WHAT DATA REALLY IS

 

Recently, someone I know received an annual campaign appeal from an organization that he has had a long and deep relationship with. His family has made major gifts to the organization, and they’ve made the organization a planned giving beneficiary. In this particular appeal, he and his wife were misidentified with an incorrect first name and salutation. At the same time, three other letters, with different names but listing his address, also appeared at his door.

If this story makes your blood run cold as a fundraiser, it should. Direct appeals, be they via email or the postal service, rely on the quality of the list we pull from. No matter how wonderful the appeal, shoddy list management will tank your efforts, and not just because the mail gets misdirected.

Every data point is a person. That’s as true for your impact statements as it is for your donor lists. Being painstakingly careful with your data is not just about saving mail costs. It shows a basic level of respect for your donors, the people you help, and the people who volunteer and work with you.

Behind those spreadsheet fields and comma-delimited files are real people. Real donors who want to help. Real people who wonder how much you really care if you can’t even get their name right after years and years of giving.

Many of you reading this are gearing up for an end-of-year appeal. You’re probably working on the letter and the testimonial you’ll include. Can you also set aside time now to take a good hard look at your list?

  1. Spot check the list for names of board members, major givers, legacy society members, etc. These are people that you should have the most contact with, and you’ll be able to quickly tell if something looks amiss.
  2. If you have other databases, like a membership or invoicing database, make sure that the administrators of the two databases (if they’re different people) are sharing address updates and other data between them. In other words, make sure the right hand knows what the left hand updated two months ago.
  3. Look for things like missing first names or a single letter in one of the name fields. That’s generally a red flag.
  4. Take a moment to reflect on any deaths among your major donors in the past year. While your CEO or Executive Director might have attended the funeral and sent flowers, did anyone let the database administrator know?

The larger your organization gets, the more challenging it is to keep up with the continuous changes of address, marital status and donation levels of your donors, but it is well worth the effort and extra time. Retaining donors is one of the surest ways to grow your annual fundraising and build a solid base for all your philanthropic efforts. Your data – and the people it represents – is a critical component in that foundation.

Posted by Lora Dow
Lora Dow

Written by Lora Dow

Since 2006, Lora has helped nonprofits on both a local, state and national level develop a clear and compelling case for support. Effective communications are critical to any organization's ability to inspire donors, advocates and volunteers. Lora's expertise and experience make the process of developing those communications the most effective they can be.

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