With certain purchases, many of us want more than just the product. We want a total customer experience with a total solution. How we are treated as a customer makes a huge difference. 

Each of us values different things. For some, it’s the whiz-bang features. For others, it’s tried and true dependability. I’m in the tried and true boat – which is probably why I’ve driven my Honda Civic for almost 10 years!

The theory of wanting more than just the product goes for software, too. No one wants to merely acquire a computer program. You ultimately need a complete solution that will address your organizational needs. Your staff must be able to use the program effectively, and your organization should be supported technically if your needs change, new programs or campaigns are added to your funding plan, or if you have questions or issues about using your software.

Before you begin to evaluate actual fundraising packages, spend some time thinking about the factors that facilitate a successful conversion to new software. After all, software selection is only part of the conversion process. 

Support, please!

Virtually all software users require some support services, be they technical support, upgrades, training or implementation assistance. However, your experience will differ with each vendor depending on the company’s longevity and main focus of its business (e.g. technology leader, operational excellence, or customer experience). It’s important to match your organization’s needs to the vendor’s ability to deliver in the following areas:

Technical support: Technical support provides answers and support to users by telephone, e-mail or Web. Consider how comfortable your staff is with troubleshooting software issues and the responsiveness of your IT departments or consultants. Keep in mind that even a sophisticated employee might need help with a new system or new features and functionality. And, if fundraising is your organizational lifeblood, you will want a safety net to ensure your software is up-and-running any time you need it.

Maintenance updates: Maintenance updates, usually consisting of software upgrades and enhancements, are intended to keep your software working well. They help extend the life of your software solution, maintaining compatibility after network, hardware and operating system upgrades. Additionally, updates can also include security or compliance functionality, protecting your organization from potential data breaches.

Training: To realize more immediate value out of your software, staff must be adequately trained to use it. The more sophisticated the fundraising solution, the more training that may be required for staff to become comfortable and proficient. Be sure to find out the various training options. Will your staff members have to travel to training, or are classes offered locally? How often is training offered? Is online training available? Make sure the training options and costs fit with your staff’s needs and budget.

Beware the training trap!

If you plan on training only one staff member, give it a second thought. Even the most dedicated person may leave an organization or fall sick during a critical campaign. If only one staff member is the primary user of the fundraising package, consider training at least one additional person to ensure that you don’t lose the ability to use the system. Too many organizations forgo the short-term investment, resulting in long-term deficiencies.

Successful implementation: a critical component

All fundraising software needs some degree of configuration to reflect your existing programs and processes. You set up the software to match the way your organization labels and tracks constituents, records and tags gifts, reports information, determines campaign success and performs many other tasks. The more detailed and varied your programs and the more intricate the solution, the more set-up time required. 

Initial setup: Think about how you want your new data formatted, and what criteria are vital to your fundraising success. Make sure you capture the right information at the necessary level of detail so you can produce the variety of reports you need. Before installation, consider the detail you require. It’s easier to import it the way you want it the first time than to change it later.

Converting existing data: Once you purchase new software, the first step in moving toward the upgrade is preparing and transferring existing records to the new software program. How will you get your current data in the new system and in the proper format? Find out if there are tools available for the prospective software. Evaluate any related integration development needs, turnaround times, formatting, or follow-up support costs well before the conversion process has begun so you have an accurate expectation for the scope of the project. Software vendors may perform this service for a fee. If your vendor doesn’t, the software manufacturer may have partnerships with consultants in your area – ask them for more information.

Interfaces: Plan to test your new system’s interfaces with other applications that you and other departments use on a regular basis, such as accounting, Microsoft Office applications, online donation processing applications, and even printers.

Think of the software purchase and the installation and conversion processes as a whole. Software list price is just one component to the total cost of conversion. By focusing only on buying the lowest-priced software, you may incur additional costs (e.g, to supplement or work around missing or incomplete functionality, for extra consulting, or training) to achieve the same benefits as a system with a higher list price. Similarly, avoid paying extra for functionality or services that have no value to your organization.

Next time I’ll discuss the role of consultants in software evaluation and the first steps in budgeting for your purchase. Let the evaluation continue!

Heather Burton is a senior marketing manager for Sage North America’s Nonprofit Solutions business. She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maine and prior to joining Sage worked in the semiconductor industry. During that time, she began her community involvement and worked on her company’s charitable giving team, which provided the opportunity for her career change to a full-time fundraiser. 

Just before joining Sage in 2005, Burton worked in several development roles and as a loan executive for United Way. She also led volunteer fundraising teams for a local hospice. Because of her technical expertise, Burton continually finds herself consulting on everything from software selections and implementation to web site development practices.