IT For Charities Project Manager and Consultancy Services

IT For Charities web site is compiled and managed by myself, Ivan Wainewright, a charity project manager and database/CRM consultant, to give UK not-for-profit organisations free information on IT products, services and technology appropriate to UK charities. My main role is an independent database and CRM consultant and project manager and I offer database & CRM consultancy and project management solely to charities, membership/professional organisations, arts organisations, universities/education and the not-for-profit sector.

Database & CRM Software Consultancy
Procurement Consultancy and Selecting Software If you would like assistance on selecting Fundraising, Membership or CRM databases then I can help. I can help you analyse your needs, draw up requirements, identify vendors, manage selection and tender processes and see you through to implementation. Project Manager for Database/CRM Implementations Although project management would be at the core of this work, I believe my consultancy skills provide additional value so that I can offer something of a ‘Project Manager Plus’ service. Some years ago, the British Computer Society coined a phrase of ‘bridger’ for someone who understands and can communicate business knowledge and technical knowledge with equal clarity and to both parties, and I feel this is an apt description of my skills. I believe this is something which offers great value to charities. I am PRINCE2 certified. Database Integration Reviewing organisations who have multiple databases, understanding their needs and discussing options as to whether database integration is a benefit for them; and assistance thereafter with any integration project. Database Reviews/Streamlining I can help you review your databases and information requirements. Their usage and usefulness, reporting and analysis capabilities, packages vs bespoke systems, data exchange between systems, de-duplication of work/data, other possible users/areas of use, mailing lists, statistics, remote access and centralising databases. Raiser's Edge consultant I have over 10 years experience of using The Raiser's Edge, and I have worked with organisations large and small. I can help you set-up, implement, trouble-shoot and clean-up your database, and provide consultancy & advice.

From Procurement to Implementation
One of the ways in which I believe I can help charities most efficiently is by not just doing procurement consultancy and not just doing project management of an implementation. I can, if required, do the whole lifecycle, from the very initial stages of requirements gathering, through tendering and database selection and then on to being the project manager for the implementation until you go-live. It means that all the knowledge and experience I gain of your organisation and their needs and people is not 'thrown away' after, say, the procurement phase; and instead I can take this information and use it to help you implement the actual database by being your project manager.

I have been working in information technology (IT) for over 20 years in consultancy, customer support, training and sales. I have been working with the not-for-profit sector since 1994 (initially for Blackbaud Europe, suppliers of The Raiser’s Edge fundraising software) and I set-up my consultancy business in 1998. I now offer database/IT advice and consultancy solely to charities, the not-for-profit sector and membership organisations/professional bodies.

My time originally spent working for a software supplier, and then the time since where I now work with charities, has meant I am fortunate to have gained a perspective on charity databases, working from both sides of the fence (and in some ways almost as a ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’). It has certainly helped me and my clients when working closely with database suppliers as I am able to understand both organisations’ wishes and positions.

Prior to working with the not-for-profit sector, I worked in several software houses and network suppliers with various applications over a range of industry sectors.

Contact Details
(Please note: If you have PCs you want to recycle then I don't offer such a service myself; visit our Recycled PCs page to locate organisations who do)