The document discusses using a member's engagement data within an organization's database to develop an "affinity score" that can help identify passionate donors. It describes calculating a score based on attributes like address/contact info, dues payments, donations, and event attendance. Higher scores indicate members more likely to donate. The sorority tests affinity scoring by targeting solicitations to members with scores of 8 or more, seeing increased response rates. Affinity scoring helps development staff identify high-value prospects and tailor fundraising campaigns.

1. Donor Prospect Affinity Scoring
Using iMIS Membership Data to
identify high affinity donor
prospectsJohn Baldwin
Director of Administration and Information Technology
Sigma Kappa Sorority National Headquarters
695 Pro-Med Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46032
JBaldwin@sigmakappa.org

2. Who am I?
Information Technology and Business Analyst specialist/generalist with
wide-ranging deep experience in network and computer management,
relational database management, office operations management, and
web applications development - particularly as applies to non-profit
organizations.
• 35+ years database experience – dBase, Paradox, SQL Server,
Oracle
• From tornado distribution statistics to petroleum exploration research
support to helping sick kids to sorority operations
• Futurist/early adopter who continually looks over the horizon

3. Introduction
Industry expert Dr. Chuck Longfield has a common sense approach to
acquiring and retaining donors.
Dr. Longfield proclaims that the most passionate members in your donor
database are, in a sense, standing up in the crowd, waving their hands to be
recognized, saying they love you, and wanting to contribute even more to your
organization.
“Maintaining a comprehensive donor database will help an organization identify
those donors who are passionate, and capitalize on that passion to move them
up the giving ladder.”

4. 1. Give more often, at higher dollar amounts and for longer periods of
time.
2. Donate more to your organization than to other organizations.
3. Are interested in everything your organization does. They donate;
attend events; purchase from your catalog; volunteer; join
committees; visit your Web site; read your publications; and tell you
their opinions, good and bad.
4. Don't want you to lose touch with them.
5. Aren't looking for reasons to stop giving.
6. Are interested in sharing information about themselves.
Chuck Longfield’s Six Qualities of
Passionate Donors with High Affinity to an
Organization

5. What is Affinity Scoring?
Affinity Scoring Concept: A member who is reliably active with an
organization has a naturally higher propensity to donate money to that
organization’s foundation.
Examples: valid and current email address, phone, and mailing address;
recent paid dues; recent donations; recent purchases; recent committee
activities; family history with organization
Measuring: A database script and iMIS user report can be created to
evaluate predefined affinity values and assign an overall Affinity Score per
member. Members with high affinity scores should have a higher propensity
to donate to the organization.
Using: Identification of high affinity organization members can be of great
help to Development Staff seeking high value donor prospects. Additionally,
customized solicitation campaigns can be developed to target a high value
donor prospect group.

6. Affinity Scoring
Additional Attributes
Beyond iMIS, there are two other relevant public data sources which can
contribute to overall Affinity Scoring.
• Forbes - 500 Most Expensive Zip Codes
• The list is based on housing pricing information for more than 22,000 ZIP codes across
the U.S. for a set period of time, drilling down to the 500 most expensive. Calculated is
the median asking price for single-family homes and condominiums, weighting the
price based on the mix of local property types.
• 2011 Census – annual median income by zip code
• The US Census Bureau considers median income to be the most accurate
representation of household income – better than the mean income. Each household is
measured by the income of every resident in a household over the age of 15.
Members who live in Forbes 500 zip code areas and/or in high median
income zip code areas, have a higher giving capacity. Used in conjunction
with defined iMIS affinities, these attributes can augment overall affinity
scoring potential.

7. Sigma Kappa Affinity Scoring Attributes
Sigma Kappa Affinity Scoring (1 point for each attribute) for active Alumnae who
have the following attribute potential:
1. valid and current mailing address
2. valid and current email address
3. valid and current home/mobile phone number
4. no contact restrictions (e.g., email, phone, surface mail)
5. recent committee/volunteer activities
6. recent paid alumnae dues - within last two years
7. recent gift donations - within last three years
8. recent purchases (e.g., jewelry) – within last two years
9. is a legacy member (family history of Sigma Kappa membership)
10. recent member website login (SigmaKappa.org)
11. lives in the Forbes - 500 Most Wealthy Zip Codes
12. lives in the US Census annual median income >= $100,000 Zip Codes
13. Is Target Analytics Major Gift Prospect (2pts)
14. Is Target Analytics Annual Gift prospect
Affinity Score sums >= 8 (with a maximum possible score of 15) are considered high
value donor prospects.

8. Affinity Scoring – Report Building Summary Notes
• Note: SQL Server Stored Procedure recommended
– Affinity SQL Query too complex for Crystal Reports
– SQL Stored Procedure runs faster
– Stored Procedure can be referenced by Crystal Reports via standard iMIS reporting
1. Create the SQL query/script (using SQL Server Mgmt Studio); test and refine.
2. Create a Stored Procedure based on SQL query/script; test and refine.
1. GRANT EXECUTE ON [Stored Procedure]TO PUBLIC
3. Create new Crystal Report and reference the Stored Procedure
1. Make Crystal Report like any other report, except for the following:
1. When specifying a data source, instead of selecting Tables or Views, select
Procedures, and then select the newly created Stored Procedure.
2. Crystal will immediately prompt you to enter values for the procedure’s input
parameters. Do NOT do so; rather, check “Set as Null” and click OK so Crystal will
know to prompt for these as input parameters each time the report is run.
4. Create a new iMIS report and reference the Crystal Report.

