Data Management

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Save yourself some pain: collect Tslip data and secure consent for e-distribution upon contract

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One of the most painful parts of Tslip season is tracking down any missing information for recipients (e.g. SIN, address, email address) so that you can submit their tslip to the CRA and distribute their copy by the February 28 deadline. 

This can be particularly difficult with T4A recipients who are engaged on a short-term basis,  or who are living elsewhere and not in regular communication with your organization. Sometimes contract workers don’t file their income taxes on an annual basis, and therefore do not feel the same sense of urgency in regards to receiving their T4A on time… but when they’re ready to catch up, they don’t want to be delayed! 

The best way to avoid the pain is to collect all the necessary data upon engagement of the individual. Consider making full name, SIN, phone number, address, and email address standard fields on a contract, letter of agreement, or other initiating document so that you are ready for T-slip season before you pay the individual. 

And, since e-distribution of T4As, T4ANRs, and T5s (as well as certain T4s - click here for more info) requires consent from the recipient, add another standard field on your contracts to allow each individual to confirm their email address and opt in to receiving their tslip via e-distribution. 

Taking a bit of extra care at the contracting phase will save you a lot of frustration when February rolls around.  
 

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Anna Mathew talks to ACCA about the role of the information manager in the arts

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Empowering Arts Organizations in an Information Age

By Anna Mathew, Knowledge Associate (Young Associates)
Originally published in the February 2015 ACCA e-bulletin

Technically, I’m a librarian. So why have I joined Arts Consultants Canada?

Well, I work for Young Associates, a team of consultants working primarily with arts organizations in a variety of areas, most significantly financial and data management. I believe the field of library science - now more frequently referred to as information science, information studies, or even just ‘information’, has broad applications to sectors beyond the public, academic, school, and traditional corporate (e.g. legal and medical) settings to which we are accustomed. The information specialist is no longer restricted to within the library walls and now frequently finds him/herself in an embedded role within an organization which has a non-information related mandate but needs someone to perform information retrieval and information management duties to support that mandate. What I’m saying is, in our ‘information age’, a librarian can find him or herself working anywhere.

It’s no surprise that we don’t come across too many arts organizations who can afford to keep a permanent, embedded information specialist on staff. Sure, some of the larger organizations have a researcher or two, but for the most part, arts organizations have too much administrative overload and too many budget constraints to deal with to consider creating a formalized role for an information manager. Enter the arts consultant.

In the Spring 2014 ACCA newsletter, my Young Associates colleague Samantha Zimmerman wrote about how consultants can play a leadership role in getting arts organizations to consider their statistical data as ‘SMART’ data, and to set goals and put systems in place to make data part of a larger picture in preserving and communicating an organization’s story. That sentiment is echoed by Negin Zebarjad, a consultant at Nordicity, a consulting firm that earlier this month hosted a panel for Artscape Launchpad on “The Power of Data on Communicating Your Impact”. Zebarjad focuses on good design and clear goal-setting, and emphasizes that arts organizations need to become aware of what data they are already collecting and think about how it can be threaded into the narrative they want to tell about themselves. During the panel, representatives from major funding bodies stressed the importance of seeing a balance of qualitative and quantitative information from organizations when assessing impact. Smartly organized data - which is collected, preserved, analysed, and presented according to well-designed systems and in support of clearly articulated goals - makes that qualitative-quantitative balance possible; this is becoming more relevant as CADAC is looking for correlations between the financial and the statistical data they receive.

The information specialist’s role in consulting with arts organizations goes beyond accessing and manipulating a client’s database. We can offer arts organizations assistance in understanding how information moves through their organizational ecosystems and how it is affected by software, hardware, and, most importantly, people. By undertaking strategic exercises like organizational data flow visualizations and goal setting, and hands on activities like database design and cleanup, we can increase efficiency and strengthen identity.

A favourite instructor at the University of Toronto’s iSchool said: “A librarian helps people find stuff”. (Full disclosure, he might not have used the word ‘stuff’). Another memorable instructor put forth a ‘cocktail party’ definition for the term information architect (a kind of information specialist) as someone who: “is supposed to make sure that people can find what they’re looking for without getting lost or confused.”

Arts consultants armed with information skills can do both those things by helping organizations become information literate and empowering their stakeholders to use that information to operate efficiently, to advance their mandates, and to extend their reach.

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Samantha Zimmerman talks ‘smart data’ to Arts Consultants Canada

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DATA SMART: More Than “Show me the Money.”

By Samantha Zimmerman, Practice Manager, Senior Associate & Data Management Consultant (Young Associates)
Originally published in the May 2014 ACCA e-bulletin

We’ve all heard about data: the importance of data; the need to keep data safe; the value of turning raw data into actionable information. But what does it mean for our clients? Most organizations are already comfortable making strategic decisions based on their financial data, because GAAP provides guidelines for maintaining financial data so that it is viewed as SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely); but what about our statistical data? Not only is there no one set of rules for dealing with statistical data, there are also privacy laws that dictate how we must collect, store and use data. It can all be very overwhelming.

The arts sector must also conform to CADAC which requires our clients to analyze and report their statistical and financial data to Government funders. CADAC and its partner funders across the country are becoming more rigorous and demanding in reconciling and verifying statistical data, which makes it even more important for organizations to properly track the necessary data required for CADAC reporting. More and more, clients have been reaching out to Young Associates in search of either full service data entry and processing, or targeted data management support with assistance in collecting data, pulling and reviewing periodic reports (monthly, annual), and reconciliation with bookkeeping software, as well as staff training or prospect research.

There is so much potential for data collection, but the majority of small and mid-size not-for-profit organizations often lack the human resources, the technology/software packages or the time to deal with all the data. We’ve all seen those organizations that are tracking their donations, event attendance and other lists in Excel spreadsheets. Much of the data stored in these Excel spreadsheets lives independently from other organizational data, and many of the lists lack standardization in the collection and presentation of the data.

