database

Database Development

Organization: 
El Centro de la Raza
VISTA Name: 
Mike Moore
Program Start: 
1/2007
Program End: 
3/2008
Project Description: 

Initially, the Vista member focused on database development to increase the technological capacity and efficiency of El Centro de la Raza (ECLR). Starting from scratch, Mr. Moore was able to build a centralized demographics database based primarily on Microsoft Access. In order to accomplish this, he needed to analyze previous systems utilized by staff, troubleshoot, and develop solutions to migrate the infrastructure in a manner that staff could utilize effectively. After completing this task, he completed a manual detailing usage and offered informal trainings to staff. The Vista member was also asked to update other databases (donor, volunteer, and grant tracker databases) in order to improve the tracking and reporting capacity of staff. Mr. Moore was also asked to monitored the server, install standard organizational computer configurations, update other technological systems, assist with events, and other software duties as necessary.

Project Outcome: 

Throughout the service year, Mr. Moore showed a great deal of flexibility by taking on new tasks and meeting agency needs as well as those specifically involving the databases. He also showed his development capability by increasing the effectiveness of our databases, and helping our staff increase their reporting accuracy. Mr. Moore’s efforts led to the following successes:

1. Developed a new centralized demographics database to prevent duplication in reporting to major funders,
2. Increased the efficiency of the donor database,
3. Increased the accuracy of the grant tracker database,
4. Increased the accuracy and usability of the volunteer database,
5. Began to rebuild ECLR’s homepage,
6. Helped fulfill ECLR’s server needs in the absence of a part-time IT Manager, ­
7. Helped to install standard software packages on new ECLR hardware, and
8. Assisted staff with Microsoft Office problems.

Mike Moore came to El Centro de la Raza expecting to primarily customize an existing system, migrate data, tutor users and monitor data input. However, by the end of the first week, our staff realized his experience and capabilities were well suited for so much more. Mike quickly realized that the database El Centro proposed to utilize was difficult to tailor to our needs. Compounding the problem was an IT Staff that was difficult to reach and slow to respond. Mike projected that this customization and full utilization process would take close to the entire year simply to implement, no less train staff and begin to migrate data. This was time that our agency did not have, as major funders pressed us to improve our accuracy and develop unduplicated counts of individuals served. Mike recognized the immediacy of our needs, and proposed to build a database specifically customized to track demographic data in a format we could fully utilize. Working alongside staff members from a number of different departments, Mike noted each person’s need and a series of solutions to maximize the database’s efficiency and usability. On top of accomplishing other tasks associated with his placement (tutoring and modifying other databases), Mr. Moore was able to complete a workable system in just under five months. This left plenty of time to migrate data to the system and meet all of our deadlines.

New Media Coordinator

Organization: 
Grassroots.org
VISTA Name: 
Alice Luu
Program Start: 
7/2008
Program End: 
7/2009
Project Description: 

he New Media Coordinator Position is a one-year full time paid Americorps*VISTA position (see compensation details below).

• Interview program clients and write compelling success stories for Grassroots.org print and web communications.

• Manage relationship with PR Firm, including telephone interviews for Press Releases

• Assist in the execution and growth of electronic media

• Create web traffic reports, manage website content updates

• Copy, Edit, Proofread and assist with writing of all print and electronic media (includes fundraising collateral, client-outreach publications, donor communication etc).

• Identify and implement technology solutions to realize strategic organizational and programmatic goals

• Assist in the creation and design of subsites for Grassroots.org (such as client help site, portal sites)

Project Outcome: 

We were able to achieve most of our significant goals, and also to complete additional items not on the original work plan.

Four Grassroots.org tools are now fully documented with help guides and easy-to-understand information for our membership, which will be valuable as we increase our member base. Our blog content helps convert visitors to members, and there is now a framework for our blog. The positive testimonials will help boost membership and funding prospects. We have also opened up our blog for members and supporters to post their testimonials. Please find it here: http://www.grassroots.org/blog Grassroots.org now has a newsletter template ready to be used monthly. Our e-mail list has grown from 600 to 8000+ contacts, and our monthly content has produced a loyal group of readers. (We currently sustained less than 1% unsubscribe rate). Alice developed seven significant programmatic partnerships, which resulted in on going referrals for membership at Grassroots.org. The partners include some of the best nonprofit umbrella organizations in the country. For a full list please go here: http://www.grassroots.org/support/program-partners Developed a you tube channel site, include new overview videos for potential members and potential donors. Please go here to see: http://www.youtube.com/user/GrassrootsDotOrg Developed an earned media outreach plan, which resulted in multiple significant media mentions. This included ABCnews.com, PC world, Tech Soup, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Please see our media page for more info: http://www.grassroots.org/news We have grown our membership from 680 members to over 2,000. We have increased the rate of usage for our tools. In previous years, we averaged about $200,000 in free services being given away. In the past year we have given away over $2 million in services.

