This document provides tips on how nonprofit organizations can use their fundraising databases more effectively. It discusses the importance of clean, well-maintained data and designating a database manager. Current fundraising trends like donor retention, source diversification, and new channels are also covered. The document encourages organizations to monitor key metrics in their database like donor acquisition and retention rates to inform strategy. Automating processes and focusing on high-value donors are presented as ways to maximize database potential.

1. Section heading hereHow to Use Your Database to
Power Your Fundraising
Naomi Hamilton-Hakim
Senior Marketing & Partnerships Manager
Blackbaud Pacific

2. A brief introduction
Blackbaud is leading provider of software and
services to the global not for profit community
 Founded 1981
 29,000 not for profit Customers
 Serving 60 Countries
 Implement fundraising databases for a variety of NFPs in NZ (eTapestry, The
Raiser’s Edge, Blackbaud CRM)
 Consulting

3. How database savvy are you?
Remain standing if:
 Your organisation uses a fundraising database solution (not Excel, Access etc)
 You have a dedicated database manager
 You have clear database procedures in place
 You have an active data hygiene program
 You have an active database training program in place for staff
 Your CEO knows where to find and read system reports, and finds these useful
 You know your current donor acquisition rates per channel
 You know your current donor retention rates per channel (for 12, 24, 36 & 48
months)
 You know who your most passionate donors are!

4. The plan (agenda)
Today we’re going to discuss:
 Why your database is so important
 How you can setup your database to provide a strong foundation for your
fundraising
 Current trends in fundraising
 How you can enable your database to help you measure success

5. Why focus on your database?
Because it’s one of your biggest fundraising assets!
 Your database is your key to building a relationship with your donors
 Successful not for profits are data-driven
 You can use your data to create actionable insights
 Your data will tell you what’s working and what’s not
 You can use your database to track ROI
 Enables sophisticated segmentation (RFM)
 You can create workflows, simplify administration and automate some tasks

6. What are the consequences of a
badly maintained database?

7. You will lose donors & dollars!
• incomplete addressDirect Mail
• no email addressElectronic Direct Mail
• lack of contact detailsMajor Gifts
• no birthdateBequests
• incorrect deadlinesTrusts & Foundations
• no contact nameCorporate Partnerships

8. 3 pinnacles of a powerful
fundraising database
CLEAN
• No duplicate records
• No missing
information
• Similar information
stored together
• Good code tables
WELL MAINTAINED
• Schedule of
maintenance
• Error-free output
• Easily generates
output
• Secure
STRONG
• Essential data
captured
• Needs little
maintenance
• Organisation/mission
specific information
• Helps everyone do
their jobs!

9. 8 tips to creating a truly powerful
database
1. Choose the right system for your needs
2. Designate ownership
3. Confirm security & disaster recovery procedures
4. Keep your data clean
5. Engage & train your whole team
6. Confirm data entry policies & procedures
7. Ensure your reports are relevant & accurate
8. Consider the data you really need

10. 1. Select the right database
REQUIREMENTS
• Staff
• Revenue
• Capacity
• Growth
FUNCTIONALITY
• Compile list of expectations
• Be as specific as possible
• Prioritise requirements
• Consider any existing systems you have in place
TIMELINE
• Set a realistic time frame
• Consider implementation time
• Understand the project complexity
• Have a clear project deadline
FUNDING
• Establish a clear budget
• Consider hardware, conversion, training, maintenance and support

11. 2. Own It
You need a Database Manager to:
 Assist your organisation’s database users with support questions
 Conduct regular user group meetings with key users
 Produce weekly, monthly, quarterly, and any other necessary reports for
distribution
 Maintain the structure of attributes, business rules and all other structural
functions
 Maintain data integrity by establishing regular system checks
 Handle global changes, importing, and other global database functions
 Maintain and update the policy and procedures guide

12. 3. Confirm security & disaster
recovery procedures
Ensure that your database is secure and that you
have a disaster recovery plan:
 Should every staff member/volunteer/board member be able to access
everything?
 Backup, backup, backup!
 Ensure your processes are agreed and documented
 Protect your data and ensure your organisation’s future

13. 4. Keep your data clean
Garbage in, garbage out!
 Ensure top down support
 Audit/assessment
 Deal with areas/issues identified
 Begin data cleansing
 Ask for help
 Be proactive
 Maintain

14. 5. Your whole team needs to be
engaged & trained
Database
Manager
Systems
Administrator
Administrative
Assistants
Fundraising
Manager/Senior
Leadership/CEO
Program Staff
Gift
Processors
Relationship
Manager

15. 6. Create clear processes and
procedures
Continually check your procedures and ensure:
 Data accuracy from all sources
 Efficient input of data
 Effective input of data
 CEE (confirm, edit and enhance!)
 That you have a documented, detailed
policies and procedures manual that is up-to-date!

16. 7. Effective and accurate
reporting
Continually check:
 Have relevant been dashboards enabled per user?
 Is all data captured and kept relevant for data analysis?
 Is all of the relevant data being looked at? Reported on?
 Do you need different reports?
 Do you need different data?