While most of us are using Excel adequately, the majority will never use it to its full potential. Generally it’s seen as a tool for tracking static data; a moment in time, an individual project, or small pieces of information from a single cycle. How many years has a patron attended that event? How many donors are attending our events as well, and vice versa, are program participants returning as supporters? Young Associates has developed a proven system for helping organizations determine their data goals, and develop systems that work within the means of the organization to collect and analyze the data that gives the true picture. Where the mindset needs to change is not thinking of those Excel spreadsheets as a moment in time, but as a piece of a larger picture. Just as the financial information of the organization tells a story, the statistical data of an organization also has a story to tell.

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Choosing Fundraising Software: 7 Things to Consider and a Whack of Great Resources

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Sumac Research. February, 2012. 
Co-author: Ye Adam Tian

“After people, data is your most important asset.” This is the first of 10 Nonprofit Technology Commandments outlined by John Kenyon, noted non-profit technology educator and strategist. And it’s true, isn’t it? Data is the key to a non-profits’ success, so you’ve got to take good care of it! But where do you house it? How do you choose the right software? Well this is a good place to start! Here are seven things to consider, along with some fundraising software reviews and resources to help you find the right match for your organization.

7 Things to Consider

Features. Before you even start looking for software, decide what you need the software to do and make a list. What data do you want it to hold? What features do you absolutely need? One of the mistakes in Robert Weiner’s 10 Common Mistakes in Selecting Donor Databases is buying more than you need. Robert Weiner is a popular non-profit technology consultant who has written for every major non-profit technology publication. Some of the other mistakes listed: randomly looking at demos, falling in love with cool features, and prioritizing price above everything else.

Customization. Another thing you may want to consider is how easy the software is to customize. Let’s face it, no two non-profits are alike. You have different programs and different terminology, and you don’t want to build your own database from scratch if you can avoid it, as Robert Weiner explains in Why Building Your Own Database Should Be Your Last Resort. So look for software with easy customization that allows you to tailor the database to your needs.

Usability. Also important to consider is usability. Because this fundraising software is going to be an integral part of your non-profit, you want it to be intuitive and easy to use. To determine just how user-friendly it is, have a look at some demo videos, get a personal demo and ask current users what they think of it.

Cost. Does the software fit into your budget, both now and in the future? In order to determine this, you have to take into account all of the costs associated with owning the software (the “total cost of ownership” or TCO). Direct costs include the software license itself, data conversion, installation, training, and support. Indirect costs include IT staff required to maintain the system, consultants needed, and upgrades to computers needed to run the software.

Security. Since you’re dealing with donor information, security must be a consideration. There are many question that you’ll want to ask. For example: Where is the data stored? Who has direct access and authority? How is the data shared between different people and departments? How is that process managed? Is there any risk of exposure of your data to the online community?

Ability to Get Data In & Out. This one is often overlooked, but it’s so important. You’ll often want to get data into your database – a list of names and addresses for instance. You’ll also want to get data out – for email marketing, accounting or event purposes. So, being able to easily import and export data is very important!

Technical Support. Finally, does the fundraising software come with quality customer support? Really what you want to know is whether you’ll be able to contact someone by phone or email when you really need help, and how quickly they will be able to assist you. You may also be interested in seeing what other kinds of support they offer: frequently asked questions on their website, documentation, training videos, etc.

Reviews

Don’t know where to start looking for fundraising software? Start here:

Low-Cost Fundraising Software Comparison:

Check out NTEN and Idealware’s Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems for an overview of 29 systems — what they do, recommendations for systems based on particular needs, and comparison charts.

Fundraising Software Listing & Reviews:

  1. GetApp
  2. Capterra
  3. SoftScout

Donations

On a tight budget? TechSoup offers donations of fundraising software to registered non-profit organizations all around the world. Here’s a link to available donations in Canada and the United States.

This tip sheet was created by Sumac Research. Sumac is a complete nonprofit software solution that is free for small organizations and includes data conversion and installation for larger organizations. For more information, visit the Sumac website. 

Disclaimer

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CADAC is looking out for you

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Staff Post 
by Jerry Smith

A new riff on an old thought:  Big Brother is, how shall I put it, . . . looking out for you, especially when it is in the shape of CADAC, a web based application dedicated to the collection, dissemination and analysis of financial and statistical information about Canadian arts organizations, and in essence a centre of expertise to help monitor the health of the arts sector across Canada.

Young Associates recently hosted representatives from CADAC in order to stay ahead of the curve and assist clients in taking the stress and confusion out of filing their financial and statistical data with CADAC.

Launched in December 2008, CADAC’s objectives include attempt to lighten the burden for arts organizations, improve the accountability and transparency of Canadian arts organizations, as well as developing a significantly enhanced database for research, planning and policy development. Young Associates’ work with clients during the initial ‘CADAC years’ has made us aware of the challenges around changing an organization’s financial data practices to meet CADAC requirements. But as we have all gotten more accustomed to the new CADAC environment, it has become apparent that storing financial data with CADAC has some great information benefits, including comparative analysis with other organizations in the sector.  Our session with CADAC revealed that pulling meaningful comparative reports from the system is becoming much easier.

As part of our ongoing leadership in developing resources to assist clients, Young Associates was particularly pleased to explore the key elements of CADAC’s reconciliation process and how it could apply to clients.  While no-one wants to be categorized as non-compliant and have their CADAC account red flagged to a funder, it most often simply means there is some data missing, and the staff at CADAC would like to assist you in getting back up to speed.

When in doubt, ask; here it is better to ask for permission than forgiveness!