Every nonprofit has a wealth of data. Everything from volunteer contact information to complex donation history is housed in an elaborate database. This digital trail of good work done over many years is frequently stored and accessed from various places. Without efficient access to that information, an organization’s ability to complete their mission becomes much harder. As organizations grow and update technology, whether it’s new equipment, cloud services or new processes, the issue of data migration is an essential concern that has to be addressed carefully.

Data migration during a system transition can be a headache if not done carefully. Without a clear and detailed understanding of both the source and destination systems, as well as the structure and content of the data fields, it’s possible to lose, disconnect, or even corrupt years of valuable constituent history. Effectively migrating data takes a methodology coordinated between the development and data teams, as well as detailed input from the individual departments involved.

It’s not a simple task, but the end result is a streamlined data set and a synchronized system that is ready to take advantage of the information

contained within. Heller has been helping nonprofits streamline, optimize, and transition their data for 20 years, and we have an established methodology that reduces risk during the data migration to ensure the new system has access to essential constituent information.

Download In Focus: Reducing Risk During Data Migrations for tips from our data specialists to help make a data migration process run smoothly and help your organization deliver on your mission immediately after your new database is up and running.