I am
responding not so much as ebase staff but as a former consultant and IS
manager for a mid-sized NFP that was faced with the very questions that you
pose. Over the 5 years previous to the decision to move to ebase rather than
upgrade to the current version of the big gun fundraising database they
were using, the group had spent untold hours working around the "locked down"
features of the proprietary database to get things done the way the org wanted
it. So for them it was not proprietary vs. having to customize. It was how much
do we pay to start and how hard is it to customize?
More
important than that - ebase is more than a fundraising database. My former org
had a fundraising database, an activist database and a number of lists kept in
excel (well quarto-pro then). ebase allowed them to use one integrated database,
share info internally more easily and export more flexibly for campaign
work with other orgs.
A
recent poll of ebase users finds that most do not do any customizing and make
little if any use of the listserv. A small group can easily use the built in
features of ebase and use Word as their "report writer" to get a great deal of
functionality for "free". On this list serv you see those who have
"gotten-in over their head", are "pushing the envelope", or are interested in
learning where they can take this open-to-change database. It is a little like
the evening news - do you ever see reports of "Area business man had a good
day"? or "Woman takes short walk with dog" - no you only hear "Mugging near
park" or "Area business goes bankrupt".
Hope
that helps
Clif
--------------------------------------------
Clif Graves, Programmer
TechRocks
74 Narrows Pond Road
Winthrop ME 04364
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
eFax: 425.790.2058 Web: http://www.techrocks.org
--------------------------------------------
ebase -Free relationship management software for nonprofits
http://www.ebase.org
--------------------------------------------
Clif Graves, Programmer
TechRocks
74 Narrows Pond Road
Winthrop ME 04364
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
eFax: 425.790.2058 Web: http://www.techrocks.org
--------------------------------------------
ebase -Free relationship management software for nonprofits
http://www.ebase.org
--------------------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 9:28 AM
To: TechRocks Support
Subject: [support] Re: honest opinion about ebase?
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 9:28 AM
To: TechRocks Support
Subject: [support] Re: honest opinion about ebase?
When I'm consulting with clients on developing fundraising programs, I------------------
usually advise them to move away from creating their own software and instead
consider an off the shelf package. Why - because they were paid to be
fundraisers not computer programmers, because within a very few years their
custom made system will be completely corrupted, lack any retrievable
documentation, and put them right back into the fundraising management hole
that they started out in.
Now, because I work with a lot of small and medium sized organizations, they
can't spring up front for a $3000 package such as Giftmaker Pro or Paradigm
(both of which I like a lot - I was wondering why the person who didn't like
paradigm didn't like it). So, I've been asking them to consider looking at
ebase because based on my very quick review, it seemed that the package was
at least useable and would meet basic needs.
Now that I'm on the listserve, I'm beginning to question my referrals. If
they have to buy Filemaker Pro and spend half their life customizing the
package, scrolling through archives from online support, and participating on
this listserv to get help because the package just doesn't work, in my
opinion, they may be better off with their homegrown customized software and
devoting all the time they are spending trying to make ebase work well for
them raising money instead so that they can purchase an off the shelf system
that works and has 800 telesupport and strong product development. (or spend
the $600 for etapestry training). (By the way, I saw a fabulous prototype
from Campagne called Alchemy which finally does what computer software is
supposed to do - provide people with the tools to be fundraising managers,
not database slaves.
So ... am I right?
Gayle
**********************************************
Gayle L. Gifford, CFRE
General Partner
Cause & Effect, LLC
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------
Reminder to each recipient: To change your list account preferences, go to
http://email.sparklist.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=support and enter the email address you used to subscribe to the ebase support list:: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ebase - Relationship Management for Nonprofits, http://www.ebase.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder to each recipient: To change your list account preferences, go to
http://email.sparklist.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=support and enter the email address you used to subscribe to the ebase support list:: [email protected]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ebase - Relationship Management for Nonprofits, http://www.ebase.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
