NGP VAN Reviews

NGP VAN- The Only Choice for Campaigns

Comments: Very positive overall, it maintains all of the lists, data, call, knock, and text data as well as valuable targeting information.

Pros:

The platform is a fundamental tool to every campaign whether it be fundraising or canvassing, it is the most essential software a team can have when trying to win elections.

Cons:

The interface continues to be clunky and somewhat difficult to navigate for new users. It functions first as a database as opposed to an active management tool.

Our Path to Victory

Pros:

NGP VAN’s extensive voter data collection, analysis and microtargeting capacity enables [SENSITIVE CONTENT] personally to identify supporters about 5,000 doors, and collect the votes he needs to consistently win his district 60%-40%. Absolutely essential and very highly recommended.

Cons:

Data compartmentalization, although obviously necesary, can be a barrier to more effective utilization of the technology.

My first month with NGP VAN

Comments: The Help Desk is not helpful. As a new customer, my campaign manager and I needed a lot of reassurance and handholding, because the learning curve is steep. A natural place to start seemed to be at the Help Desk. Unfortunately, this was: (1) not live (it is via an online work order; (2) not necessarily prompt; (3) as often as not referred me and my campaign manager back to the written documentation, which too often was not helpful --and which we had typically already accessed and found it wanting. We simply stopped using the non-helpful Help Desk. My distinct impression was that my time was a lot less valuable than the Help Desk personnel time. Most of my questions could have been answered in a minute or two by an expert; instead, I was directed to online materials that took a long time to plow through, and often didn't answer the question. Now for the good news: the thrice-weekly Zoom sessions with [sensitive content hidden] have been CRITICAL to our going forward with NGP8. They know their subject matter cold, are patient and excellent communicators, and are able to provide quick, definitive solutions to problems. It gives me great comfort to know that they are there and accessible. I STRONGLY suggest that NGP clients be directed to them immediately in the onboarding process, and in fact recommend that it be a requirement that all newbies have an early-on get-to-know-you session with the Zoom team. This would short-circuit a lot of frustration and, frankly, anger with NGP. We shouldn't have had to suffer buyer's remorse and be on the verge of bailing on NGP. Fortunately, we got past that.
A suggestion: Consider having a "Suggestion" box, perhaps right on the user splash page. I know there have been several times with [sensitive content hidden] that they've said, "Yes, I see what the problem is and we'll talk with our team about changing that." It would be good to know that there is an embedded process for change and improvement... ideally, with feedback so that the person who made the suggestion could be apprised of follow-up. This would yield great buy-in from clients, since they'd now be a part of the 'development team' and would see that their input is important. Moreover, there is simply no better source of improvement than feedback from end-users.
NGP VAN is a great product, but is bedeviled by its rather outdated front end that is apparently layered on legacy design and nomenclature that made sense 10 or 15 years ago. It shouldn't take weeks of frustration to be at the point where you're confident that you made a good choice. And good software design shouldn't demand that a new user learn a non-intuitive front end. A suggestion: Have an alert, non-defensive site navigation team, good listeners, sit side-by-side with a few new clients and watch as they take their first baby steps with NGP8. Too often what is intuitive to engineers and experienced users is in fact counter-intuitive to new users.
The integration with ActBlue is really great, and critical to the utility of NGP8.

Pros:

It is comprehensive. The scope is remarkable, and I really appreciate the work that went into building it. It also appears to be pretty bomb-proof; it hasn't crashed on me yet. The best part of it has been the initial onboarding person ([sensitive content hidden]) with a special callout to [sensitive content hidden]. See my comments below about how critical they have been to successfully navigating the onboarding process.

Cons:

It starts with the name. NGP vs. NGP VAN vs. NGP8...this single example pretty much sums up the nomenclature and relationship confusion. It was not at all evident the flow of information between the various entities, between VoteBuilder-MyCampaign-MiniVAN-NGP VAN...and that NGP VAN is the same as NGP8. There needs to be a wholesale review of naming conventions and definitions. (Too often the definitions don't conform to standard English or are inconsistent--e.g., "Delete" can mean 'delete from a form or from a search result,' or it can mean 'delete the record from the database.') There should never be confusion about what is going to happen when you push a "delete" button. That is just one example of dozens.

County Party Struggles

Comments: Have been working in VAN since 2014 when I started using it as a Battleground Texas volunteer. Shifted what we learned to using VAN for the local county party. The data base was a mess! Worked diligently to improve the database, to try to get others (including other rural county parties) to use VAN, have given feedback from field use (often dismissed by the Texas Democratic Party's data team...which has had good and not-so-good people...which should be all about customer service and coaching, but mostly has tried to fit square pegs in round holes), coach other users as much as my experience allows. I continue to have issues that aren't addressed....back bulk uploads that resulted in bad data but that TDP wouldn't or couldn't back out, awareness of bad vendor phone numbers being placed ahead of good phone numbers collected directly from voters, and right now the SWITCH option has been removed so that I am unable to switch to other neighboring counties' VAN access to help their county chairs with projects (have filed two help tickets....but heard nothing...and there are no longer any phone numbers to reach any data team members with problems, everything is only through help tickets).

Pros:

As voter database and tracking of contact is could shine! As a tool it is far more than any rural county party could do for themselves, so it needs to be used to its fullest (but isn't).

Cons:

...but when used exclusively by volunteers, we can't get the continuity going. Without everyone using it, the input is sporadic and incomplete. There needs to be better coaching from the state party in how a rural county party can and should use VAN, with regular projects designed FOR RURAL COUNTIES (with county party input on the projects)....then deadlines and followup. Tying the why we do something to the results and analysis of what we learn each go-around (and how to track progress from election cycle to election cycle...in our RED county).

NGP VAN is an extremely helpful tool

Comments: I've used NGP VAN for a couple of years, and we are actively using this program now prior to the March Primary Elections.
Being able to identify registered Democrats, and canvass them is a modern miracle. Just this week we used NGP VAN to perform a literature distribution (lit drop) encouraging folks to vote early if they can, or vote on Election Day. We put together door hanger bags with voting dates and times, info on President Biden's accomplishments, voting locations, and a list of candidates running for State and local offices.
NGP VAN offers so many resources like names and addresses, actual maps and directions to these homes. It includes video instructions for the program's use as well. We can cover large areas of our county and are prepared to ask for residents by name, which makes the first encounter go smoothly. Thank you for giving us this very valuable tool. M Davis 2nd Vice Chair & Volunteer Coordinator

Pros:

I like NGP VAN's accuracy and multiple options. There are different maps to help with locating an address. The screens switch smoothly from one to another, no lag time at all, as long as you have internet connection. Even in our small, rural mountain town we have very few problems. I can't always say that about some programs.

Cons:

You need some training, and actual experience, using this program, to maximize its use. NGP VAN can do so many things that it takes using it, with some instruction, to comprehend all it can do.

Satisfied but could use some improvements

Pros:

The Virtual Phonebank feature. After the trial and errors of creating script elements prior to actually putting it all together in your final script, being able to launch the phonebank session and send to callers via hyperlink is very convenient. Also, the reports that could be pulled from events, surveys, calls and canvassing made end of campaign reporting not so stressful.

Cons:

Bulk uploads are so finicky. If contact phone numbers are not in a particular format they are rejected and causes me clean and re-attempt several times. There is also an inconsistency in the data at times: I will create a list of contacts that were called (Contact Type: phone) and get one number but when I use the report manager sometimes the data doesn't match. I attest to maybe duplicate calls to same phone being shared by different contacts. But that is not the only inconsistency in the data.

Getting better, but fails at on some critical features.

Comments: VAN is like living with a completely overbred Siamese cat. It can be lovely most days, but at critical times, it WILL put a hairball in your shoes.

Pros:

It's a pretty robust database. We've learned to use these data to better support our political campaigns. We're a SMALL Democratic organization, so candidates are learning Mini Van, and I'm the only who uses VAN.

Cons:

That it can FAIL, and FAIL BADLY on election day. I didn't enjoy being screamed at by our Vice Chair because we could NOT chase people via phone who hadn't voted. The data were to update hourly, removing people who had voted, and nope, this did NOT happen. We used a simpler search, and then texted everyone who supposedly hadn't voted (thank you Scale to WIN, which is lovely), with lots of people who responded that "they had voted." BOO!

