A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems: Research and Recommendations

Transcription

1 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems: Research and Recommendations January 2013 Authors Elizabeth Pope Laura Quinn Chris Bernard

2 Table of Contents Considering Synagogue Management Systems...3 Introduction...4 How We Researched This Report... 5 What Should a Synagogue Management System Do?... 6 Overview of the Marketplace...12 How To Decide...21 A Word on Pricing...25 How Do These Systems Compare?...26 How to Improve the Sector:. Paths Forward Index of Systems...31 Avectra s netforum...32 Chaverware...34 CiviCRM...43 Cloud for Synagogues...51 DonorPerfect...53 Fellowship One...55 GiftWorks...57 imis (Congregation Suite)...59 Members Microsoft Dynamics...63 MM NOAH PatronManager The Raiser s Edge(i)...78 Salesforce Nonprofit Starter Pack...87 Shelby...95 ShulCloud ShulSuite StarChapter SugarCRM Talisma Tessitura Appendices Appendix A: Methodology Appendix B: How We Rated the Systems Appendix C: Full Requirements Document Appendix D: Other Systems of Interest in the Synagogue Management Sphere About Idealware PAGE 2 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

3 Considering Synagogue Management Systems

4 Introduction Idealware s mission was to investigate the various constituent management systems available to meet the specific needs of synagogues. Even as synagogues look to better understand the many ways technology can help them interact with and manage their congregations, the marketplace is changing. New software options are available all the time. In hopes of more clearly defining synagogues specific needs and the ability of the current marketplace to meet them, UJA-Federation of New York convened an advisory consortium to address a common concern about what synagogues currently need to support operations and how synagogues can use database systems to support engagement and strategic decision-making. That consortium included the national staff and representatives of the North American Association of Synagogue Executives, National Association for Temple Administration, Orthodox Union, Union for Reform Judaism, and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. UJA-Federation of New York retained Idealware to conduct a large-scale research project into constituent management systems both those traditionally marketed to synagogues and from other sectors comparing their features and seeing how they might help synagogues meet their current needs and prepare them for the future. Idealware was selected as an independent third party, and this report reflects our research, recommendations, and findings and does not reflect the opinions of the consortium. This report serves as an overview of the market for synagogues looking to implement a new data management system or those that want to learn more about how their current system compares to others on the market. On page 26 you ll find a helpful chart that compares different options, and lists of systems helpful in different scenarios for systems, to help you make a decision on page 21. On page 32 you ll find summary writeups of 22 systems, including longer, feature-byfeature reviews of select systems. The appendix is chock-full of information, too, including a comprehensive look at the methodology of the project, the full requirements document Idealware wrote after analyzing interviews with synagogue staffers and experts in the area, and other systems and tools useful in the synagogue management sphere that came up in the course of our research that aren t specifically constituent management systems. Idealware s mission was to investigate the various constituent management systems available to meet the specific needs of synagogues. Keep reading to see what we found out. PAGE 4 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

5 How We Researched This Report To kick off the project, Idealware conducted conversations with synagogue staff members, consultants in the technology space, and representatives from other affiliated organizations. We wanted to understand not only what synagogues needed from a database in terms of the day-to-day business of their congregations, but also to identify and define what they felt the future of data management should look like. We then wrote and prioritized a comprehensive set of system requirements based on these interviews and focus groups. [See the entire requirements document in Appendix C.] This requirements document provided the foundation for two sets of vendor product demonstrations. Using fact-based criteria for rating, we participated in hour-long demos of 22 systems carefully chosen from an initial list of 60 systems designed for synagogue management, donor management, and membership and association management, Constituent Relationship Management (CRM), or church management. Idealware then wrote up narrative summaries of the systems describing their fit with the requirements of synagogues, pros and cons, and pricing. You can read those summaries beginning on page 32. We further narrowed that list to 12 systems based on how closely they met existing needs, their current market share among synagogues, their cost, and the vendors willingness to partner on a solution tailored to the synagogue marketplace. Three bowed out at various points during our process, so you ll see nine compared in this report. We participated in additional two-to-three-hour demos of the systems in which we addressed every area of the requirements document and compared each system on a function-by-function basis. We analyzed the results, determined where each system We wanted to understand not only what synagogues needed from a database in terms of the day-to-day business of their congregations, but also to identify and define what they felt the future of data management should look like. needed enhancement to fit the needs of this audience, and requested that the vendors or a consultant prove pricing specifications for these enhancements. You can see the apples-to-apples comparisons of nine systems on page 26. For a complete discussion of our methodology, please see Appendix A. PAGE 5 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

