Using Data to Build Donor Relationships

Donna Bruner

Stu Manewith

Laura Rossmann

Audience Poll

Top database issue -- what do you want from your database that you are not getting?

Technical Terms and Glossary -SM Term Definition

Constituents Individuals, households, organizations, or groups that are engaged with your organization in some actionable way

Data Information that you maintain about your constituents. Did you know that the word ‘data’ is a plural?

Field A discrete data element with your organization’s data

Database An organized repository of your organization’s data

CRMConstituent Relationship Management – often, a database in which is maintained comprehensive data about all ways that constituents engage with your organization.

Data Warehouse An electronic platform in which large amounts data from multiple databases can be loaded and queried or analyzed against each other and all in one place

Codify Applying consistent coding to codeless data

Interface A data exchange between two databases

Integration An automated, ‘seamless’ data exchange between two databases

Metadata Coding that is used to systematize or categorize otherwise codeless data

Moves Management

A coding system to classify and make consistent interaction and constituent engagement information that drives the major and planned giving process

Power-User* A sophisticated database user or administrator. Often the ‘go-to’ person or the database ‘queen’.

Driving Forces

Database is the codification of Strategic and Annual Development Plans

Database as the “Town Square”

When are excel and access databases not enough?

Lehmann Associates survey

83% of respondents (n = 1,400) used a vendor product, vs. a custom system or office database application

Satisfaction rates are higher with vendor products

Data management needs are assessed regularly but migration is rare

Up and Coming Functionality and Trends

How far we’ve come

More data than ever

More ways to track

Donor Management Systems or Constituent Relationship Management Systems

On-premise/server based or Software as a Service/cloud-based

Handout: helpful white papers and guides

Database Must Haves

A monarchy, not a democracy

Operating manual of policies and procedures

Clearly defined user security rights and responsibilities, supported by appropriate training

Regular monitoring for data integrity and periodic audits

Regular updates and backups

Embedded in the organization’s culture

Coordinated with Finance Department

The Fundamentals

Data Collection Basic biographical, residential, contact

Relationships

Giving history

Data appends

List Purge

Data Coding Coordinated and non-duplicative

Maintainable

Actionable

Scalable

Campaign, Fund, and Appeal Coding

Campaigns – tied to your book of work (activity sets, mission areas)

Funds – tied to Finance chart of accounts

Appeals – tied to solicitation methods

Data Management and the Donor Pyramid

PinnacleDonors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Data Collection Requirements for Event Donors, Members and Annual Donors

Direct Mail

Telemarketing

E-solicitation

Website giving

Tribute giving

On-site giving

Event data

Lifetime Donors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Event Donors, Members and Annual Donors – What can the data tell you Recency

Frequency

Monetary

Engagement

Giving triggers

Preferred giving methods

Tributes

Appeal Giving

Events

PinnacleDonors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Data Management for Event Donors, Members and Annual Donors -SM

When to start a record

What’s important/what’s not important

Meaningful

Where to input

Metadata tagsPinnacleDonors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Data Collection for Mid-level/Major/Pinnacle Donors

Discovery calls

Interests, esp. in your organization

History with organization

Relationships

Prospect research and analytics/screening programs

Assets

Giving to other organizations

Demographic/psychographic profiling

Actions and call reports

Ethics of data capture

PinnacleDonors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Mid-level/Major/Pinnacle Donors – What can the data tell you Linkage

Ability

Interests

Current stage of relationship to organization

Current stage in path to the next gift Pre-Qualificatio

n

Qualification

Cultivation

Solicitation

Stewardship

Moves Management for Mid-level/Major/Pinnacle Donors

‘Gift Officer’ driven

The data which determines Moves needs to be codified

Who, what, when, where and how

Standardized then customized

Pinnacle Donors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Special Data Needs for Pinnacle Donors

Critical data

Age

Marital Status

Family Info

Relationships to wealth managers and other trusted advisors

Gift vehicle details

Specialized gift tracking modules for Planned Giving Pinnacle Donors

Major/Capital Donors

Mid-level Donors

Annual Donors

Members

Events

Revisiting Top Issues

Q&A