9. Affinity Scoring – SQL Stored Procedure
e.g., CR_FR_MGO_ProspectDonorScores
BEGIN - Stored Procedure
…
~ 150 lines of script (sample code available in Word/PDF format)
-includes 2 input variables: @Zip and @Distance
-basically, a zip code radius
…
-- tally the final score (sum of calculated scores – zeros or ones)
Update @temp
Set DonorScore =
Good_Address+Good_Email+Good_Phone+Good_Contact+Is_Legacy+Active_Committee+Paid_AlumDues+Recent_Don
ation+major_gift+annual_gift+Recent_Purchase+Forbes_500+median_income+RecentSKSLogin
--check donor score temp table against temp zip table (based on zip code radius) for final output
Select
ID, Full_Name, City, State_Province, Zip, Email, Home_Phone, Aprox_Age, GiftSum, DonorScore
from
@Temp T join @zips Z on Left(T.zip,5) = Z.ZIP_CODE AND T.ZIP <> ''
where
DonorScore >= 8
order by DonorScore desc, STATE_PROVINCE
…
END - Stored Procedure

10. Affinity Scoring – Crystal Reports
• Create new Crystal Report (e.g., MGOProspectDonorHighScores_MALU.rpt); log into the iMIS SQL
Database, and select the (e.g., CR_FR_MGO_ProspectDonorScores) Stored Procedure:

11. Affinity Scoring – Crystal Reports
• Test (e.g., MGOProspectDonorHighScores_MALU.rpt) Crystal Report with test zip code and test zip code
mile radius distance:

12. Affinity Scoring – iMIS
• Create new iMIS Report (e.g., MGO Prospect Donors – High Score) and use the
MGOProspectDonorHighScores_MALU.rpt - Crystal Report:

13. Affinity Scoring – iMIS
• Example Report Output - MGO Prospect Donors – High Score
– Zip Code 92660 (south Los Angeles area), Radius 25 miles:
ID Full_NameCITY STATE_PROVINCEZIP EMAIL HOME_PHONEAprox_Age DonorScore 3Yr GiftSum
#### Aubrye Harris FooteNewport Beach CA 92660-8916 aubrye@vmg-interactive.com(949) 500-390140 10 $588
#### Carmen Bowman SmithNewport Beach CA 92660-4211 carmen8089@sbcglobal.net(949) 760-691368 9 $300
#### Charlene Tichy MelroseHuntington Beach CA 92648-1556 jmcfmelrose@msn.com(714) 596-252666 9 $370
#### Lara Vano KnightNewport Beach CA 92660-3200 laraknight1@gmail.com(630) 209-561435 9 $20
#### Carol Lykke HudsonNewport Beach CA 92660-6612 rspidea@aol.com(949) 759-364869 9 $100
#### Veronica DavisIrvine CA 92620-1859 roni53@hotmail.com(714) 267-706732 8 $25
#### Amanda PopelFullerton CA 92831-1552 popel.amanda@gmail.com(626) 374-063930 8
#### Talah ForoutanTustin CA 92782 Talah.sk@gmail.com(949) 290-441124 8 $100
#### Tara E. HusseyRancho Santa Margarita CA 92688-3426 tarahussey@cox.net(949) 459-063125 8 $37
#### Jill Gebler HarmonCoto de Caza CA 92679-4931 JillHarmon949@gmail.com(949) 584-407057 8 $1,500
#### Jessica Lee RoswellTustin CA 92780-5319 jlroswell@gmail.com(949) 500-664834 8 $168
#### Leslie CoTrabuco Canyon CA 92679-1095 lco001@student.ucr.edu(949) 858-285328 8
#### Lynda Catalano BadumNewport Beach CA 92663-2401 lyndabadum@yahoo.com(949) 650-108357 8 $125
#### Kathleen AlvarezFullerton CA 92833-2044 katamelia55@gmail.com(714) 738-014736 8 $25

14. Affinity Scoring – use examples
• Sigma Kappa Foundation – Regular Solicitation Mailing
– Prospect list included members with Affinity Score 8+
• Received mailing: 2,278 / Responded to mailing: 92
• Total dollars donated: $6,552 / Average gift: $71 / Made large gift ($100+): 28
• Sigma Kappa Foundation - Acquisition Solicitation Mailing
– Narrow down records from over 150,000 to a pool of people who are more likely to give.
– Foundation spends dollars more wisely on direct mail rather than a "spray and pray" method.
• Forbes 500 Zip Codes – Alumnae Research Report Tool
– Used to help determine the location of different events.
• Foundation board meetings, feasibility study dinners and alumnae events
– By knowing how many alumnae are living in the Forbes 500 wealthiest zip codes, we can
select locations and then make sure to invite sisters who are on this list to different cultivation
events.
• Alumnae Solicitations – third party licensed vendors
– Used to generate solicitation oriented mailing lists of high affinity members

15. Conclusion
Dr. Longfield’s Quick Tips to Successful Donor Cultivation and Increasing Donor Affinity:
• Take the time to get to know your supporters and customize their experience.
• Take a donor-centric approach across all fundraising channels. View your programs through the
lens of the donor rather than the lens of the marketer.
• Look at your data (via Affinity Scoring) to find out who your best donors are and then invest in
them.
• Make a discipline of noting donor interactions and getting them into your database. Make sure
every person with the opportunity to collect data understands the value. It’s worth the investment.
• If you call new donors and thank them for their gift they gift 40% more. Retention rate goes up by
20% and average gift goes up by 20% — this, whether you talked to them directly or left a
message or even if they were unhappy you called and said “please don’t call me during dinner.”

16. End of Presentation
Questions and comments?
John Baldwin
Director of Administration and Information Technology
Sigma Kappa Sorority National Headquarters
695 Pro-Med Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46032
JBaldwin@sigmakappa.org