6 What Should a Synagogue Management System Do? A data management system for your synagogue can be an investment, but it will save you countless headaches as it consolidates and streamlines information. You may be questioning if you need a database to help manage your synagogue s database in the first place, especially if your congregation is small, your budget is tight, and you don t have a surplus of full-time tech-savvy staffers to help you maintain the system. Perhaps you re wondering, Hey, what s wrong with Microsoft Excel? Absolutely nothing Excel is a great tool, but it s a spreadsheet program, not a database. Databases help you to link different pieces of information together so you can see, for example, who in your congregation is related to each other, if a family has come to the high holidays each of the past five years, whether an individual has given multiple times through his business as well as his personal accounts, and more. A data management system for your synagogue can be an investment, but it will save you countless headaches as it consolidates and streamlines information about the people who have interacted with your synagogue whether or not they are members. So now that we ve convinced you that synagogues need a system to help manage data, what can you expect such a system to do? We ve broken out some of the traditional features you would find in a conventional synagogue management system, but we ve also described some of the more aspirational trends emerging in the larger world of nonprofit databases that synagogues might find useful in taking a strategic view of their congregations. You ll find that these categories line up with the categories we ve used in our rubric to evaluate the nine systems selected for detailed comparison in this report. Family Unit and Household Management The family unit (or household, as it is generally known in the nonprofit world) is the building block of your congregation. You ll want to make sure that the database you choose helps you immediately figure out how many households you have, who is in them, and what relationship they have to the synagogue. Can you see all the information about a household billing, and direct mail correspondence, event attendance, donations, and more in one helpful place on the constituent record, or do you have to hunt around to get the information you need to know about a particular family? Make sure you can keep track of nonmember families as well, whether they once paid dues and have now lapsed, are the grown children of member families, or simply came to an event once. The concept of congregational membership is evolving as synagogues try to connect with individuals who are not members but who interact with the synagogue through events or programs, and your database can help you keep track of these constituents, too. PAGE 6 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

7 You ll also want to make sure that the system lets you see information about the children of the household in a useful way, and track as much information as you want about them while still clearly delineating that they are minors and thus might have different kinds of information to track. For example, how does the system handle children of divorce with parents who share custody? Does it have an elegant solution, or must you manually make sure that both relationships are clear and easy to see? When the non-custodial parent wants to pick a child up from Hebrew school, for instance, this won t seem trivial. Basic Constituent and Relationship Tracking Look for a system that lets you record useful information about the individuals that make up the family units in the database, too, such as occupation, the tradition or movement in which they were raised, whether or not they keep kosher, their birthdays, and other relevant facts. Systems should also help you track the interactions these individuals have had with the synagogue including letters, s, calls, meetings, and other communications in a single place. Such information can be useful for fundraising, member renewals, and volunteer solicitation. Member Management and Dues Renewal With the right database, you can save a lot of staff time by automating much of the workflow around the annual dues renewal process. Systems can help you manage which families have renewed and which have not, track discounts given on the member dues rates, and batch invoice renewals for all members at once. Some systems let members pay their dues online and can manage flexible payment terms, such as quarterly or monthly payments. If your synagogue associates membership fees with High Holiday seating, look for a system that can help you manage this process through comprehensive event and member benefit management features. Systems should also help you track the interactions individuals have had with the synagogue including letters, s, calls, meetings, and other communications in a single place. Event, Honor, and High Holy Day Management The high holidays are traditionally the most hectic time for synagogue staffers, who must manage a major spike in attendance in addition to religious duties, so it s critical that the database selected has sophisticated support for special events. Expect a system to help you bill for holiday seating including for specific seats if that s important to your congregation and view historical information about who has come in previous years. This functionality will help you run events throughout the year. Systems vary widely on whether they can help you manage waitlists, overflow, and ticketing, so pay close attention to their capabilities in this area. The system can also keep track of which congregants have been invited to receive aliyahs and organize listings for the program book, if appropriate. PAGE 7 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

8 Online event management even from a mobile device is becoming increasingly important to congregants, who want to be able to RSVP online for an event and pay for it with a credit card, too. Some of this overlaps with what congregants are looking for from school registration for Hebrew and religious schools, so it might be worth investing in a tool that helps you achieve this. Look for a vendor that s willing to work with you to build a Yahrzeit module, as well as one that has substantial support for fundraising as part of its out-ofthe-box infrastructure. Yahrzeits Many synagogue staffers reading this report may wonder why we suggest looking at non-traditional synagogue management software when vendors who have been in the synagogue space for decades have already built in support for Yahrzeits and the Hebrew calendar. Marking the anniversary of a loved one s death in the synagogue is not only a sacred religious experience for most constituents, but also an important donation opportunity. Staffers need to be able to track the dates of a person s passing on both the Hebrew and Gregorian calendar (and was that before or after sunset?), know who should be notified, track tribute gifts, and gather other important information about the Yahrzeit, such as how to pronounce the name of the deceased. It may surprise you that integrating Yahrzeit tracking into nontraditional synagogue software solutions didn t seem to be a substantial obstacle for the vast majority of vendors whose products we demoed. Most felt that integration with the Hebrew calendar could be accommodated with an algorithm, and almost all the rest of a Yahrzeit module could be built with custom fields. When choosing a system, look for a vendor that s willing to work with you to build a Yahrzeit module, as well as one that has substantial support for fundraising as part of its out-of-the-box infrastructure. Keep in mind that working with a vendor on this kind of customization is a major enterprise, though, and be prepared to commit the requisite time and funds to the process. Donation Tracking Member dues and event fees are only part of a synagogue s financial health; a database can also help you fundraise for gifts and pledges. Yahrzeits are a key piece of this. Look for a system that s strong in helping with donations and that can accommodate tribute gifts with both the honoree and the donor credited, grant solicitation and management, and solicitation of organizations and not just individuals. Again, online giving is becoming increasingly important to the synagogue sector. Observances and Gift Exchanges When Purim basket season is in full swing, you may want a database that helps manage this by keeping track of which families have donated and who they ve honored. Sophisticated tribute-gift-tracking is also important. Those who run Leagram fundraisers will also need a system that can give an organized list of anniversaries or birthdays in a given month, although this is a pretty basic report for most databases. Overall Online Constituent Interactions As mentioned throughout, congregants increasingly expect to be able to conduct much of their business with their synagogue online. This includes paying PAGE 8 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

