Join the SUMMER DATABASE CHALLENGE!
Clean Up Your Database with Our Easy Checklist
Does your nonprofit's database need a bit of summer dust-off? With the right recipe and a little effort, you can transform your database into a well-organized, efficient tool. Join our SUMMER DATABASE CHALLENGE to tidy up your database efficiently and effectively!
Why Join the Challenge?
Summer can be a slower time for some nonprofits, making it the perfect opportunity to focus on tasks that get pushed aside during busier seasons. By dedicating a little time each week to cleaning up your database, you can ensure your data is accurate, up-to-date, and ready for the busy fall fundraising season.
Go into each donor account, and take a moment to check:
Name(s): Is the name correct? How about the “greeting name”? Is there a household name that says Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith (cringe)? Fix it! Does the contact say Robert, but you usually call him Bob when you talk to him? Change it to the name you use when you’re actually addressing the person directly.
Address: You may or may not know if the address is accurate. Some databases can offer a National Change of Address (NCOA) screening on your donor accounts, if you’re really not sure and need the mailing addresses to be accurate.
Phone number: Do you have a phone number? You absolutely should. If you don’t, send a friendly email and let them know that you’d love to get their phone number so you can make sure your donors get timely thank you calls and updates.
Email and delivery success: Check the email address to make sure it’s up to date. How can you tell? Well, one, you can email and say hi to see if you get a bounce or a response. The other way: if your database also has an email system, check the delivery success and open rate of the emails you send. If they aren’t delivering, you should get in touch (hopefully you have a phone number) and get the right email. If they aren’t being opened, I’d still give the donor a call and see if it’s the most up-to-date email.
Donation history: Does the donation history look correct? When I work for the first time with a new nonprofit and the donation history looks suspect, I usually dive into the accounting ledgers to make sure I’m not missing anything.
Notes & Interactions: Have you recorded any non-donation interactions you’ve had with the donor? Do you need to update any notes on the donor? This is particularly key when there are deaths in the family or other big changes to a donor’s life. Trust me, you don’t want to ask how a donor’s wife is doing to be told she passed away 10 years ago (Happened to me once when the prior Development Director hadn’t kept any data in the database beyond donations, and the donor’s wife’s name was still the main one on the account…yikes!)
Make sure everything you know about the donor is in the database, future development staff will thank you. And yes, maybe you think you’ll be around forever, but that kind of thinking leaves your nonprofit absolutely stuck if you ever are not. (Have you heard the story about how I went into early term labor a week before my nonprofit’s gala…and everything was so up to date in our database and project management system that literally nobody missed a beat, and never once had to contact me in the three months I was on leave? Did I mention the development assistant I left in charge with 6 months of experience still hit every fundraising target in my absence? That’s why you need to do this now, when it’s not an emergency.)
How The Summer Database Challenge Works
Assess Your Time: Look at the number of weeks you have in June, July, and August.
Count Your Constituents: Determine the total number of contacts in your database.
Divide and Conquer: Divide your total number of contacts by the number of weeks available.
Set Weekly Goals: Set a realistic goal for the number of accounts to review each week. You can even further divide by days in the week to make the amount even more manageable by checking in on a few accounts per day!
By breaking down the task into manageable weekly goals, you can make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed. And we’ve made it even easier with our…
Printable Checklist
To help you stay on track, we’ve created a handy Printable Checklist. This simple tracker will guide you through the process week by week, making it easy to monitor your progress and stay motivated.
Download and Print: Get your Canva Printable Checklist here.
Divide Your Contacts: Use the checklist to note your weekly review goals.
Track Your Progress: Check off each week as you complete your reviews.
Celebrate Your Success: At the end of the summer, we’ll celebrate together with a sweet virtual treat!
Ready to Start?
Just like baking, success lies in using the right recipe and taking it step by step. Kick off your summer cleaning with the SUMMER DATABASE CHALLENGE and enjoy a streamlined, accurate database by the end of August. Download your Canva Printable Checklist and get started today!
P.S. A clean database means more effective communications and a stronger foundation for your fall fundraising campaigns. Don’t miss this opportunity to get organized and stay ahead!
