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Database A collection of information organized in a way to make it accessible and usable for an organization to deliver programs or manage operations. A dictionary is a database of words organized in alphabetical order so you can easily look up the meaning of a word you don't know. The benefit of an electronic database is that it enables for fast searching, sorting, and cross-referencing. Databases a mission-critical tool for nonprofit arts organizations because they allow us to organize audience/donor information, generate reports, and maintain financial records. As part of your technology assessment and planning process, you will be taking a critical look at your organization's existing database and how well it serves your needs. Does it facilitate action or is it a barrier? Why? What information do you need to keep?
Next, you will need to dream a little. What information do you need to deliver your organization's programs? How does the information need to be sorted? What does the layout look like? How does information flow through your organization (who collects it, who enters it, who uses the reports) Get your pens and paper out and start drawing! Before you can evaluate database software, design your own, or work with a consultant, it is helpful to learn the database talk. At this point, you are ready to think about the question: Do we buy an"off-the-shelf" database software or do we custom design our own? Which database product most closely matches your needs? One issue you might be concerned with is how to import your old data into a new program or database. The links below will help you think more about this question. Resources TechSoup: Avoiding Disaster - Database Planning Web Review:
Designing
Good Databases WebReview:
Common Database Design Mistakes Nonprofit Genie: Tips for Database Design & The Ebase Primer Reflections If a database planning will be part of your technology planning effort, who needs to be involved on your tech team? What information
do you need to gather?
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