17. 8. How ‘big’ is your data?
Ensure that you effectively capture the data you
need to drive your fundraising activities:
 Insight vs. information
 How much ‘rich’ data do you need?
 Be aware of privacy laws governing data collection
 Don’t get overwhelmed – take it one step at a time!

18. Time to network!
Take 5 minutes and discuss with the person next to
you:
 What your current database setup is
 What do you well with your database currently?
 How could improve your database usage?

19. Current fundraising trends
What’s happening in fundraising right now?
 Increasing global focus on donor value through upgrading and acquisition of
donors with a higher long-term value (donor conversion)
 Integrated channel approach (source diversification)
 Search for new channels
 Growing awareness of retention challenges
 Automation
Source: DonorCentrics Benchmarking

20. Focus on donor long-term value
Key aims to:
 Upgrade existing donors
 Acquire donors with high term value
 Spend less time on donors that are low value

21. Monitor donor value with your
database
How is your organisation performing?
 How many donors do you have?
 What is the average value per donor?
 What’s your (new) donor conversion rate?
 What is your conversion rate across subsequent years?
 Which ‘groups’ of donors convert better?
 Which channels convert better?
 Which donors are low value for your organisation?
 Which groups of low value donors can you drop in favour of investing more value in high
value conversions? What’s your capacity?

22. Source diversification
Vital to successful fundraising as provides:
 Flexibility (changes in market circumstances)
 Stability (ability to shift investments quickly, easily with predictable outcome)
 Increased performance (able to adjust channels to alter growth & return)
 Donor choice
 Enhanced exposure to existing and potential donors

23. Source diversification

24. Source diversification & your
database
 Have you enabled a variety of ways for donors to give?
 Do you have a clear idea of which donors are coming through which sources?
 How frequently do you report on source success?
 Use source success to drive investment decisions

25. Search for new fundraising
channels
There is no silver bullet, but channels of interest
include:
 Social
 Online
 List sharing/co-operatives
 SMS
 Crowdfunding
 Responsive TV (future)
 Retargeting

26. Social

27. Helping the search
Need to ensure that continue to invest in legacy
programs while exploring new options:
 Ensure that you track the source & channel of all donations
 Continue to look for trends in your data
 Examine demographics
 Keep some funds for innovation
 Collaborate, network & share ideas!

28. Donor retention
Finding new donors is hard, but retaining
them is even harder!
 Cost to acquire a new donor is 6-7 times that to retain an existing donors
 Top 18 charities had a massive 1% change in the number of donors on file
2011 - 2012. They lost 28% and gained 29%!
 We estimate they spent over $60m to basically stand still.
A 10% increase in donor retention can increase the lifetime value of the donor
database by up to 200% .
Adrian Sargeant, Ph.D. from Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy

29. Donor choices
D
Charity B
D
Charity CCharity A
D
Charity D

30. Donor retention & your database
What’s a not for profit to do?
 Establish a fanatical relationship management culture
 Become donor-centric versus campaign-centric
 Treat your donors as your most valuable asset
 Monitor your first-year donor retention, multi-year donor retention, retention per
channel, donor reactivation, total donor file size, total revenue and revenue per
donor
 Thank, thank and thank again!
 Stop the leaky bucket

31. Monetise your data
What happens when someone tells you they love
you?
 Monetise daily interactions by scoring 1 – 5 (love variable)
 Incentivise the staff recording this data
 Align those that love you with those that have the resources to give (or are
giving) and concentrate on these
 Create ‘hurdles’ and track the results

32. Automation
Let your data save you time and money by
automating:
 Thank you emails
 Donor nurturing processes
 Receipting
 Regular gift processing
 Birthday congratulations
 Touch points with lapsed donors
 Any recurring processes!

33. Fundraising & your database
Use your database to:
 Record your supporters actions in an easily usable format
 Ensure that you have a multi-channel fundraising approach
 Get creative!
 Focus on key retention metrics and execute best practice retention approaches
 Ensure you treat your donors as your most valuable asset
 Enable your data to assist you in making investment decision and track results
 Contrast your results against industry benchmarks

34. Group work
Break into pairs and answer the following
questions:
 Did you learn anything new today? What was it?
 Which 3 changes will you make to your database when you get back to the
office?
 How will you continue to educate your colleagues on the importance of your
data & database on an ongoing basis?

35. Further Resources
• Fundraising Database Management Training:
https://www.blackbaud.com.au/notforprofit/training/f
undraising-database-management
• Blackbaud Database Health Check
• Blackbaud Database Review
• Blackbaud Data Hygiene Services
www.blackbaud.com.au

36. Thanks!
Naomi Hamilton-Hakim
Senior Marketing & Partnerships Manager
Blackbaud Pacific
naomi.hamilton-hakim@blackbaud.com.au
+61 8986 6000
@bbpacific
@fairynomo
www.blackbaud.com.au