Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » IT Management

The Limits of “Free” Software

Robert — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:20:01 +0000

I received an email newsletter today with the following pitch for a web-based donor database (perhaps you can guess which one):

The Cloud offers you constituent relationship management (CRM) software that's less expensive, easier to maintain, more accessible, more intuitive, and with greater flexibility and capacity than you've ever seen before.

How much would you pay for such a system?

Would you believe me if I told you...you can get it for free? Yup, free.

When talking about "free" software I think it's important to define the limits of free. There's free-as-in-beer and free-as-in-puppies. Defining business rules, codes, and reports, converting data, configuring screens, and training users on the new system and policies are not simple tasks. I keep hearing of small nonprofits that chose a database because it was "free," became overwhelmed, and dropped it. Donor databases need care and feeding during implementation and throughout their lifetimes. This often requires hiring consultants who have experience with these systems free. "Free" can quickly become expensive.

Thoughts on Software RFPs

Robert — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:01:52 +0000

I received the following email from Keith Heller, a database consultant who works with Raiser's Edge and Common Ground clients:

We’ve been involved with responding to many RFPs over the years and I have a general inquiry that is in your bailiwick. I often see RFPs that are quite lengthy and well-considered, and looking for a system that has huge strategic value to an organization, but the required turn-around time to respond to the RFP is very short – often only 2 or 3 weeks. I then see software vendors, who are already busy with other prospects, scrambling to pull together responses and often (quite frankly) not able to deliver their best because of the timeframe. Finally, I’m often witness on the client side to the returned RFP information languishing for weeks beyond their own deadlines (and/or this being characteristic of earlier deadlines in designing the RFP). What’s the thought behind requiring quick responses from the vendors? Or do the clients often not understand that vendors are working with multiple other organizations at the same time? It seems to me that if response deadlines were less compressed, vendors could craft a more appropriate response in a less stressful manner and that organizations would get higher quality and value from the responses.

My response:

Hi Keith,

You know the office proverb: "Bad planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." But if you're a vendor it often does.

In most cases I don't think nonprofits understand what they're asking of the vendors. I advise my clients to allow 2 weeks for a simple Request for Proposals and up to 6 weeks for a complex one. At the same time many nonprofits don't understand what's involved in reviewing RFP responses. They haven't thought about how they'll score each one, and may not have set aside staff time (or enough staff time) for the task. So even if the turnaround is driven by real deadlines on the client's side, they're too overwhelmed by the responses to turn them around quickly.

A more cynical possibility is the dark side of RFPs -- the winner was predetermined but the organization was required to get multiple bids. That could explain the unrealistic turnaround time--the organization knows the chosen vendor can meet the timeline (and the RFP may have even been created using a template supplied by that vendor). The delays in getting back to bidders could still be legitimate overwhelmedness. They could also mean that the other bids weren't that important to begin with so there's no rush to respond to those vendors.

What do you think? If you're with a nonprofit, do you think your RFP deadlines are reasonable and realistic? If you're with a vendor, how do you cope with these sometimes-artificial emergencies, and with the RFP process in general? Are you one of the many who simply do not respond to over-the-transom RFPs?

Resources:

My article Finding the Perfect Fundraising Database in an Imperfect World includes a section called "To RFP or not to RFP"

Idealware article: The Perfect Fit: A Guide to Evaluating and Purchasing Major Software Systems

Techsoup article: The RFP Process: An Overview

Techsoup article: Nine Tips for Navigating the RFP Research Phase

Idealware’s Field Guide to Nonprofit Software: Fundraising, Communications and Outreach

Robert — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:59:03 +0000

Idealware recently released its Fundraising, Communications and Outreach. Unlike their earlier guides (to inexpensive donor databases, content management systems, online donation tools, etc.) this one is an actual book (84 pages, paperback) and costs actual money ($19.95, plus, I assume, shipping and maybe tax). They describe it as follows:

What types of software should your nonprofit be using? It's hard to even know even what types exist, let alone what might work for you. Through a friendly, easy-reference format, this book helps you pinpoint the types of software that can help your organization based on your needs and your level of technology savvy, and provides user-friendly summaries to demystify all the possible options.

The 84-page Field Guide includes an overview of 35 different types of software, helping you to understand what each is, how it fits in with your needs, how much you might expect to pay, and some of the most common vendors in the area.