Impact Quote: 

Alice did an amazing job. So much so that we hired her as a full time staff person to continue the projects she started and work on new initiatives.”
- Shanke Hankins, supervisor

Community Outreach and Accessibility Development

VISTA Name: 
Anita Lie
Program Start: 
6/2007
Program End: 
6/2009
Project Description: 

Since it opened over 8 years ago, the DISKovery Center has provided technology education services to over 3,000 community members in a wide range of skills and computer applications. Over 100 members, who include youth, adults, and seniors, enroll in over 20 classes at the DISKovery Center’s programs every quarter.

The DISKovery Center is seeking a full-time VISTA volunteer (monthly stipend provided) to help build the capacity of the Center to reach out to learners with physical and developmental disabilities through assistive technology, program planning, staff training, and community outreach. The VISTA member will assist the program manager with a variety of responsibilities, including the following duties:

• Develop strategies for outreach to persons with disabilities

• Collaborate with other organizations to develop outreach plans to expand our presence in the disabled community.

• Participate in assistive technology trainings provided by our collaborators to become an in-house accessibility specialist, who will then train other staff on teaching strategies

• Develop resources for accessibility including training materials for both staff and individuals with disabilities

• Help develop a new space plan at the center for better accessibility

• Help establish and coordinate a committee composed of staff, members and volunteers to inform the center on disability access needs.

• Help develop a new intake survey and registration process incorporating disability information, and revamp the current database to track this information.

Project Outcome: 

Our CTC VISTA is the DISKovery Centers Accessibility Coordinator. She coordinated all of the meetings with staff and project partners. She also became our in-house AT specialist, and helped recommend our software and hardware purchases. She has developed advanced curriculum at Pacific Bridge. She has also coordinated and facilitated the access committee meetings. Our VISTA has also coordinated our Computer Adoption Program and has developed curriculum for the program. She has also trained staff on the Ubuntu Operating system so that staff can then teach the participants enrolled in our Computer Adoption Program.

Although we have partnered with other organizations that have given us a small number of users with disabilities, we are still short of our goals. Our VISTA has assisted on our outreach plan, and has developed outreach materials but both our centers in Little Tokyo and Echo Park are struggling increase our numbers.

Impact Quote: 

Our VISTA has been invaluable in assisting the center with its accessibility goals, and has been central in coordinating all aspects of the DISK4All Project. She has been committed to utilizing information and communications technologies to address the needs of our communities. Without our VISTA we would not have the staff nor capacity to achieve our accessibility goals.”
- Steve Wong, supervisor

Nonprofit Tools Development

VISTA Name: 
Jack Waugh
Program Start: 
6/2007
Program End: 
7/2008
Project Description: 

Our AmeriCorp*Vista helps nonprofits learn to manage technology. They will also help them improve their ability to reach their constituents using web-based communication tools. Jack has been focused on developing back-end tools that we implement on our client’s websites that allow them to post web content.

Summary of Goals

1. Provide technology consulting services to nonprofit organizations such as planning and making decisions on software and communication tools. This will allow organizations to make technology decisions that are sustainable and meet their operational needs.

2. Develop web-based data management systems that will improve data management amongst local nonprofits.

Project Outcome: 

Jack has sucessfully tracked and coordinated project activities. He has developed (programmed) functional components of the tools such as publishing editions, relating articles to additions, formatting content and processing visitor comments.

Jack faced challenges in learning the development framework used at CCTS. This was a new language for him. Furthermore, Jack had to adapt from the software engineering environment he in which he previously worked to a website development environment.

