Introduction to Databases

Databases are programs that store information that needs to be accessed and reproduced in many different ways. There are infinite examples: mailing lists which need to be sorted by zip code; lists of clients who are under 18; people who have donated more than $100 dollars in the last two years who live in Oakland and whose children go to public schools; etc. Although many different programs can store data (word processors or spreadsheets can store lists of names for mailing lists), database programs are unique in that they can search, sort, omit, and sum data far easier than other programs.

Do You Need a Database?

Many organizations need to store data in ways which will be easy to sort and print out. One of the most common types of database is a contact database, which has names and addresses of people who regularly receive mail from you. While most organizations start this list in a word processor or spreadsheet, these lists can quickly grow into large files which become difficult to easily deal with. Nonprofits generally need database software because they almost always have large amounts of data that they need to track. The questions then become:

• What kind of database do you need?
• Do you need more than one, and if so, should they be linked together?
• Should you make your own, or buy one off the shelf?

What Kind of Database Do You Need?

There are several kinds of databases, depending on what information you need to track. Some databases do two or more things, like keeping a list of donors as well as a list of newsletter subscribers.

Here's a brief overview of some of the more common databases nonprofits and schools use:

Contact/Client Management Database:

Schools and nonprofits will want to track address and contact information about clients, students or even volunteers. This type of database will also have information regarding a person's academic or care history or events for which a particular person has volunteered.

Information and Referral ("I & R"):

Some organizations keep track of a number of services which are available either to the community in general, or to a particular population. These organizations would like to be able to call up this information quickly and refer people to the services. They might also like to track which groups get referred to more often than others.

Donations /Fund Tracking ("Donorbases"):

Organizations often need to track donations from the community and foundations, and they often have to split single donations into different funding streams, according to the way the donor wants his/her money funnelled. This kind of tracking can get extremely complicated.

Do You Need More than One Database?

As mentioned above, some databases do more than one thing. If you have several components to your database -- like parents, volunteers and donors -- and you not only need to track each type separately, but also track regular mailings sent to all groups, it will help if all this information can be accessed from the same database.

Should You Make Your Own, Or Buy One?

If you want to start a database, you need to buy database software. The main software packages like Microsoft Access and Filemaker Pro are easy to learn and come with templates that you might already be able to use - like mailing lists and membership info. Lotus Approach is a simple and easy-to-use program, if you only need to keep track of contact information. However, sometimes these templates will not be good enough to meet your needs. In these cases, you will want to customize your own template.

What's Next?

At this stage, you can either decide to make your own database template, or look for other "off-the-shelf" programs that have been designed specifically for nonprofits. There are conflicting views on which is better: if you make your own, you might end up spending a lot of time and money, but you will (hopefully) have a system which does everything you need. If you get a pre-designed database, (i.e. not a template that comes with Access, but a full-fledged program designed specifically for that purpose- like Raiser's Edge or Exceed) you might end up with extras you don't use, and you might need to invest in some more time to adjust the program to fit your needs. Often, the deciding factor here is how much you can afford to have a customized solution.

Summary:

Almost every organization keeps and tracks data, and the best way to keep this data is with a database program. However, the more information you would like to keep track of, and the more complicated the reports you would like to make, the more complex your database will need to be. There are several different options here: you can use a template that comes with the more common software packages; you can have someone design a database from scratch, or you can get one designed specifically for your purpose, but not necessarily one that meets all your needs.