If you use a system that does not allow you to expand functions in the future (regardless of whether you use them now), you may be limiting yourself, as well as time and energy in the future. We also use the Past Perfect software for many functions at our small historical society. The software has just been updated to Past Perfect 4.0 and they are constantly improving the system. There is a complete membership function/tab that allows you to track lists, money, labels, etc. I use the system to track our collection management/accession records and overall, I am very happy with it. I have used FileMaker Pro as well, and I personally like Past Perfect better.

For more information, you could go to www.museumsoftware.com

We are a small cultural history museum. We purchased PastPerfect over a year ago and are in the process of entering approx. 800 names into its membership component. Previously, our membership was simply kept track of in a MS mailing file and on rolodex cards! Although we haven’t really used the membership component of PastPerfect yet (we are still entering data), we purchased the program for its multi-use aspect. We have already entered the titles in our research library into its library component. Both the membership and library projects are serving as “pilot projects” before we tackle the huge job of transferring over our accession records into PastPerfect’s objects section.

So far, entering the membership data has gone fairly smoothly. The one disadvantage the data entry person has commented on is the need to go to more than one screen to enter the data for a single person. As she said, “if you cold only enter the data from the browse screen where you can display all the variables for a single person”. Perhaps this is fairly standard for any membership database?

Lisa Renken

Director

Lompoc Museum

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Diane Gutenkauf
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 7:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Membership management software

In August I become the membership chair for a professional committee and am interested in purchasing software to manage membership records. Our group has about 850 members and we're currently tracking them in a spreadsheet program.

We don't need to link the membership database to anything else (such as ticketing or donor databases) so I'm interested in recommendations from smaller organizations who manage relatively similar membership sizes.

If you use a software package specifically designed to manage membership, would you mind letting me know what that package is?

Thanks in advance to all of you using database software (access, filemaker, etc.) but I'm really more interested in an off-the-shelf package, not a database. I've got access free, like a good MS client, and don't want to use it.

Regards,

Diane Gutenkauf

NAME Membership Chair-heir apparent

[log in to unmask]

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information:

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).