The Donkey

Designed specifically for the volunteer tracking and campaign management needs of a field program, the Donkey Campaign and Volunteer Management System provides a straightforward and easy to use interface built on the very latest web technologies. Traditionally organizers lose valuable time and data by tracking some information in the voter file and resorting to spreadsheets (which get trashed after the campaign) for calling, scheduling and event building. The Donkey combines the flexibility of individual volunteer spreadsheets and the benefits of centralized scheduling and tracking for accountability and measurement of progress to goal.

The Donkey is not a voter file tool but instead is meant to compliment and integrate with an existing voter file solution such as the VAN (or other voter data tools such as Catalist). Every campaign should have access to a modern voter file, however there are limits on the extent to which data in those systems may be customized to the needs of each campaign. The Donkey is meant as a agile campaign and volunteer management tool which can be setup quickly on an as needed basis to specifically match the organization structure and needs of each campaign.

There are no other current applications for progressive campaigns that fill the same requirements as the Donkey. The best analogy for this system is a 'customer relationship management' or CRM tool, an integral type of sales and contact tracking tool in the corporate world. Existing field and online tools provide an excellent means of communication with large universes of individuals, but lack the precision to effectively manage volunteer data. The Donkey focuses on individual communications shaped around building a relationship with each volunteer rather than bulk voter contact.

Some key highlights of the volunteer management functionality include:

• Easy to use "call screens" offering instant access to information during call time - enter call mode from anywhere you see a list of volunteers.
• Advanced and highly usable calendar functionality (similar to Outlook or Google calendar).
• Complete tracking of any type of event, such as regular phone banks, large rallies and GOTV activities.
• Detailed tracking, searching, and reporting on all communications and scheduled activities for each volunteer.
• Completely custom organizational structure per campaign for flexibility and security.

Additionally, the Donkey is a campaign management tool as much as it is a volunteer database:

• Centralized system for collecting nightly status reports to ensure staff accountability.
• Real-time manger dashboard providing an up to the second summary of daily numbers and user activity.
• Live 'top callers' and 'top schedulers' sections foster competition among organizers.
• Upload and share documents to distribute scripts and talking points or other materials.