Open Forum

A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------

I'd be interested in hearing on this topic as well. We do use, mostly, a singular CRM, Altru, but it would be good to know what's been working for other institutions. ------------------------------------------- Alice Rubin Senior Manager - Digital Media Museum of Jewish Heritage New York NY -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-07-2014 05:12 PM From: Rachel Smith Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------

Our legacy system was also Filemaker until we had a custom CRM system designed for us. I would not recommend it, as it has proven very expensive and cumbersome to use. ------------------------------------------- Sandra Liu Program Officer Asian Cultural Council New York NY -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-07-2014 05:12 PM From: Rachel Smith Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------

We have just started using NeonCRM (http://www.z2systems.com/neoncrm/features/nonprofit-crm). We are still in the implementation stage, so I can't report on its success. However, it appears to offer a very robust system at a great price that is very user-friendly for a small staff who do not have a dedicated IT person. I would recommend that you take a look at it to see if it might meet your needs. ------------------------------------------- Martha Sielman Executive Director Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. Storrs CT -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-08-2014 10:34 AM From: Sandra Liu Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs Our legacy system was also Filemaker until we had a custom CRM system designed for us. I would not recommend it, as it has proven very expensive and cumbersome to use. ------------------------------------------- Sandra Liu Program Officer Asian Cultural Council New York NY -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-07-2014 05:12 PM From: Rachel Smith Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------

Take a look at PatronManager. It may be what you need. Best, Ada Ada V. Ciniglio Executive Director ArtTable, Inc.One East 53rd StreetNew York, NY 10022T | 212-343-1735 ext. 11E | aciniglio@arttable.org <aciniglio@arttable.org>
Original Message------ A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------

We're in the process of implementing Salesforce museum wide. Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like more information. ------------------------------------------- Neda Asgharzadeh Assistant Director Group & Tourism Sales Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco de Young | Legion of Honor San Francisco CA -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-07-2014 05:12 PM From: Rachel Smith Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------

We've been using PatronManager (which utilizes Salesforce as the backend) for years. We've been really happy with them until recently, having learned that they are on a spam list and there is no way to identify if our e-newsletters are reaching our full subscriber list. Looking into what else is out there that also provides online registration for events.

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Tamsen Young
Digital Media Manager
Museum at FIT
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-08-2014 07:24 PM
From: Neda Asgharzadeh
Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs

We're in the process of implementing Salesforce museum wide. Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like more information.


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Neda Asgharzadeh
Assistant Director Group & Tourism Sales
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
de Young | Legion of Honor
San Francisco CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-07-2014 05:12 PM
From: Rachel Smith
Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs

A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications?

Thanks!

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Ray Smith PhD
Corita Art Center
Los Angeles CA
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Sam - you're needs assessment questions are invaluable. I wish you good luck on your job hunt. Tamsin - we've moved to Eventbrite (at least temporarily) for tour/education bookings. This is a really important discussion. The question of best CRMs pops up regularuly in cultural communities such as MCN and the AAM Museum & Technology periodically. The problem is it's usually undertaken by well-endowed museums who have the resources to to bring in consultants who will guide them through the process. For those of us that can't afford that, vendors promising all the latest toys can blind us to the day to day realities of these systems. All this is to say, please share more!
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Alice Rubin
Senior Manager - Digital Media
Museum of Jewish Heritage
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-09-2014 10:43 AM
From: Tamsen Young
Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs

We've been using PatronManager (which utilizes Salesforce as the backend) for years. We've been really happy with them until recently, having learned that they are on a spam list and there is no way to identify if our e-newsletters are reaching our full subscriber list. Looking into what else is out there that also provides online registration for events.

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Tamsen Young
Digital Media Manager
Museum at FIT
New York NY
-------------------------------------------

Sorry to answer a question - but - What do you want your data to do once its moved? Does it need to integrate with other services? Do you need local access, cloud or both? How much in house expertise does your museum have? How much do you want to spend? Who's records are being managed? Curatorial? Development? Public Programs? Admissions? Some combination? Do you use auction or event management software too? Do you need QuickBooks integration? I ask these questions, unfortunately, from experience. In my last position as a museum director of a small history museum I inherited two decisions from a previous staff who moved the museum to DonorPerfect and AuctionPay. The contract bookkeeper had already moved the museum to QuickBooks. The problem was none of them talked to each other! We had donor data in three different databases! And not always the same data for the same person. Each decision was made in isolation without stepping back and reviewing the overall institutional needs. So first off - do a needs assessment. What office needs to share data with other offices. What platforms are you standardized on. Second - thoroughly research the interoperability of the candidate software packages with software used by or needed by other departments. Third - is there an open source solution? Google provides Google Apps for Education free to nonprofits and museums. I have used for the last 6 years with great success. And guess what? There are bookkeeping, crm and inventory third-party apps that are built on this free platform! (And if you need help let me know - I have been researching these for a while) (see https://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/?pli=1 ) and look at (www.zoho.com) How small are your needs? PastPerfect integrates collections management and donor/development management tools in one program. ( http://www.museumsoftware.com/ ) Are there other choices - SalesForce.com provides free accounts to nonprofits and their is a great online community of users. Look for their Foundation as the gateway in (see http://www.salesforcefoundation.org/nonprofit/ ) I also HIGHLY recommend checking out NTEN - the Nonprofit Technology Network (www.nten.org ) and their magazine NTEN: Change (A Quarterly Journal for Nonprift Leaders). They work in all sectors of civil society and study the impact of technology on nonprofits and what helps advance mission. If anyone wants more help let me know. ------------------------------------------- Samuel Shogren, MPA In Transition - Currently Seeking New Opportunities Beaverton OR -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-07-2014 05:12 PM From: Rachel Smith Subject: Tell me about your database/CRMs A question I wanted to pose to the group was about databases and CRMs. We currently use a Filemaker database and are looking for a more robust system. I'm particularly interested in hearing from small organizations. While museums with bigger staffs (and budgets) may be able to work on several databases (i.e. a collection mgmt database, a separate donor mgmt database, and another one for ecommerce), we're looking for a more integrated solution. Anyone had luck with a system that does it all or in building a custom CRM to their specifications? Thanks! ------------------------------------------- Ray Smith PhD Corita Art Center Los Angeles CA -------------------------------------------