Server Crash/Backup

I recently had a minor emergency where our server crashed. Apparently our directory got corrupted so the server didn't even know where the operating software was. Two things I think I should share before I get deeper into this post:
1. We are a mac company. So my choices for solutions are more limited as not all software/solutions are made for macs.
2. We had a 'back up system' that included me burning disks of our files every few months and taking the disks home so that they were off site.

So this was how I dealt with the situation.

I bought software called Disk Warrior which would allow me to look at the files on the computer even without an operating system.

I then made the server a 'slave' by connecting it to a computer that is functional.

I was able to go into the server through my 'good' computer and dig through the files. There were literally hundreds of folders with names like "na00002385" which meant that I had to look in each one to see if I could find the files.

After a few hours, I managed to find the server files I needed. I copied all of those files onto my good computer, bought a new server (even though someone told me the old one was still good and we could just reinstall an operating system...I just wanted to play it safe), and transferred the files there. Yay! Fully recovered.

My next step was to make sure this wouldn't happen again. The new server has Time Machine on it, which does it's own back up on a different partition (sorry for the geek speak). This works for an in house solution, but it's also highly recommended to have files backed up off site.

I did some research and found an online back up product called Carbonite. For about $50/year (or cheaper if you buy multiple years), they keep an ongoing backup of all of your files and only upload backups as you make changes. So on the front end it takes awhile to upload all of the files, but after that, it only backs up changed files.

So far I've been really pleased with it. If you don't have a back up plan for your computer files, you should really implement one. It should include something on site (this makes it easy to just grab files as you might need them) and off-site. Off-site is in case of fire or damage/theft of your on site solution.

Don't wait until disaster strikes.

Open Source Software

I'm sure many of you are aware of Open Source and how it is changing the technological landscape. I just read this morning that there are going to be a few options for us in the next year or so. This will be a free database/modular system that will eventually include donor tracking, customer management, and ticketing.

The possibilities also include sharing information and trends among the various organizations that use this service. I think this is an exciting development for small and medium arts organizations who cannot afford expensive software that is out there. Read more about it HERE.

Open source does come with a cost. Though the open source community has been working relentlessly to make everything out-of-the-box user friendly, it always still requires some time to learn the system and how it works.

Mu Performing Arts currently uses Drupal to run it's web site. Drupal is an open source web engine. I think it has been great in many ways, but I've also had to spend quite a bit of time and money to learn the system.

The other thing about it is that they are constantly upgrading, so there is need for consistent upkeep and management if you want to keep up to date in order to use the latest features. There are some services that will keep your modules up to date for you. We use Advantage Labs to provide a managed hosting of our web site.

There are other open source options that I have been wanting to check out, such as using free Operating Systems such as Ubuntu, Open Office (a free office suite comparable to what Microsoft offers), and some others.

Rumor has it that these projects are now much more user friendly and streamlined to be compatible with most Microsoft office.

Google has been a big proponent of Open Source and, in some ways, we have them to thank for the growth in the movement. It brings a lot of freedom...which also gives us a lot of choices...some times too much.

Either way, I think it is the way of the future as far as technology goes.

Number of Donors versus Amount of Money

I recently subscribed to The Non-Profit Quarterly Magazine and read something that got me thinking.  The article, "The United Way: Missed and Missing Goals", suggested that some non-profits are trending to not focus on $$ goals for individual giving, but rather the number of donors.

This reminded me of how Minnesota Public Radio uses this strategy for matching funds during campaign drives.  It usually sounds like "if we get 2,000 contributors today, we will secure an extra $30,000 from ____ donor."

I think this kind of goal setting is especially great for newer or smaller organizations.  Especially if you have little to no track record of individual giving, the best thing to do is bulk up your numbers.  Every donor, including the one that gives $25 a year, could be a potential major donor in the future.  Plus, donors tend to be great advocates for your organization.  The more you have at any level the merrier.

A goal like this may be easier to sell to board members and the organization's core community.  The message is simply "We would like to welcome 100 new contributors this year."  You could easily divide and conquer a goal like this amongst the board, staff, subscribers, and current donors.

Marketing Blog

Chad Bauman gave a presentation at the Arts Learning Xchange that is sponsored by Arts Midwest, Minnesota Community Foundation and The Wallace Foundation.  He is currently the Director of Communications at Arena Stage.  I found his presentation to be very thoughtful, practical, and in tune with the times.
His bio mentions that he has an Arts Marketing blog.  I checked it out and find it very useful.http://www.arts-marketing.blogspot.com/