24. TLCS, Inc
SuiteVolunteer Project Overview
Grantee Organization Name: TLCS, Inc
Employee Volunteers: Mar John Bontia, Jam Sherlaine Abubakar and Brent Mosher
Project Manager: Brent Mosher
Project Request: Simple Implementation
- Request: TLCS is completing their implementation by importing their data and utilize the reporting capabilities of NetSuite.
- Expectation: Volunteer to assist TLCS on importing their donor information and help them understand the reporting capabilities in order to use the system and the SuiteDonor bundle effectively.
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Introduction Call Notes - 15 Aug 2014
Attendees
TLCS Inc.:
Erin Johansen – development director. Fundraising. There 1.5 yrs building dept. Worked as sales manager in consumer products. Used Salesforce before. Connection between sales and fundraising.
Kim Gilbert – TLCS for seven years in human resources. Serve as the benefits administrator. Worked in travel for 6 years. Have used client database in Microsoft Access. Have some experience with databases.
NetSuite:
Mar John Bontia - CPA, professional services organization, 3rd Suite Volunteers project
Brent Mosher - solution consulting team, project manager
TLCS Background
TLCS is a mental health provider with mental health clinics and psych disabilities. Work with homeless clients – work with them to ensure they have a successful opportunity to work in the community. They are gov’t funded. Clients come homeless – in that stage because disenfranchised from families. They need psych support and a home. TLCS facilitates that to ensure they are housed in a safe environment and get psych and case support. Case managers work with them to help them navigate their lives back to the workforce or to get an education. Have 100 employees on staff – fairly large agency in the Sacramento area. Committed staff that is great at their jobs and serving clients and making a difference in people’s lives.
Diversifying funding streams because gov’t subject to a lot of changes. Private fundraising mitigates lack of control.
Didn’t have any donors 1.5 years ago. Last year 200 people donated. Now need to cultivate and manage those donors. Reached out to NetSuite to apply a grant for the program. Awarded in April last year. Did the training. 40 hours of training. Can't get data in the system.
Goals with NetSuite
NetSuite is set up in a basic way but it appears to have all the tools TLCS needs to manage donors. Can view the donors, search for them, donation reports, pledge reports.
Will be able to use the reports with data in the system. Trying to import data about the 200 donors they ahve. Add more information to track gifts, when they donated to us, use pledges at some point. Use it as a cultivation tool – use them as a lead.
Can NetSuite help us get the data about the 200 donors in there and help us run reports?
Have a goal to learn to manage the data and reports on their own during this project.
Next Steps
Give Brent and MarJ Access to TLCS NetSuite account – Erin will do this
Send Brent and MarJ the data to import - Erin will do this
Schedule a weekly checkpoint call - agreed next call 9 a.m. Pacific on 29 Aug - Brent will do this
We will review the system, review the data, and schedule a call next week to put together a specific plan and next steps
Status Meeting Notes - 29 August 2014
Attendees
Brent Mosher - solution consulting team, project manager
Erin Johansen, TLCS
Kim Gilbert, TLCS
Notes
We discussed the format of the Excel file that has donor data. The Excel file has both core donor information (such as name, address, and donor type) as well as donation information (what was donated and what type). We discussed that the donation reports in NetSuite are built on having those concepts be stored as separate records. Donor info is stored in the customer record (renamed as a donor) and in the cash sale/sales order record (renamed in NetSuite as a donation). We reviewed that the Excel spreadsheet would need to be divided into two spreadsheets to accommodate an automated upload of the information. Additionally, Erin brought up the need to track type of donation. We discussed that donation types could be set up as items in NetSuite. When a donation is entered, they would select the item purchased as part of the donation (i.e. comedy night tickets, or BigDog would be items). They would also use the "Class" field to identify whether an item was "Restricted" or "Unrestricted" in nature.
To move the project forward we decided that Erin and Kim would be responsible for getting the Excel data into an appropriate format - two spreadsheets, with the right columns in place. MarJ would take responsibility for clearing out the existing data in the NetSuite dataset (that is data that Erin has already uploaded and it is incorrect and needs to be cleared) and once Erin provides the new data, MarJ will take responsibility for doing the upload. Once that is complete we will show Erin and Kim how to do the upload themselves going forward.
Next Steps
Rescheduled Friday Sept 5 status call to Tuesday Sept 9 at 10 a.m. due to TLCS conflicts.
Erin J to rework the Excel spreadsheet to accommodate the data upload.
On next status call review the revised spreadsheet(s).
Status Meeting Notes - 9 September 2014
Attendees
Brent Mosher - solution consulting team, project manager
Jam Abubakar - professional services
Erin Johansen, TLCS
Kim Gilbert, TLCS
Notes
We deleted existing data in the donor list and prepared the data for upload by creating donor categories and modifying the data to match required columns appropriately.
Next Steps
Next call is Friday Sept 12 status call 9 a.m. Pacific time.
Erin J and Kim G will upload the modified Excel spreadsheet.
On our next status call we will:
- Create items (BigDog, Board Donation, Car, etc.)
- Create classes (restricted and unrestricted)
- Verify what other data should be created
- Prepare to upload donations
Status Meeting Notes - 12 September 2014
Attendees
Brent Mosher - solution consulting team, project manager
MarJ Bonita - professional services
Jam Abubakar - professional services
Erin Johansen, TLCS
Kim Gilbert, TLCS
Notes
All donor data is uploaded successfully to the system - this was completed by Erin and Kim.
The purpose of this meeting was to prepare the system to upload donations by creating items to represent donation types.
During the meeting MarJ showed the team how to create classes - this was to handle restricted and unrestricted donation types.
Additionally MarJ showed the team how to create items. It was decided to create Non-Inventory Items for Sale with a price of $1 to represent the donation types. As an example, MarJ created the BigDog donation type as an item.
Next Steps
Erin and Kim will create the additional required donation types as items.
Erin and Kim will prepare the donation data for upload.
During the next meeting we will walk through uploading the donation data as well as clean up and hide unnecessary fields on the Cash Sale form.
Next call is Wednesday Sept 17 status call 2 p.m. Pacific time.
Status Meeting Notes - 1 October 2014
Attendees
Brent Mosher - solution consulting team, project manager
MarJ Bonita - professional services
Jam Abubakar - professional services
Erin Johansen, TLCS
Kim Gilbert, TLCS
Notes
Prior to the status call, TLCS had provided an updated donor file. MarJ had uploaded all donors and donation data prior to the status call. He updated the team on the uploads he did, and reviewed the changes he needed to make to the data to finalize the upload. He needed to make some changes to the data as in some cases donors were classified as companies but donations had come in under individual names.
MarJ reviewed the uploaded data with the team. The TLCS team validated that they would be comfortable from here managing the data going forward.
The project is complete!