PowerBaseThe Database for Community Organizers

FAQs

1. When will PowerBase be available?
2. What about voter data?
3. Will it generate walksheets?
4. If the New York Times calls and wants a quote immediately from one of our members working on a particular issue, will we be able to create a list of possible contacts with the push of a button?
5. Will PowerBase be sufficiently better than our existing database to make it worth the trouble of switching?
6. How difficult will it be to use?
7. How does PowerBase integrate with our website?
8. What about technical support and training?
9. How long will the data transfer take? Will we be without a functioning database for any period of time?
10. You said PowerBase is open source, right? So that means we can download it and set it up ourselves?
11. We’re not like the other organizing groups. We need something different. Does it do …..?

1. Rating: -1

   

   When will PowerBase be available?

   We hope to roll out PowerBase in the first quarter of 2010. Our ability to keep to that timeline depends primarily on our ability to raise sufficient funding. Our goal is to work closely with 50 groups each year through 2012. We anticipate that using PowerBase, groups will be able to take on large scale integrated voter engagement projects in 2011 and 2012.

2. Rating: +1

   

   What about voter data?

   PowerBase is built to manage the membership side of voter engagement work and is designed to interact easily with voter files. We are currently working on the integration between PowerBase and Voter Activation Network (VAN) software, and we have plans to integrate with other voter data providers as well.

3. Rating: +1

   

   Will it generate walksheets?

   Yes, PowerBase will be able to generate all the standard outputs that community organizers use, including walksheets, labels, and phone lists, and it allows users to produce canvass sheets as well. Additionally, dues and donation tracking is easy, since PowerBase can track payment levels and payments over time.

4. Rating: +1

   

   If the New York Times calls and wants a quote immediately from one of our members working on a particular issue, will we be able to create a list of possible contacts with the push of a button?

   Yes, PowerBase makes it possible to create a list of contacts who are working on a given issue. The ease with which you will be able to do this depends on whether you use PowerBase to track member information, leadership levels, and issue interests, as well as participation history. PowerBase will have the capacity to record all of these things.

5. Rating: -1

   

   Will PowerBase be sufficiently better than our existing database to make it worth the trouble of switching?

   Yes. PowerBase goes beyond what existing databases can do because it was designed with community organizers’ needs in mind. It is a web-based platform and is easily accessible by multiple people in multiple sites. It tracks leadership levels and progress of membership over time. We’re designing it to be user friendly, and it will evolve over time to reflect the emerging needs of community organizers.

6. Rating: +1

   

   How difficult will it be to use?

   Our goal is that PowerBase will be easier to use than whatever you’re using now. Of course, there will be a learning period for PowerBase adopters because any transition from one technology to another requires an adjustment in the way things are done.

   Ease of use is one of PTP’s highest priorities for a workable community organizing database, and we’re committed to making PowerBase intuitive and easy. To make this happen, we’ve solicited deep engagement and input from community organizers in our pilot phase to create the most functional and effective database possible.

   To learn more about the details of what PowerBase can do, visit our Features section.

7. Rating: +1

   

   How does PowerBase integrate with our website?

   PowerBase can serve as a front-end for your online organizing strategies, by helping you collect information on contacts, event registrations, volunteer recruitment, and newsletter signups. In fact, it's possible to design all kinds of online forms that feed into PowerBase.

   And the nice thing about PowerBase is that although it’s built in Drupal, it doesn't tie you into using any particular content management system (CMS).

8. Rating: +0

   

   What about technical support and training?

   PTP will be supporting PowerBase in many ways. We are currently exploring the creation of a parallel entity called PTP Services that would work with PTP to provide the on-going technical assistance groups may need to take full advantage of PowerBase over time. PTP will be primarily responsible for training and capacity-building. PTP Services will provide the on-going technical assistance.

   We will provide technical assistance and support, including the following:

   • data-cleaning
   • importing
   • hosting
   • back-up
   • troubleshooting
   • capacity building trainings
   • strategic integration consulting

9. Rating: +0

   

   How long will the data transfer take? Will we be without a functioning database for any period of time?

   The amount of time it takes to transfer data varies from group to group because it depends on the current state of your data. Most organizations have data in multiple places, in formats that don’t exactly match. Some may have data that isn’t particularly ‘clean.’ These differences will all impact the speed with which you can get up and running on PowerBase.

   The shift to PowerBase won’t halt your work, but it will affect it. We’ll work with you to identify a time to transition to PowerBase in a way that has minimal impact, but you should expect and plan for some downtime – even when things go smoothly, you’re still making a large transition.

10. Rating: +1

    

    You said PowerBase is open source, right? So that means we can download it and set it up ourselves?

    That’s correct. PowerBase is indeed open source, based on CiviCRM which is also open source. You’re welcome to download PowerBase, and you’ll be able to once we get out of the pilot and into the rollout of PowerBase. If you decide to go that route, here’s a checklist of things you’ll need to address:

    Hosting : you may or may not be able to install PowerBase on your current host

    Backup: how will you backup PowerBase?

    Data cleaning, conversion, and transfer : you’ll need to get your data together, get it cleaned, and import it into PowerBase yourself

    Training: once you’ve got your data into PowerBase, you’ll need to learn it so you can teach the rest of your staff how to use it

    Technical assistance: there will be problems – there always are – and you’ll need to have a plan for how you’ll address those problems with your staff

    The point here is that while PowerBase is open source, there’s a difference between PowerBase the database, and PTP’s PowerBase Project, which supports your use of the database.

11. Rating: +0

    

    We’re not like the other organizing groups. We need something different. Does it do …..?

    The funny thing about technology is that features don’t map well to yes/no answers – what one person sees as a ‘yes’ another person can view as ‘sort of’ or ‘not really.’ So, we’ll be posting a detailed feature list to accompany the demo, but we also encourage you to get in touch with us if you have specific questions. Development is being driven by the needs we hear from participants and other organizers from the field, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, let us know.

    One more thing: organizing is organizing. We’ve observed over the years that many groups think they’re different from other groups because they organize with different communities on different issues. However, we’ve found that the database requirements of organizing groups are actually pretty similar.

Still have questions?  Contact PTP for more answers.