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AUTOMATING KEY DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONSDaniel Lantz

Deborah Mueller

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Our goals: provide information to help define your key

development functions provide insight and inspiration on how to build an

automated process

SESSION OVERVIEW

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About us Define our key development functions – the

collection of the contact reports and proposals Describe how we automated a process for

collecting this data

AGENDA

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Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota-Daniel Lantz, Application Development

Manager, Information Services-Deborah Mueller, Director of Prospect

Development

INTRODUCTIONS

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OUR MISSION

The Minnesota Medical Foundation (MMF) helps people live healthier lives by advancing the health-related research, education, and care at the University of Minnesota.

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OUR OBJECTIVES

Research Education Care

Discover and deliver new treatments and

cures

Prepare the physicians and health leaders of the future

Transform health care delivery and quality; promote

health

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HISTORY OF MMF

Founded in 1939 Separate 501(c)(3) First staff hired in 1959 Raised 1/3 of the University total during Campaign

Minnesota Brought in 3 of the largest gifts in University history:

$65M for cancer research $50M for U of M Amplatz Children’s Hospital $40M for Schulze Diabetes Institute

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DEFINING KEY DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS

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• A contact report is a meaningful and constructive communication between an MMF staff member and a potential donor

• The contact report involves various data elements collected within Raiser’s Edge

WHAT IS A CONTACT REPORT?

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Track significant information to advance a prospect towards solicitation

To record the history of the relationshipTo communicate with other MMF staffEstablish metrics to measure performance Maintain official records of the prospect

relationship

WHY COLLECT A CONTACT REPORT?

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Date and type of contact and by whom Brief summary of contact Complete narrative of visit Prospect strategy Next steps Prospect manager, prospect classification and rating Philanthropic interests Basic demographic changes Need to add/update prospect team

CONTACT REPORT DETAILS

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NOTES

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ACTIONS

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PROSPECT INFORMATION

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A verbal or written document that defines a problem or need, proposes a solution to a problem and requests funding to implement the solution.

WHAT IS A PROPOSAL?

Mikelonis, Victoria M., Betsinger Signe T. Nielsen, and Constance Kampf. Grant Seeking in an Electronic Age. New York: Pearson/Longman,

2004. Print.

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Purpose/area of support Proposal solicitor Anticipated ask date Proposal status Gift type and vehicle Dollar range – rating Anticipated ask amount Amount and date asked Amount and date anticipated Amount and date funded

PROPOSAL DETAILS

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AUTOMATING KEY DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS

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MGOs enter data directly into Raiser’s Edge Created e-mail template Service Center approach New application via API process

HISTORY OF COLLECTING CONTACT REPORTS/ PROPOSALS

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Transition processes from current systems Increase efficiency and simplicity for all staff Empower major gift officers Build secure process Eliminate use of e-mails Provide mobility and flexibility Control completeness and accuracy

OVERALL PROJECT GOALS

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Web-delivered system Remote access Gather same info as currently collecting Display existing data in RE Allow modification of certain data elements System must be flexible

- Save partially completed contact reports- Review before accepting into RE

Data uploaded to RE via API process Easy to access and use Secure

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

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WHAT TO PUT IN AND WHAT TO LEAVE OUT

Build mobile, secure application to add/modify/view specific RE data elements

Don’t make the application a web-based RE

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Time savings contact report processing reduced time allocated to

data entry from 67% to 10% Simplified interface increased speed of data entry development assistants had time for other projects -

data is entered directly by MGO’s Metrics and other reports more accurate and up-to-

date

OUTCOMES OF NEW APPLICATIONS

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OUTCOMES OF NEW APPLICATIONS Increased security

contact reports can wait in queue and be shared with other MGO’s

contact reports are no longer emailed More accurate data

required fields are limited data must accepted before entry into RE RE business rules are maintained by using API data entered by MGO’s, not development assistants

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Web development skills- Coldfusion - ASP.NET- PHP- PerlVisual Basic coding- Visual Basic 6.0- VB.NETKnowledge of API- Classes offered at Blackbaud- Raiser’s Edge help contains documentationBlackbaud.com knowledgebase- Excellent code examples for working with API

RESOURCES

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User Interface –

ColdFusion Website

API – Visual Basic application

Raiser’s Edge

Collect the data- Data is collected and stored in the Contact

Reporting Application database- Data can be reviewed and shared until the

data is accepted for entry into RE

Validate the data- Data is reviewed and can either be accepted

or denied

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

Insert the dataData is inserted into the Raiser’s Edge via a VB.NET application using the RE API

Review the dataData can be viewed using

established RE queries or via dashboard

Contact Reporting Application database

Contact Report/Proposal Approved

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WEB INTERFACE ColdFusion 9.1 – dynamic web development jQuery – user interface tricks HTML – core building blocks for web page CSS – styling the page

RAISER’S EDGE Visual Basic .NET Raiser’s Edge API

TOOLS USED

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RAISER’S EDGE API

Provides an automated method of entering data into Raiser’s Edge

Business rules set in Raiser’s Edge are enforced via the API

API is accessible via code written in VB.NET or Visual Basic 6.0

Blackbaud offers a three-day API class

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CONTACT REPORT APPLICATIONSEARCHING FOR EXISTING CONSTITUENTS

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CREATING A CONTACT REPORT

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VALIDATING CONTACT REPORT/PROPOSAL

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COLLECTING PROPOSAL DATA

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PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME New systems during busy fundraising times Get MGO buy-in Need to be flexible while rolling out / application phases Feedback and responses from MGOs Trustworthy and accurate systems Maintaining the application after ‘completion’

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QUESTIONS

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THANK YOU

Contact Information

Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota

• Daniel Lantz – d.lantz@mmf.umn.edu

• Deborah Mueller – d.mueller@mmf.umn.edu