Tales of River Databases: Data Tracking for River ... · PDF fileWhat about Excel? Is it a...

Volume 17| Number 1 & 2 - 2007A River Network Publication

cont. on page 4

f someone asked you how many of yournew donors also volunteered this year,how long would it take you to answer?What about the number of activists you

have in a particular county? In what areas waterquality has improved most over the last five years?

Databases can transform organizations’ ability toanswer these types of questions. They are aninvaluable tool for small organizations in particular,as they are a very cost effective way to focus energy onthe things that are really making a difference. Effectivedatabases allow you to find and managedata for thousands of people orprograms. Creating a list ofpeople to contactbecomesstraightforward. Anddatabase softwaremakes reportingmuch easier—ratherthan having tolaboriously tallyspreadsheets orcontacts, you cangenerate overviews atthe touch of a button.

But with this power comes some complexity. Thereare many options and factors to consider. To help younavigate the process, we talked to a number of smalland mid-sized river organizations to understand whatthey are struggling with, what is working well andwhat questions they have. Below, we offer a set ofdatabase best practices for river organizations and aset of case studies describing what others are doing inthis area.

I What is a Database?A database, at least for the purposes of this article, issomething that allows you to organize—and thus viewand edit—a related set of information. A databasemight store all your constituents, all of youreducational programs, environmental data oranything else you want to be able to easily track andreport.

What about Excel? Is it a database? Well, technically itis, but it is not the type of database that we are talkingabout. When most people refer to a database, theymean what’s called a “relational database.” Arelational database can link multiple types and levels

of information together, making it fareasier to store, say, people, theorganizations they work for andvolunteer programs, and manage therelationships between all of those things.

This article focuses on relationaldatabase software—anything fromAccess or FileMaker Pro (tools thatallow you to build your own database)to packaged software like GiftWorks,

DonorPerfect, DemocracyInAction orSalesforce—that can help you manage yourorganization’s information.

Planning for a DatabaseBefore you consider what actual database tool is rightfor you, it is important to think through what isimportant for your organization.

• Understand who will use it. Your organization’sdatabases should not be the domain of thetechnical. Many people will need to use it—forinstance, a constituent database should be used

Tales of River Databases:

Data Tracking for River Organizationsby Laura Quinn, Idealware www.idealware.org

2 River Network • RIVER VOICES • Volume 17, Number 1 & 2

NATIONAL OFFICE520 SW Sixth Avenue, Suite 1130 • Portland, OR 97204-1511503/241-3506 • fax: 503/[email protected] • www.rivernetwork.org

D.C. OFFICE3814 Albemarle Street NW • Washington, D.C. 20016202/364-2550 • fax: 202/[email protected]

RIVER NETWORK BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Clarence AlexanderTodd AmbsCatherine ArmingtonAdrienne T. AtwellSuzi Wilkins BerlSally BetheaDavid BordenWilliam G. F. BotzowRob R. BuirgyKimberly N. Charles

Dianne Dillon-Ridgley, ChairDon ElderRobert GomezDave KatzPaul ParyskiCharles F. Sams IIIJudith SpangMarc TaylorJim WaringJames R. Wheaton

RIVER NETWORK STAFFMatthew BurkeGeoff DatesSteve Dickens Don ElderJean A. HamillaKevin KaswoskiGayle KillamKatherine Luscher

Deb MerchantPat MunozStirling MylesEric RelationSusan SchwartzDiana ToledoStephen TwelkerWendy Wilson

River Voices is a forum for information exchange among river and watershedgroups across the country. River Network welcomes your comments and sugges-tions. River Network grants permission and encourages sharing and reprinting ofinformation from River Voices, unless the material is marked as copyrighted. Pleasecredit River Network when you reprint articles and send the editor a copy.Additional copies and back issues are available from our national office.

Editors: Don Elder and Katherine Luscher

Editorial Assistance: Jean A. Hamilla, Stirling Myles

Design & Layout: Greer Graphics

River Network is a national, nonprofit

organization whose mission is to help

people understand, protect and restore

rivers and their watersheds.

CONTENTS

1 Data Tracking for River Organizations

by Laura Quinn

3 From the President

9 It’s All in the Contract

by Laura Alex

10 Don’t Get Fooled Again

by Sean Larkin

18 Voices from the Field

20 Case Study: Colorado Water Quality Monitoring

by Barb Horn

26 A Glossary of Codes

by Stirling Myles

28 Database Warning Signs

29 In-Depth Database Needs Assessment

30 Resources & References

31 Partner Pitch

Volume 17, Number 1 & 2 • River Network • RIVER VOICES 3

From The President

Phot

o cr

edit:

:R

iver

Net

wor

k Co

llect

ion

good database is as important to a modernorganizer as a wheel was to an ancient engineer.With enough human blood, sweat and tears it’sconceivable that we could do most of our jobs

without technology. But the cost in terms of time and moneywould be enormous. And unlike the pharohs, watershed organizersdon’t have human capital to waste. To the contrary: Our job is tomaximize the human capital we have.

I began my watershed organizing a quarter-century ago, vaguelyaware that new computer tools were on the horizon, but woefullyignorant of what little was already available. We literally put whatinformation we could gather about our supporters on index cards ina shoebox, along with their donations, which we would dutifullydeposit in the bank each Friday. Once a month, we would addresseach member’s newsletter by hand.

How times have changed! And they have changed for the benefitespecially of grassroots organizers.

Today, any group, no matter its size or resources, can track allmanner of information about its members, including giving history,volunteer efforts, personal interests, voting district, the watershed inwhich they reside, and much more. Consequently, the potentialorganizing power of watershed groups has never been greater.

This issue of River Voices is dedicated to people like me—those whocame to this work with passion, determination and a few skills, butwho have little or no understanding of how available technology canhelp. I hope you find it valuable.

A


cont. from page 1 by anyone looking up a constituentphone number or tracking a contactwith someone.

• Think through the processes and datayou need to track. What do youcurrently do that should be supportedin the new system? What is not workingwell right now that could be improvedwith a new system? What do you thinkyou might want to do down the road?Try to consider all the ways that youcould interact with the data you aregoing to track.

• Begin with your outputs in mind.Make a list of the reports, lists and otherthings that you will want to outputfrom the system. What information willyou need? In what ways will you needto filter the data?

• Get a sense for what is possible.Understanding what organizations likeyours are doing, or some of the featuresthat are offered in common databasesoftware can help you understand whatyou might want to do yourself. On theother hand, be critical of “sexy” features:don’t be seduced by features that arejust nifty rather than actually useful.

• Prioritize your needs. Define which ofyour needs arecritical, and whichare just nice tohave. Trying tosupport everythingat once can resultin a system that istoo complicatedfor your needs ornot being able tofind a system at all.

Planning sets the groundwork for a gooddatabase choice, and for effective use of yourdatabase once you get it. A little thought anda few meetings up front can make thedifference between a great technology tool

and an expensive mistake.

Choosing a SolutionWith a sense of what you are looking for,you will need to take a look at the availabledatabase packages.

• Know the options. Don’t just decide togo with the only software package withwhich you are familiar. Get a sense ofwhat is available. For an overview, seeIdealware’s article A Few Good Low-Cost Constituent Databases atwww.idealware.org/articles/fgt_low_cost_dbs.php.

• Be skeptical of building your own. Itcan seem like an easy answer to justbuild something that does exactly whatyou want in Access or FileMaker Pro,and this might make sense if you haveunusual needs. Ask yourself whetheryour organization is effectivelyequipped to produce software. Do youhave the resources to design it, build itand test it effectively? To maintain andupdate it down the road? What willhappen if the person who builds it isno longer available?

• Integrate, don’t proliferate. Strive tohave as few databases as possible. Allthe information about each personyour organization contacts ideallyshould be in a single database. If youfind that you need to add anotherdatabase system, think through howyou will integrate the data with thesystems you already have.

• Use price as only one criteria. Adatabase that is free or cheap but doesnot meet your needs is not useful. Infact, the time you spend in trying towork around it is likely to cost you farmore than you would have paid for theright database.

• Don’t assume bigger is better. Morefeatures and more power almostinvariably translate to something that

Tales of Data Riverbases, cont.


will be harder for your staff to learnand use. Look for something that meetsyour core needs without a bunch ofadditional features.

You’ll need to balance the desire to look atevery possible solution and find the perfectdatabase with the realities of your time andthe market. If you define your needs upfront, you will be able to tell when adatabase is good enough to be effective foryour organization.

Database Care and Feeding Picking a great solution is just the beginningof a process to make sure your database isuseful and used.

• Don’t underestimate the start-upprocess. Getting your new databaseready to use can be time consuming.You will need to move all your existingdata— whether from an existingdatabase or from spreadsheets,Outlook, or other sources—into thedatabase, and train your staff in how touse the new package. Keep in mind thatchange can be difficult, and you mayneed to work through resistance to thenew system.

• Define and document data practicesand standards. Make sure thateveryone understands how data shouldbe entered. What does each category orcode mean? Should addresses be capitalor lowercase? Data that’s enteredinconsistently is a nightmare when it’stime to create lists or reports. Writtendocumentation or “cheat sheets” of bestpractices—particularly on how to usecategories or codes—can make a hugedifference in people’s ability to usethese practices effectively.

