Membership Database
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3492
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 12:39am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Membership Database
Posted By: tonyboling
Subject: Membership Database
Date Posted: 9/28/08 at 4:52pm
Wat do the rest of you use for membership databases? I don't knowSQL or anything, but was thinking of trying to learn MS Access.
Any recommendations?
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Replies:
Posted By: skoehler
Date Posted: 9/28/08 at 7:24pm
We use MS Access, it is horribly limiting and frustrating to use in many ways, but it works, and the majority of our volunteers, not to mention my office manager, fell comfortable with it.
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Steven Koehler
Managing Director
Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette
www.lafayettecivic.org
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Posted By: tonyboling
Date Posted: 9/28/08 at 11:43pm
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Yeah, I'm not much for programming or databases so I'm currently learning Access as well. I figure if it works for what we need then it's okay. Plus if we ever get someone on the board that really knows databases, it's fairly easy to export an Access database to MS SQL or MySQL and then they can build new queries, forms and reports.
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Posted By: Stageref
Date Posted: 10/08/08 at 11:12am
It's not a member database per se but stageref.com can give you a professional looking web presence to your productions.
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http://www.stageref.com - Stageref.com
The new, free, on-line social experience of community theater productions and people
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Posted By: ticketjunior
Date Posted: 11/19/08 at 12:01pm
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Tony,
Not sure if its helpful or not but as part of the Ticketjunior system we help you maintain your customer database. Our solution is web based and therefore you've always got access to your member database and can export the list at any time to excel.
With our system you could kill 2 birds with one stone. We could help you sell tickets to your event and help you keep a current and accurate list of your customers / patrons.
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-James P. Walters
Phone: 404-272-4778
http://www.ticketjunior.com - www.ticketjunior.com
"We're the little guy in the ticketing business."
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Posted By: LEHCo
Date Posted: 1/10/09 at 6:59pm
I started an Excel spreadsheet and put all of the information in. I can sort it and expand to maintain any kind of data. For example, I put in whether a member wants to act, sing, dance, set construction, etc, and then I sort on whatever trait a person requests. It makes it easier to find people to work on productions. Hope that helps!
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Thanks!
LEHCo
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Posted By: Tallsor
Date Posted: 1/11/09 at 5:48pm
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It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish with your information. If you're just tracking mailing lists, then Excel is fine. Access comes in handy if you want to separate out your lists (i.e., actors, directors, audience members) and there are some people on just one list and some people on multiple lists. For my personal database, which stemmed out of me working with a number of different nonprofits who sometimes had similar people working or interacting with it (such as media) but sometimes had vastly different people.
There are also online options such as eTapestry Wild Apricot, which might be your best bet and what I'd do if I was running a theatre right now, as most of then can then track your various campaigns in much greater detail than you can program in Access as well as use it to send e-mails and other communications. Idealware has a great article on choosing donor management systems ( http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_donormgt.php - http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_donormgt.php ).
But some of these cost different dependent on whether your organization is a non-profit and what your mailing list is like. Of course, if you're a non-profit, you can get some of the fancier database software for cheap through TechSoup.
Angie
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Posted By: ziggy1122
Date Posted: 1/26/09 at 4:26pm
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I actually stumbled upon CiviCRM ( http://www.civicrm.org - www.civicrm.org ). It has both Joomla and Drupal integrations as well as a standalone version. It's a web type application, not an installed software thing. It can handle contributions, pledges, membership signups, membership renewals, etc... Looks pretty snazzy so far, but I've only scratched the surface and done initial prodding and poking-style testing.
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Posted By: trutter
Date Posted: 2/06/09 at 11:51pm
We were using a custom made access database, then I got a grant for Fundraiser Professional and it has surpassed all my dreams. :)
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Troy A. Rutter
Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents"
http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/
A Heinemann Drama Publication
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Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 2/07/09 at 8:31am
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tell me more trutter, tell me more!
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Posted By: trutter
Date Posted: 2/11/09 at 7:35am
Well, i dont want to do a commercial for them. ;) But I'll post some of our accomplishments here when I get a few cycles. :)
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Troy A. Rutter
Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents"
http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/
A Heinemann Drama Publication
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Posted By: dramacorrect
Date Posted: 4/25/09 at 10:07pm
We use a program called contact plus, it's an access based program. I think for the membership it works ok.
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http://tinyurl.com/6c4okhd - Theatre Articles
http://tinyurl.com/3wvu3eg - Web Apps to Save Money
Community Theatre Fundraising
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Posted By: dramacorrect
Date Posted: 4/25/09 at 10:07pm
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We use a program called contact plus, it's an access based program. I think for the membership it works ok.
Also, check out techsoup if you're non profit. They have some GREAT programs and super-cheap prices and many have to do with non profit needs.
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http://tinyurl.com/6c4okhd - Theatre Articles
http://tinyurl.com/3wvu3eg - Web Apps to Save Money
Community Theatre Fundraising
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Posted By: Madwoman
Date Posted: 9/06/09 at 5:08pm
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There is NO database program more flexible or more usable than FileMaker Pro. NONE. It has number-crunching capabilities too, although for accounting Excel is probably better. But mailing lists, personnel files, contact-sheet forms, multiple-term retrievals, all are very easy, and setting up the basic data files is straightforward and simple. I don't work for FileMaker, but man oh man do I use it! It has both Mac and PC platforms. Probably filesharable by now, and maybe for a long time already--that's one thing I haven't needed to try.
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