How many times have we all said, “I hate this system, I don’t know why they bought it in the first place!” or “This stupid software is so hard to figure out, I’m just not going to use it!” With the rise of AI and our deep attachment to turnkey software experiences, many of us are left feeling frustrated with software that never seems to deliver on promises of being user-friendly, simple to set up, or able to do it all! At the end of the day, we just want it to work.
Then we get to the point where we suddenly have a brilliant idea: ditch it all and start fresh with a slick new platform. If that’s you…hold that thought.
Adopting fundraising software as a fledgling nonprofit can send fundraising to the next level but transitioning legacy software when you’re already established can bring a whole host of new problems if you aren’t prepared.
Before jumping ship to a new platform, consider the following:
- Is the platform going to be demonstratively better?
- Better for whom – Data entry folks? Report creators? Dashboard viewers? Donors?
- Better how – Can it be automated? Are there more features for us to use?
- What have we already invested in for our current platform to work?
- Is our data clean and consistent? Do we have a staff person dedicated to owning the system?
- Do we have years of robust donor engagement data besides just transactions?
- Are we using it in the right/designed way?
- Are we using all the product features? Is staff trained on internal usage and software provided training tracks?
- Do we have entry guides or data management policies?
- Who does this affect in our current data ecosystem?
- What other systems are dependent on or integrated with this one (Mailchimp? Quickbooks?)
- Do we have the time and capacity to see this through effectively?
- Is the timing right for staff – are they already overloaded? Can we afford a blackout period?
- Do we have a point person on staff to own the entire transition process?
Then there’s the ever-important question of…how much will this cost?! We won’t get into it here, but sticker shock might get you when you consider both direct and indirect costs, or you might get nickel-and-dimed later on when you start thinking through add-ons and customizations.
If, after all that, you’re still thinking about switching, then here are a few action items to help you get on the right track.
- Assess your platform’s wants and needs using input from your team
- Consider your risk tolerance for potential data loss and blackout periods
- Create a rubric to compare platforms, including your current one
- Build a timeline for mapping fields/transition/implementation/training
- Talk to other platform users to hear about their real-life experiences
Written By: Amber Jacott