• Put someone in charge. Someoneneeds to keep an eye on the databaseand the data that is entered to makesure that things are going smoothly and

to troubleshoot problems. Staffmembers will need to know who to goto with questions, as well.

With a little bit of time devoted to training,standards and oversight, you can keep thingson an even keel and avoid big headachesdown the road.

Some Database Case StudiesAs mentioned above, one of the best ways tolearn about the benefits, challenges andstrategies of a database is to understand whatorganizations like yours are using, and whatthey are struggling with. To get you started,below we offer three cases studies of differentorganizations using databases in differentways.

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, WYThe Greater Yellowstone Coalition protectsthe lands, waters and wildlife of the GreaterYellowstone ecosystem. It is a big job, andthey are a sizable organization: 25 staffmembers in four different offices, with a baseof about 22,000 members, donors andactivists. They use two different packageddatabase systems to manage theseconstituents: DemocracyInAction andDonorPerfect to track their members anddonors and to manage their activist emailaddresses.

They use DemocracyInAction to send outemail blasts asking their advocates for help,and to process online donations. Prior toeach advocacy email, they export a list ofupdates and additions to their constituentlist from DonorPerfect, and load it intoDemocracyInAction to ensure they’resending to the most up-to-date list. In thisway, DemocracyInAction serves as thecentral repository for their email list. On theother hand, DonorPerfect is the primarysource for donor information, so when anonline donation comes in throughDemocracyInAction, that donation is enteredby hand into DonorPerfect as well.

cont. on page 6


DonorPerfect allows them to effectively trackinformation about the members and donorswho give the organization money. They cancreate targeted lists for direct mailings usingcategories, understand how well a particularlist is performing, identify members who areup for renewal, and much more. Thedatabase is hookedinto accounting, sothat the donationsand membershipfees can betracked easily.

These twodatabases areworking well forthe coalition.They preferto have onlyonedatabaserather than the two,but invested so much time and energy inworking with DonorPerfect over the yearsthat they feel the substantial effort to movetheir data would not be worthwhile. WhileDemocracyInAction can store some donorand member data, and they can integrateDonorPerfect into their website to handleemail and online donations to a certainextent, neither of them alone would meettheir needs as well as the two systemsworking together.

What advice do they have for otherorganizations? Heidi Barrett, the AssociateDirector of Development, suggests thatorganizations start by thinking clearly aboutwhat information they will want to use foroutreach and reports, both now and in thefuture. While it is hard to know everythingthat might be desirable down the road, byplanning in advance and leaving room forgrowth, organizations can reduce the need togo back through all their data later to changea category or add a field.

The South Yuba River Citizens League, CAWhen the South Yuba River Citizens Leagueset up their databases system more than fiveyears ago, they did a lot of research intoavailable options. They were looking for asolution that could handle four differenttypes of data:

1. General information about theirmembers and contacts.

2. Logistical information, such as rentals,contacts and follow-ups needed fortheir Film Festival.

3. Program schedules and demographicdata describing the types of studentsand schools they had reached with theirschool-based programs.

4. Environmental quality data fortheir river monitoring program.

They wanted to track these fourkinds of data in a similar databaseenvironment, although they knew

that they would need different types of fieldsand processes for each. To solve this issue,they opted to build four custom databases inFileMaker Pro, a software package that allowsthose experienced in database setup to createtheir own databases. One of their staffmembers carefully designed and builtsoftware that was highly tailored to theirneeds—with exactly the fields and reportsthey wanted, and custom alerts that facilitatetheir organizational process. In addition,FileMaker provided them with out-of-the-box functionality to generate complex lists,reports and mail merges.

These databases have served the organizationefficiently and well. However, five years later,they are showing their age. They were builton a 1998 version of FileMaker Pro, which isnot only outdated itself, but precludes theorganization from updating the operatingsystem and other software on their desktops.For instance, they can’t run a current versionof Word and FileMaker Pro 98 on the samecomputer.


cont. from page 5


They are planning on upgrading theFileMaker Pro version, but this will requiresubstantial updates to the code underlyingthe databases. The original databasedesigner is no longer on staff, so they areconsidering hiring her back as a consultantto help with the update. They are alsolooking into FileMaker Pro consultantsthat are listed on the FileMaker Prowebsite.

For their environmental quality database inparticular, they are looking at new optionsfor a different reason: they would like toestablish a common database format with anumber of other monitoring sites. Bychoosing a common database, they will beable to share data and do richer analysesacross organizations.

Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, RIOver the past year, the WoonasquatucketRiver Watershed Council has participatedin a database selection process with agroup of other small watershed councilsand land trusts from around Rhode Island.This collaborative was formed with theidea that if they could select a database thateach of the organizations could implement,they could then share the costs of selection,training, support and more.

They went through a process to identifywhat features were desirable in a system,and what were “must-haves” for at leastsome of the organizations. Some of the keythings that they identified were:

• Online access. As many of theorganizations had people in variouslocations, the ability to access thedatabase from the internet wasimportant.

• Donor, member and volunteertracking. They wanted to be able totrack all of their constituents in oneplace.

• Donations. Tracking the source of eachdonation, as well as a donor’s donationhistory, was critical. Some of theorganizations also needed to be able totrack more complex donations of landor trusts.

• Broadcast email. They needed softwarethat provided or seamlessly integratedwith functionality to send emails tolists.

• Households and addresses. Thehandling of multiple people in thesame household, and of seasonaladdresses for Rhode Island’s summerpopulation, was a key concern.

• Reporting. It was important to be ableto customize reports with both fieldsand filters.

• Ease of use. They did not want asystem that would require extensivetraining for each staff member.

They took a careful look at databasepackages including iMIS, eTapestry,DonorPerfect and Salesforce. They foundiMIS to be too complicated and hard to usefor their needs, although it was verypowerful. eTapestry and DonorPerfectOnline were promising, but were quiteexpensive for those organizations with moresizable numbers of constituents.

Salesforce seemed like the best option. Itappeared to meet their needs, is used by anumber of environment nonprofits, and thesoftware itself is free for small nonprofits.

cont. on page 8


While the tool is oriented towards businessusers, the collaborative found this to be anadvantage in some ways, as Salesforce’s largermarket means more money can be spent ondevelopment.

However, the package uses business-focusedlanguage and processes that will need to becustomized to be more appropriate to theirneeds. The collaborative is consideringhiring a consultant who can tailor a singletemplate that will meet the needs of themajority of the organizations. Thecollaborative has budgeted several thousanddollars towards this customization process.In addition, each organization in thecollaborative will need to move their datafrom its current location to the new system.Fees for mapping and transferring the datacould be $2000 - $5000 or more, dependingon the complexity of the current setup. Fororganizations tracking less than 1000 or soconstituents, they suspect that it will be lesscostly simply to re-enter the data into thenew system.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONA Few Good Low-Cost Constituent Databaseswww.idealware.org/articles/fgt_low_cost_dbs.php

An Introduction to Integrating Constituent Data: Three Basic Approacheswww.idealware.org/articles/intro_data_integration.php

Donor-Management Software Comparisonwww.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page5961.cfm

Four Steps to Selecting Donor Management Softwarewww.npowerseattle.org/education/resources/donor_toolkit.htm

Fundraising Software Comparison Chartwww.grassrootsfundraising.org/howto/software.html

Roundup of Database Articleswww.metrix.fcny.org/wiki/display/docs/Introduction+to+Databases

Ten Common Mistakes in Selecting Donor Databases (And How to Avoid Them)www.idealware.org/articles/ten_common_mistakes_in_selecting_donor_databases.php

Usability and Maintainability: Guidelines for Choosing a Nonprofit Databasewww.techsoup.org/learning center/database/page5213.cfm

As Founder andDirector of

Idealware, Laura S.Quinn directs

Idealware’s researchand writing toprovide candid

reports and articlesabout nonprofit

software. Prior toIdealware, sheconsulted with

nonprofits aboutwebsite strategy and

design. Laura is afrequent speaker

and writer onnonprofit

technology topics.


cont. from page 7 They advise other organizations to look atprospective software packages carefully. Testdrive the system yourself, if you can, and tryout actual tasks. Ask for references and talkto organizations that are similar to yoursthat are using the system (and if there aren’tany, consider that a danger sign).

Wrapping it UpDatabases can provide huge benefits, butchoosing one wily-nilly and slapping it intoplace is likely to cause only trouble downthe road. Think through what you need,take a look at what other organizations aredoing, choose a solution carefully and keepa careful eye on your ongoing data andprocesses. With some care, a database can bea tremendously powerful tool, allowing youto easily identify groups of constituents,quickly generate reports, improve yourprograms and relationships, and above all,to better achieve your mission.


atabases can be an incrediblyuseful tool for tracking people.But where to begin? Start bythinking carefully and

thoughtfully about (1) how you plan to useyour database and (2) whether there areprepackaged databases that will suit yourorganization’s needs. If the answer to thesecond question is “no,” or you have adatabase that does not address your needs,hiring a consultant might help you designthe appropriate system to track yourconstituents.

