18 Jan 2010

No Data--No Money

Fundraising, Database posted by Scott Barron

The effectiveness of your direct mail fundraising campaign is directly related to the quality of your database. Before launching a new effort, first consider the quality of your data.

  • When was the last time the data was verified and cleaned up?
  • How accurate are the email and street addresses?
  • Are all names spelled correctly?
  • Is the employer data accurate so that you know who works for a company that provides matching gifts?
  • Do you have up-to-date information on grandparents?

Two methods will help you validate the accuracy of your data.

  1. Initiate a database campaign to contact every family to verify your data. The return on investment makes this step a "no-brainer." Either use an internal team or outsource the work.
  2. Have someone assigned to call a certain number of families (e.g., 10-20) each week to verify the data and conduct a two question satisfaction survey to help you keep a higher degree of accuracy for routine communications throughout the year. This will also enable you to collect vital feedback from your families to gauge enrollment expectations.