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?

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Introduction
Ben Barnhart
Chief Development Officer,
American Red Cross
Serving Greater Iowa
@GreaterIA_ARC
Erin Westergaard
Client Director, CDS Global
@CDSGlobalNP

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Details on the Project
American Red Cross Data Consolidation

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117kDonor Records to
Clean and Merge
Background
PROJECT:
Merge all American Red Cross accounting and donor databases across the nation

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Data Consolidation System

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Before the Renovation:
Problems with Disparate Databases
No 360⁰ View of
the Donor
Conflicting/Redundant
Donor Communications

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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!
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How Can It Help My Organization?
Data Renovation & Consolidation

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Better Understanding & Use of Data

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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

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Preparation
Data Renovation Project

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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

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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?

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Set a Timeline
 Establish regular communications
 Set realistic expectations
 Execute in stages
TIMELINE FOR PHASED APPROACH

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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

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Implementation
Data Renovation Project

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Anticipate Problems
 Database hygiene
 Data quality rules
 Establish reports
 Establish templates
 Take time to avoid miscues
 Capture local knowledge

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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

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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

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Database Hygiene:
Accurate Data
 Get data as clean as
possible before consolidating
 Make use of all sources of
information to ensure
data accuracy
 Automated reports
 Local knowledge

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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

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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

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Managing & Improving Data
Data Renovation Project

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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

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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!

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Lessons Learned
After the Data Renovation

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After the Renovation - Benefits
Fewer touches that
are more meaningful
Visibility into
donor records

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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?

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Q+A