9 Steps to Loving Your Donor Data
Take the “Love Your Donor Data Challenge”
In “Romeo and Juliet,” the heroine asks, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
Juliet argues that Romeo’s last name – a curse word in her rival family – shouldn’t matter when it comes to true love.
Sweet girl that Juliet. But you wouldn’t want her as your database manager, because donors really do care that you get their names right.
Data hygiene = donor love
Using a correct name is the most basic way that you can tell a donor that “I love you, Romeo” (good) vs. “I love you, Romeo M.” (less good), or “I love you, Montague” (not so good). And of course you love each and every donor – because they’re changing the world through your nonprofit!
But let’s face it. For most of us, cleaning your data is about as much fun as drinking Romeo’s poison. That’s why so many folks ask my uber-organized partner Brianna to match them with a vendor who specializes in data hygiene.
They know clean data means better deliverability for their appeals,
more donations, and fewer donor complaints.
And you’re welcome to reach out to Brianna for that. But you really can clean your data yourself if you break the tasks into manageable chunks. That’s why we’re inviting you to take our first “Love Your Donor Data Challenge.”
9 manageable tasks = self-love
The challenge consists of 9 distinct tasks that Brianna explains step-by-step (with pictures) in our Data Hygiene Series: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. If you can navigate to Netflix or bake a cake, you can do this!
The best part is that our challenge is self-paced. Take on a task and check it off when it’s done on our handy calendar. Doesn’t that feel good?
Here are 4 approaches you might take to crush this challenge:
Spring Appeal Sprint: If you have a spring appeal coming out in March – take on a new task every 2 working days. By the end of this leap-year month, you’ll have them all done!!
Bunny Hop: If you start now and take on just 1 task a week, you’ll have your data clean just before the Easter Bunny comes!
Fiscal Year Frolic: If you can manage 1 task just every 2 weeks, then your data will be error-free in time to end the fiscal year in June. Whoo hoo!
The Merry Marathon: If you can only do one task a month, that’s fine, too! Because you know what? One task a month means your data will be 80-90% clean by August – and sparkling just in time for your year-end appeal!
Don’t forget to practice good communication
If Romeo and Juliet had focused a little more on communication, especially near the end, their love story would have had a happier ending.
The same is true for your data hygiene project. As you clean your records, you’re going to make decisions about how anyone importing or exporting donor data can keep things more consistent.
Write those down (as they happen) and share them with your co-workers when the project’s done. That way, you’ll finally have a consistent data hygiene process in place and prevent any future issues.
Then you, your database, and your beloved donors can live happily, ever after.
Taking the “Love Your Donor Data Challenge?” Contact us or tell us in the comments below so we can encourage you along the way!
