Techsoup:
Why Move Data?
In a recent survey conducted by donor-management software company FundRaiser, 50% of respondents had moved data from one donor-management software program to another. Of that 50 percent, most had moved data more than once.
There are many reasons nonprofits move donor data, but most often it’s because they have outgrown their current system or because they are no longer able to update or get support for that system. Nonprofits may also want to share donor data with another organization or branch of the organization that uses different database software, or move data into another program to allow them to work with it in a different way. They might also want to move data into another donor database program they are more familiar with and have used in the past.
Yet while data migration may be common, navigating the process can be complicated and overwhelming, especially for first-timers. Below, we’ll show you what data conversion entails, how to prepare for a data move, and weigh the pros and cons of various data-migration techniques.
The Real Story on Data Conversion
Data conversion and data migration are the technical terms for moving data from one program to another.
To understand why data conversion can be complex, imagine that your data-management software is a house with a unique floor plan, square footage, materials, and infrastructure.
Now imagine that you are moving all of your belongings to a new house. While homes share some general similarities, few are identical: they have different layouts, storage capacities, utilities, and amenities that must be taken into account when moving to and setting up residence in the new space.
When you move from one donor database to another, you need to organize your data in a way that will help you use and store it in your new ‘house.’ Likewise, when searching for a new database, you want to make sure it has all the features you need to be a good fit for your old data, now and a few years down the road.
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