What is a "best-practices" suggestion for an office full of r/edge users?

Amy Pulido

 Originally, I was tasked w. pledge entry/reporting/queries etc.  Now others are running reports/queries as well as entering gifts thru the event module.

Any suggestion how I should present my idea of keeping pledge entry  and reporting in my hands only? 

JoAnn Strommen

Amy Pulido:

 Originally, I was tasked w. pledge entry/reporting/queries etc.  Now others are running reports/queries as well as entering gifts thru the event module.

Any suggestion how I should present my idea of keeping pledge entry  and reporting in my hands only? 

The best argument for gift entry in one/small # of users is data consistency.  Are there issues with other users not following your orgs entry procedures/errors in data entry/incomplete data?  If you're having to do a lot of clean-up and checking then there's a case.  Is there another reason that other users can't be trained to enter the data?

I don't have a problem with other users running reports.  My issue is that for the occassional RE user they don't get the data pulled that they desire.  Why is their running reports a concern?  You can create the reports and they can certainly run them. 

My 2 cents....

Nicole S

Amy Pulido:

 Originally, I was tasked w. pledge entry/reporting/queries etc.  Now others are running reports/queries as well as entering gifts thru the event module.

Any suggestion how I should present my idea of keeping pledge entry  and reporting in my hands only? 

 Consistency.

Joshua Bekerman bCLO bCRE

Amy Pulido:

 Originally, I was tasked w. pledge entry/reporting/queries etc.  Now others are running reports/queries as well as entering gifts thru the event module.

Any suggestion how I should present my idea of keeping pledge entry  and reporting in my hands only? 

Gift entry should certainly be done by one department/team/process.  All of your gifts should go through the same workflow, but it sounds like your event staff is also receiving and processing gifts.  If they receive gifts directly (for or from events?) they should forward them to be included in your regular gift entry process.  Someone or a team needs to be responsible for all gifts that are entered and there needs to be controls around the process. 

Also get a copy of Bill Connors' book Fundraising with The Raiser's Edge and point to it anytime someone questions your suggestions for best practices.  [:D]

 

 

Harriet Farmer

Josh Bekerman:

Gift entry should certainly be done by one department/team/process.  All of your gifts should go through the same workflow, but it sounds like your event staff is also receiving and processing gifts.  If they receive gifts directly (for or from events?) they should forward them to be included in your regular gift entry process.  Someone or a team needs to be responsible for all gifts that are entered and there needs to be controls around the process. 

Also get a copy of Bill Connors' book Fundraising with The Raiser's Edge and point to it anytime someone questions your suggestions for best practices.  [:D]

 

 

We have several departments using Raiser's Edge, but only one group responsible for gift entry (and we are in Canada so they also have to produce numbered receipts.) We have very tight controls on how gifts are entered and they must be reconciled with our Finance Department. It would scare me not to have gift entry centralized and audited regularly. However, for reports and Queries, I see no reason why any user should not be able to create and/or run their own. They cant break anything! I set up Query folders for any user wishing to work on their own queries. If the person responsible for RE maintenance finds that there are too many one time only queries sitting in the general query section, those can be checked for last time run and have a policy to delete queries based on a last run date. I like to see our staff "data mining" RE for their various needs and only coming for help when they can't achieve the results they need.

Melissa Graves 3

Harriet Farmer:
We have several departments using Raiser's Edge, but only one group responsible for gift entry (and we are in Canada so they also have to produce numbered receipts.) We have very tight controls on how gifts are entered and they must be reconciled with our Finance Department. It would scare me not to have gift entry centralized and audited regularly. However, for reports and Queries, I see no reason why any user should not be able to create and/or run their own. They cant break anything! I set up Query folders for any user wishing to work on their own queries. If the person responsible for RE maintenance finds that there are too many one time only queries sitting in the general query section, those can be checked for last time run and have a policy to delete queries based on a last run date. I like to see our staff "data mining" RE for their various needs and only coming for help when they can't achieve the results they need.

I agree - centralize gift entry - now. I will say that for reporting, that you recommend that any reports being used for important/external reporting (board reports, financial reports, solicitation lists) go through at least a review process including you, if not done by you. If not, then consistency becomes a question. Other reports, if people want to try their own LYBUNT report and mess it up and actually use it contact donors who already gave - oopsie, their fault. I would say, make yourself available to "review" any reports people want a second pair of eyes on to be sure things are right. Just be sure to have the right attitude that you are there to help them, not monitor them or prove them wrong, and things should go well. Melissa