Improving Donor Data: A Real-Life Story

Transforming Nonprofits

Organizations often have years of donor data that doesn’t inform action. Information about donors and prospects contained in CRM for nonprofits—when properly managed and analyzed—can have a dramatic impact! Luckily, there are techniques to transform data into information—improving donor data to drive outcomes.

In this episode, we share a story of how one nonprofit organization improved their donor data. This story is organized into three parts:

Clearing for Action

• Decreasing the “noise” in the database
• Getting to know the constituents
• Learning about best practices and engagement/giving trends
• Developing a plan and building consensus

Taking Action

• Reducing friction in the subscription and donation processes
• Improving handling of potentially fraudulent transactions
• Pushing the right Call to Action
• Improving donor data analysis and segmentation
• Increasing integration and process automation
• Applying greater discipline in constituent data management

Assessing the Outcomes

• Increased revenue
• Increased “sustainer” monthly giving; smoothed out cash flow
• Increased donor and organizational happiness

This story includes key lessons that can be leveraged by any nonprofit to increase organizational knowledge of its constituents while turning that information into outcomes. You’ll learn a variety of helpful strategies and tactics to create better donor data. You can apply these lessons to improve your own donor data and create your own success story!