9 Congregants expect to be able to conduct much of their business with their synagogue online. dues, registering for events and other activities, and updating their member profiles with demographic and contact details. You want a system that can pass this information in a meaningful way to your database and the constituents profiles, and financial information should eventually be able to go your general ledger software with account codes attached. Mobile-optimized sites are becoming more important, too, and a system might work well with your existing Content Management System (CMS) to help manage your website, or it might not. Check before you commit to a new system. Facility Management and Staff Scheduling Facility management came up repeatedly in our interviews and focus groups, but we remain unconvinced that this has substantial overlap with constituent tracking. Some systems have workarounds, and a couple of the very expensive ones can help you with facility rental, billing, and calendaring, but those who have sophisticated needs in this area might want to look into implementing a separate system, such as EMS Light. Hebrew and Religious School Management The two separate pieces here are registration and the day-to-day management of the school s students. For registration, a system should assist you in billing households for their children s enrollment, and possibly allowing them to register their kids online. For the daily management, you ll need a system that will let you keep track of such important data as emergency contact information and allergies for each enrolled child. You also might want a database that can assign children to specific classrooms and teachers, manage grading and promotion at the end of the year, and make attendance tracking a snap with quick entry forms. Synagogues associated with full-blown day schools will want to invest in a dedicated education management system. Cemetery Management Not all synagogues have cemeteries affiliated with them, so if yours doesn t, feel free to skip ahead. Those who are still reading know how important good plot management can be in the wake of a congregant s passing you want to make sure you have all the information about reservations and billing at your fingertips. Some systems help you see which of your plots are sold, occupied, and reserved with a digital map that graphically indicates each of these statuses. Others handle this through fields that capture this information. Some systems also let you link Yahrzeits to cemetery plots to help ease the observance process. As long as a system is readily accessible and dependable, it doesn t really matter if it s hosted on- or offsite. Access and Security You ve probably heard a lot about cloud-based or Software-as-a-Service systems, where the vendor hosts the system remotely (not at your synagogue) and you access your database over the internet. Some people worry about the security of congregants data being in the cloud, but Idealware has found that cloud-based systems are just as secure as installed PAGE 9 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

10 systems that live on your server (sometimes more so, since someone s job is to make sure that those systems are safe). As long as a system is readily accessible and dependable, it doesn t really matter if it s hosted on- or off-site. The software solutions in this report run the gamut from installed systems that you ll need to host on a dedicated server to subscription-based SaaS systems that you can enroll in on a monthly basis. Synagogue staffers are increasingly interested in having a system user-friendly enough to customize to their own particular needs, even if they aren t very tech-savvy. Which one you decide to go with depends largely on the particular needs of your synagogue, but don t let whether it s on your server or in the cloud be a makeor-break issue. Make sure that you can customize the permissions within the system to suit your synagogue s needs, such as hiding billing information from certain users based on User ID. and Direct Mail You want to avoid using a personal address for outgoing mail to send out broadcast s to your congregants those messages can end up in recipients spam filters all too easily. Many database systems help you manage your constituent correspondence with a broadcast tool, either one built into the system or through seamless integration with a third-party tool like Constant Contact. (Check to see if you ll have to pay for external software, or if it s included in the quoted price of the package.) Ideally, the software will let you easily create and manage lists of constituents, track such statistics as how many people opened one of your s, and let you send out invoices or event registration s through the system on sophisticated graphic templates unique to your synagogue. Let s not forget about snail mail your synagogue management software can help you automatically generate mailing labels, manage subscriptions for print newsletters, and verify addresses with a link to the USPS. It should absolutely help you mail printed thank-you letters for donations, Yahrzeit notifications, and tax letters at the end of the year. Again, look for a system that gives you lots of options in terms of merging the information in your database onto attractive templates, and that makes it easy for you to create letters with simple queries. Accounting Integration Some of the systems in this report are designed to be your general ledger software as well as your synagogue management software. Others offer additional tools from the same vendor that integrate into the program. Still others aren t designed to keep financial information in the system, but let you easily export data with the proper accounting codes to popular software like Great Plains, QuickBooks, or Sage 50 (formerly Sage Peachtree). If you want to stay with your third-party general ledger tool or are unhappy with what you re currently using, this is something to keep in mind. Customization Synagogue staffers are increasingly interested in having a system user-friendly enough to customize to their own particular needs, even if they aren t very tech-savvy. When looking at a system, make sure that staffers can hide pieces of functionality that aren t applicable to minimize screen clutter, customize dropdown menus, and add an unlimited number of custom fields all requirements without which our participants felt a synagogue could not effectively function. Other options to consider here include renaming or deleting existing fields and, for the very technically advanced, accessing the API or source code of a system to update it or add features. PAGE 10 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