Impact Quote: 

Jack has a perspective that is valuable in the development world. He is logical, detailed and structured in his thinking. We are a small staff and have greatly benefitted from Jack’s analylitical abilities when planning and organizing our development activities. […] It points to the importance of Jack’s role as a member of our team.”
- Gayle Carney, supervisor

Website Developer

Organization: 
KDHX Community Media
VISTA Name: 
Robyn Haas
Program Start: 
7/2009
Program End: 
7/2010
Project Description: 

Participating in the CTC Vista Project enables KDHX to begin its Interactive Web Media Project, which centers around re-building the foundation of KDHX.org. The project will create a new online platform that leverages Joomla and integrates Salesforce.com. The Interactive Web Media Project also allows us to re-design our website to enhance the user experience, not just for the sake of presenting information. We are able to use this opportunity to address other issues such as our visual layout, ways to better integrate social media, and to better incorporate video and audio clips throughout. This project needs a dedicated person to coordinate with all the different departments of KDHX so that we can build a structure to support a meaningful and useful online presence– one that is entertaining, user-friendly, and consistently maintains the integrity of KDHX Community Media while growing an audience.

Goal 1: Evaluate KDHX.org and analyze the content and user-interface from the point of view of all stakeholders.
Goal 2: With IT Director, make recommendations for an interactive web media plan based on research, analysis, and direct feedback.
Goal 3: Create and implement a plan for KDHX.org’s new interactive media website.
Goal 4: Evaluate and analyze results of Vista member contribution and project implementation.

Project Outcome: 

With the help of two staff members, two interns, and one volunteer Robyn was able to investigate needs, develop a structure, select software to satisfy needs, test, and receive approval to launch a new website for KDHX.org. Robyn’s work was completed methodically and with a great deal of care. The site is currently in a late beta testing stage, and is expected to replace KDHX.org within two months of the termination of Robyn’s service period.

The scope of our project was quite large and it was intended to allow for discovery at the beginning to determine what work would need to be completed. The discovery revealed a large amount of work to replace all of the existing website functionality with the new system. Robyn discovered an innovative way of using a software called JomSocial to build a social network within KDHX.org. This unique tool enables audience members to connect to and interact with radio and television show hosts in a way that was never before possible. Additionally, Robyn was able to investigate the use of a magazine management component for Joomla! called K2 that simplifies and expands upon our capabilities to present complex data and metadata. Her investigation and skillful testing of this component has completely changed our management of content and multimedia on KDHX.org

Website and Online Development

VISTA Name: 
Philip Dahl
Program Start: 
9/2010
Program End: 
9/2011
Project Description: 

The Corps member will work closely with both PIFVA and Termite TV staff to analyze their technology plans, develop strategies and priorities, and implement the plans into concrete and visible results. The VISTA will move work develop websites, social media strategies, and online database/archiving system for both PIFVA and Termite TV.

Outreach

VISTA Name: 
Sheveeta Shepard
Program Start: 
9/2005
Program End: 
9/2006
Project Description: 

Sheveeta will further our mission by assisting with our workshops for non-profits, managing and updating our database of members, and updating our website and listserve.

Project Outcome: 

The work our VISTA is doing with our database and outreach is a major function to CTOC’s mission. As a consortium, keeping in contact with our members, keeping them updated to local policies, and positioning them to network together and exchange ideas and practices is reliant on constant and continuous communication with the membership base.

Our project has completed 5 workshops which covered the topics of IT fundraising for non-profits, education and advocacy surrounding local and state cable franchise issues in Los Angeles, disability and access issues, social enterprising for non-profits, and digital storytelling. In each of our workshops, our VISTA was implemental in outreaching to attendees and presenters, updating our website information and list-serv, and follow-up on evaluations of attendees.

CTOC has made major changes to the website, moving it to a new server and expanding the previous capabilities to include membership capabilities, a discussion forum, and more resources for local organizations to aid CTOC in its networking and outreach capacities. The VISTA has helped to keep the site updated with upcoming CTOC workshops and events, as well as making the site more user friendly by changing the layout of the page and adding visual pictures. Our VISTA has also aided in managing the list-serv and adding new members.

CTOC held a local logo contest for youth. This project was suggested and created by our VISTA who wrote a proposal, created the contest criteria, and outreached to local organization who worked with youth in digital media.

