We look at the common donations coding mistakes that nonprofits and fundraisers make within their donor database management. - Inconsistently using data entry fields​ - Making codes up at the time of data entry​ - Using the same code across multiple fields​ - Not having a way to link the fundraising database codes to the finance system codes​ - Not representing the fundraising plan in the database​

1. Database Coding
Masterclass
Tracking your Fundraising Success

2. I’m going to demonstrate the process
of developing a donations coding
structure for your organization’s
fundraising database.

3. Why is this significant to fundraising?

4. Two Types of Data:
1. Donor Data 2. Donations Data

5. Today we will focus on Donations Data
GOAL:
A clear set of codes that correspond to your fundraising plan
and allow you to report back on your progress

6. Terminology for Donations fields
• Fund = What you are raising money for / what the money raised is put
towards.
• Campaign = How you're raising money at a high level. The major
philanthropic initiatives your organization undertakes.
• Appeal = The specific activities you use to raise money.

7. Common Donations Coding Mistakes:
1. Inconsistentlyusing data entry fields
2. Making codes up at the time of data entry
3. Using the same code across multiple fields
4. Not having a way to link the fundraising database codes to the finance
systemcodes
5. Not representing the fundraising plan in the database

8. Example Fundraising Plan
Activities you use to
raise funds (Appeal)
Budget How you raise funds
(Campaign)
Gift Type What we're raising
money for (Fund):
Direct Mail &
Digital Giving Tuesday
$25,000 Donations fromindividuals One-time Gifts
Monthly Gifts
General Operating
Support
Leadership Giving Circle $100,000 Major gifts One-time Gifts
Recurring Gifts /
Pledges
General and/or
Specific Programs X
Grantwriting $100,00 Foundation grants Specific Programs Y
Virtual Gala $50,000 Special event revenue Tickets
Auction
Donations
Sponsorships
General Operating
Support
5K Run $25,000 Registrations
Donations
Bequests $10,000 Planned gifts Special Projects

9. How do we translate this ⬇️ into this ➡️
Activitiesyou useto
raise funds(Appeal)
Budget How you raise funds
(Campaign)
Gift Type What we're raising money for
(Fund):
Direct Mail &
Digital Giving Tuesday
$25,000 Donations from
individuals
One-time Gifts
Monthly Gifts
GeneralOperating Support
Leadership Giving Circle $100,00
0
Major gifts One-time Gifts
Recurring Gifts /
Pledges
Generaland/or SpecificPrograms X
Grant writing $100,00 Foundation grants Specific Programs Y
Virtual Gala $50,000 Specialeventrevenue Tickets
Auction
Donations
Sponsorships
GeneralOperating Support
5K Run $25,000 Registrations
Donations
Bequests $10,000 Plannedgifts SpecialProjects

10. What you're raising money for – AKA Fund
What we're raising
money for:
Becomes Fund
General Operating
Support
General Fund
ProgramX Specific Program X Fund
ProgramY Specific Program Y Fund
Special Projects Innovation Fund
Capital Fund
Endowment Fund
Restricted Fund
Etc.

11. How you're raising money (high level) – AKA Campaign
FundraisingStrategies Becomes Campaign
Donations fromindividuals IndividualGiving(IG)
Major Gifts Major Gifts (MG)
Foundation grants Foundation Giving(FG)
Special Events Special Events (SE)
Planned Giving Planned Giving(PG)

12. The activitiesyou use to raise money – AKA Appeal
FundraisingActivities Becomes Appeal
Direct Mail Holiday IG – Direct Mail Holiday2020
IG – Direct Mail Spring2021
Digital Giving Tuesday IG – GivingTuesday
Leadership Giving Circle MG – Leadership Giving
Grantwriting FG – FoundationGrant
Virtual Gala SE – At Night at Home Gala 2020
5K Run SE – Run for Fun 2021
Bequests PG – Bequests

13. Campaign & Appeal Hierarchy
Campaign Appeal
IndividualGiving (IG) IG – Direct Mail Holiday2020
IG – Direct Mail Spring2021
IG – GivingTuesday
Major Giving (MG) MG – Leadership Giving
Foundation Giving (FG) FG – FoundationGrant
Special Events (SE) SE – At Night at Home Gala 2020
SE – Run for Fun 2021
Planned Giving (PG) PG – Bequests

14. How money was raised
Campaign Appeal
IndividualGiving (IG) IG – Direct Mail Holiday2020
IG – Direct Mail Spring2021
IG – GivingTuesday
Major Giving (MG) MG – Leadership Giving
Foundation Giving (FG) FG – FoundationGrant
Special Events (SE) SE – At Night at Home Gala 2020
SE – Run for Fun 2021
Planned Giving (PG) PG – Bequests
Fund
General Fund
ProgramX Fund
ProgramY Fund
Innovation Fund
Capital Fund
Endowment Fund
Restricted Fund
Etc.
What it is raised for

15. Sample Donations – December 2020
Donor ID First
Name
Last Name Amount Donation
Date
Appeal Campaign Fund Gift Type
1012 Anne LeMesurier $50 2020-12-01 IG- Giving
Tuesday
Individual
Giving
General
Fund
One-Time
Donation
1013 Cathy Mann $5000 2020-12-05 MG – Leadership
Circle
Major Giving Project X Pledge
Payment
1045 Nicole Beatty $600 2020-12-01 IG – Giving
Tuesday
Individual
Giving
General
Fund
One-Time
1031 Jackie Black $100 2020-12-01 IG-Giving
Tuesday
Individual
Giving
General
Fund
Monthly
1032 Elvis Presley $250 2020-12-02 SE – Night at
Home Gala 2020
Special
Events
General
Fund
Ticket
1035 Minnie Mouse $250 2020-12-02 SE – Night at
Home Gala 2020
Special
Events
General
Fund
Ticket
1035 Minnie Mouse $50 2020-12-02 SE – Night at
Home Gala 2020
Special
Events
General
Fund
One-Time
Donation
TOTALS: $6,300

16. How much money has been raised for each fund?
Sample Donations – By Fund - Totals
December 2020
Fund Totals December 2020
General Fund $1,300
ProjectX Fund $5,000
Totals $6,300

17. Where is our fundraising revenue coming from?
Sample Donations – By Campaign - Totals
December 2020
Campaign Totals December 2020
IndividualGiving $750
Major Giving $5,000
Special Events $550
Foundation Giving
Planned GIving
Totals $6,300

18. How much did we raise on Giving Tuesday & from what donors?
Donations by Appeal = IG-Giving Tuesday - Detail
December 2020
Donor ID First
Name
Last Name Amount Donation
Date
Campaign Fund Gift Type
1012 Anne LeMesurier $50 2020-12-01 Individual
Giving
General
Fund
One-Time
Donation
1045 Nicole Beatty $600 2020-12-01 Individual
Giving
General
Fund
One-Time
1031 Jackie Black $100 2020-12-01 Individual
Giving
General
Fund
Monthly
TOTALS: $750

19. Common Questions:
• How do you distinguishbetweentypes of Special Event revenue?
• In our example, we had multiple types of purchase options for events:
• Tickets
• Auction
• Donations
• Registrations
• Sponsorships
Campaign Appeal
Individual Giving (IG) IG – Direct Mail Holiday 2020
IG – Direct Mail Spring 2021
IG – Digital Giving Tuesday 2020
Major Giving (MG) MG – Leadership Giving
Foundation Giving (FG) FG – Foundation Grant
Special Events (SE) SE – At Night at Home Gala 2020
SE – Run for Fun 2021
Planned Giving (PG) PG – Bequests

20. Common Questions:
• How do you distinguishbetweentypes of Special Event revenue?
• Two possible options:
Use another donation field like gift type Include in Appeals
Campaign Appeal Type / Custom
Field
Special Events
(SE)
SE – Night at Home Gala 2020 Ticket
Auction Purchase
Donation
Sponsorship
SE – Run for Fun 2021 Registration
Donation
Campaign Appeal
Special Events (SE) SE – Night at Home 2020 - Tickets
SE – Night at Home 2020 - Auction
Purchase
SE – Night at Home 2020 - Donation
SE – Night at Home 2020 - Sponsorship
SE – Run for Fun 2021 - Registration
SE – Run For Fun 2021 - Donation

21. Common Questions:
• We use 'Online' as an Appeal Code to track all online gifts. How do
we distinguishbetweendifferentcampaigns or appeals that receive
gifts online?
• Two important fields – Source & Payment Method.
• Source can be used to track specific platforms where transaction occurred.
• Payment method can be used to identify the exact payment method and/or a
combination of source and payment method.

22. Common Questions:
• How do we use the database to hold ourselvesaccountableto
donors who donate to a certain project or program?
• That highlights the importance of having distinct funds and tracking donations
accordingly.
• We often see groups allocating every donation to a 'General Fund' as a catch
all.

23. Common Questions:
• Looking back over the years, we have hundreds of inconsistent
historic codes. What should we do?
• See if you can gain insight from the codes you do have and try to change them
to fit your new structure.
OR
• Draw a line in the sand and start fresh.

24. OTHER QUESTIONS?

25. Thank you!!