Hiring a database consultant is a hugefinancial investment. Some charge $75-$150an hour. Do your homework when choosingthe consultant. It is like hiring acarpenter to design your kitchencabinets. The person will becreating an object that you’ll beusing daily. If you can’t place yourmixing bowls on the shelf or thedoor opens the wrong way, you’vespent a great deal of money onsomething that doesn’t work foryour needs and you’ll never be ableto use it to the fullest extent. Thesame holds true when using a consultant indeveloping a customized database.

Define the specific requirements for yourdatabase and write these needs andexpectations into a scope of work. The scopeof work explains what will happen, when itwill happen, how much it will cost and whatwill be delivered.

For example, describe:• the types of information

to be captured,

• the types of reports thesystem needs togenerate,

• how many users toaccommodate, securityand data integritymeasures needed, and

• the documentation of the databasestructure and existing hardware andoperating system.

This information can be packaged into aRequest for Proposal (RFP) when you aresearching for a consultant; simply addadditional information to determine theirexpertise and obtain a list of references.Interview the potential consultants andcontact references to ensure they are a goodfit for your organization and project.

Once you find the consultant, create acontract that spells out the project’s termsand conditions. Your contract should

include the projectdescription; project

objectives,consultant’sresponsibilities,yourorganization’sresponsibilities,fees, timeline,and legalconditions.Include the scopeof work in the

written contract to eliminate surprises fromeither party and addresses the circumstancesunder which the contract may be cancelled.Spending the time to communicate yourorganization’s needs and helps ensure anddocument that the cabinet door opens theright way and the bowls fit on the shelf.

Database Consultants:

It’s All in the Contractby Laura AlexProgram Coordinator

Stony Brook-MillstoneWatershed Association

www.thewatershed.org

D

EXAMPLES OF CONSULTING AGREEMENTS & SCOPE OF WORK

www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/consultants/page5069.cfm

www.npower.org/resources/sampleconsultingscope.doc

FURTHER RESOURCES

TechSoup, www.techsoup.org, has a number of articles on databasesand using consultants, such as interviewing consultants, defining aconsulting project, finding a consultant and managing the consultant.


eploying the right database foryour organization can be achallenging process. It is likely torequire a significant time and/or

financial commitment. Choosing correctlywill allow you to leverage your relationshipswith donors and other supporters. Thewrong choice, however, or one that does nottake into consideration all the different waysthat you need to track and utilize contactdata, can create an organizational nightmare.

When managing the fundraising andmembership database for the riverconservation organization, Amigos Bravos, inTaos, NM, I remember hearing stories of theorganization's first database. That databaseconsisted of a large wooden box containing a3"x 5" queue card for each of theorganization's supporters. Each card listedthe supporter's contact information, as wellas a list of contributions.

As funny as it sounds, that paper andplywood database was a more effectiveorganizing tool than many hobbled togethercomputerized applications. It was centralizedand structured—and because itsorganization was logical and accessible, staffused it consistently. In other words, itprovided a usable system—which could beintuitively integrated into the organization'soverall workflow and daily tasks. The pointis, the most comprehensive, feature-rich,whiz-bang database application in the worldis worthless if it is too complicated, or ifthere is not staff to consistently use it.Alternatively, if a database application fails tointegrate with existing systems andadministrative processes, it can complicateand hinder your organization's workflow.

Fortunately, there are a lot of resources andorganizations that can help you with thisdecision-making process. And today, thefunctionality available at affordable prices ispretty incredible. So, don't give up hope!This article will first look at the goals in

choosing a database and basicconsiderations when comparing differentalternatives. Then, it will look at both thespecific functionality included with variousdatabase systems, and provide a fewexample applications.

What are We Comparing When WeLook at Different Databases?Cost vs. FunctionalityNow for the fun part—comparing databasetools and systems. When comparingdatabases, there are two primary issues toconsider: cost and functionality. Of course,$$$ signs are not the only costs that that wehave to consider. And, functional can bedefined in many ways. Costs include upfrontinstallation fees, maintenance or licensingfees, training expenses and sometimes evenhardware costs. Functionality can includefeatures such as donation tracking, mass-mail support, direct mail campaigntracking, advocacy campaign tracking eventorganizing and volunteer management.

Back in the "early days" (e.g., way back inthe early 90s) of deploying databases in thenonprofit community, functionality wasdirectly proportional to cost. You either paida programmer to build a custom solutionfrom the ground up, or you purchased aproprietary software package from asoftware development company. Open sourceprojects such as eBase (discussed in greaterdetail later in this article), changed thislandscape in the late 90s.

Open Source vs. ProprietaryOpen source applications refer to softwarefor which the source code is publicly andfreely available. Open source softwarecontrasts with proprietary software(sometimes referred to as "closed source"software), for which the source code is notfreely available for modification. Proprietarysoftware, like Microsoft's Office Suite, oftenrequires that you pay a licensing fee to use.

by Sean Larkin

Project ManagerOpenSourcery.com

503/684-1437 D

Choosing the Right Database for Your Watershed Organization:

Don’t Get Fooled Again


Proprietary software is generally developedby a single company that takes fullresponsibility for maintaining the software,providing users with software updates andreleasing documentation, training materialsand other support services to theapplication's user community.

Because anyone can get under the hood ofopen source applications and modify thecode—and more importantly because peopleare free to share the modifications andextensions they make to the code—thedevelopment of open source software israpid, organic and generally progresses atreduced costs to its user community. Thereare literally tens of thousands ofprogrammers around the world volunteeringtime towards the development of highly-professional open source applications suchas eBase and CiviCRM (another web-basedapplication we will soon discuss).Consequently, you can be pretty darn surethat any problem your organization faces interms of data management, or any featureyou would like to see added to your databaseapplication, has probably been tackled bysome developer working with these opensource applications.

Because open source database tools aregenerally community-based projects, thedocumentation, installation instructions andgeneral support can sometimes require moreeffort to track down. However, because thesoftware is free, financial resources otherwisespent on expensive licensing fees (which cansometimes run up to $10,000), can beinvested into training, support andcustomization of your open source solution.

As an employee of an open source softwaredevelopment company, I am admittedlybiased towards the community and politicalvalues of the open source softwaremovement. I believe that for manyorganizations, open source solutions aremore feature-rich, more secure, easier to

deploy, more cost-effective and certainlymore customizable than their proprietaryand close-source counterparts.

However, I don't want to suggest that anopen source database application is the "defacto" best solution for your particularorganization. There are many good reasonsthat organizations choose proprietarydatabase tools. For example, you may have astaff person or volunteer who already hasexpertise with aspecific proprietaryapplication, orperhaps you alreadyhave a licensefor a specific pieceof databasesoftware. Manyorganizationsappreciateknowing thatthere is a singlecompany responsiblefor maintaining theirdatabaseapplication—or, moreimportantly,that there is asingle throat tochoke, ifsomething goeswrong with theapplication.

Regardless, it isclear that the open source movement hasradically increased the options available toyour organization and continues tochallenge proprietary database softwarecompanies to streamline their pricing andincrease functionality. You will see this aswe look at specific database alternatives.

PlatformThere's one last primary consideration todiscuss before looking at specific databaseapplications—the platform required to run

cont. on page 12


the software. When most people think ofplatform, they think of Mac versusMicrosoft. That is accurate, and certaindatabase applications will only run on aMicrosoft-based PC, but platform also refersto whether or not the application runs onyour desktop computer or in a web-browser.eBase, for example, can run on either a PCor a Mac desktop computer—generally ontop of another proprietary (and not-free)software application called FileMaker Pro.eBase itself is free and open source code, butto take advantage of all its features, you needto run it on FileMaker Pro.

On the other hand, more andmore database applicationsare becoming web-based.As such, they can beaccessed from anycomputer that has a webbrowser, like InternetExplorer or MozillaFirefox. This providesincreased flexibility andaccess, though it oftenmeans if you do nothave a relatively fast andreliable internetconnection, you can't easily access your data.

Application Service ProvidersA subset of web-based database applicationsnow includes subscription-based onlineapplications, such as eTapestry andCivicSpace On Demand. These companies,referred to as application service providers(ASPs), charge monthly fees for access totheir services and sometimes a one-timesetup fee. Often, they also provide different"modules," such as bulk email tools that youcan add to your basic service at an additionalcost.

Arguably, these online application servicescan be more expensive in the long-run thanother alternatives. Likewise, they are usuallymuch less customizable and may or may not

fit your organization's exact needs. However,they do have certain benefits. They are easyto setup, often include solid phone-basedcustomer support and remove the headachesof software updates and data backups.

So, What's Even Possible? Show MeSome Database Bling-Bling! What do you want to do with your database?Do you want to link it to your direct mail orletter writing campaigns? Do you want it tolink your database to donation pages onyour website? What about newslettersubscriptions, event sign-ups or volunteer

management? As nonprofitdatabase tools expand, they arebeing described more andmore as "ConstituentRelationship Management"tools (CRMs) rather than justfundraising databases.Donation tracking is just onefeature of many of the newestdatabase tools.