11 Reporting and Querying A database should absolutely have standard reports that help you answer important questions about your synagogue, such as Who are the parents with kids in preschool? or Who gave last year but not this year? Queries should be easy to build, flexible, and not limited to certain fields. You ll also want to see if a system can help you report for data issues, such as duplicates or inconsistent practices, and if staff can create reports on the fly defining what formats and information are used. Customizable dashboards are becoming a more-attractive option for many synagogue staffers who want to quickly see up-to-date financial or program data pertinent to them. Synagogues should also think about reports that will help them share data with other congregations around the country to help improve processes and learn more about the landscape of synagogues today. Usability, Support, and Documentation No matter what kind of database you choose for your synagogue, you ll want to make sure it s reliable and easy to use, and that there s a vendor, consultant, or active user community (in the case of open source systems) available to help you out when you run into trouble. Make sure you understand the support package you sign up for will the vendor charge you every time you call with a problem, or can you enlist Synagogues should also think about reports that will help them share data with other congregations around the country to help improve processes and learn more about the landscape of synagogues today. their help as much as you want for a flat fee? We ve indicated how the systems handle customer support in their individual writeups as well as how easy-to-use and stable the system was during our demos. However, it s important to note that we didn t interview current clients of each system about their experiences with the vendor. PAGE 11 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

12 Overview of the Marketplace There s one obvious benefit of choosing a system designed for synagogues: Its vendors have built it with the intention that, right out of the box, it will have what synagogues require. So what kinds of systems will handle these synagogue needs? Certainly there are specific synagogue management systems, but we wanted to take a broader look to see if other systems such as those designed for membership management, donor management, or church management might fill the core needs as well or better, possibly with a little bit of customization. What options are there? For each software area, we researched the marketplace and identified systems that would be particularly relevant for synagogues. The list of systems that appears under each heading therefore reflect systems that have been reviewed for this report, not an exhaustive list of all choices on the market. Synagogue Management Systems Some vendors offer systems targeted directly at synagogue data management primarily to help with the management of membership and dues, events, and fundraising. There are more-established vendors in this space that have been around for decades and usually offer systems built upon installed systems with optional web-based components as well as newer vendors that have harnessed the power of CRM (Constituent Relationship Management) platforms and built specific products on top of them. It s worth exploring both those systems traditionally marketed to this market and those that are not in order to make an informed choice about what a database can do for your congregation. There s one obvious benefit of choosing a system designed for synagogues: Its vendors have built it with the intention that, right out of the box, it will have what synagogues require. You won t need to worry about calibrating the Hebrew calendar within the system or explaining what a Yahrzeit is to a consultant. However, not all synagogue management vendors have successfully incorporated important innovations into their products, and some are hard to learn. There are some great synagogue management products available should you choose to go down that path, but we ve found that the vast majority of requirements identified by synagogues in terms of fundraising, member management, PAGE 12 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

