The root cause of many of the problems nonprofit organizations experience with their databases is often nothing to do with the software itself. Without plans to design and use them, processes, to guide them, and people to effectively use and manage them, databases cannot deliver the value your organization wants or needs. In our previous[…]
The root cause of many of the problems nonprofit organizations experience with their databases is often nothing to do with the software itself. Without plans to design and use them, processes to guide them, and people to effectively use and manage them, databases cannot deliver the value your organization wants or needs. Last month, we[…]
In our last post, we highlighted the Top 7 Reasons Your Database is Not Working for You. Over the next three posts, we’ll address each of three keys to database success, and – spoiler alert – none of them are the software itself! We find that when organizations’ databases are not meeting their needs, the[…]
Years ago, we wrote a post titled “It’s Just a Database,” emphasizing that a database is just a tool, and it’s only as good as the data you put in it. Now, we are revisiting that theme in response to a common request we receive. Nonprofits often reach out to us seeking help to transition[…]
Organizations create lots of files. Plans, budgets, procedures, marketing pieces, grant applications, reports, timelines, proposals, memos, newsletters, meeting agendas and summaries (I hope), and on and on. You create, save, and share hundreds of files each month. As I pointed out in my last post, how we name, edit, and save theses files determines how[…]
A messy shared drive is more than a headache. It’s a business process and knowledge management disaster. An organization cannot plan thoughtfully, design intentionally, work efficiently, and learn continuously if it cannot store, find, and use its decisions, plans, efforts, and insights. Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc. are all powerful tools for file sharing and[…]
In our last post, we looked at setting a vision for your database. Now that the vision for your organization’s database has been established and shared, what’s next? Now it’s time to engage and support your teammates in efforts to achieve your vision. Teach a Man to Fish There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes[…]
So you’ve just completed implementation on a database for your organization or inherited one that your organization has used, to some extent, for decades. Now what? Well, whether you’re starting with a clean slate or trying to breathe new life back into your system, it’s time to step back and think about a vision for[…]
This is the last of five posts in a series on how nonprofits can leverage Excel to simplify, streamline, and accelerate their data analysis. The IllumiLab is grateful to have one of our clients, Megan Ondr-Cooper of CASA St. Louis, sharing her enthusiasm and expertise with us. This time, Megan is talking about functions .[…]
Ok, maybe I oversold this a little in the title, but I got your attention! This is the fourth post in a series on how nonprofits can leverage Excel to simplify, streamline, and accelerate their data analysis. The IllumiLab is grateful to have one of our clients, Megan Ondr-Cooper of CASA St. Louis, sharing her[…]