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Review: Cascade Data Solutions Donation Director

Cascade Data Solutions Donation Director (http://www.cascadeds.com/) is a versatile, multi-function system used for fundraising and donor management which was designed for small to medium sized nonprofit organizations. Donation Director lets you track appeals, events, donors, staff and volunteers. This system can handle group accounts for emailing, reports and correspondence. The billing schedules, donation matching, and reporting can be customized to fit the needs of the organization.


In Use
Donation Director’s multiple modules are designed in an easy to use layout with application wizards to help customize the system. It offers a list of modules along the left side of the page from which the user can select the module they need to work with.

The transaction wizard lets you customize each individual pledge and up a reminder schedule for each pledge. The correspondence wizard let you customize pledge reminders, thank you letters and much more.

The account manager can create individual, business, or fund accounts. With the appeal manager you are able to have an unlimited number of appeals and appeal categories. The task manager makes it easy to prioritize your fundraising activities. The report module lets you use pre-existing reports, and alternatively you can design your own custom reports.

Single user versions of the system start at $1,599. That price includes installation, training, support, and updates and upgrades for the first year.

Technology employed
DonationDirector is installed on your computer, there is no need for a specific type of network or file server. It will work on a stand-alone computer, a “peer to peer” network, a Novell server, or Win NT/2000 server. You can use Windows 98, Windows NT version 4.0+, Windows XP, or Windows Vista. However, the system does not support Windows 95 nor Mac OS. It is recommended that you have remote access to your computer for support, training and installation.

Ease of use, configuration, and deployment
The Donation Director is a quality fundraising application that is very flexible and can be customized to each individual organization's needs. The multi-modules have easy-to-use wizards to help you do everything from transactions to correspondences. The system is installed remotely by a Cascade Data Solutions representative, and training is also done at the same time so you can start using the software right away. With the purchase of your software you also get updates and upgrades for a full year.

Recap
This software is a versatile, multi-module system used for fundraising and donor management. It was specifically designed for small to medium sized nonprofit organizations. Donation Director lets you track appeals, events, donors, staff and volunteers. This system can handle group accounts for emailing, reports and correspondence. The Donation Director is flexible and customizable software for any small to mid-size non-profit organization.

Advantages
  • Easy to install and use
  • Wizards to help you customize the system
  • Excellent training and support staff
  • Well designed and user friendly
  • Multi modules
Disadvantages
  • Additional licenses or add-ons could boost the initial cost.
My Opinion
The Donation Director is the perfect solution for small and mid-sized non profit organizations. I was amazed at all this system can do and it was easy to use. The design and layout are outstanding. The associates of Cascade Data Solutions were very helpful and you could tell that they put a lot of time and thought into this software to make it able to do everything needed to help run a non-profit organization. I was thoroughly impressed with the Donation Director and also with their support staff.
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