We recently moved from Raiser's Edge into Tessitura and one thing we're trying to figure out is the best place to record actions that aren't part of any plan (like a note left at a performance or a thank you letter, and so on). For things like a staff member having lunch with a donor or prospect we can utilize the activities screen, but for other forms of contact we're unsure. Are there any other organizations that record actions not associated with a plan? Do you have any suggestions on the best place to store that information?
Thanks,Colleen
My team uses CSIs for these. In addition to what everybody else has already said, I can say that the multiple dropdown fields you get with CSIs (Contact Method, Category, Activity Type,) allow for more flexibility in reporting (out-of-the-box at least) than research notes or reminders. For example, we regularly report to our board on the number of in-person meetings recorded over a given time frame using the Customer Service Statistics report with our development-specific CSI categories and contact methods.