Full disclosure: I reviewed an early draft, but haven't seen the final version. It's likely to be a useful guide to nonprofits who are planning to purchase (or request donations) of a lot of software in the near future.

You can get more information and order a copy on their site.

The continuing saga of the new T400S

Robert — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:44:46 +0000

The continuing story of my new Thinkpad T400S laptop. I finally feel like it's starting to come together, particularly the upgrade to Windows 7. Here's the story so far. Maybe my experience will help someone else.

After transferring my data and software using Laplink (and after figuring out that I had to decrypt my files first) I found that everything was owned by some mystery account. I couldn't access my files or apps from my account or the Administrator account. I fixed that with an application called TakeOwnership.

Once I got my stuff moved over I started playing with the laptop and found that it had no sound. The Lenovo system diagnostics and Device Manager said everything was functioning normally, but I had no sound through the speakers -- only through the headphone jack. I tried all of the troubleshooting tips I could find, and finally took it in for service (fortunately, there's a service depot near my house). Replacing the speakers didn't have any effect, so they replaced the motherboard. That did it. Their theory is that the headphone jack turns off the speakers when in use, and that the jack was "stuck" in this position.

I use an off site backup service from Backup Solutions. I found that their software wouldn't install under Windows 7. The company got me a new version that works with Win 7, but I found that the failed installation (or maybe Laplink) left traces of the software behind such that the new software said I needed to uninstall the old version, but the old version wouldn't uninstall. I had to use Revo Installer to fix that.

I got the docking station set up for the new PC and found that it only has USB ports, so my old PS/2 keyboard won't work. Tried using a $3 PS/2 to USB adapter, but no luck. I either needed a $17 converter or a new keyboard. I went for the converter, since I like my current keyboard. All my other peripherals work.

I found that the T400S doesn't have a modem jack (maybe it was an option that I neglected to choose?). Sometimes it's handy to be able to fax from the computer rather than printing something out and running it through the fax. However, I don't want to have to pay a monthly fee for something like eFax for those rare instances when I need to fax from the computer. Maybe there are other alternatives.

I wasn't able to get ZoneAlarm to install. I finally gave up and switched to PC Tools' firewall. The tests I've run say it's not as secure, but it's something. I'll try installing ZoneAlarm again when I have time.

I had a devil of a time getting Avast! to run but upgrading from version 4 to 5 fixed that.

I'm still tinkering with Outlook 2003. Tried running it as an Administrator, and in Compatibility Mode for XP and Vista, but it keeps crashing. PC Doctor (the crash diagnostic program) just said the problem might be the "Send to Bluetooth" plug-in, so I disabled that. We'll see.

I figured out how to restore the handy Quick Launch tolbar by following these instructions.

Some of the hardest problems have been getting Adobe products to install. I couldn't get TweetDeck or Adobe Air to run (TweetDeck requires Air). I solved that by following the instructions for solving Error # 0 problems at http://support.tweetdeck.com/forums/63876/entries/91753 Now I have a second program ( Microsoft Installer Cleanup utility) to forcibly uninstall uncooperative software.

I also couldn't get Adobe Flash to install. I tried the instructions to install and run Microsoft's SubInACL program, but that didn't fix it. Finally submitted a trouble ticket to Adobe and got a quick response. They had me do the following:

In Internet Explorer 8 click on Tools then Internet options then the Advanced tab then choose "Reset Internet Explorer settings".

Download and run install_flash_player_10_active_x.exe from Adobe

Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash

Right-click FlashUtil10d.exe, click the Compatibility tab and select "Run as Administrator." Click OK and run the program.

That did it. Resetting IE seems to be the key -- I had done all the other steps previously.

Setting up my new Thinkpad T400S

Robert — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:23:32 +0000

I recently received my new Lenovo Thinkpad T400S -- thinner, faster, and lighter than my current T400. But getting it set up has been a bear. A few of the lowlights, after 6 days of work:

1) I used Laplink to transfer my data, apps, and settings. I've been using Laplink products for at least 15 years with good results. This time, not so good. The big problem turned out to be that I had encrypted my data on my current computer. Laplink's software didn't warn that this might be a problem, and none of the the technicians I wound up chatting with suggested that it might be. But after several attempts to transfer my files, and several days of trying to figure out why I couldn't open any of them, I asked whether this could be the problem and the tech said it could be. Unencrypting the data on the old computer and running the transfer again solved that problem. (NB: I also tried importing the encryption security keys into the new computer, but that didn't allow me to open the files.)