Constituent RelationshipManagement:How do you interact with your

contacts? Do you keep track of volunteerhours? Do you lead watershed hikes orpaddling trips? Do you host special events?Do you have a direct mail or major donorprogram? While we generally think ofdatabase applications as fundraising tools,many of our organizations track differenttypes of constituent relationships. A classicmistake that occurs within many watershedorganizations that have separate staffworking on fundraising efforts from thosehandling volunteer management or programwork is that contact data is not integrated orshared. Consequently, when contact lists arepooled, say, for an event invitation mailing,duplication often occurs. Similarly, in thesesituations sharing updated contactinformation across these disparate systemscan be a real challenge.

Choosing the Right Database, cont.

cont. from page 11


Let's Look at Seven SpecificDatabase Applications1. eBaseeBase is the veteran of the nonprofit opensource fundraising database movement.eBase is "open source" in that you can freelydownload and modify all the FileMaker Profiles that make it work. However, it isimportant to note that in order to use eBasein a multi-user environment and takeadvantage of its advanced features, you arerequired to purchase a FileMaker Pro licensefor each concurrent user. For largeorganizations, or if you need to access youreBase database from outside of your office,purchasing a copy of the server version ofFileMaker Pro (which is quite expensive)might also be required.

eBase benefits from a large, active nonprofitdevelopment community. Highly-professional eBase fee-for-service support isalso readily available. eBase is veryextendable. It's a solid tool for direct mailand membership renewal management, aswell as, volunteer tracking. However, eBase isnot web-based. While custom integration ofeBase with your website is possible, it wasnot designed to fit this task.

For more information on eBase, visitwww.ebase.org. To see if your nonprofitmight qualify for discounted FileMaker Prolicensing, visit www.techsoup.org.

2. Raiser's EdgeBlackbaud's Raiser's Edge is the giant of thenonprofit database world. Raiser's Edge is avery established, highly-sophisticatedapplication. It is most often used by verylarge nonprofits, foundations andeducational institutions that require theirconstituent data to be directly linked to theiraccounting system. Raiser's Edge isproprietary, Microsoft Windows dependentand very expensive (even a basic installationcosts upwards of $10,000, and pricing is only

available if you schedule an interview). Inaddition to its high price tag, Raiser's Edgehas a steep learning curve and requiredconsiderable setup time and training.

For most watershed organizations, choosingRaiser's Edge is like picking up asledgehammer to push in a thumbtack. As adesktop database application, it is prettymuch on the opposite side of the spectrumfrom eBase. But for really largeorganizations managing very sophisticatedfundraising processes that need to be linkedtightly with accounting data, Raiser's Edgeis a powerful tool.

For more information, visitwww.blackbaud.com.

3. Sage Fundraising 50Sage Fundraising 50 (formally, Paradigm)represents a middle ground between eBaseand Raiser's Edge. Sage Fundraising 50 is aproprietary desktop application and doesrequire Microsoft Windows. Sage is mucheasier to learn than Raiser's Edge and muchless expensive (around $3,000 to install andconfigure). However, Sage is a less robustapplication than Raiser's Edge (which likelywill not be a problem for yourorganization), and does not provide asextensive an array of online donation andconstituent relationship management toolsas many other solutions. For organizationsthat feel more comfortable with aproprietary desktop application developedby a respected company, Sage is a solidalternative.

For more information, visitwww.sagenonprofit.com.

4. CiviCRMCiviCRM is a free, open source, web-basedconstituent relationship managementapplication. It is generally installed as partof a web-based content management systemsuch as Drupal (www.drupal.org) or Joomla(www.joomla.org). Content management

cont. on page 14


Choosing the Right Database, cont.

cont. from page 13 systems are database-driven websiteplatforms that make it easy to updatecontent on your website and usually includetools such as blogs or forums. Of course, youdon't need to redo your website to useCiviCRM. CiviCRM can be installed on "thebackend" of your existing website or mostweb servers.

Installing CiviCRM usually requires thesupport of a web developer. However,because the software is free, contracting withsomeone to install the application can oftenbe done at a lower cost than the price ofbuying proprietary software or payingmonthly fees for an application serviceprovider, such as eTapestry.

Like eBase, CiviCRM is actively developedby an international community of volunteerand professional web programmers.CiviCRM supports highly-sophisticatedmass email, event management andcontribution tracking tools, as well as, afeature-rich fundraising calendar. SinceCiviCRM is web-based, you can access itfrom any web-browser. Since it is opensource, you can provide as many staff loginaccounts as you need at no additional cost.

For more detailed information on CiviCRM,visit: www.civicrm.org.

5. CivicSpace On DemandIf you like the idea of using an open source,web-based solution, but don't want to haveto worry about finding a web developer toinstall and maintain the application, you cansubscribe to CivicSpace On Demand'sCiviCRM hosting services. CivicSpace OnDemand is a subscription-based applicationservice provider that has grown out ofCivicSpace Labs (www.civicspacelabs.org),one of the leading organizations in the opensource development of CiviCRM. For$50/month, they will provide you with astandard installation of CiviCRM andDrupal, which they maintain and backup on

their servers. Their installation of CiviCRMincludes a powerful suite of contributiontracking, online donation processing, eventmanagement and mass emailing tools.Integrating CiviCRM with Drupal, you canbuild a feature-rich and interactive websiteas the front-end of your fundraisingdatabase. You can create donation pages,event sign-up pages and electronic advocacypages that link directly to your constituentdatabase. If your organization currentlydoes not have a dynamic website, youshould also consider CivicSpace OnDemand for its Drupal hosting tools alone.

CivicSpace On Demand provides you with avariety of customizable tools andadministrative interfaces. However, becauseCivicSpace Labs maintains your installationof the software, you are limited in yourability to modify the code that drives theapplication. Of course, if down the line yourorganization grows to the point that youhave both the expertise and need to host theapplication yourself, CivicSpace Labs willgladly allow you to export your installationof the software and install it on your ownweb host.

For information on CivicSpace OnDemand's CiviCRM application services,visit www.civicspacelabs.org.

6. eTapestryLike CivicSpace On Demand, eTapestry is aweb-based application service provider.eTapestry can be integrated into yourexisting website with customized donationpages. Like CiviCRM, you can accesseTapestry from any web-browser with aninternet connection. Even more so thanCiviCRM or CivicSpace On Demand, youreTapestry account can be extended with anincredible list of add-on functionalities,such as e-commerce tools and integrationwith Microsoft Outlook. Exporting contactdata to spreadsheets that you can use onyour desktop is also a breeze with eTapestry.


eTapestry is a proprietary solution andpricing depends on the number of users andcontact records you want to support, as wellas, the functionality your organizationrequires. Each "module" or additional serviceyou order, increases your monthly fees by apercentage of the base cost of your account.While this means that a very advancedinstallation of eTapestry can get veryexpensive, eTapestry's modular pricing isvery clear and allows you to easily price outcurrent and future functionality yourorganization may require. Consequently,eTapestry is a flexible tool that can growwith your organization. Like CivicSpace OnDemand, eTapestry handles all security andbackups of your data. Solid customersupport is available at an additional fee.

For more information and pricing, visitwww.etapestry.com.

7. Just Do It YourselfIn the final moments ofreviewing this article,I realized that I hadnot yet touched onone additionalsoftware option facingyou as organizer offundraising and otherconstituent data. Youcould build your ownapplication or basictracking system yourself using such tools asMicrosoft Excel, Microsoft Access orFileMaker Pro.

Many watershed organizations haveincredibly sophisticated, well-designedcompletely custom database solutions that astaff member, volunteer or paid contractorhas built from the ground up. If builtcorrectly, such applications can be fine-tuned to meet very specific needs. Similarly,if you are just establishing your organizationand can't afford a more expensive solution,just keeping track of fundraising and basic

contact data even in an Excel spreadsheet isa great start.

However, as a web and database developer, Ihave seen many "homegrown" solutionscreate significant problems fororganizations, particularly as they grow andbegin to collect more complex constituentdata. Often, an organization does not knowthat they have outgrown their "starterdatabase" until it slows down to a crawl—orworse, breaks all together. If that happens,bringing in an outside consultant to fix acompletely custom database can often bemore expensive than starting over with acompletely new system.

Consequently, my parting advice, if youeither currently use or are considering atotally custom-built constituent relationshipmanagement system, is that you: a) makesure that the code running your system is

very well documented so that, ifnecessary, another

programmer could takeover support for it; and

b) that you consider thelong-term technologyneeds of your

organization early on, sothat you can

systematically plan forupgrading your

application—before it breaks.

In Conclusion There are obviously a lot of factors that gointo choosing the right database applicationfor your organization. "Functionality versuscost" is clearly a primary consideration, as is"open source versus proprietary," andplatform. The first step is to consider whattype of constituent data you are looking totrack—and then to consider whatfunctionality you can afford.

Sean Larkin is the Project Manager for OpenSourcery(www.opensourcery.com), an open source webdevelopment company in Portland, OR.


Choosing the Right Database, cont.cont. from page 15

When comparing database applications, consider this (admittedly non-exhaustive) list of features:

M U LT I - U S E R A C C E S S & M A N A G E M E N T

Simultaneous Staff Access Depending upon the application and/or your software license, you mayor may not be allowed to have multiple staff logged into the databaseat the same time.

Differentiate Staff Access Privileges Most constituent relationship management databases will allow you toset up different access privileges for different users. Depending onaccess privileges, staff might have access to limited information or beable to perform limited changes or activities (for example searchcontact records but not update contribution records).