Helpful Analytic Platform

Comments: Overall it is positive. I think a lot of my criticism of the platform comes from the administrators I have access through. There are a lot of levels of access and gaining the right level of access while maintaining proper security is cumbersome at times. But overall VAN is very helpful with a vast majority of the analytical work I need to do for the organization.

Pros:

The ability to create snapshots of areas quickly - e.g. after the most recent election we used VAN to analyze how various groups of voters performed around our various districts. This would have taken significant time before we were using VAN but now it was no more than an afternoon and did not need to wait for anyone outside our organization to get us data.

Cons:

The interface. I think an overhaul to the interface would allow for used to unlock more of what VAN has to offer.

Contact

Pros:

The internet processing and the phone number is still in my place I don’t know what to do with the other phone number

Cons:

Slow To with the new number of you guys at work and I wanna I gotta get you some good time to go home then go get it done so you don’t need me and you can give it back to me and then I’ll throw you a phone call me if you wanna or not I’m just waiting on you to call him and tell him you got the money I got you some money for me

Voter info but limited

Pros:

Generally has good VAN has the state voter information.

Cons:

VAN does not have all voter information and sometimes information is incorrect.

Review from a Red District

Comments: As a Candidate in a very small dollar campaign with a district hundreds of miles in size, it was invaluable to have a tool like NPG VAN that also syncs to the phone app

Pros:

Can access the entire district, create large lists and then add filters to get more targeted results

Cons:

Unfortunately some information is outdated, and the lack of email addresses (especially when so many are registered for VBM and have provided them to the SOE's) and the unreliable phone data is a hindrance.

Enthusiastic VAN User

Comments: Most recently we are using VAN to support local candidates in the upcoming May 6 election. We are using it to generate lists for block walking, text campaigns, postcard campaigns, and phone banking.

Pros:

As a volunteer political activist, I find VAN invaluable in every aspect. We use it to identify like-minded voters in our relational outreach campaigns. It is robust and easy to use. The support staff is knowledgeable and responds quickly whenever I have a question.

Cons:

I'm having a hard time thinking of anything I don't like. I personally find it easy to use but I suppose users who skew older might think it's a little complicated. But their support staff is great, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Mobile Messaging

Pros:

Bulk Upload Feature Wizard Function yes.

Cons:

Maine Democratic Party needs mobile messaging to send bulk texts with opt-out and data sync functionality.

NPG VAN is essential for political campaign

Comments: Useful, but difficult to learn. I still make phone calls to more experienced users when I do something new with it.

Pros:

The data is useful and updated in a timely way. Entering data is adequate, manipulating data is good. (But learning curve to use it is steep.) --- Mini Van is easy for a novice user to begin using it quickly, with little training. Unpaid volunteers are important to campaigns, the software needs to be easy to use to keep them volunteering.

Cons:

There is a steep learning curve on how to use NPG VAN. Training is inadequate. To successfully learn to use it needs someone who has been using it to do the individual training, we are counting on the goodwill of others. --- Mini-VAN has trouble with the map function, suddenly all the voters residences often disappear from the map. this happens at least 3 times during a 2 hour canvass. It's frustrating. We rely on unpaid volunteers, any frustration means they may not come and volunteer again.

Votebuilder: Necessary for Activists.

Comments: Since the Kerry/Edwards election, I have used online tracking for our volunteers and voters. As it developed into VAN, we enjoyed expanded criteria and additional abilities. To create turf, access to voting records and much more, this program works. I'm so glad to have "The VAN" again in North Carolina, as we did in Florida.

Pros:

VBuilder creates a good overview of the voter. It helps us gauge their intent, activity and sincerity levels so we better "know who we're working with". Scores, Others in Household, etc. are valuable for a clearer vision of our potential volunteer.Creating turfs, etc. are instrumental in directing our canvassers, as well. Overall, a really good system.

Cons:

It 'times out' too quickly. By the time I copy and past some information and return it often needs my sign-in again. I do understand this as a vital deterrent for unwanted users, so no complaint. Would be good if it could have just a little longer active time.

Voter Database is integral to our outreach

Pros:

The ability to target specific demographics or geographical areas is critical to our success

Cons:

Needs more flexibility when establishing scripts for phone, text, or walk campaigns.

Keep up with Compliance Requriments!

Pros:

NGP VAN contains LOTS of useful tools for a local political organization. I like the homepage, and updating activist information is easy.

Cons:

We rely on NGP VAN as our primary tool for complying with the state regulatory authority. When the state regulatory changed its systems in March 2023, NGP VAN's form populator started injecting nonsensical data. Manual override is difficult to implement, and it has nearly overwhelmed our treasurer (a volunteer). Customer support blames the state regulatory authority, while offering no solutions or even a timeline for expected solutions. We're approaching the start of the third month of this frustration. We need better from NGP VAN.

NGP VAN is essential for every political NGO

Comments: For all its quirks and issues, NGP VAN is pretty great. It may not be the most efficient way to store data, lookup key metrics, or conduct political outreach but almost every progressive organization in the business uses this software, so I highly recommend it to anyone hoping to get in the game, so to speak. I personally have been using the platform since my first job out of college.

Pros:

I love that it is a one stop shop for all things essential to a political/nonprofit campaign. From donor tracking, volunteer management, and event planning, NGP VAN can do just about anything. I like that if I am searching for demographic data, then I can source that information from the software almost instantly, which in turn can provide reliable metrics to our paid media team for use of digital tactics, as an example.

Cons:

I am not a fan of NGP VAN's customer support. With this platform, I believe that having a person on the line to walk me through this CRM would be a blessing. They have a VANuel on their support page but I don't think it is enough. I would appreciate it if they added videos or tutorials for some of the basics for junior staff.

So Many Billing Issues

Pros:

The actual features of the program are fine. I do wish that it was easier to resend emails to non-openers of previous emails.

Cons:

The billing situation has been a mess for years. Sometimes invoices sent, other times not before credit card is charged. Issues with multiple billings for same account.

VAN from a Precinct Chair Leader point of view

Comments: I am continually looking for new Precinct Chairs and VAN is critical in this search.

Pros:

Ability to find potential activists and volunteers. Ability to see how reliable a voter a person is. Ability to see how the person identifies themself.

Cons:

It can be difficult to learn. It makes it harder to train new Precinct Chairs when different levels of users see different views of VAN. For example, I do not understand why Precinct Chairs cannot see Scores.

Why I use NGP Van

Comments: I'm pretty pleased with NGP overall. However, one of my Campaign Finance Reports had multiple statutory warnings that where correctly entered in NGP.

Pros:

I use NGP Van because of the ease of uploading the ActBlue donations, and the easy Campaign Finance Report filing. I am the Treasurer for four State Representative Candidates and a State Political Organization. I would not be a Candidate Treasurer unless we would use NGP VAN. I find the support team very responsive and knowledgable about the product.

Cons:

I would like to have more instruction when filling out the Cycles and Limits as well as the Disclosure Report itself.

Take Your Political Game to A New Level

Comments: Targeting, Polling, Finance, General Dem pictures, Redistricting, and more

Pros:

After over 10 years of use with the product on committees from Obama for America, DCCC or Pennsylvania Democrats - I’ve witnessed a consistent dedication to ease-of-use, functionality, and technological advancement all combined with a true Democratic Party partner’s desire to maintain affordable cost for a more widespread use. It’s truly revolutionized Democratic politics.

Cons:

Improvements could included possible integrations with other programs or platforms from DDX to LBJ etc

We need some customer service, please.

Pros:

Integration into systems has been beneficial.

Cons:

Customer Service is dearly lacking and we've gotten no response to our inquiries in MONTHS. Also the online fundraising form is not as convenient as Act Blue.

Need to increase functionality

Pros:

Not much, the data is outdated many times because other users aren't updating and saving their responses. System needs to be tied in directly to Secretary of State updates in each state.

Cons:

Not enough cross tabs to micro target by race, or economic status

The best on the market, but not good.

Pros:

For what it does, there is not a better competitor to NGP VAN. It is the most comprehensive database available for Democratic campaigns and is standardized to a point where almost anyone you talk to in the industry has familiarity with it.

Cons:

The interface is unintuitive and slow, the data is often out of date, and repeat processes are tedious, lead to errors, and borderline infuriating. Customer service is lackluster and often outsourced to party members without real expertise with the software.