Love it or hate it, data is a necessary part of every fundraiser\u2019s job. You have to capture it, input it, pull it, and learn from it. And, if you follow best practices and use your data to adapt and perfect your fundraising strategy, then everyone will benefit.<\/p>\n
Before we jump into the how<\/strong> let\u2019s discuss the why<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Data is a necessary part of every organization, whether you\u2019re running an international corporation or a 1-person nonprofit operation. What data does is provide you the insight you need to cater to your specific audience.<\/p>\n The data you capture and track can help streamline your fundraising efforts and aid in creating donor-specific engagement opportunities. Seemingly insignificant information like a donor\u2019s occupation, average gift, or frequency of giving helps you determine things like how much to ask for and when to ask for a donation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Data provides you with the opportunity to give your donor a truly personal giving experience.<\/p>\n Donor segmentation<\/a> is something we speak a lot of in the nonprofit world. When we segment our donors, we\u2019re grouping them with other similar donors\u2014but you can\u2019t do that without data, right?<\/p>\n How you segment based on the data you collect depends entirely on what you want from your donors. Maybe you want to segment your first-time donors and present them with a targeted engagement plan to ensure retention. Or, it\u2019s possible you\u2019re interested in creating a moves management plan for potential major donors.<\/p>\n In both of these cases (and more), data is the essential element in the segmentation process.<\/p>\n Nonprofits and charities need in place to manage the data. Use the following to prepare your information:<\/p>\n In an ideal world, you\u2019ll capture all the data you need to get a thorough idea about your donor\u2019s demographics and motivates giving. However, it\u2019s best to start simple if you haven\u2019t given much thought to tracking donor data before.<\/p>\n Each bullet point you see below represents key donor data that your nonprofit can benefit from.<\/p>\nIt Helps You Cater to Individual Donors<\/h3>\n
It Helps You Cater to Segments of Donors<\/h3>\n
Preparing For the Data<\/h2>\n
\n
Must-Have Donor Data<\/h2>\n
Start with the Basics<\/h3>\n