I would like to set up a database for a small chapter of a non-profit. I am software engineer that is pretty good at database design. However, I would like to leave it for non-technical people to manage. It doesn't have to be the fastest, and will not hold much information. The most important thing is having an easy user interface for DB designers and end users. I would like for it to be accessible via the web. I used Microsoft Access almost 20 years ago, and that was easy enough to understand. Something at that level, would be good. Also, I would like for it to be interoperable with some type of payment system so that if a user makes a payment, their information would end up in the database. I would like to do this with as little programming as possible. Are there any options out there that you can think of? Please let me know if you have any experience with anything like this. Thanks.
I run a database for a non-profit that manages their members, sends their emails, runs their websites, and feeds their app. We've tried to replace it with an off the shelf system but haven't found anything that comes close to what I've built over the last 14 years. My advice find out their "minimal viable product" - what they absolutely need to do. for us it was a) sign up members & renew them at Association level, send out membership cards from a central resource; b) allow the 20 Associations to manage their online presence with news items being sourced both locally and nationally. get a domain & shared hosting that comes with a control panel of some sort. Add SSL We don't have the control panel and it's a pain having to request simple changes like new email addresses but our host is fast and efficient so we live with it. Find an MVC framework that you like that has simple oauth built in and create your own site. I haven't looked for off the shelf scripts lately but last time I did the quality of the scripts available was so poor that DIY is better. Find an admin template that looks nice and use it for the layout part of the project. Non-tech users often can't see past "ugly" and are afraid of anything that looks "hard" but will be more confident with "pretty" even if it's the same damn form. Don't expect to get it right and be able to walk away, there will always be tweaks needed or whole chunks of new of functionality. Be prepared for bitching and to put the brakes on when their expectations exceed the time you have available.
I'm looking for something like Microsoft Access for a small law firm starting up from scratch, but available remotely for multiple users. Doesn't seem that easy to do. I'd prefer off-the-shelf or subscription rather than trying to build my own, since I've only used MySql for wordpress before!
Sorry, no such service comes to mind. You will need a front end (probably a CMS like Wordpress) which of-course is a web developer's job, and he will be able to integrate it with payment interface as well.
Dont know, if I get your issue here - as in I'm not sure, if you're really looking for a "cloud database" here.. If so I would recommend amazons aws as cloud host and then integrate Aiven as a fully managed database as it is quite userfriendly and can be used and understood by not so techy people. It can also be used for mySQL projects. But if you're really just actually looking for the CMS than I would also recommend Wordpress - also for its usability and addon features. Let me know, if I can help you further.