13 relationship tracking, event management, accounting, and other primary areas of concern can be very well accommodated by software systems not currently marketed to synagogues, and that functionality specific to the Jewish community can be incorporated relatively easily without a complete restructuring of the software s underpinnings. It s worth exploring both those systems traditionally marketed to this market and those that are not in order to make an informed choice about what a database can do for your congregation. We identified five candidate systems that had a large market share or were offering particularly innovative solutions. (See Appendix A: Methodology for more information on how we selected the systems for inclusion in this report.) Chaverware Chaverware, a product from Circuits & Systems, is a popular Windows-based synagogue management system. It s designed well to handle the day-to-day needs of a synagogue, with strong functionality to manage individuals and family units, billing and invoicing needs, and Yahrzeits. However, synagogues are given only a few custom fields to work with, and much of the interface can t be customized. It supports and merging letters into Microsoft Word. The process to create a new query to find constituents with whom you d like to communicate is a bit time-consuming and complicated, but is quite powerful in terms of granularity. Through an extension called ChaverWeb, the system also provides reasonable support for online event registration, online payments, and the ability to update their own profile information. Standard pricing starts at $3,100 and includes one year of support and three user licenses. The optional ChaverWeb costs an additional $1 per household per year. For more on Chaverware, see page 34. Cloud for Synagogues Cloud for Synagogues is a new and powerful webbased product built on the Salesforce CRM platform by Cloud for Good, a consulting firm that specializes in implementing Google Apps and Salesforce CRM with nonprofit clients so new, in fact, that the product wasn t done when Idealware conducted its demo. As of January 2013, the product is now complete and live with a few synagogues. Cloud for Synagogues is very capable at handling family units, member tracking, and Yahrzeits, and helpful in running events. Since we demoed the product, Cloud for Good has also added an accounting module and a donation acknowledgement feature as part of the basic package. It recently completed an outward-facing web portal to allow synagogue members to edit their own demographic data and settle their accounts, although Idealware was not able to demo this new feature as of press time. Cloud for Synagogues starts at $2,400 a year for the most basic package of up to 10 synagogue staff users, with additional costs for staffers beyond that. Data migration is also available from about $3,000 and up, and onsite training is an option for $125 an hour. For more on Cloud for Synagogues, see page 51. MM2000 MM2000 is a comprehensive synagogue management system with a useful integrated web module called MMOnTheWeb. It s strong in accommodating family units, membership- and donation-tracking, customer support, and specialized modules designed specifically to meet the needs of the Jewish community, but isn t as strong in terms of ease of use, broadcast , or user experience. The software starts at $2,750 for a single user for MM2000, with considerably higher charges for additional users and to add on modules that manage such important functions as schools and broadcast . MMOnTheWeb is an additional $1,000 plus monthly hosting charges. For more on MM2000, see page 65. ShulSuite ShulSuite, a synagogue management software solution from Pogstone, is a powerful and customizable web-based system that uses the open source CiviCRM platform to operate, with additional (and strong) capabilities in accounting, event management, Yahrzeits, and member management added to the basic CiviCRM package. The software is robust in most areas we looked at, but isn t immediately intuitive for new users; the learning curve may be steep. Implementation costs are optional and can range up to $5,000. Monthly subscription costs between $125 PAGE 13 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

14 and $325, or an upfront annual subscription costs between $1,200 and $3,000 per year. For more on ShulSuite, see page 105. Membership and association management systems would be quite useful in helping a synagogue manage its annual dues renewal process. ShulCloud ShulCloud is a more-affordable-but-less-robust newcomer to the synagogue management software market. The software is entirely web-based and has excellent member management and billing capabilities, as well as a content management system to help manage your entire website. It also provides support for donations, event management, and broadcast and direct mail. Developed by a synagogue for its own use, the system is friendly, easy-to-use, and doesn t require any special hardware or a server to implement. The premium tier, which most synagogues choose to implement, costs $2,400 a year. For more on ShulCloud, see page 104. Membership Management Systems Membership management systems (as well as the similar association management systems) are databases specifically tailored for managing members of an association, professional network, or other dues-paying group. In addition to tracking members and dues, these databases will often also help manage newsletter subscriptions, special gifts, and invitations to events and workshops, among other things. Some available solutions will also allow you to manage multiple membership tiers, and the related dues and benefits. Membership and association management systems would be quite useful in helping a synagogue manage its annual dues renewal process, as that infrastructure is very robust in the systems we examined. Event management also tends to be strong, as the types of events membership organizations run tend to translate relatively well to the synagogue world. However, the more general fundraising needs of synagogues might be problematic with these systems out of the box. Most don t accommodate tribute gifts or sophisticated moves management processes that help advance supporters to major donors. Interestingly, the member and association management tools we demoed that focused on performance and box office management fit the requirements of the synagogue sector quite well. We identified seven member and association management systems that had not only strong member and event functionality but also offered compelling solutions for fundraising needs. (See Appendix A: Methodology for more information on how we selected the systems for inclusion in this report.) Avectra s netforum Avectra s netforum is a sophisticated member management tool marketed as an all-in-one solution for associations. It s strong in member management, of course, and also has great event, billing and invoicing, and reporting capabilities. It s not as strong in donation management, though, and not all parts of the system can be easily customized to the needs of synagogues. netforum is a web-based tool with an intuitive graphic interface, and its constituent portal integrates with your current synagogue website to preserve a unified appearance. The system costs $3,000 per year per staff member, which includes up to 150,000 constituent records. Support is included in the subscription cost, but implementation costs an additional $10,000. For more on netforum, see page 32. Tessitura The Tessitura Network offers donor, member, and event management software and services, and is interested in partnering with synagogues to configure the software to the specific needs of the sector. PAGE 14 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

15 Tessitura has thus far worked mostly with arts and cultural organizations with sophisticated ticketing and box office management needs. The software is very strong in membership management, donation tracking, and event management, and although it s a complex system, it doesn t seem as difficult to learn as some others in its price range. The Tessitura license varies based on the size of the organization and whether the organization chooses a perpetual licensing structure or a Software as a Service approach but the vendors reported a license fee range between $4,000 and $15,000 for organizations of comparable size to most synagogues. For more on Tessitura, see page 126. Members360 Members360 is a web-based association management software program from Affiniscape. Strong at handling family units and memberships, special events, and member communications through broadcast and direct mail, it is less robust in donation management. Though the software is not currently targeted at the Jewish community, and thus lacks some of the built-in features important to synagogues, we were impressed with Members360 s customizability, power, and user-friendliness. The software is available at three tiers, but the lowest-end wouldn t allow synagogues to manage family units. M360 Core, the mid-level option, is $5,500 per year for unlimited user licenses and substantial customer support. The top tier, M360 Connected, costs $8, 500 per year and also includes a Professional Development module. Both of these choices also require one-time website and database implementation costs that start between $4,500 and $5,500. Shortly before this report went to press, Affiniscape was acquired by another company, YourMembership. com, and we were unable to determine what this acquisition might mean to the synagogue management space. For more on Members360, see page 61. NOAH NOAH is an impressive web-based member management system from JL Systems that has strengths in member tracking, customizability, invoicing and billing, broadcast , and event management. It s a strong and flexible system which could accommodate many synagogues needs, but it might be prohibitively expensive. Pricing for the system is based on concurrent users and costs $5,940 per year for the minimum five-user package, with each additional user costing $1,188 per year. On top of this, NOAH has a required fixed-price implementation and data conversion cost of $29,900, and charges $600 per 1,000 contacts in the database per year if you choose to have the system hosted by JL Systems. For more on NOAH, see page 74. imis (Congregation Suite) In comparison to other tools reviewed in this report, imis is a very powerful but very expensive member and donation management solution. A third party company, (C) Systems, has developed a set of synagogue-specific add-ons for the software called the Congregation Suite. The Congregation Suite for imis is very strong in member management, constituent and relationship tracking, event management, donation management, and Yahrzeit tracking. It s a complicated system, however, and isn t designed to meet the needs of small or mid-sized synagogues that are less data-savvy. The pricing for imis combined with the Congregation Suite from (C) Systems can range in price from $50,000 to $150,000 for upfront license fees depending on the size of the congregation and the scope of the configuration and customization. For more on imis, see page 59. PatronManager PatronManager CRM is a web-based constituent management system from Patron Technology built upon the Salesforce CRM platform and targeted at arts and cultural organizations. It s got great abilities in donation tracking, event management, broadcast , and customizability, and has lots of potential for helping to keep track of various types of constituents for a synagogue, but out of the box it has very limited invoicing and billing abilities and can t yet support automatic recurring member dues although that feature is planned for an upcoming release. PatronManager has a mandatory setup, customization, and data-migration fee that starts at $2,500. Many of its organizations are billed on a per-ticket basis, but for synagogues, PatronTechnology would probably levy an annual subscription fee which the vendor says would start around $2,500 per year. For more on PatronManager, see page 76. PAGE 15 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

16 StarChapter StarChapter is an association management product with strength in member and event management but limited functionality in billing and invoicing, managing family units, and tracking donations. It s a cloudbased platform that s easy to navigate and customize, but may not have all the power a synagogue needs in terms of core accounting functionality. The software comes in three pricing offerings: $699 per year for limited customization, storage, training, and five included addresses; $899 per year for more robust features; and $1,499 for the top-of-the-line product, with additional fees for e-commerce support. For more on StarChapter, see page 114. Donor Management Systems A donor management system is a database specificallytailored to the needs of fundraising staff. As such, these tools feature strong reporting and querying functionality in order to better understand each donor s history with your organization and help identify your best donation prospects. Many products will also be able to create visual representations of these reports, such as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) gauge or thermometer or other charts and graphs. Donor databases will typically either include out-of-the-box online payment processing and donation functionality, or will integrate with third-party systems, to allow for one-time or recurring credit card transactions. Donor management systems aren t, however, all that great at tracking constituents who aren t also donors. Because these databases are intended to give you a top-to-bottom look at just the constituents who give you money, they often don t help you get a sense of the big picture of constituents. Individuals are usually stored in donor records, so even if you re recording a volunteer or someone who came to an event just once, they might still be considered a donor. Additionally, some of them aren t very substantial when it comes to helping a synagogue manage its annual dues renewal process. We identified four donor management systems that had strong donation functionality and also substantial workflows for member dues renewals and tracking interactions with all of a synagogue s constituents. These tools feature strong reporting and querying functionality in order to better understand each donor s history with your organization and help identify your best donation prospects. (See Appendix A: Methodology for more information on how we selected the systems for inclusion in this report.) The Raiser s Edge(i) for Synagogues The Raiser s Edge(i) by Blackbaud is a wellestablished, higher-end donor management tool that s created a specific solution for synagogues. The software can help you manage your synagogue s gifts, grants, and tributes with ease. It s very strong in donation tracking, billing and invoice management, events, Yahrzeits, and customer support, but isn t as strong in representing family units. The Raiser s Edge(i) is a very powerful system with great power comes great complexity, however, and you ll need to have a pretty high comfort level with technology to easily navigate The Raiser s Edge(i). Pricing is based on concurrent users and starts at $6,300 for a perpetual license for a single user for the most basic implementation, which doesn t include the events module. For more on The Raiser s Edge(i) for Synagogues, see page 78. Talisma Donor management tool Talisma is a compelling, higher-end choice for synagogues looking to devote resources to fundraising. Talisma is also strong in PAGE 16 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

17 Systems like Salesforce and CiviCRM are fairly blank slates out of the box, and you ll likely want (or need) a consultant to help you set them up for your organization. member management, event management, and customization, with broadcast functionality being slightly less powerful. You can obtain Talisma as either an installed, hosted, or cloud-based option. Prices vary. Mid-sized synagogues looking to implement the installed version would pay about $17,000 for four user licenses, plus training and migration costs. For the Software-as-a-Service product, expect to pay about $10,000 a year plus training and migration. The first 15,000 records are included in the cost, after which a fee of $10 per 1,000 additional records applies. If you choose to have the vendor host the software, that charge is estimated at close to $21,000 per year. For more on Talisma, see page 124. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is a reasonably priced donation management system that s fairly easy to use and to customize. The software is very strong in household management, event management, and donation tracking and strong enough in member management and broadcast to handle most synagogues requirements. DonorPerfect is available as both an installed system and Donor- PerfectOnline, the web-based version of the platform. Most organizations are choosing to implement DonorPerfectOnline, which ranges from about $708 per year for one user with 1,000 constituent records but without events, , or technical support to about $5,600 per year for all these features and up to 25,000 constituent records. Setup is an additional $100 to $1,000, and migration quotes are available by request. For more on DonorPerfect, see page 53. GiftWorks GiftWorks is a user-friendly, reasonably priced donor management tool. It s helpful in donor management, but doesn t have all the member and event management functionality most synagogues would need to function. GiftWorks comes in four editions, one of them cloud-based, and the installed versions range from $549 to $2,499 per one-time user license plus support and implementation costs. GiftWorks Anywhere, the cloud-based edition, is $75 per month per user license. For more on GiftWorks, see page 57. CRMs (Constituent Relationship Management systems) While some databases are designed to provide a deepdive into only one constituent group, a Constituent Relationship Management system (CRM) provides a high-level look over all of your constituents. These systems are typically very flexible but will often require a fair amount of customization in order to meet your needs. Systems like Salesforce and CiviCRM are fairly blank slates out of the box, and you ll likely want (or need) a consultant to help you set them up for your organization. With some modification, you ll be able to track constituents in a number of different groups not just donors, members, and volunteers, but also students, alumni, parents, and more. You may well have to build in features that go beyond basic constituent tracking, like dues renewal workflows, seating and ticketing, and Yahrzeits, to name a few. But it s pretty straightforward to find a consultant to help you do this, and often the investment upfront is evened out by a lower ongoing cost. CRMs share a strength and a weakness: their inherent customizability. Since most systems come out of the box without much built in, the transition process will require a lot of oversight from your staff as they work with a consultant to build a system that works for your synagogue. However, once you re done, you ll have a system that s tailored for your needs without needing to build a whole system from scratch. PAGE 17 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

18 Alternatively, you can choose to partner with a vendor who offers a managed package based upon one of the platforms geared to specific needs. For this report, we ve reviewed ShulSuite (based on CiviCRM) and Cloud for Synagogues (based on Salesforce) both included in the Synagogue Management section and PatronManager (based on Salesforce), which is included in the Membership Management section. There are only four commonly used systems that meet Idealware s definition of CRM platform; we reviewed all four. (See Appendix A: Methodology for more information on how we selected the systems for inclusion in this report.) CiviCRM CiviCRM is an open source, web-based Constituent Relationship Management system that can be downloaded for free, but you ll almost certainly need a consulting firm to configure the software to a synagogue s needs. (You can also buy an implementation of CiviCRM that s already been customized for synagogues, called ShulSuite, that s reviewed elsewhere in this guide.) It s strong in constituent tracking and household and individual management, event management, broadcast , and member management, but the out-of-the-box donation management and invoicing capabilities don t meet the requirements identified by synagogues. With customization, though, it s a user-friendly system that could help your synagogue function more smoothly. Customization of the software could cost anywhere between $2,000 and $50,000 based on the complexity of the organization s needs. For more on CiviCRM, see page 43. Microsoft Dynamics Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the software giant s answer to an integrated Constituent Relationship Management system, and is designed to be an all-inone database accommodating all of an organization s needs. The Nonprofit Template, developed by Microsoft and available at no charge, transforms the out-of-the-box sales-centric tool into a nonprofitcentric platform. It s pretty user-friendly and fairly strong in donation management, reporting, member management, correspondence, and . Event management and web portal capabilities are available but require additional configuration and more advanced technical knowledge to implement. Dynamics also lacks a Yahrzeit module, and it s not clear how easily the software could be customized to meet this need. For nonprofit organizations, the price for the hosted option is $ per year per user; the nonprofit pricing for the installed option is $212 for the server licensing and $30 per license. For more on Microsoft Dynamics, see page 63. Salesforce Nonprofit Starter Pack Salesforce is a CRM platform used widely in the for-profit world. The company offers up to 10 user licenses free-of-charge to qualifying organizations with its Nonprofit Starter Pack. Strong in household management, donation management, and member management, Salesforce is not as strong in event management, and doesn t include a portal where members can interact with your synagogue online. Salesforce is technically free, but to properly configure and support the system, you ll need the services of someone tech-savvy enough to navigate its substantial technical intricacies and possibilities. In addition, the apps you d need to assemble a system that meets the requirements for most synagogues could potentially cost you thousands of dollars per year. You can purchase Cloud for Synagogues, a version of Salesforce that s been customized for synagogues and reviewed elsewhere in this report. For more on Salesforce s Nonprofit Starter Pack, see page 87. SugarCRM SugarCRM is an open source, web-based Constituent (or Customer) Relationship Management system designed for for-profit businesses. Its power, userfriendliness, and customizability might make it worth considering for the synagogue sector, although out-of-the box it lacks many features important to synagogues, such as donation tracking, event support, and Yahrzeit tracking. A synagogue looking to implement SugarCRM would need to work closely with a consultant to tailor the software to the organization, but once the customization process was completed, SugarCRM might be able to meet many synagogues needs. Pricing for SugarCRM is based on a tiered system the most basic implementation is free. Most synagogues would want to start at the higher-level PAGE 18 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

19 Church management systems generally focus on helping staff keep track of the individuals and households who come to worship services and events. options, which range between $540 and $1,200 per year per staff user. Additionally, there are fees charged by a consulting company to work with you on getting the system up and running, which come in around the $10,000 mark. For more on SugarCRM, see page 116. Church Management Systems The church management software sector is sophisticated and thriving, and its vendors have begun to incorporate innovations from other systems marketed to handle general nonprofit data management. Unlike the most widely used synagogue management systems, which aren t explicitly marketed to certain movements of Judaism, vendors here often specialize in the mainline Protestant, Catholic, and evangelical denominations and the particular data needs of each. Some larger companies, like Shelby and ACS Technology, market different products to each of these sectors. The landscape is varied, with both installed and cloud-based options. Megachurches, defined as those with more than 2,000 people who come to worship on average each weekend, have their own special data management needs, and are also accommodated by the marketplace. Church management systems generally focus on helping staff keep track of the individuals and households who come to worship services and events, broadcast and direct mail management, fund- raising efforts, Sunday schools and prayer groups, and reporting on finances, programs, and attendance. The sector is robust enough to merit its own publication, Christian Computing Magazine, which publishes a helpful online chart each October comparing the products and their features. Most churches don t operate on a membership basis, so the member/nonmember structure integral to the operating of the majority of synagogues isn t well-supported in many church management systems. Additionally, not all the systems have accounting workflows that will be useful for synagogues especially around the collection of dues and tribute gifts. Synagogues would also need to work with the vendor of a system to ensure that it could accommodate the Hebrew calendar for Yahrzeits and other Hebrew date tracking. However, much of the rest of the functionality aligns with what a synagogue would need, with out-of-the-box support for fundraising, excellent relationship management for constituents, and helpful event and attendance tracking. There is considerably more variety in this sector than currently offered by vendors in the synagogue management space. For this report, we focused on systems that had the ability to help synagogues manage membership and accounting needs and that seemed customizable enough to fit this sector. (See Appendix A: Methodology for more information on how we selected the systems for inclusion in this report.) Shelby Shelby Systems offers two products to the church management sector: Shelby v.5, the installed version of the software; and Arena, a web-based product designed to be a CRM. The systems currently work in tandem most of the accounting power of Shelby is in the installed version, while event management and household and individual records are mostly maintained in Arena. Synagogues will find most of their needs met out of the box with Shelby, and many features that aren t included could be customized with reasonable ease. Arena is slightly more user-friendly than the installed version, but both systems could likely be learned relatively quickly by synagogue staffers. For larger churches, Shelby currently charges between $8,000 and $60,000, depending on the size of the project, not including highly customized PAGE 19 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013

20 installations. Pricing includes unlimited concurrent users of the software, implementation, and some data migration; ongoing annual fees that include support and updates are about $3,200 to $24,000 per year. For more on Shelby, see page 95. Fellowship One Fellowship One, a church management software product from ACTIVE Network, is a web-based software tool that serves a mix of evangelical and mainline congregations of various sizes. Strong in tracking individuals and households and in managing events, the software doesn t have the ability to support membership dues or tribute gifts. Some of its features can t be customized to accommodate synagoguespecific terminology and functions. Pricing depends on average weekly attendance, and ranges between $720 and $2,700 per year for the most basic edition. For more on Fellowship One, see page 55. ACS ACS is a major church management software vendor that we identified as a possible system of interest for synagogues. The vendor declined to participate in Idealware s report. PAGE 20 A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems January 2013