DonorExpress NewsLine

Hello From DonorExpress Software
This newsletter is a publication from the staff of DonorExpress Software. Our intention is to share with our DonorExpress users and other interested organizations valuable operational information along with TIPS on how to better use our software. We hope that you will look forward to receiving this newsletter. Please feel free to respond back with suggestions for future issues. Comments

Thought To Ponder

The difference between where we are (current status)
and where we want to be (vision and goals)
is what we do (target objectives and action plans).
National School Boards Association

Happy New Year
It is hard to believe that 2006 has come and gone. As we welcome in the New Year, we have a tendency to reflect on the past year and plan for the coming year. If you are like us, you can look back on last year and appreciate all you have accomplished in the past 12 months. We also look back with some regrets for the things we had hoped to get done but did not. The reality is that we are all very blessed. We at DonorExpress Software want to thank you for a great year and wish you the very best for the coming New Year.

Plan For The Coming Year
For many organizations January 1st marks the end of their year and the beginning of the New Year. This is a time to recap how the past year has gone and set new goals for the coming year. When I look back at the goals we set for ourselves last year, I realized how ambitious we were. Many of the goals we had planned are now a reality but there were many we were unable to complete. Being the optimist, I see the past year as a great success with what we did get accomplished. This past week we once again gave the coming year our best guess and set our goals for 2007. Have you done yours yet?

Why Set Yearly Goals
Many times your have heard us refer to Thinking From the End when it comes to setting goals and procedures. What we are talking about is developing the ability to see the end results first so you can then develop the steps to reach that goal. Many people have been frustrated in the past when it comes to projecting annual goals for many different reasons. But without a vision for the future, you end up "flying by the seat of your pants" where you are subject to being blown off course by the slightest breeze.

Thoughts For Setting Goals
When setting goals, be challenging but at the same time be realistic. State each goal in a positive statement. Be precise with your goals and include dates, times and amounts so that you can track achievement. Give each goal a priority to keep you focussed on the most important ones. And plan on paper. Write down you goals to crystallize them and give them more energy.

Summary
Goals are simply a clear statement of your visions. Setting goals is the first steps toward turning your dreams and ideas into a reality. Setting goals also has a tendency to commit you to a "can do" mentality.

DonorExpress TIP Of The Month
The creators of DonorExpress Software are very aware of how tedious the job of data entry can be. Our hats are off to these people for their job is truly a difficult task. Knowing this, we have tried to do whatever we can to make this job a little easier. A person who is very efficient on the keyboard loses time when they have to reach for the mouse so we have added some features like hot keys to help keep hands on the keyboard. Learning these short cuts can save a lot of time.

Hot Keys: On the Donor Entry screen you will notice that the labels for buttons and tabs have an Underlined letter. By holding down the Control key (Ctrl) and clicking the underlined letter you will perform that function. For example Ctrl and S will open the Donor Search screen.

Donation Date: On the Donation Entry screen you can increment the Donation Date by one day by clicking the + (+ or =) Key and decrease the date by clicking the - (- or _) key.

Pull-Downs: Any field that is a pull-down will start searching that field from the first key stroke. Once the correct entry is found, then tab to the next field. Many entries will be found with one or two key strokes.

DonorExpress Spotlight
Last year I had the pleasure to meet Nancy Church who is a Not for Profit Accounting consultant. Nancy's purpose is to help organizations that are struggling to manage the complexity of an ever-changing and challenging job. She has also written a book called Not-for-Profit Accounting: A Very Practical Manual for Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Finance Directors of Small Nonprofits which is available now as a .pdf or as a spiral-bound printed guidebook. To learn more about the great work Nancy is doing and her new book, visit her web site at www.NFPAccountingHelp.org. While there be sure to sign up for her bi-monthly Newsletter.

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Thank you for your time and interest in DonorExpress Software.
Bob Holder
DonorExpress Software
PO Box 1126
Boone, NC 28607
828.264.2577
info@donorexpress.com
www.donorexpress.com