Remote Access Some database applications can only be accessed from a single officecomputer. Others reside on a local server, such that any computerwithin your office can access the data. A third type of database lives ona remote server that can be accessed over the internet via a webbrowser or other desktop application.

F U N D R A I S I N G T O O L S

Monetary, In-kind, Matching Gift Tracking Most databases will allow you to track various types of donations.

Pledge Tracking Many databases will will allow you to to track pledges or otheranticipated donations.

Membership Renewal Management Many database applications will allow you to set up and managedifferent membership levels, as well as track membership renewals.

Donation Acknowledgment Printing The most basic fundraising database should allow you to query andexport donation data that can be merged into personalized "thankyou" letters. More advanced databases will allow you to storeacknowledgment letter templates for more convenient printing.

Donor Correspondence Tracking Many database applications will allow you to track written, electronicand telephone correspondence, as well as in-person meetings withdonors.

Online donation tools Some database applications, particularly web-based systems, will allowyou to create custom online donation pages or add "Donate Now"links to your website. Many also provide online payment processing.

Fundraising Calendar with a "Tickler" Many databases include a fundraising calendar that will allow you totrack grant application and reporting deadlines, and schedule meetingswith donors. Some of these applications offer a "tickler" that will sendyou alerts of upcoming calendar events.

Mail Merge for Direct Mail Fundraising databases differ widely in their support for direct mailcampaigns. Some, such as eBase, provide extensive direct mailprocessing and reporting features.

Email-based Fundraising Many databases, particularly web-based application service providers,provide you with mass emailing tools for sending donation requests ornewsletters.

(including online donation processing)


Fundraising Campaign Reporting Database applications differ in the level and complexity offundraising reports you can run. Some advanced applications willallow you to create custom reports. Open source databaseapplications are generally more likely to allow you to modify reports.

Donor Categorization Many databases will allow you to aggregate donations per contactand categorize donors based on contribution levels.

Online Shopping Carts Some database applications, particularly online applications,integrate with e-commerce tools and allow you to manage inventoryand online shopping carts.

A D VO C A C Y C A M PA I G N I N G

Voter Registration/Demographics Tracking ● Some database tools allow you to track voter registration ordemographic information that can be useful when targetingcampaigns to specific communities.

Online Advocacy Tools Some database applications, particularly web-based applications,allow you to create online campaigns and allow your site visitors totake action via your site.

E V E N T M A N A G E M E N T

Event Sign-up Management Certain database applications allow you to manage event invitationmailings and RSVPs.

Electronic Event RSVP or Sign-up Some databases, particularly web-based applications, allow you tocreate sign-up pages for special events. Depending on theapplication, you may be able to process event registration andpayment online.

VO L U N T E E R M A N A G E M E N T

Volunteer Skills Inventory Management Most databases will allow you to add custom fields for trackingpersonal information about your contacts, such as skills, interests oroccupations.

Volunteer Availability Tracking Some databases will allow you to track volunteer availability.

Volunteer Scheduling Some databases will allow you to schedule and track volunteerhours.

Online Volunteer Sign-up Some databases, particularly web-based applications, will allow youto create pages on your website for collecting volunteer sign-up andscheduling information.

V E N D O R M A N A G E M E N T

Vendor Services Management In addition to tracking volunteers and donors, many databaseapplications allow you to keep track of your organization's vendorsor other partner organizations.

Invoice and Payment Tracking In addition to donation tracking, some database applications willallow you to track vendor payments.

(Major Donor or Membership Level Management)

and Other E-Commerce Tools


VOIC

ES F

RO

M T

HE

FIEL

D Ahhhh—a database. Somehow I doubt most of us had visions of data entry when we madethe decision to enter the field of river conservation. For many of us, a database is morethan just a compound word, it is two four-letter words strung together to create massiveamounts of frustration. But, databases, if implemented properly, should help maximizeefficiency and minimize—not create—aggravation.

Below, River Network Partners offer some suggestions and tips based on their personalexperiences with a variety of available databases.

A data base should have continuity over a significant period of time. We have beendealing with a project where flow data was collected in one place for a period of10 years during the 1920s to ‘30s. Then, in another part of the watershed for a 10year period during the 1930s. Another one during the 1950s and 60s, etc. This isNOT continuous data and will not give defensible results. Some scientists cloudthe issues by saying they have continuous data when it really is not. Beware!

Passaic River Coalition, NJwww.passaicriver.org

Friends of Milwaukee’s Riversrecently went through a databasesearch process and decided to use

Salesforce, a product thatis marketed towards

corporations, but isdonated to qualifyingnonprofits. We chosea database that ishosted online, so our

whole staff and boardcan access theinformation withoutinstalling (andupdating) software.Most hosted optionsare very expensive(thousands of dollars

per year). This made Salesforce agreat option for us since there is noongoing hosting fee. We did pay aconsultant to import our data,customize the database and trainour staff. Even with a consultant tohelp, the transition has beendifficult, and there have beentechnical bugs to contend with. Iwould recommend Salesforce, butonly for an organization thatdoesn’t mind getting a littletechnical and working throughsome kinks.

Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers, WI www.mkeriverkeeper.org

We feel that the best way to learn more about anew watershed project is to get outdoors anddocument stream conditions and riparian landuse. For several years now, we have used amodified version of the US Department ofAgriculture Stream VisualAssessment Protocol (SVAP) tocollect baseline information onphysical stream conditionsincluding channelstability, riparian buffer,water appearance,nutrient enrichment andother characteristics. TheSVAP protocol allows us toassign numeric values tofeatures of a stream thatmay not often be thoughtof as quantifiable; thenumeric values can beorganized and sortedthrough to prioritize solutions to water qualityissues, target monitoring locations and determineareas of ecological value in the watershed. Afterdata is collected in the field, the volunteer, studentor staff person enters their collected data into anonline database. This database can bedownloaded off the web and imported into ESRIArcMap so that the data can be spatially evaluatedagainst land use, soils and proximity to features inthe watershed such as potable water supplies,open space or highways. The database allows fordata to continually be updated with new entriesand provides a simple way to organize a lot ofdata in a format able to be shared with others.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, NJ

www.water.rutgers.edu


VOIC

ES FRO

M TH

E FIELD

Since we are so small, I use the standard MicrosoftAccess program (created from a survey of watershedfolks a couple years ago) and a Microsoft Word filewith my mail list. I have approximately 120 nameson the mailing list. This system is not high tech, butworks for easy updates and changes!

Moxahala Watershed Restoration Commission, OH

My main advice about databases (I configured/cleaned/maintained an MS Accessdatabase that both recorded information and tracked donors for 2 years at a previousjob) is to stick with just one database, unless you are a very large organization. A verywise executive director once taught me this, and I think it is the best advice regardingdatabases. Donor specific databases are alluring in what they promise to do, but thetime and energy and consistency of double entering so much data is next to impossible.I think MS Access is very usable for both information and donor records. You can giveall your employees access to it, but limit where each can add information.

Sierra Nevada Alliance, CAwww.sierranevadaalliance.org

Because we’re an arm of local government, we had no choice in our database software anduse Access 2000. We weren’t allowed to get Oracle, and thus couldn’t use STORET, but weprobably couldn’t have used STORET anyway, because many of our physical-habitatparameters are fairly unique. Our monitoring program is fairly complex, and with only 1.3staff, there’s no way we could have developed the database we have without help. Initialdatabase development took about two years and was funded by about $15,000 in grantmoney. Since that point, we’ve been lucky enough to have the free services of one of ourvolunteers, who has continued to put in about 6 hr/wk on database development andtroubleshooting (4 hrs worth of that working together with staff), much of it involving VisualBasic programming, which enables data-checking and validation procedures, andsophisticated reports, such as multi-metric indices. We’ve come to understand that in adynamic program, database development never ends.

Our recommendation to any organization operating on a shoestring budget (such as ours) isto find a volunteer with a computer background willing to make a long-term commitment,spend whatever money it takes to get that person trained, and then hope that they stayhealthy! Also, document everything you do as you go, so that you’re not bereft when thatperson leaves. (When things get weird and complicated in our Visual Basic programming, weput little side-notes in with the programming language; many times, those comments havehelped us remember why we did something a certain way five years ago!)

Streamkeepers of Clallam County, WAwww.clallam.net/streamkeepers

For online websites that use database(s) andmanipulation/queries (add, delete, select, etc.records), especially those sites hosted by Linux servers,we’ve used the classic, free MySQL database and PHPlanguage to query it. Since we’re talking Linux, MySQLand PHP, I’ll add the last component, Apache serversoftware, to complete the LAMP (Linux, Apache,MySQL, and PHP) setup we’ve found useful. Offline,in-office, we use FileMaker Pro from Claris.

Fishing Outfitters Association of Montanawww.foam-montana.org/

20 River Network • RIVER VOICES • Volume 16, Number 4

ave you ever heard the suggestion“what we need is a statewide orregional clearinghouse ordatabase?” Have you wondered

why every state doesn’t already have one? Itmakes so much sense, one place everyonecould go to enter and retrieve data. We don’tmean a database that is provided by a stateagency with their data only, but a databasethat serves multiple, even all, data generatorsand users. There must be high hurdles, ifsuch a broad-based common need exists andis not yet in place in most, if not all states.

