Case Study: A Tale of Two Databases

Story 1: In-house Assessment with Outsourced Implementation

Careful database planning can save an organization from trouble later. In these two stories, you'll see how two nonprofits with some comparable fundraising needs had similar databases implemented at about the same time. They ended up with two very different results.

The first organization, which focused on ecosystem protection in a local park area, had three staff members and a budget of around $100,000. It did some basic research on its own but didn’t demo the software before deciding ebase version 2 was the right tool for it (see the TechSoup article: ebase version 2 ). This choice was made despite grumblings from staff who preferred other tools. The group then contracted with a consultant to implement the database. Given the budget and busy schedule, the organization wanted the consultant to work as quickly and cheaply as possible. In response to the consultant’s warnings that configuring ebase could be time-consuming, it agreed to assist in the process.

Initial configuration and data migration took somewhat longer than expected due to inconsistent data management, but ebase was up and running in two days. Then more serious problems began to arise. It became clear that staff members were not happy using the new tools, yet they were unable to easily call or e-mail for technical support As an additional challenge was that the local area network ( LAN) had different types of computer systems attached to it. Some were Windows based and some not. This made many staff uncomfortable.

After significant unplanned consulting time to work through those obstacles and considerable discouragement and frustration among staff, the organization has resolved several infrastructure deficits and is starting to make progress with ebase. At the same time, it is seriously considering abandoning the installation and going back to the drawing board, looking for software that will be simpler to use.

Lessons learned

This organization seems to have called in the consultant too late in the process. It expected the consultant to implement a new tool in an environment where both infrastructure and staff skills were insufficient for success. The consultant erred by agreeing to perform a service that nobody fully understood and that was, in hindsight, much larger than expected. Had he been involved in the planning process, the consultant could have investigated the group’s technological, financial, emotional, and logistical readiness to adopt such a major change. Such professional planning could have resulted in a realistic budget, appropriate plan of action, a manageable timeline, and a process that might have involved a software choice other than ebase.

Story 2: Successfully Integrated Assessment and Implementation

The second organization, with two staff members and a budget of around $75,000, focused on the environment and protecting people for toxic substances. This organization knew it had fundraising software needs and had explored some options on its own.

When it started working on a grant for the project, it brought in a consultant and started discussing its needs for fundraising software. The consultant was able to ask questions that ultimately helped validate the staff’s decision. During this fairly quick assessment process, the consultant was able to pinpoint training needs and infrastructure issues that would impact the project, so these could be factored into the project budget and plan.

Lessons Learned

The key difference here is that both the consultant and the staff had a much clearer idea of what to expect before the budget was settled and the work began. Knowing the skills and hardware that would have to be improved during the project gave the consultant a bigger picture into which the implementation could fit.

It is great to have nonprofit staff actively involved in technology projects -- the challenge is to know your capabilities (both in time and expertise) and, if outsourcing makes sense for a project, you also need to choose the right time to bring in the consultant.