FAQs
What size accounts work well with communitEbuilder?
We manage databases from 10,000 to 10 million records in our systems.
Is there training required for the system?
Training for the system takes about a day.
Who can use the system?
The system is designed for everyone in your organization that is responsible for generating revenue of any type. They can use it anywhere including headquarters, home remote offices, on the road, etc. at any time.
Will there be someone there to help if we need it?
We assign you a single point of contact to support and help you at all times. That person is highly experienced and will soon know as much about how your organization operates as you do. They are there for you every day.
Do you provide reports and analysis tools?
communitEbuilder has numerous tools that provide analysis. We offer both standard and custom reports to provide specific information you require. We also provide an extremely powerful query tool that can dig very deep into your data. Having been in the business for almost 25 years, there are few reports we have not developed.
Do we have to buy communitEbuilder?
We are a service provider and do not sell software; we host your data and bill you monthly for services rendered. This is based upon pre-agreed pricing schedules.
Is software service included?
Since there is no software to buy there is none to service, all the software system maintenance is performed on our end
Do I have to pay for updates?
No, when we update the system you receive all the benefit at no cost.
Is it expensive?
No. There is no other service out there of which we are aware that provides the type of services we do for less money. There are different solutions that offer fewer services, for example mainframe storage with no interactive features or monthly reports on paper that get mailed to you and they cost a little less than us. There are also software packages you can buy that are primarily for fundraisers, but terrible for direct mail and ecommerce. They cost less but have expensive service agreements and will not do what you need done.
How is your pricing structured?
We have a very flexible pricing structure that will adapt to every budget. We have both ala carte and packaged pricing but most of our clients opt for the packaged pricing because they know how much their bill will be every month.
What is in the packaged pricing?
Packaged pricing includes all database management, maintenance, storage, reports, client services, and access costs for everyone you allow to access your system.
Are there any other charges?
There are no other costs related to the information system unless you request custom programming. The only other charges you may incur will be related to any list acquisition, hygiene, merge/purge, data appends or other services that you specifically request.
Can we input data ourselves?
Absolutely! You can also have Oaktree or your preferred vendors input data.
What kind of data feeds do you support?
We support all known data feeds including batch and XML packets.
How long will it take to convert our file?
File conversion time depends on a number of factors including the number of databases and the type of information they contain. The size of the file is not really an issue as long as the records contain the same data format. Since communitEbuilder is configured to meet your requirements, that is the longest part of the conversion. While we generally quote 4-6 weeks for most conversions many take less time.
What if we have an emergency situation with our current software or provider, and need an immediate solution?
We have extensive experience in converting in emergency situations and have the resources to get it done quickly and accurately.
Will we have to stop our campaigns and fundraising activity during the conversion?
Definitely not! If you are coming to us from another service bureau, and most of our clients do, there are standard procedures that are typically followed starting with getting a sample of the file. We configure the system based upon that data and when it is finished testing we will get the full file. There is often a delay of 1-2 weeks in the data we receive that may require updating from lockbox vendors but when the system goes live everything will be analyzed for any missing or duplicated data, and corrected.
Does the system support multiple simultaneous users in different locations?
Yes the system supports multiple simultaneous users in the same location or multiple locations. Each has their own log in and secure password.
Does the system store private information like social security numbers or credit card numbers?
No we do not have social security numbers in the system and only when we process credit cards offline do we take credit card information. Once the donation or purchase has been recorded and the card processed, the card number is erased automatically.