Helping NPOs Plan for the Future with Web-Based Database Solutions

by Will Baker, Intern at Youth Life Support Network, Inc.

Every organization needs to plan for the future. To thrive over the long term, they need to put systems in place to not only address current concerns, but also anticipate their future needs and evolve along with them. For nonprofit organizations (NPOs), planning for tomorrow is even more critical because of limited access to resources. Every move and plan must be made with sustainability in mind. This is the broader picture of what I have to consider with my work at Youth Life Support Network, Inc. (YLSN).

YLSN is an NPO in upstate New York. We work with high-risk youth and their families to prevent and de-escalate situations of family violence and other public safety issues. Our team works with dozens of cases and files at a time. I started working with YLSN a couple of months ago. As a student earning my degree in informatics, I needed experiential learning in order to graduate. I reached out to various local internship possibilities and found YLSN.

Every move and plan an NPO makes should be made with sustainability in mind.

I love technology, learning, and helping others, so YLSN worked out nicely for me. I was brought on board to help revamp their old database solution and provide general technical assistance. I knew this project would not only look good on a résumé, but, more importantly, would heavily impact the day-to-day work of our team.

Pen and Paper Pain

When I started working with YLSN, I discovered they needed a new database system to efficiently maintain, store, and backup case data. For example, in Albany offices, they used Google Forms, which was far too basic for their needs. At the Schenectady location, they used pen and paper, which was enough to make anyone with tech in their blood cringe.

I started to try to find the best solution for YLSN’s needs. In a way, it was a dream to let my mind run wild and dive into all of the different possible solutions. I knew I had to find the best platform, not only for right now, but something that would benefit the organization for years to come.

For the first three weeks of my internship, I dove into research. I looked at implementing things the old-fashioned way by setting up the server and database to be hosted locally at the office. This would result in doing manual backups, configuring IPs, and tons of upfront hardware costs. I knew there was an easier and more cost-efficient alternative.

A Web-Based Solution

I realized any ideal solution for us would need to be web-based. Web-based programs are easier to use, cheaper, faster, and so much less work and strain on the end user. It was a no-brainer. I met with my supervisor and proposed we embrace the new technology out there and give it a shot. I got the green light to go further a web-based solution, with a few essential requirements.

Web-based database solutions are cheaper, faster, and less strain on the end user.

Our budget was one of the primary considerations. Being an NPO, we needed a cost-effective solution. We also required a database solution that was remotely accessible, so our caseworkers could access clients’ files off-site, during routine visits. Other requirements included the capacity to support at least 20–30 users, so we would need a good amount of storage space too.

As my hunt progressed, I found many different solutions. Zoho Creator was a little too expensive, and Memento Database was too bare-bones for us. There were cloud-based solutions like Amazon’s DynamoDB and MongoDB, but neither seemed like the right fit…

Read the full story here.