[no subject]
Thanks.
Paul
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Stormy Peters <stormy gnome org>
Date: Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Subject: CRM recommendation: CiviCRM
To: GNOME Marketing List <marketing-list gnome org>, GNOME Foundation
Membership Committee <membership-committee gnome org>
GNOME Marketing Folks & Membership Committe,
We'd like to use a CRM system to track finances, donors, sponsors, members,
etc.
I'm recommending that we use CiviCRM, http://civicrm.org, and I'd like your
feedback. (Note that one way to do this would have been to install all the
CRM systems or to get demos of all of them. I didn't do that. I read about
them, talked to people and checked out their webpages.)
Here are some of the reasons I think we should use CiviCRM (over SalesForce,
SugarCRM,Oracle, SAP ...)
CiviCRM is used and well liked by a number of other free software
organizations:
* QuestionCopyright.org
* opensourcematters.org
* Wikimedia
* Wikipedia
Here are the things we need it to do (that it does):
* It's free software: under an open source license (GNU AGPL) and developed
in an open source model with a community.
* We can install it and support it ourselves. (Several people voiced dislike
with the hosted some where else model.)
* Configurable - you can add and edit your own fields for every type of
person you are tracking.
* It has community support as well as paid support options. (We'd do
community support but if the Foundation grows a lot, at some point it might
be good to be able to hire back up support for the sys admin team.)
* Integrates with Paypal and Google Checkout.
* Automated mailings to donors (so we can thank them automatically, send
receipts, send annual reminders, etc. Comes with features like groups and
not resending to the same people, tracking click-throughs, handling bounces,
etc.)
* track people (members, volunteers, sponsors and donors)
* track donations and subscriptions - it tracks in-kind, cash, and volunteer
time
* track events (not sure we would use this)
* import and export contribution data to/from other systems like an
accounting package (I don't know if it works with gnucash but I assume with
some work we could make that happen if it doesn't already)
It has lots of features that might be fun to have like:
* "Allow constituents to create their own personal fundraising pages linked
to an organization campaign. Supporters add their own add content, and can
choose to include a progress bar and an 'honor roll' of contributors.
Supporters are given 'soft credit' for each contribution that comes in
through their fundraising page."
It was designed for nonprofits.
What it doesn't do:
* document managent (Currently the board, Rosanna and I do not have a good
place/way to put contracts like for our insurance, 401K plan, etc.) It does
integrate with Joomla! and Drupal so I don't know if something could be done
that way.
* track action items (Currently Rosanna and I need a way to sync and track
action items and the board manually tracks action items in the wiki/board
meeting minutes.) It doesn't do any project management that I can see. It
was suggested that you could use "activities" to manage tasks. I looked at
it a bit and I think that would work.
Areas where it might be weak:
* Integrating with snail mail (and Rosanna sends out gifts for Friends of
GNOME)
* Managing prospects (the only prospects we keep now are sponsors and that
number is suffiently small that we aren't doing lots of things to it
automatically)
* Accounting integration
You can try it out here: http://drupal.demo.civicrm.org/. It seems
relatively intuitive.
I think it would make life easier for me, Rosanna, the treasurers and the
Membership Committee. It would make it much, much easier to track our
Friends of GNOME donors.