In Colorado, we found two things to be true.First, resource and capacity hurdles are toohigh for any individual group alone to jumpand yet; many groups were reinventing thewheel at a smaller scale and devoting a largeamount of resources (money and time) tocreating a unified database. The ColoradoWater Quality Monitoring Council(CWQMC) is successfully making the casethat those resources could be reallocated tosupport a statewide database for less thangroups are expending on smaller efforts,allowing liberated resources to be used formore data analyses, collection or otherpriorities, and in the process provide moreavailable data for each individual group. Wehad to find the selling points from theirpoint of view for actual participation, eventhough everyone wants the desired endpoint. Once a critical mass is using thesystem, the rest join from peer pressure orbecause participation is now the best feasibleoption. The CWQMC is finishing the firstyear of a three year grant to implement theColorado Data Sharing Network (CDSN).

Who is the CWQMC and How DidWe Morph this Support? Our experience, hopefully, will save you timeand energy. The CWQMC informallyformed, under a different name twenty yearsago during an era of decreasing budgets,increasing Clean Water Act responsibilities

and complexity, long drought periods andrapid growth in population and the resourceextraction industry. In other words, thepressure to collaborate and be more efficientand effective hit a threshold acrossColorado.

Since the beginning, the CWQMC has beenand continues to be a diverse group ofvolunteers. Participation includes the ForestService, Bureau of Land Management,Colorado Division of Wildlife, ColoradoPublic Health, Waste Water Utility Council,Water Supply Utility Council, counties,municipalities, special districts for water,irrigation and soil, multiple nonprofits,industry representatives and consultants.Faces of the Council have changed over thepast 20 years, but the group has commongoals to share data within and acrosswatershed and political boundaries andincrease on the ground monitoringcollaboration that remain the same.

Efforts evolved through three eras in orderto arrive at the current project. In the 1980s,the focus was on standardization of fieldand laboratory methods. This failed becauseno entity was willing to change theirmethods; they had 20 years of data at risk ortheir needs varied too much. In the 1990s,the focus evolved to simply exchanging dataand monitoring locations. This too failedfor a variety of reasons, some of whichincluded:

• Quality: Data were in a variety offormats, structures and nomenclatures,sometimes not even electronic;

• Gaps: Entities were not gathering orrecording sufficient information aboutthe data (meta-data);

• Trust: Not everyone wanted everyoneelse to have access to their data;

• Management: Entities did not want tohave to manage their data in twolocations and two different ways. If werequired a certain format, it would not

by Barb HornCo-Chair

Colorado Water QualityMonitoring Council

[email protected]

www.coloradowatershed.org

Colorado Water Quality Monitoring Council’s Data Sharing Network

Are Statewide or Regional Databases Really Possible?

H

CASE STUDY


be compatible with their currentmanagement scheme;

• Time: people wanted others’ data butdidn’t want to take the time to organizetheir own to share.

The continuous obstacles moved the groupto try just exchanging meta-data, basicinformation about the data (e.g., what,where, when, why, how they monitored) andcontact information to access the data. Wecalled these Watershed SWAPS. We piloted aSWAP with a watershed categorized with a14-digit hydrologic unit code. Clear Creekfollows I-70 from Loveland Pass into Denver.Then we tried a larger scaled watershed—theSouth Platte River that runs through Denver.Both of these worked well when conductedon a watershed scale versus statewide.During these pilot swaps, we also sharedwatershed monitoring priorities, needs andconcerns and were also able to develop onthe ground monitoring collaboration efforts.The Council took this idea and developed itinto the current Colorado Data SharingNetwork (CDSN).

What is the Colorado Data Sharing Network?To start, CDSN put forth four majorcomponents with the attached guidingprinciples:1. To establish a water quality data

management system that meets the needsof Colorado’s Nonpoint Source Programand local data providers of data sets notalready organized and widely accessible.Water quality data includes chemical,physical habitat and biological data forrivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands andgroundwater. The hardware and softwaresystem:

• needs to have simple uploads,meaningful downloads and theability to conduct simple summarystatistics;

• must use existing availabletechnology at low or no cost, andbe available via internet;

• employ a minimum set of dataelements (specific fields) for eacharea; and

• place data accuracy and qualityresponsibility on the generator notsystem operators.

2. To establish a web-based map, ArchIMS,that would serve as comprehensivedirectory of who is doing what, where,why, how and include contactinformation. When possible, the actualdata would be in our system; if not, adirect link to the data or contactinformation will be provided.

3. To actively put data into the system viastrategic training and outreach for threeyears.

4. To develop and implement a long termsupport strategy for the system, trainingand outreach.

How Have We Achieved These Four Components?Just starting our second year of the threeyear grant, we relied heavily on existingtechnology. The system would cost toomuch to build from scratch, and we wouldduplicate all the mistakes already made bysomeone else. We collaborated with EPARegion 8 STORET staff to use their existinghardware, software, documentation, toolsand expertise. System hardware andsoftware include:1. EPA STORET database structure –

STORET has 20 plus years of developinga relational database structure,standardized formats and upload toolsto deal with many types of data in manyformats. Any data STORET can manage,we can manage—and we didn’t have toexpend resources to get a functional datastorage tool. STORET stores data well,

cont. on page 22


will be around a long time, makes ourdatabase compatible with our state healthdepartment, and is where nonpointsource (NPS) data need to be. Thisstrategy also has the benefit to allow oursystem to contain all STORET legacy datain addition to other data, and thus oursystem is the primary Colorado datasource, larger than even STORET is forColorado.

2. A mechanism to include more functionthan data storage – We developed asimple set of user-friendly templates toupload and download data. We will addthe ability to conduct simple statisticsand graphics. This aspect includesdeveloping an initial minimum set ofdata elements (fields) for waterchemistry, fish/macroinvertebrate dataand physical habitat data.

3. A mechanism for people to get legacyand new data into the system – Peopletypically will not enter data into twosystems, so we will help them do thiswhile building our critical participationmass.

4. Security – We have three levels ofsecurity, all password protected and allcontrolled by the data generator. Data canbe available to all or not, the user candecide if the data will be uploaded to EPASTORET or not (unless the data is a NPSproject).

5. A method to assess the appropriate useof others’ data – We don’t judge the dataquality or purpose, but require thatentities provide that information so otherusers can adequately determine the use.

6. A visual map to assess data gaps – Weare using an ArchIMS map developed inEPA Region 10 and replacing theunderlying layers with Coloradoinformation. This map will serve as adirectory for all activity in the state,regardless of where the data actually lives,

displaying what data is available, where,when and how collected. If appropriate,the data will be in our system, if notthere will be a direct link or informationon where to get the data. This also allowspeople to “privately share.” If trust istheir sharing issue, they can tell peopleabout their data, but select who they giveit too.

A great database system, however, is uselessunless there is a way to get people to use it(outreach), competently and consistently(training and user support), foster a forumfor groups to talk about their monitoringpriorities and needs (sharing) and trust thatthe system will be here for a while(sustainability strategy). To address theseneeds we:1. Provided user documentation on our

website and developed an outreachtraining schedule that will provide aweek of training in each of the majorbasins within two years. Each trainingsession is only one day. We plan tocontinue these trainings on a rotationschedule beyond the grant cycle. Duringthis funding cycle we have the benefit ofliterally formatting templates for datasets for groups while teaching them howto do it. This work occurs in-betweentraining sessions. We also provide annual“data calls” to remind people to entertheir data into the system, if they are notusing it as their routine data manager.One paid staff (during the grant andmost likely post grant) and 2-3volunteers do this work, while a team of6-10 of us conducts the outreach andmarketing for each basin session.

2. Created Watershed SWAPS. Themorning before each CDSN Systemtraining, we host a SWAP where anyentity involved watershed managementswaps their monitoring priorities, issuesand concerns. After each SWAP, weproduce a series of fact sheets

CASE STUDY: Colorado Water Quality Monitoring, cont.

cont. from page 21


documenting and summarizing thediscussions. We started in the ColoradoBasin and are currently working on theSouth Platte. Next fall, we will move tothe San Juan and Dolores Basins followedby the Arkansas and Rio Grande in thespring. If demand continues, we willcontinue these SWAPS and trainings afterthe grant is over. You can download ouroutreach strategy documentation fromthe website: www.coloradowatershed.org.

SWAPS are also part of our sustainabilitystrategy. The forum is providing a localvoice among local entities that don’talways communicate. In addition, SWAPSare providing a voice from the locals tostate entities and a mechanism for stateentities to reach the local scale. As state,local and NPS funding continues toshrink in comparison to the amountneeded to eliminate pollution fromnonpoint sources, and as statesimplement drinking water protectionplans, watershed plans and weatherpatterns create water crises, collaborationis a critical strategy.

Timing is part ofsuccessful participation.We plan the trainingsessions and SWAPSaround the ColoradoDepartment of PublicHealth and Environmentsmonitoring schedule fortheir Clean Water ActMajor Basin Rule MakingHearings. In thesehearings, they determineappropriate classificationsand standards for eachbasin, rotating around thestate every five years.

