1st Quarter Update
The Community Foundation Technology Initiative
Quarterly Report
April 2007
API and Development Standards
APIs will provide the behind-the-scenes programming necessary for different systems to talk to each other. They will open community foundations core systems.
Testing of Phase Two of the Atlas Data Bridge has now been completed. This phase is known as the phase in which "write-back" capability to FIMS is built, but it turned out to be more than that. In order to have data to write back, the data bridge needed to interact with another system so that it could receive "updates" to send to FIMS. While the system is designed to work with any provider, the test system was Kintera Sphere CRM.
Next steps for this project include the planning necessary to actually place the tool into production ("go live") with the first early adopter, and the adaptation of the system for our second early adopter. Because of the complexity of the system, we will not feel as though the FIMS product is "finished" until we have experienced adoption at three sites, currently scheduled to begin before the end of June.
Phase III of the Atlas Data Bridge will extend the platform to the FoundationPower platform. Negotiations are underway with the early adopter for this project, but a start date has been delayed pending full testing of the FIMS implementation. (The design of the system enables the FIMS and FP adapters to share the core platform.) Phase III is currently expected to begin by early June. .
The specification process for Phase IV of the Atlas Data Bridge, where third party data is added to the system, has actually been postponed to focus attention on completing the FIMS project. This phase is key to fulfilling the promise of the data bridge as a framework for integrating multiple vendors for a foundation, and continues to be a vital part of the contract. Broad commercial availability is expected in Q3 2007.
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Phase/Activity |
Status |
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Phase I: FIMS Extract/ publish to Data Bridge |
Complete August 2006 |
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Phase II: Update from Data Bridge to FIMS |
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Ø Atlas interacts with 3rd party database (Sphere) and queued to local adapter |
Completed through November 2006 |
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Ø Updates and Inserts made to FIMS database |
In TEST as of 12/06. Completed 4/20 |
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Ø Implementation at limited FIMS sites |
June 30, 2007 |
|
Phase III: Foundation Power Adapter |
|
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Ø Selection of Early Adopter |
In negotiation |
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Ø Completion of Early Adopter |
June, 2007 |
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Ø Availability For 2nd Adopter |
Q3, 2007 |
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Phase IV: Non Core System Data |
|
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Ø Specifications & Vendor selection |
May, 2007 |
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Ø Completion & Delivery |
July 2007 |
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Broad Commercial Availability (5-6 foundations in production prior to rollout) |
Q3 2007 |
Kintera, which is our major partner in developing the Atlas Data Bridge, has been in the news this year with transitions in senior management. Beginning in early February, a series of events led to the departure of Harry Gruber as Chairman and CEO of Kintera. The new CEO, Richard LaBarbera, has announced that the company will be focusing on its "core" businesses and would be shedding non-core activities. The TSC is in almost daily contact with Kintera, and will continue to monitor these changes.
Those interested in understanding more about the data bridge can access an on-line session conducted by TSC Project Manager Doug Yeager on the topic at www.CFTech.org.
Customer relationship management solutions will increase foundation capacity to target, reach, cultivate and service high-net-worth individuals; will also improve staff ability to cultivate and serve nonprofits, including an improved grant-making process and online grant application capabilities.
Kintera is progressing in efforts to configure its core CRM system for effective implementation by community foundations. They have completed work focused on "look and feel" templates and table selection, and mechanisms to quickly deploy these customizations. A meeting of the CRM committee has been scheduled for early May to review this work.
Two outstanding contracts with Neulogic are also still underway:
· TotalAccess, Neulogic's web portal for customized donor access has now been integrated to Blackbaud's FinancialEdge and Raiser's Edge software. The system is in production at an early adopter site and new enhancements are scheduled for release within this quarter. Other Blackbaud clients have expressed a strong interest in the platform.
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