2) The new computer came with Windows 7. While I like the Windows 7 interface, I'm finding that lots of software that claims to work with Windows 7 won't install or, or installs but won't run. So far the list includes ZoneAlarm's firewall and Avast! anti-virus. I've also had trouble getting Adobe Flash to install. Currently I can view Flash videos in FireFox but not in Internet Explorer. I've barely scratched the surface of testing my software and expect many more unpleasant surprises.

3) No sound. This seems to be a hardware failure, as I've tried updating the sound card driver, BIOS, and all other recommended troubleshooting steps. The computer is in the shop now to diagnose (and, I hope, fix) the problem.

The Idealware Research Fund

Robert — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:59:03 +0000

My friends at Idealware have created a new fund to support their research. Many of Idealware's reports have been funded by foundations and some have had corporate sponsorship. As you probably know, neither foundation nor corporate support is a reliable funding source these days. In addition, since Idealware must maintain its independence in order to produce their high-quality, unbiased reports and product comparisons, some potential funding sources are simply off limits.

Their goal is to raise $15,000. The fund will allow Idealware "to build on (their) base of more than four years and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of software research to provide the new resources that nonprofits need most, like information about social media tools, mobile text messaging, constituent databases, and more." If you want to support them as well, you can do so on the Research Fund's fundraising page.

(Full disclosure: I have contributed to some of Idealware's reports, and they have even paid me for advice.)

What’s in Your Data Ecosystem?

Robert — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:59:02 +0000

Our friends at NTEN have launched a survey to examine nonprofits' data ecosystems. Your first question is probably "what is a data ecosystem?" NTEN describes it as follows:

The nonprofit ecosystem is a way of thinking about how data is shared by and flows across the different departments and activities in your organization. Similar to the interconnectedness in natural ecosystems (for example: marsh, birds, plants), we think of the data ecosystem as the interconnectedness of software tools and the data they hold. Thus, in a well functioning data ecosystem, tools are connected so that the information gathered from online donations, for example, is easily commingled with the information gathered from an event which is commingled with the information collected about other supporters. In a poorly functioning data ecosystem, each pool of data stands alone with little or no interconnectedness.

read more

Creating Strong Passwords

Robert — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:59:03 +0000

The recent theft of confidential documents from Twitter's Google Docs account points out the dangers of insecure passwords. NTEN's blog discusses the details of the break-in and lessons we should learn from it. The chief lesson: good passwords are key to good security.

A 2007 NTEN post provided suggestions and resources for creating strong passwords and establishing a password policy. More recently, Slate.com published an article called Fix Your Terrible, Insecure Passwords in Five Minutes with general password tips and a clever algorithm for developing strong passwords. You can also look at TechSoup's Security Corner for more tips, articles, blog posts, and resources on securing your information.

Photo: Paul Linton

Twitter Hacking and Cloud Security

Robert — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:59:03 +0000

The front-page headlines read "Hacker steals Twitter's confidential documents," but the real story isn't about Twitter — it's that the stolen documents were stored online, "in the cloud." This could happen to any nonprofit or company storing data this way. As we've seen over and over, it's amazingly easy to guess or steal passwords. And anyone who gets access to the password of an employee with access to those online files gets access to all files shared with that employee. This can happen with internal network passwords as well, but there are differences:

IT staff can require secure passwords for their own networks and email systems. They can't control the password requirements for web-based email accounts or cloud computing apps.
IT staff can require employees to change their network passwords regularly. They can't do that for cloud apps.
IT staff can test the security of passwords on their own networks. Do they do that with their employees' Google Doc passwords?
IT can disable email and network accounts for former employees. Does anyone think to disable those employees' access to docs in the cloud?

read more

NTEN’s Online CIO Conference in September

Robert — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:59:03 +0000

Want to build your IT leadership skills without a travel budget? Our friends at NTEN are launching a 2-day virtual conference for nonprofit IT leaders. I'm thrilled to see this. I think there's a big need for a "mini-MBA" for nonprofit chief information officers (CIOs), particularly those who came up through the ranks.

NTEN describes the conference as follows: