I think that Tessitura lists all of its clients on its web site.
Click here for the list. I suggest calling some comparably-sized organizations. However, in addition to picking names at random, you might want to call some organizations that have recently gone live, and some that have been live for at least two years. You'll have to ask Tessitura for those names.
Since all of Tessitura's clients are arts organizations, you might also ask for references on
Philanthropy News Digest's Arts Talk forum.
When you post a reference question on discussion lists, it's best to include enough information so that people can figure out whether they're in similar situations. A small theater is going to have different needs and resources than the Metropolitan Opera. I suggest including your:
[*]Operating Budget:
[*]Current Database Size (in records ):
[*]Number of end-users:
[*]Fundraising Activities Conducted: (e.g., direct mail, major gifts, newsletters, special events)
[*]Ticket Sales Issues:
[*]Functions Needed (briefly):
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You'll want to know:
[*]Is the system easy to use?
[*]Does it meet your needs?
[*]Does the system support financial reporting and retrieval of records in an easy and effective manner?
[*]How well does the system support gift processing and biographical updating?
[*]How well does it support major gift fundraising? Direct mail? Planned giving? Corporate and foundation fundraising? Email newsletters? Online giving? List segmentation? Reporting and analysis?
[*]How well does it support ticket sales?
[*]Does it allow you to understand the fundraising behavior of ticket buyers and the ticket purchases of donors? Can you get this information in one place or do you need to look in separate areas?
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Finally, if you decide to pursue Tessitura (or any other system of this type) further, I suggest visiting some client sites to see what it's really like to use it.
Robert