Do You Really Need a Donor Database?

So just as donors expect to do more for themselves online, the technology needs to enable that, and it begins to make sense that the database and the website could be one and the same.

What would a combined database and website look like? It’s all down to your role. As a donor or a prospective donor, it’s just a normal website — with online giving as well as the other pages you expect to see. As a staff user you log in to the site and see all the staff-based functions that you need for your particular job — such as reports, batch gift entry, marketing tools and the tools to manage the website content. As a branch or chapter manager, it’s probably somewhere between the two. But the main difference is you only need one system, which should mean reduced costs, saved time and accurate, up-to-date information — all which will help you direct more resources to your programs.