Staffing Models for Raiser's Edge gift entry

First of all, have you squeezed all of the efficiency out of what you have or considered additional tools to help?

One way to assess the efficiency of current staffing is to look through user guides and forums for gift processing Best Practices.  If there are any new processes you can put in place to improve time usage, do it, then reevaluate your staffing needs.  I find that Import, global change/add are underutilized in gift processing.

 

If more staff are needed, ensure that each staff has at least 1 backup for their primary role and that their backup is well trained, that instructions for tasks are well documented, and then have the backup perform the task on a basis often enough to ensure confidence in their abilities.



Structure:  We recently split our giving between mailed gifts and online transactions because online software requires a different language of proficiency. (we use NetCommunity).  Second, we have one person whose primary function is batch review; they don't perform gift entry, they review online and paper transactions to ensure address updates/gift designations/soft credits were handled appropriately, especially on large gifts.  The benefit of more staffing is that the person entering gifts isn't the same one auditing their own work, as is often the case in smaller operations.



Of your current staff, evaluate their skills and determine roles based on their proficiencies and flaws.  Some people are better at understanding fund structures or executing file transfers to our accounting department and auditors, some are better with detail, some are slow and accurate, some are fast but inclined to mistakes.  Working within their needs will benefit you greatly, and when creating a new role, be very clear about what skills they will need and how to test their skills in interview.