A one-person development
office needed to move away from its "technically tedious" database
system to one that could track records more effectively. GiftWorks proved to be both easy-to-use, and
essential to tracking and reporting.
My name is Vivian Vargas and I'm the
Development Director for Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County,
Texas, Inc. My department consists of
one person, me! I've been with Planned
Parenthood for over nine years now, so I knew the problems the Development
Department had, in terms of managing their donor list. I also knew that I was going to spend the
better part of six months doing my best to clean up, tighten and refine my list
into the well-oiled machine it is today.
One problem that needed to be tackled
straight away was replacing the database system; it was quite antiquated and in
desperate need of an overhaul. This, I knew without a doubt, needed to happen
quickly! I first learned about GiftWorks from my colleagues at a Development
Officer's Conference in
Well, I was right! I returned to camp re-energized and anxious
to finally organize my list the way it should be. The process of importing/exporting was
tedious but has proven to be quite useful.
The former database system our affiliate was using was called FileMaker
Pro 5. This horrid system of a database organizer
was not only technically tedious; it was truly a waste of time. It could not track records based on
households. It could not give me
complete financial reports based on campaign or events. And worst of all, it didn't give proper usage
of its people.
For example, I couldn't organize a record
for a Mrs. Patty Brewster who is a board member and a $1,000 donor who likes to
help out with the decorating committee for our annual events. I couldn't even think of matching other
donors with Mrs. Brewster's similar variables to make her volunteer/donor
experience more rewarding. On GiftWorks
I can set up smart lists for people like Mrs. Brewster and add variables to a
new or existing list. I can also send a
special appeal mailer or email to invite them to a decorating meeting to
brainstorm ideas for the up-coming annual event.
This is why I refer GiftWorks to fellow
colleagues all the time. As a matter of
fact, I referred GiftWorks to Leslie Holloway, a Marketing Assistant to the
Director for Quinta Mazatlan Birding and
Well, I sold her on GiftWorks and she's
an avid user and promoter like me as well.
Thank you GiftWorks! You truly
helped to organize my life.
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