3. Prioritized developingand implementing asustainability strategy asa primary task of the

current grant. We are gathering thefinancial information to sustain thehardware, software and technicalsupport while, we increase systemparticipation. Concurrently, the Councilis developing fiscal capacity and“membership or user” fee based strategyto fund this in the future. We do notwant fees to prohibit a group’sparticipation. We are very optimistic wecan raise enough funds to assist with anyfinancial challenges. The Council raised$20,000 when we had no product orservice, and we already have key datagenerating groups stating their financialsupport, documenting the demand. Atthis time, it appears there may be a feefor data generators versus users, but theprice will be minimal. We also plan tocontinue using existing resources to helpmaintain the system.

Our prediction is that Colorado’sDepartment of Public Health andEnvironment will be using the system toupload their data to STORET and require

cont. on page 24


others to use it for data they will use in theirClean Water Act decision processes. As aresult, more data will be available and betterdecisions can be made. However, if the datais not of sufficient quality, the database willnot help address that issue.

FundingWe started with a $15,000 from EPA Region8 Geographic Initiative and then creativelyfound 319 Non Point Source Funds of$100,000. Our timing wasimpeccable. In the late1990s, the U.S. EPAbegan a concerted effortto get states to complywith importing all NPSproject data into theNational EPA STORET(STOR=Storage andRET=Retrieve)warehouse database.The Council convincedColorado’s NPSProgram Leadership topartner and create a system that wouldbenefit all data generators, not just NPSProject data. Thus, the target audience forCDSN became:

1. Legacy and future NPS projectsponsors, and

2. Any other entity collecting watersheddata that was either not organized ornot being shared beyond the initialproject.

An example of an already organized databasewould be the USGS National WaterInformation System (NWIS) or a group whoalready submitted their data to EPASTORET, such as our state healthdepartment. These databases are alreadyorganized and available.

Cost allocation starts with providing a serverto host the ArchIMS map for one year andcosts $15,000. About $20,000 is allocated to

training, documentation and reporting.Some funds will help implement oursustainability strategy and were used totransform an EPA Region 10 map into anEPA Region 8 map. The bulk of the fundsare for transforming existing datasets to getinto the CDSN system. CDSN has oneprimary contractor, Colorado WatershedNetwork, who serves as the CWQMC fiscalagent and is responsible for all

documentation, reporting and some ofthe outreach, training and data

transformations. They subcontract with Gold

Systems (the creator ofSTORET for EPA) to helpwith the ArchIMS map,

complex datatransformations and

systemdocumentation. Allother tasks and costsare donated byCouncil members as

volunteers.

Tips:• Diversify your partnership. A

collaboration that sticks together longenough gains momentum.

• Leadership is crucial. Create a coregroup of people to carry this throughto the next level, sharing theresponsibilities.

• Messaging is a key aspect to success.Develop and document a plan that willget a critical mass to participate, so youcan demonstrate success and recruitmore participants.

• Don’t reinvent the wheel – for thesystem, outreach or training, justmodify and tweak to meet your needs.

• Quantify what people spend (orshould spend) on data collection andmanagement, so you can show themhow they are saving money. Many

cont. from page 23

CASE STUDY: Colorado Water Quality Monitoring, cont.


groups hire others to collect data, sowe also are targeting consultantsbecause they can inform their clientsabout the system and focus on dataand gap analyses, etc. Dollars alsospeak to decision-makers.

• Use the appropriate scale and scope.We are starting with water chemistry,macroinvertebrates and physicalhabitat so that we appeal to a varietyof entities; they are the most commondata areas and have the most data setsin Colorado. We plan to add fish tissue,periphyton, groundwater and otherareas, as we get priorities fromconducting basin SWAPS. We are alsooutreaching and training one basin at atime to complete the state in a three-year period.

• Include a sustainability strategy in theeffort. If you cannot demonstrate thelongevity of the project, people will notinvest resources, time or data. We havegroups like the Waste Water UtilityCouncil offering $20,000 to supportthis effort. The need is there, if you canget beyond the differences.

• Identify the common set of needs andprioritize and communicate what youwill be addressing.

• Secure a server to host the ArchIMSmap and data sets. Our strategy is touse an entity that already has thatcapacity but does not have fire wallsthat are prohibitive.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit www.coloradowatershed.org/CWQMC, where you will find the:

• Work plan • Outreach plan

• User documentation • ArchIMS Map (in development)

• SWAP Fact Sheets (as they are completed)

For more detail on components, outreach, costs or other questions, contact BarbHorn.Barb Horn, [email protected]; 970/382.6667.

• Hold the data generator responsiblefor the upload and quality of data. Itbecomes an unmanageable task whenresponsibility is with someone whoknows nothing about the data.

• Make your offer irresistible. Peopledon’t like to change, even if what youhave to offer is better. Determineindividual needs and sell the system tothem from their perspective. For us,the message was they were spendingthe money for the same thing on asmaller scale and struggling. Thesolution: join us initially at no cost,see how much more you will get, thenhelp us support it.

• Be creative. Will this cost you$115,000? It depends on your scope,what you re-invent or use and howmuch collaboration exists. This is not ahigh price tag for the product andservice.


atabase systems are one of themost crucial and integralelements in the nonprofit world.They provide order to the

fluctuating world of filing and maintain aconsistent eye on subtle details that are easilyforgettable. However, they can also beconfusing; the use of complex codes caneasily fluster a computer illiterate bloke likemyself. For example, do you know what APImeans? Or how about API and SQL? Orbetter yet, tell me what HIKNKLSD means.Okay, I made the last one up, but youprobably believed me for a second becausethere are codes like this that you might runinto. So, here is a glossary that might putyour mind to ease, Icreated this to helppeople be able toeffectively understandsmall and large elementsin how database systemsare run and created.

ATTRIBUTEA single data item relatedto a database object. Thedatabase schemaassociates one or moreattributes with eachdatabase entity. Alsoknown as: field, column.

APIApplication Programmer Interfaces (API)offer developers a convenient means tointeract with complicated applications in astandardized fashion. Many databaseplatforms support common APIs like OpenDataBase Connectivity (ODBC), JavaDataBase Connectivity (JDBC) and others.

FIELDA single unit of data stored as part of adatabase record. Each record is made up ofone or more fields, which correspond to thecolumns in a database table. Fields are oftenalso referred to as attributes.

FLYING COMPUTERA direct experience when one becomes sofrustrated with the lexicon of databasesystems that they throw their computers outthe window. The farther the fall, the moregratifying the experience is.

CLASSIFICATIONClassification is a data mining (machinelearning) technique used to predict groupmembership for data instances. Forexample, you may wish to use classificationto predict whether the weather on aparticular day will be “sunny”, “rainy” or“cloudy”. Popular classification techniquesinclude decision trees and neural networks.

COLUMNDatabase tables arecomposed of individual

columns correspondingto the attributes of theobject.

CONCURRENCYDatabase concurrencycontrols ensure thattransactions occur in anordered fashion. The

main job of these controlsis to protect

transactions issued bydifferent users/applications

from the effects of eachother. They must preserve the four

characteristics of database transactions:atomicity, isolation, consistency anddurability.

DATAData consists of a series of facts orstatements that may have been collected,stored, processed and/or manipulated buthave not been organized or placed intocontext. When data is organized, it becomesinformation. Information can be processedand used to draw generalized conclusions orknowledge.

Decoding Databases:

A Glossary of Codes

Dby Stirling Myles

Program Assistant

River Network

www.rivernetwork.org


DISORIENTATIONPhysical and mental effects of working withdatabase systems.

ENCRYPTIONEncryption preventsunauthorized individualsfrom viewing thecontents of a file.

FLAT FILEFlat files are datafiles that containrecords with nostructuredrelationships.Additionalknowledge isrequired to interpret these filessuch as the file format properties. Moderndatabase management systems used a morestructured approach to file management(such as one defined by the StructuredQuery Language) and therefore have morecomplex storage arrangements.

ODBCOpen Database Connectivity (ODBC) is acommon framework for accessing andaltering the contents of databases. It allowsdevelopers to use the same codingconventions regardless of the actual databaseplatform implemented on the backend.When a new database type is installed,administrators merely need to install anODBC driver that supports that platformand existing ODBC software should functionnormally.

PRIMARY KEYThe primary key of a relational tableuniquely identifies each record in the table. Itcan either be a normal attribute that isguaranteed to be unique (such as SocialSecurity Number in a table with no morethan one record per person)

QUERYQueries are the primary mechanism forretrieving information from a database andconsist of questions presented to thedatabase in a predefined format.

RELATIONAL DATABASEMANAGEMENT SYSTEMSA database management system(DBMS) is the software thatallows a computer to performdatabase functions of storing,retrieving, adding, deleting and

modifying data. Relationaldatabase management systems

(RDBMS) implement therelational model of tables

and relationships.

REPORTPresents information retrieved from a tableor query in a preformatted, organizedmanner.

SCHEMAA collection of meta-data that describes therelations in a database. A schema can besimply described as the “layout” of adatabase or the blueprint that outlines theway data is organized into tables.

SQLStructured Query Language (SQL) is anindustry-standard language used formanipulation of data in a relationaldatabase. The major SQL commands ofinterest to database users are SELECT,INSERT, JOIN and UPDATE.

