January 2004 TSC Update
A development agreement was signed on January 6, 2004 between CFA (on behalf of the Technology Steering Committee) and MicroEdge/NPO outlining the terms for creation of three critical components of the Technology Initiative.
Technology Steering Committee*
Technology Initiative and Funding Syndicate Update
January, 2004
The agreement represents a $2.175 million deal with MicroEdge/NPO to provide API (open systems), significant customer relationship management enhancements (CRM) as well as develop the integration necessary for a seamless processing solution. The much-anticipated APIs pave the way for openness of the field's current systems, FIMS and FoundationPower. APIs will allow other vendors to be able to develop and 'plug in' products and, at the same time, protect and enhance the tremendous investment community foundations have made in their current systems. CRM and seamless integration also bring significant benefits and efficiencies to community foundation business operations.
Key Business Elements:
The development agreement specifies that all projects (API, CRM and seamless integration) will be scoped against TSC-approved business needs developed with significant input from TSC subcommittees. Scoping determines specifically what development will be undertaken. Development will not begin until the completion of all scoping and the approval of an end-user licensing plan. Development payments are tied to deliverables and timelines and a minimum commitment of 40% of the $2.175 million.
MicroEdge agrees to match every two TSC dollars with $1 of their own investment. Thus, when fully completed, this development agreement will direct well over $3 million toward these system improvements.
One full proof-of-concept API will be developed before any others are launched. Seamless processing has been selected preliminarily for this assessment.
In addition, specific issues related to the nineteen (19) existing FoundationPower systems will be defined in each scoping phase. Both the TSC and MicroEdge acknowledge that there are likely to be additional costs to FoundationPower clients, which will be better understood within a few months.
Key Licensing Terms
In order to benefit from products developed as a result of this agreement, community foundations must be Funding Syndicate (FS) members. This understanding will stay in place for the first three years from product release. FS members will receive a 35% discount on initial licensing costs. Maintenance and support fees will be discounted 100% the first year, 75% the second and 50% the third year for FS members. In addition, FS members will receive eight hours of free training in year one.
Products of this agreement may be sold to non-community foundations. However, non-community foundations will not be able to purchase software at a discounted rate for three years.
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*The Technology Steering Committee (TSC) is co-sponsored by the Community Foundations Leadership Team of the Council on Foundations and Community Foundations of America. The Technology Initiative is a series of integrated and prioritized development activities to build community foundation technology readiness, capacity and infrastructure over the next three years. |
These updates are part of a communications effort to keep colleagues in the field informed about the TSC's work. Information in these documents may be freely distributed by TSC members providing that: 1) precise language in the updates is used (for clarity and consistency); 2) the TSC attribution language (provided to the left) is included; and 3) readers are referred to source documents on the COF or CFA Web sites. |
Technology Steering Committee*
Technology Initiative and Funding Syndicate Update
January, 2004
A development agreement was signed on January 6, 2004 between CFA (on behalf of the Technology Steering Committee) and MicroEdge/NPO outlining the terms for creation of three critical components of the Technology Initiative.
The agreement represents a $2.175 million deal with MicroEdge/NPO to provide API (open systems), significant customer relationship management enhancements (CRM) as well as develop the integration necessary for a seamless processing solution. The much-anticipated APIs pave the way for openness of the field's current systems, FIMS and FoundationPower. APIs will allow other vendors to be able to develop and 'plug in' products and, at the same time, protect and enhance the tremendous investment community foundations have made in their current systems. CRM and seamless integration also bring significant benefits and efficiencies to community foundation business operations.
Key Business Elements:
The development agreement specifies that all projects (API, CRM and seamless integration) will be scoped against TSC-approved business needs developed with significant input from TSC subcommittees. Scoping determines specifically what development will be undertaken. Development will not begin until the completion of all scoping and the approval of an end-user licensing plan. Development payments are tied to deliverables and timelines and a minimum commitment of 40% of the $2.175 million.
MicroEdge agrees to match every two TSC dollars with $1 of their own investment. Thus, when fully completed, this development agreement will direct well over $3 million toward these system improvements.
One full proof-of-concept API will be developed before any others are launched. Seamless processing has been selected preliminarily for this assessment.
In addition, specific issues related to the nineteen (19) existing FoundationPower systems will be defined in each scoping phase. Both the TSC and MicroEdge acknowledge that there are likely to be additional costs to FoundationPower clients, which will be better understood within a few months.
Key Licensing Terms
In order to benefit from products developed as a result of this agreement, community foundations must be Funding Syndicate (FS) members. This understanding will stay in place for the first three years from product release. FS members will receive a 35% discount on initial licensing costs. Maintenance and support fees will be discounted 100% the first year, 75% the second and 50% the third year for FS members. In addition, FS members will receive eight hours of free training in year one.
Products of this agreement may be sold to non-community foundations. However, non-community foundations will not be able to purchase software at a discounted rate for three years.
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*The Technology Steering Committee (TSC) is co-sponsored by the Community Foundations Leadership Team of the Council on Foundations and Community Foundations of America. The Technology Initiative is a series of integrated and prioritized development activities to build community foundation technology readiness, capacity and infrastructure over the next three years. |
These updates are part of a communications effort to keep colleagues in the field informed about the TSC's work. Information in these documents may be freely distributed by TSC members providing that: 1) precise language in the updates is used (for clarity and consistency); 2) the TSC attribution language (provided to the left) is included; and 3) readers are referred to source documents on the COF or CFA Web sites. |
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