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

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

2. 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

3. Why? • speed • accuracy • public accountability • service to constituents • ease of use • reliability • adaptability • integration Never type the same thing twice. Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

4. 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 Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

5. Grants Management • automate acknowledgements, reminders • connect to accounting • store documents/images • keep track of when we’ve 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 Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

6. 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 Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

7. Fundraising • donor prospects • record gifts • thanks donors, remind of pledges • acknowledge memorials/honorary gifts • record appeals Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

8. Shopping • locate options • view demonstrations • get estimates • talk to references • negotiate Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

9. 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) Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

10. Vendor Evaluation • availability of product • reputation & references • support • expertise • ability to understand and communicate Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

11. 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 Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

12. Finance • rent/lease • phase in your project • share costs in group training Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

13. 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? Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

14. Justification • lower printing costs • less staff time • more accurate reports • faster reports Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

15. Installation Cycle • order • customizations • data conversion (you can’t 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 doesn’t work?) • adjusting (give yourself more time and leeway to make a few mistakes and learn) • long-term support • re-evaluation every few years Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

16. Support Services • help line • training • data conversion/importing • customization • data cleaning (removing duplicates, unused codes, etc.) • internal procedures and customs (abbreviations, etc.) Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

17. Marriage You are not purchasing a file cabinet. You’re beginning a long-term relationship with a business partner. Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

18. Don’t • don’t hire a consultant to choose your software • don’t expect you’ll cut staff • don’t be the guinea pig for untested technology • don’t shortchange training • don’t shortchange long-term support • don’t think software makes bad processes good Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

19. Do • check out all your options • talk to colleagues • plan well • expect change Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

20. You Have Choices Conference of Southwest FoundationsOctober 2004

21. 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