Best,
Stormy
--
marketing-list mailing list
marketing-list gnome org
http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/marketing-list
--000e0cd5cc561b21150473cc0375
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Jeff - I believe you had the action item on installing a CRM system once on=
e was picked.<br><br>From an infrastructure point of view (security notices=
, bug fixes, etc), do you have any opinions?<br><br>Thanks.<br><br>Paul<br>
<br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>F=
rom: <b class=3D"gmail_sendername">Stormy Peters</b> <span dir=3D"ltr"><=
<a href=3D"mailto:stormy gnome org">stormy gnome org</a>></span><br>Date=
: Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 2:58 PM<br>
Subject: CRM recommendation: CiviCRM<br>To: GNOME Marketing List <<a hre=
f=3D"mailto:marketing-list gnome org">marketing-list gnome org</a>>, GNO=
ME Foundation Membership Committee <<a href=3D"mailto:membership-committ=
ee gnome org">membership-committee gnome org</a>><br>
<br><br>GNOME Marketing Folks & Membership Committe,<br><br>We'd li=
ke to use a CRM system to track finances, donors, sponsors, members, etc.<b=
r><br>I'm recommending that we use CiviCRM, <a href=3D"http://civicrm.o=
rg" target=3D"_blank">http://civicrm.org</a>, and I'd like your feedbac=
k. (Note that one way to do this would have been to install all the CRM sys=
tems or to get demos of all of them. I didn't do that. I read about the=
m, talked to people and checked out their webpages.)<br>
<br>Here are some of the reasons I think we should use CiviCRM (over SalesF=
orce, SugarCRM,Oracle, SAP ...)<br><br>CiviCRM is used and well liked by a =
number of other free software organizations:<br>* QuestionCopyright.org<br>
* <a href=3D"http://opensourcematters.org"; target=3D"_blank">opensourcematt=
ers.org</a><br>* Wikimedia<br>* Wikipedia<br><br>Here are the things we nee=
d it to do (that it does):<br>* It's free software: under an open sourc=
e license (GNU AGPL) and developed in an open source model with a community=
.<br>
* We can install it and support it ourselves. (Several people voiced dislik=
e with the hosted some where else model.)<br>* Configurable - you can add a=
nd edit your own fields for every type of person you are tracking.<br>
* It has community support as well as paid support options. (We'd do co=
mmunity support but if the Foundation grows a lot, at some point it might b=
e good to be able to hire back up support for the sys admin team.)<br>
* Integrates with Paypal and Google Checkout.<br>* Automated mailings to do=
nors (so we can thank them automatically, send receipts, send annual remind=
ers, etc. Comes with features like groups and not resending to the same peo=
ple, tracking click-throughs, handling bounces, etc.)<br>
* track people (members, volunteers, sponsors and donors) <br>
* track donations and subscriptions - it tracks in-kind, cash, and voluntee=
r time<br>
* track events (not sure we would use this)<br>* import and export contribu=
tion data to/from other systems like an accounting package (I don't kno=
w if it works with gnucash but I assume with some work we could make that h=
appen if it doesn't already)<br>
<br>It has lots of features that might be fun to have like:<br>* "Allo=
w constituents to create their own personal fundraising pages
linked to an organization campaign. Supporters add their own add
content, and can choose to include a progress bar and an 'honor roll=
9;
of contributors. Supporters are given 'soft credit' for each
contribution that comes in through their fundraising page."<br><br>It =
was designed for nonprofits.<br><br>What it doesn't do:<br>* document m=
anagent (Currently the board, Rosanna and I do not have a good place/way to=
put contracts like for our insurance, 401K plan, etc.) It does integrate w=
ith Joomla! and Drupal so I don't know if something could be done that =
way.<br>
* track action items (Currently Rosanna and I need a way to sync and
track action items and the board manually tracks action items in the
wiki/board meeting minutes.) It doesn't do any project management that =
I can see. It was suggested that you could use "activities" to ma=
nage tasks. I looked at it a bit and I think that would work.<br><br>Areas =
where it might be weak:<br>
* Integrating with snail mail (and Rosanna sends out gifts for Friends of G=
NOME)<br>* Managing prospects (the only prospects we keep now are sponsors =
and that number is suffiently small that we aren't doing lots of things=
to it automatically)<br>
* Accounting integration<br><br>You can try it out here: <a href=3D"http://=
drupal.demo.civicrm.org/" target=3D"_blank">http://drupal.demo.civicrm.org/=
</a>. It seems relatively intuitive.<br><br>I think it would make life easi=
er for me, Rosanna, the treasurers and the Membership Committee. It would m=
ake it much, much easier to track our Friends of GNOME donors.<br>
<br>Best,<br><font color=3D"#888888"><br>Stormy<br><br><br>
</font><br>--<br>
marketing-list mailing list<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:marketing-list gnome org">marketing-list gnome org</a><br=
>
<a href=3D"http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/marketing-list"; target=3D=
"_blank">http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/marketing-list</a><br>
<br></div><br>
--000e0cd5cc561b21150473cc0375--
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