• record relationship management events
• store documents, images, media
• prevent duplicate entries
• allow for multiple salutations
• connect to email/Outlook and your PDA

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Grants Management

• automate acknowledgements, reminders
• connect to accounting
• store documents/images
• keep track of when weve talked to them
• integrate with mapping
• connect to Guidestar.org
• check antiterrorism lists
• show applicant history
• prevent grants when reports overdue
• print checks or do direct deposit

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Accounting/Fund Accounting

• print ledger, balance sheet, income statement
• print checks
• direct deposit
• accrue payables and receivables
• keep funds distinct (fund accounting)
• payroll
• budget/actual comparison
• assess fund administrative fees
• calculate spendable allotment
• allocate joint investment income
• integrate with grants management and fundraising

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Fundraising

• donor prospects
• record gifts
• thanks donors, remind of pledges
• acknowledge memorials/honorary gifts
• record appeals

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Shopping

• locate options
• view demonstrations
• get estimates
• talk to references
• negotiate

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Software Vendors

• Installed Software
• MicroEdge (Gifts, FIMS, FoundationPower)
• Bromelkamp (Pearl, First Pearl, Community Pearl)
• do-it-yourself
• ASP (Application Service Providers) on the web
• CyberGrants
• Collaborative Standards
• Stellar Financial
• FoundationSource
• Dyna-Quest Technologies (Grants Administrator)
• Arlington Group (Easygrants)

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Vendor Evaluation

• availability of product
• reputation references
• support
• expertise
• ability to understand and communicate

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Costs

• one time ongoing
• software licenses
• customizations
• data conversion
• add-ons bridge to accounting, Outlook,
  guidestar, antiterrorism, online application,
  other databases
• training
• travel or other expenses

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Finance

• rent/lease
• phase in your project
• share costs in group training

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Twists

• Integration how connected is the software
  within itself and to other data?
• Flexibility how will the software fit your
  process, now and in the future?

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Justification

• lower printing costs
• less staff time
• more accurate reports
• faster reports

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Installation Cycle

• order
• customizations
• data conversion (you cant edit your data for a
  few days or weeks while the vendor works on it)
• training
• testing (verify the data matches the old system,
  and that the software works)
• warranty (what happens when something doesnt
  work?)
• adjusting (give yourself more time and leeway to
  make a few mistakes and learn)
• long-term support
• re-evaluation every few years

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Support Services

• help line
• training
• data conversion/importing
• customization
• data cleaning (removing duplicates, unused codes,
  etc.)
• internal procedures and customs (abbreviations,
  etc.)

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Marriage

• You are not purchasing a file cabinet. Youre
  beginning a long-term relationship with a
  business partner.

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Dont

• dont hire a consultant to choose your software
• dont expect youll cut staff
• dont be the guinea pig for untested technology
• dont shortchange training
• dont shortchange long-term support
• dont think software makes bad processes good

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Do

• check out all your options
• talk to colleagues
• plan well
• expect change

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You Have Choices
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Questions?

• Thank you.
• Henry A. Bromelkamp, President
• Bromelkamp Company
• 106 E 24 St, Minneapolis MN 55404 USA
• 888-290-9087
• www.bromelkamp.com

Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004