Re: Donor Information Maintenance

[Robert Weiner]

Renee,   My clients have used three options:  The least technical one is to institute a set of rules stating that one database is the "corporate" database.  It's the one that will be used for all mailings.  All address changes must be entered there, and when there's a conflict, that database is presumed to be the accurate one.   The next option is to maintain separate databases but build bridges between them.  Changes made in one database (which might still be the corporate database) are synchronized with the others.  Again, you'll need a good set of rules to keep the sync process from deleting good data.   The third option is to replace your various databases with one system that does it all.  In addition to selecting and converting to the system, you'll need to develop policies about how departments share data.  In a shared system, one department can change contact info that another believes is correct.  These are the mirror images of the policies you need for the first option.   Robert __________________________   Robert L. Weiner Consulting Providing Strategic Technology Consulting to Nonprofits and Education San Francisco, CA   rob...@rlweiner.com 415/643-8955   www.rlweiner.com   -----Original Message----- From: Rossi, Lindsey [mailto:lro...@lacma.org]On Behalf Of Montgomery, Renee Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 4:29 PM To: mcn-l@mcn.edu Subject: Donor Information Maintenance   I'm wondering how other museums keep donor information up-to-date between your various internal databases.  For instance we have separate databases for our collection, and membership and development records - which don't speak to each other.  Often the same donor's name will appear in both databases as an art donor as well as a cash donor or member.  Sometimes our Membership and Development office has the most up-to-date address, sometimes the Registrar's office does.  Do you have any special protocol between Registration and Membership & Development, so that you don't have to re-check an address each time you send?    Renee Montgomery Asst. Director, Collections Management and Information ren...@lacma.org     --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: rob...@rlweiner.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-mcn_mcn-l-12800...@listserver.americaneagle.com --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: rlancefi...@mail.wesleyan.edu To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-mcn_mcn-l-12800...@listserver.americaneagle.com