From fragmentation to unity

Cathi Maryon & Annette Begg

http://www.fis.org.nz/

The bringing together of community based funding information into one centralised electronic collection with the mission of making it accessible to all New Zealand.

Mission

To collect funding information for New Zealanders and make it accessible.

Measures of quality

The information is:

• Comprehensive.
• Up-to-date.
• Accurate.
• For all people in New Zealand.

The databases are:

• Easy-to-use.
• Designed with the grant seeker in mind.

From the outset we agreed that if our service is to have any positive impact on our community we would have to ensure these goals were met.

The subscription model

• Needed to draw an income.
• Ongoing relationship with subscribers is very important to us.
• Repeat income secures the information in the future.
• Longer-term liaison to get the information out to where it’s needed.
• Allows us to subsidise certain groups.

We chose the subscription model of funding ourselves, for these reasons.

On longer-term liaison, we work with subscribers who provide information to others, for example councils, to try to get our databases placed where people will use them. This will usually include the local library but might also include a marae, a service centre, a community house or other places where people go for information.

From books to bytes

Started with:

• Booklets.
• Knowledge amongst our stakeholders.
• Knowledge in the community.

Added:

• Publicity material.
• Newspaper clippings.
• Word of mouth.
• Ongoing relationships with funders.>

Currently we are working with over 700 funders and fund administrators, in New Zealand and around the world.

Consultation and collaboration

• The Department of Internal Affairs Community Development Group.
• Manukau City Council.
• Philanthropy New Zealand.
• A focus group of community organisations.
• Maori organisations and stakeholders.

Collaboration is one of the keys that made and makes our service so successful.

All our development is driven and guided by user feedback and consultative groups.

BreakOut

BreakOut was launched 1997, following the same development path – consultation and collaboration with universities, polytechnics and Career Services.

Arising out of a survey of FundView subscribers in 1995/96. FundView users were pleased with FundView but were clear in their need for information on funding for individuals.

The print medium…and why we rejected it

• Remains in use long after it has gone out of date.
• Limited ordering/sorting.
• Very limited filtering.
• Expensive per-copy cost.

This was a brave decision in 1992, but it’s paid off.

Technology

Thinking about technology – What do we mean by “using technology”?

At this point the audience was asked to contribute ways in which they use technology in their workplace.

(At Funding Information Service, we quickly thought of 3 PowerPoint slides’ worth of uses we made of technology, and decided to stop there!).

Technology (1)

• All computing equipment is less than three years old.
• A computer for each member of staff, plus a server and a gateway machine.
• Mixture of laser and inkjet printing.
• Weakest link? The photocopier… ...soon to be replaced.

Technology (2)

• Purpose-built administration database.
• Accounting software.
• Fast Internet service.
• Credit-card facilities in-house.
• Secure credit-card facilities online (not real-time).

Technology (3)

• Purpose-built user software (FundView and BreakOut).
• Purpose-built information collection software.
• Use of sophisticated web and database server, hosting our web site of static and dynamic pages.
• Static – about us, history etc.
• Dynamic – FundView and BreakOut, also maps showing where to find us.
• A variety of database formats including Access, Paradox, MySQL, dBase.

Staff expertise

We operate at a professional level, so we employ professionals with functional expertise.

• Data management, data development.
• Marketing.
• Accounting and administration.
• Strategic management.

Voluntary expertise

Board

• Strategic vision.

Focus groups

• Service development guidance from people in the field.

Feedback from users of our services.

Strategy

• Partnership.
• Alliance.
• Networking in the wider voluntary sector.
• Subscription targets.
• Research.

The information age

• In the entire history of humanity up until the end of 1999 the world has accumulated 12 exabytes of information.
• By the middle of 2002 the second dozen exabytes will have been created.
• How much is 12 exabytes?? A stack of floppy disks 24 million miles high
  - Source: University of California, Berkeley.

These figures are meaningless. A stack of floppy disks 24 million miles high is impossible to visualise. It’s too big.

The data held “on the Internet” is meaningless.

None of it is any use if you can’t extract what you want.

21^st Century People

• We know about information overload.
• We expect products and services to be highly configurable, to tailor them to our own needs and purposes.
• Our computers.
• Our home loans.
• Our fashions.
• Our education.

The Funding Information Service’s role is to continue to make funding information accessible to New Zealanders. We understand the need for tools to be configurable and updateable.

Ten years on

• Not just FundView and BreakOut.
• Specialised web programs that use the information we hold.
• At the forefront of information provision via libraries and universities
• Unique positions between grant seekers and grant makers.
• Opinion sought on issues affecting the funding sector and/or the community sector.
• Participation in forums for funders.
• Participation in discussion panels and/or presentations at conferences.

From fragmentation to unity

• From hundreds of sources to the most complete and comprehensive collection of funding information.
• From all over the place to one centralised database accessible from anywhere in the world.
• From expectation to realisation, making best use of technology.