How can you create a community organizing database to track your contacts, activities, and outcomes?

1 Choose your platform

When choosing a platform for your data, there are many options to consider. Think about how much data you have and how often you update it, how many people need to access and edit the data, and what features you need such as filtering, sorting, reporting, or mapping. Additionally, you should consider the security and reliability of the platform and how easy it is to backup and export your data. Examples of platforms are Google Sheets, Airtable, NationBuilder, or CiviCRM. You can also combine platforms; for instance, using Google Forms to collect data and Google Sheets to store and analyze it.

2 Define your categories

The second step is to define your categories of data, such as contacts, activities, and outcomes. These are the main elements of your database that will help you track your progress and impact. You should decide what kind of information to capture for each category, such as a contact's name, phone number, email address, affiliation, role, interest, status, and more. Additionally, you should decide what kind of activities to track such as type, date, time, location, participants, agenda, notes and feedback. Finally, you should also define the outcomes you want to track like goals, indicators, achievements and challenges. Furthermore, you should define how you will link your categories by using unique IDs or references. For example, assign each contact a unique ID and use it to link them to the activities they participated in or the outcomes they contributed to.

3 Design your structure

The third step is to design your structure, or how you will organize your data in your platform. This depends on the features and limitations of your platform, as well as your preferences and needs. To structure your data, you can use tables with rows and columns to store and display data, forms with fields and questions to collect and input data, and views with different formats and layouts to show and edit data. Formulas, filters, charts, logic, validation, notifications, filters, sorts, and groups can all be used to manipulate and visualize your data. For example, a table could represent a category of data such as contacts or activities; a form could represent an activity or outcome such as a survey or report; and a view could represent a perspective or purpose of the data like a calendar or dashboard.

4 Populate your database

Populating your database with data is the fourth step. You can manually type or copy and paste your data into your platform, which is the simplest but most time-consuming method. Alternatively, you can use tools or integrations to sync or transfer your data from other sources, such as email, social media, or web. This is the fastest but most complex method and is suitable for large or frequent data entry. Lastly, you can use templates or scripts to generate or format your data from other inputs, such as text, voice, or images. This is the most flexible but most error-prone method and should be used for medium or varied data entry.

5 Maintain your database

The fifth step is to maintain your database, or keep it updated and accurate. You can use different practices to manage and improve your data quality, such as regularly reviewing it for errors, duplicates, or inconsistencies. Additionally, you should periodically archive outdated, irrelevant, or sensitive data according to your policies and regulations. Furthermore, you should frequently back up your data to another location or format securely to prevent data loss or corruption. Finally, you should continuously and collaboratively train yourself and others on how to use your database effectively and efficiently in order to enhance your skills and knowledge.

6 Use your database

The sixth and final step is to use your database, or leverage it for your community organizing goals. You can report, evaluate, and learn from your data in order to communicate it effectively. Summarizing and presenting your data with text, tables, charts, or graphics can help convey your message and story. Comparing and assessing your data against objectives, indicators, or benchmarks can help measure performance and impact. Extracting and applying insights and lessons from your data can help you make better decisions for future actions. Asking questions, gathering feedback, reflecting on results, and making recommendations can all help improve your practice and strategy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?