https://bloomerang.co/resources/webinars/ Robin L. Cabral, MA, CFRE will lead you through the why and how of creating your own database standards manual and processes to ensure that you are not leading your organization down the path of “Garbage In=Garbage Out.” Consider it your legacy to your organization’s future revenue.

1. Now that December is here, I have been running many lists and queries
and during those list pulls, I have noted inconsistent data in databases that
have caused numerous complications during one of the busiest times of
the year.
As a result, I thought it important to run this blog article again to serve as a
reminder of the importance of database manuals and consistency
standards.
The blog article following originally appeared on the Development
Consulting Solutions website on December 2, 2017.
Databases are indeed the foundation of your development program.
While it is critical to have one, it is not enough to just enter data into it.
I have long advocated for consistency in data entry through developing a
manual of standards and for procedures to dictate how gifts should be
processed.
How to create a manual that ensures
your database stays clean and up to date

2. Document ways to enter new accounts into the database while
avoiding duplicate entries.
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How to create a manual that ensures
your database stays clean and up to date
Here are several key areas that any data entry manual
or procedures should address:
Ensure that you have rules that determine how to abbreviate
and enter addresses particularly according to postal regulations
for ease of mailing.
2
Outline how to manage primary addresses and salutation, i.e.,
formal, informal, envelope salutation consistency, business,
and organizations, etc.
3
Determine the ways to track and manage constituent contact
preferences, i.e., requests no mail, no email, no solicitation, etc.
4
Outline how to enter new gifts, what funds, campaigns, and
appeals you use, and how to document in-kind and other
contributions in your database including anonymous gift coding.
5
Document how to send out acknowledgment letters, which
letters to use for a specific appeal, and be sure to track in the
database if acknowledgments have been sent to donors.
6
Outline the ways that queries and reports are used in the
database and create your top consistently used queries and
reports as standing queries and reports.
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3. Consider creating “check and balance” Data Quality and
Maintenance Reports that are run on a pre-determined
schedule. Consider running a data quality review report of all
accounts to ensure all vital information is on each record and
standards are being adhered. Run duplicate reports to remove
any duplicate accounts, run transaction reports to review
transactions in the past month to ensure that funds, campaigns,
and approaches are documented correctly, run a National
Change of Address (NCOA) service to update your current
addresses, and review security groups and user accounts to
ensure that the list is up-to-date.
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How to create a manual that ensures
your database stays clean and up to date
Periodically check your queries and reports to delete those that
are no longer needed, useful, or relevant.
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These are some key areas that you should consider addressing
in a data entry manual or procedure.
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www.developmentconsultingsolutions.com.au
(508) 685-8899| rcabral@developmentconsultingsolutions.com
Now, I want to hear from you.
Do you have a manual and
what does it include?