Fundraising

VISTA Name: 
Nathan Biggs
Program Start: 
6/2005
Program End: 
6/2006
Project Description: 

In short, Nathan is helping us build the sustainability to continue all of UTEC’s mission. He has spent much focus on building systems (i.e. donor recognition systems) so that his work will last longer than his immediate 1-year impact. he produced our first ever annual report!! And, he has excited the entire development departament about the possibilities inherent in individual donor fundraising through his infectious excitement about such fundraising.

Project Outcome: 

Nathan has done an excellent job in his role as a VISTA here at UTEC! He took on a leading role in coordinating UTEC’s most comprehensive and successfull fundraiser to date. He has contributed immensely by helping us organize and develop a new online grants database (which I strongly believe will be a model for other nonprofits on how to best integrate technology into their development work). He has written and won grants. He has created a well organized foundation/donor recognition system that has substantially improved our capacity for relationship building with funders. And he has provided much excitement around the development of a new individual donor organization process. I have been very pleased with Nathan’s work (this being his first time in a development position as this) and would rehire him in a minute.

Impact Quote: 

Nathan took a leading role in coordinating all aspects of our first major fundraiser. With our Dvelopment Director out sick for some time during this period, he was sometimes running this without a ton of support. He took this as a challenge and semed to be invigorated by the challenge… never pessimistic or overwhelmed by stress. In the end, we had nearly 200 guests attend and profited nearly $10,000. Moreover, all those who attended coninue today to talk about how professional and well orchestrated it was. Ultimately, Nathan was able to establish the inception of what will now be the annual fundraiser event for UTEC….each year building upon the success of all his work this past year.

CTC Technician and Database Development

VISTA Name: 
Jeff Blakely
Program Start: 
6/2006
Program End: 
6/2007
Project Outcome: 

Jeff has set up an exchange server for the UTEC network. This has helped staff better communicate with one another, and made accountability, reporting, and assigning tasks simpler and quicker, in order to better achieve our mission. Jeff is making progress with his project to update the teen log-in database which will keep track of interactions of senior staff with all UTEC teen members. Jeff has made a presentation and training manual on how to use the teen log-in database, and exchange servers. Jeff has been working consistently with the CSL (on site once per week) to continue to enhance UTEC’s tecnhical capabilities. Some of the projects he is working on in this regard are enhancing UTEC’s fundraising database, organizing the UTEC listserve, and his teen log-in database and exchange server projects. Jeff is still preparing equipment to kick off the next wave of computer repair classes at UTEC, which will begin when UTEC officially opens our new building this spring.

Marketing and Outreach

VISTA Name: 
Aaron Chalek
Program Start: 
1/2007
Program End: 
1/2008
Project Description: 

Aaron has worked on a variety of fundraising, PR, and development projects. His main projects include: setting up a database to better organize our individual donor stewardship and cultivation campaign, working with corporate sponsors to secure technology equipment for UTEC’s new youth center, and instituting a new giving program for local corporations.

Project Outcome: 

Aaron has done a significant amount of work with these projects, securing donations of large scale pieces of equipment for UTEC as well as really streamlining the research, cataloging, and time line of our donor campaigns using online research tools and creating a database. He has also done some PR work designing materials for our corporate giving campaign. Additional projects include writing two grants and securing funding for our sports and recreation program. And updating and refining our donor mailing list which we use to send out newsletters, annual appeals, and other updates. He also worked to coordinate and publicize one fundraising event: an organ concert which drew over 60 people to the center, raised $500 and generated an enormous amount of local publicity for UTEC. We’ve had some challenges in focusing these projects in a way that priorities are clear so that deadlines will be met, as there is such a large number of projects to be covered in terms of the fund raising needs of the youth center. Aaron has done a great job of learning more organizational methods, and is putting them into practice in new ways that are really helping his work.

Impact Quote: 

Aaron’s behind-the-scenes service to UTEC and the Lowell community has impacted young people’s lives and their access to resources, particularly technology in so many ways. Recently, Aaron contacted our donors and worked through their networks to secure donations and discounts of computer hardware. His work secured a deep discount of new model PCs and these will be purchased in the next few months. His hard work has ensured new technology for free teen use in our tech center. These young people typically do not have computers or internet access at home, so the addition of newer, faster computers to the tech center will ensure many more young people get access to the Internet each day for help with research, homework, job seeking and communication.

Transmission Project