For many organizations, donation tracking and donor contact information is managed using hardcopy papers or electronic Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. These methods can be fraught with issues such as storage space limitations, security breaches, disorganization, inconsistency of file structure, and information loss during turnover. Therefore, many organizations have moved to web-based systems. The online tools allow you to keep track of all of your contacts and interactions with your donors in one easy-to-find location that provides automated reminders for anniversaries, birthdays, or other notable donor events.
As mentioned, a key benefit is the remote access, because the tools are Internet-based. If a staff member needs to work from home or is traveling, he/she will still have access to the system. The information is secure and behind firewalls, regardless of where you access the information. Additionally the information can be extracted if you need to continue working while without access to the Internet.
The report generation features are also an added benefit that saves substantial time while preparing reports for your board of directors or newsletters. Reports can include who has donated, as well as summaries of who you have asked. These systems are also known to be very useful when evaluating task completions or duration time to fulfill requests.