Nonprofit makes decision based on access, online giving integration, pricing

The staff for Seattle-based Neighborhood House started from scratch in the fall of 2000 to search for new donor database software to replace the nonprofit's internally developed Microsoft Access databases.

Neighborhood House is a United Way agency that provides services, such as transportation, social services and child development programs, to low-income people.

The staff's mission was to find a donor database system that could allow them to work more efficiently with their 5,000-donor database, while integrating with an online donation system. They researched software providers listed in The Chronicle of Philanthropy and asked other Seattle-based organizations what they were using before diligently plodding through marketing material from about 20 companies that offered traditional and Web-based software.

They placed all the systems into a complex spreadsheet grid and compared their features before narrowing their choices to a traditional software company and eTapestry, an application services provider that allows its users to access software through an Internet connection.

"The other solution had upgrade costs, and licensing and hardware issues," said Ray Li, development director for Neighborhood House. "And pricing for the traditional software was a problem."

After demonstrations of both systems, Li said the staff chose eTapestry for its remote accessibility and added features, such as online giving.

"We decided we really liked that we could access our databases from home and give access to the system to board members who could use it when doing their 'asks,'" Li said.

Now, eTapestry has become an integral part of plans for Neighborhood House to step up its fundraising efforts and to integrate its board members in the fundraising process. Li said he wants board members to have the ability to add data to the system, but not to change the histories that already exist.

"If you have more access to the information, you take on more responsibility and feel more 'bought in' to the process," Li said.

Li is hoping donors will feel that way, too, once they get to choose how they want to donate-either online or through traditional methods.

"People are talking about the two types of New Donors," Li said. "One wants to give money quickly, but they're not interested in parties or events. Others want to research organization and play an active role in them. We need to give donors the flexibility to give as many ways as possible."

Online giving through eTapestry also eliminates a database entry step for Neighborhood House because it transfers all the giving information on those donors directly into the nonprofit's database.

Founded in September 1999, eTapestry is the first fundraising applications service provider (ASP), a company that rents its software to customers and delivers it on the Internet. eTapestry is less expensive and more versatile than traditional fundraising software applications. It is used by nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes.

For more information about eTapestry software, visit www.etapestry.com.