For many nonprofits, getting donor data under control seems like an insurmountable task. Multiple databases, multiple departments using data differently, and multiple tools to manage data – it’s no wonder it can be overwhelming. How can a nonprofit get their data organized, centralized, and accessible enough so that fundraisers and other personnel can use it actionably?
7. PAGE
7
#NPProWebinar
Honor donor intent & provide better stewardship
Goals of the Data Consolidation Project
Maximize business efficiency –
Reduce administrative costs & local administrative support
Centralize mass marketing & donor data
Focus on major gift fundraising – raise more money!
1
2
3
4
10. PAGE
10
#NPProWebinar
Increased Organizational Efficiency
No need for multiple
data administrators
Easier to pull
accurate reporting
Less redundancy
in donor
communications
Cuts costs
Facilitates better
understanding of who major
gift priority donors are
12. PAGE
12
#NPProWebinar
Make Communication a Priority
Managing culture
Mitigate loss of control
Build relationships with people
close to the data
Share information and
establish benefits
Remember: Communication is a two-way street
Evaluation and feedback phase after
implementation
13. PAGE
13
#NPProWebinar
Create & Align Shared Goals
Keep the Bigger Picture in Focus
How do you want the data consolidation
to help your fundraising?
How will you use the data
once consolidated?
What will be gained from consolidating it?
Who will benefit from consolidation?
What processes will be in place to
optimize the data usage?
What is the ROI and risk of the data
renovation project?
15. PAGE
15
#NPProWebinar
Create a Leadership Structure
Project leader – vision and direction
Identify local team leads and supporting personnel
Matrix communication structure
Establish a leadership structure at the local level
18. PAGE
18
#NPProWebinar
Database Hygiene Challenges
DATABASES WON’T ALWAYS ROLL INTO ONE ANOTHER CLEANLY
Donor Name Phone Email Constituency Code Notes
Bill Johnson 555-5555 Major Donor
Donor Name Cell Phone Home Phone Donation Level Attribute
Bill M. Johnson 444-4444 $1k-$5k Major Donor
? ?
DATABASE 1
DATABASE 2
19. PAGE
19
#NPProWebinar
Database Hygiene Challenges
Fund Designation
DATABASE 1
Disaster Relief
Suppression Code Mail 6x/year
Mail 4x /year
Mail 2x/year
Mail 1x/year
Do not mail
Fund Designation
DATABASE 2
Disaster Relief Fund
Suppression Code Mail 8x/year
Mail 3x/year
Mail only for year-end
and for disasters
Do not solicit
21. PAGE
21
#NPProWebinar
Database Hygiene:
Establish Data Quality Rules
Lay out your business rules on how to handle data
Field knowledge is critical for this piece
Based on overall vision of how marketing and
fundraising will use the data
Plan for every scenario
Establish rules around
centralization
Standardize and prioritize
naming conventions
Gift codes, attributes,
salutations, gift designations
22. PAGE
22
#NPProWebinar
Create a Data Consolidation Template
Purpose: Comprehensive
tool to capture all data in
single location
Format: Simple Excel file
Single template
Set of templates
Biographical, attributes,
gift data
Transfer consolidated data
into template, for use in
central database
24. PAGE
24
#NPProWebinar
Ongoing Data Management
Manage access to data – have a plan!
Effective job execution
Core data vs. interaction data
Locking data
Ongoing Evaluation
Process
Regular communications
Issue resolution
25. PAGE
25
#NPProWebinar
Augmenting the Database
Include new types of donors
and supporters
Planned giving, blood donors
Share information
across different units
Fundraising, marketing,
finance, etc.
Capture new types of data!
28. PAGE
28
#NPProWebinar
Data Renovation
Key Takeaways
Set clear expectations for team – communication is key!
Be visionary – think about this as a long-term,
transformational project
Plan for every circumstance, or data will get out of hand
Take advantage of institutional knowledge
and expertise of people close to the data
Give yourself enough time to build
comprehensive tools
Always keep the end goal in sight –
how will people use the data once it
is consolidated?