Featured article by John Guevara, Outreach Specialist and Content Editor at LD SEO Sydney
Data management is going to be at the very heart of your nonprofit’s strategy to fundraise and this is where the core of your focus should be ahead of a drive. If your data isn’t already aligned and together in one place then this is the first place where you should start before designing the strategy which you will use. The key to migrating your data, and need to fundraise is doing so in a cost effective manner and that is why using a service such as MoveData Salesforce Integration would be a smart move and give you the perfect foundation for a cost effective data management strategy for your fundraising push.
Investment
In order to make something cost effective we sometimes have to invest and that is what you should be looking to do in getting a high level CRM, or constituent relationship manager. This will ensure that the management of data requires far less effort on your part and you can utilize tools from the software suite to manage the rest. Here you need to ensure that you have software which can be personalized for the data fields which you need such as past giving, age, donation preference and other specific fields which you will need.
Knowing What Data You Need
Much of the overspend that people make is investing too much time, money and energy in storing or looking for data which really isn’t going to help their efforts, and that is why actually knowing what data you require is so crucial. Basic donor information may be of some value but it is far more important that you focus on the donor’s capacity to give tor their affinity to donate and to who. Don’t waste time or resources on wasted data.
Cleaning Up
If your business isn’t new and you are using old data sets then it may be worthwhile run the data through systems like the National Change of Address Database in order to ensure that your data is up to date and worthwhile, rather than chasing up redundant entries.
Segmentation
Something else to consider here which will increase productivity and reduce wasted resources is to segment the donor information into smaller groups based on characteristics which are shared amongst donors. You could break them down into basic demographics, you could look at the method by which they have given or even their preference of communication. In doing this you will gain a far better insight into the individual which will maximize your fundraising efforts, for low cost.
Importing Data
Importing data from outside sources is something which you should be geared up to handle as it can often give fundraisers the jump which will save them time and money. Buying or exchanging data in this way is something which is done regularly and you will need to ensure that you have the right CRM to cope with a large import, or indeed an export of data.
Focus on the management of your data for the most effective fundraising campaign.
 About the Author
John Guevara is an Outreach Specialist and Content Editor at LD SEO Sydney. He is the adventurous type and is never afraid to take on new challenges. He likes tech-related stuff but is also crazy about cars and motorcycles. He has been in the Business Process Outsourcing Industry since 2008 having served as a Customer Service Representative, Quality Assurance Manager, Project Manager, and Operations Manager.