XMLXML is the eXtensible Markup Language. Asystem created to define other markuplanguages. For this reason, it can also bereferred to as a metalanguage. XML iscommonly used on the Internet to createsimple methods for the exchange of dataamong diverse clients.


1110

98

6

4

21

3

5

7

12

DATABASE WARNING SIGNSYou just may want a new database if….

All your contact information is kept on 3x5 index cards that are starting toyellow in age.

The last person to know the password last volunteered for yourorganization…about 5 years ago.

The database consultant you hired to create a new table ran out the door inthe first five minutes of reviewing your database.

You’ve memorized (and continuously disregard) the error messages that popup daily.

The dreaded blue screen of death simply indicates that it is time for a coffeebreak while your computer reboots.

Hand addressing holiday cards to 500 donors is more appealing then tryingto pull 3 lists together from your database.

You sent an urgent email blast out to the membership in Alaska, but onlyindividuals whose names begin with A-K received the message.

Your mailings go to the same person five times but you can’t get into themailing list to fix the problem.

You receive a request to update an address, but have no idea which of your 5databases it came from.

You have your tech-consultant’s number on speed-dial.

All the data entered in May disappears in June.

Your $1,100 donation turns into 1/1/2000.


In the Needs Assessment, you should look for and identify the following types of key issues:

• Replacing an existing database system with a new one is always very costly, but may also bring major benefits.Would it be possible to fix or work around problems or limitations in the current database system, so that it wouldnot be necessary to replace it with a new one?

• Since a problem with a non-software related issue can prevent the successful implementation of a new or improveddatabase, you should look for any non-software related issues which must be resolved wither before or in tandemwith changes to new database software.

• Requirements that might force you to build a custom software solution, rather than purchase a software package.• Database requirements that will be key differentiators among different software packages. For example: Does it

have to run on a Mac? Do you require dial-up or web access? Do several users require simultaneous access?• Surprises: has the organization anticipated all the costs, changes, impacts and risks implied by a database change?

Is the organization prepared for them?• This questionnaire form is extremely detailed. Focus on getting complete information for key areas and less

complete information for non-critical areas, and don’t try to fill in the entire questionnaire in complete detail,since you will have a limited time budget for performing the data collection and analysis phase of the project.

Do Your Homework:

In-Depth Database Needs Assessment

GENERAL DATA1. What kinds of computers do you use?2. What operating systems do you use?3. What kind of network protocols do you use?4. What peripherals do you use?5. What office applications do you use?6. What telecommunications applications do you use?7. How many computers are you using/supporting?8. What is your primary accounting application?9. What is your primary multimedia/desktop publishing

application?10. How does your organization use its computer labs?11. What is the skill level of the people who use your

computer systems?12. What are your organization’s technical support needs?

PROJECT-SPECIFIC DATA1. What is your primary database application

(product name and release)?2. What is your most urgent technical support need?3. Are your current needs part of a bigger project or

technology plan?4. What is the time frame for the completion of this

project, if any?5. Do you have a budget established for dealing with

your technical support needs? If yes, pleaseelaborate. Please include hardware, software,training, support, maintenance, personnel andoperating costs

CURRENT DATABASE-RELATED ISSUESDiscuss, in detail, any problems or concerns you have about yourcurrent database system in the following areas:1. Organization: do you have cross-department, cross-location or inter-

agency problems or issues?2. Procedures: get copies of any written procedures. Do you have any

problems with your current procedures in the any of the following areas: • Maintaining the database system and database• Inputting data/updating the database• Browsing/querying the database• Obtaining reports from the database• Importing or exporting data to/from the database

3. Integrity: do you have problems related to incorrect or confusing data?4. Currency: is your software out of date? If so, does this cause problems?5. Ease of use: does your staff find it hard to use the database?6. Reliability: is the database down or unusable too often?

Does yourorganization needa new database?

Copyright © 2000 CompuMentor. This work is reprinted under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5)


About.com is a large, mainstream site that chocked full of helpful information. This site cansend you in the right direction with links in database training and provide links to other sitesthat can answer more specific questions.http://databases.about.com/od/databasetraining/Database_Training.htm

Idealist.org is a meeting place for active and socially aware organizations to engage withactive and socially aware people. This site offers information on different aspects ofnonprofits ranging from database information to finding a job. www.idealist.org

Idealware provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software ofinterest to nonprofits, centralized into a website. Through product comparisons,recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware allows nonprofits to make thesoftware decisions that will help them be more effective. www.idealware.org

The Nonprofit Matrix is an online directory and guide to Application Service Providers(ASPs) and portals offering web-based services for nonprofits and charities. www.nonprofitmatrix.com

NPower is a national network of local, nonprofit organizations that provide high-quality, unbiased, affordable and appropriate technologyassistance to other organizations. They have compiled informative guides and resources and placed them on their webpage.www.npower.org/

Relevant® Tools offers Online Services including web databases, custom forms and emailmailing management with open and click through tracking.www.relevanttools.com/online_database.html

SQL.org’s goal is to build a resource that will help those using or wanting to make use of anSQL database find the resources and reference materials they are looking for: an SQL tutorial,manual, introduction, SQL hosting provider or someone to help them out. www.sql.org

TechSoup’s online “Learning Center” is organized by subject. Their our how-to’s, worksheets,case studies, profiles and product comparisons are written for all budgets and all levels oftechnical expertise. www.techsoup.org

Resources & References

FOR STILL MORE INFORMATION

Techsoup.com – www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/index.cfm(particularly the article: www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page5961.cfm, which containsa detailed listing of various fundraising database applications)

The Grassroots Fundraising Journal – www.grassrootsfundraising.org/howto/software.html

CiviCRM.org – www.civicrm.org

CivicSpace On Demand – http://civicspacelabs.org

eBase – www.ebase.org

eTapestry - www.etapestry.com

DonorPerfect – www.donorperfect.com

Raiser's Edge – www.blackbaud.com

Sage Fundraising – www.sagenonprofit.com/products/fundraising/default.aspx


SIGN ME UP!Annual Partner Dues are only $100

LET RIVER NETWORK HELP YOU KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER.

Join the River Network Partnership and connect to the informationand resources you need to stay afloat!

• Access our River Source Information Center with the 1-800 hotline: Letus help you research a particular issue and put you in touch with thenecessary contacts and resources through one-on-one consultations.

• Log onto our Partner-only website: Browse the updated postings offunding sources, upcoming events and trainings, and download riverclipart.

• Receive the myriad of Partner benefits, including subscriptions to RiverVoices and River Fundraising Alert, a copy of the Directory of Funding Sourcesfor River and Watershed Conservation Organizations, and a copy of eitherStarting Up: A Handbook for New River and Watershed Organizations orHow to Save a River…and more!

❑ Organizational Partner ❑ Agency/Tribal Partner ❑ Individual Partner

Name Phone ( )

Org/Agency E-mail

Address

City State Zip

❑ My check is enclosed

Please charge my credit card: ❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard

Card# Exp. Date

Signature/Name on card:You will receive your initial set of Partner materials, including your choice of: (check one)

❑ How to Save a River ❑ Starting Up: A Handbook for New River and Watershed Organizations❑ River Talk! ❑ Listening to Watersheds ❑ Testing the Waters

Please make your check payable to River Network and return this form to: River Network, 520 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1130, Ptld., OR 97204-1511 Phone: 503/241-3506

River Network works to support you and your needs. We provide training and technical assistance to our Partner groups. River Network does not promote legislation or represent your organization in legal matters.


520 SW Sixth Avenue, Suite 1130Portland, Oregon 97204-1511

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Cance r * Downstream

* and asthma, gastro-intestinal illness, skin problems, learning disabilities . . .

A Citizen’s Guide to Investigating Pollution/

Health Connections

By Steve Dickens River Network

r e t t o D l r a E © o t o h P

Forward by Lois Gibbs

By Steve Dickens Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities Director at River Network Here is a resource that communities have been waiting for: A guide to investigating connections between community health prob-lems and pollution. Whether initial pollution discharges are found in the air, soil or water, that contamination can easily affect human health “downstream.” This guide is inclusive in addressing the myriad of situations that community groups confront, while at the same time limiting options so that the process does not become overwhelming. The guide provides unique solutions for your problems. Whether you are a concerned neighbor or a veteran activist, you will want a copy of “Cancer Downstream.”


Pricing is $20.00 per copy for River Network Partners. Others $25. Add $5.75 for shipping and handling per copy. Multiple order discounts are available. Visit River Network’s marketplace at www.rivernetwork.org/marketplace or contact River Network Press, 503- 542-8391, [email protected].

New Book Announcement from River Network _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

“Why do we have a cancer epidemic and suffer from so many illnesses? With this much needed guide, communities can finally begin to see the link between the illnesses their families are suffering from and the dumping of tons of toxic chemicals by the industries of this country. An indispensable guide for all who want to help Americans to live healthier lives.”

Jewel Crawford, MD, Medical Director, Office of Urban Affairs, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

___________________

___________________

Tales of River Databases: Data Tracking for River ... · PDF fileWhat about Excel? Is it a...

Documents

Transcript of Tales of River Databases: Data Tracking for River ... · PDF fileWhat about Excel? Is it a...