There is data that is clean, right where it is supposed to be and meaningful to all who view it.  There is also data that is dirty, maybe a prospects State is misspelled, or perhaps a list of potential communication preferences has multiple values that mean the same thing.  And then there is data that is just plain in the wrong place, and therefore meaningless. I work on implementations, helping non-profits move from their old CRM to our platform, StratusLIVE 365 CRM.

There is so much data sitting right in front of your eyes.  If you work for a non-profit, you probably look at your donor database many times a day, or maybe not.  Maybe you have come to love your excel spreadsheet more and more because your database has let you down.

In April we did a Blog post about How to Measure and Reduce Donor Churn, that blog concentrated on how key it is to your non-profit to make sure you understand and reduce the number of donors that churn from year to year. In that post, we discussed different reports that can be run and extracted so that you can do an appeal. But did you know there was a simple way for you to use Marketing Lists in Dynamics 365 to get a churn list?

Thinking back to our blog post from a few weeks ago, “8 Key Fundraising Strategies Your Non-Profit Needs to Have in Place This Year,” a post on Donor Engagement Scoring seems aptly timed. When your organization puts together those smart fundraising goals and plans, it is vital to be able to keep track of their efficacy, which is why the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) recommends measuring engagement to determine how your organization is doing with your donor base by measuring what can be measured, assessing the importance, and assigning points.

Good planning is the foundation of good fundraising.  Far too many non-profits “fly by the seat of the pants” when it comes to fundraising.  They try to do too much, they incorporate every idea they get from their board, management, and major donors, and they fail to evaluate the return on investment for their various fundraising programs.  This leads to staff and board burnout, donor fatigue, and a feeling that there’s got to be a better way to fundraise.

There’s no doubt about it… making asks can be one of the most intimidating tasks for any fundraiser.  The thought of sitting down across the table from someone and asking them to give your organization $5,000 or $50,000 is enough to make many people eschew the profession all together.

You know how crucial it is for your board to be engaged in your development program.  Countless books, articles, and webinars have preached the importance of a board that is active in fundraising, helping you identify and connect with new donors on a regular basis.  That’s good advice… and like most good advice it is easy to understand but hard to implement.

Support Call: Steps to requeue an employee record  ‘In Process’ status yourself.

The backbone of any non-profit organization is its staff and volunteers.  Without your team working together, effectively and efficiently, everything will suffer at your organization… including programs, operations, and fundraising.

The vast majority of non-profits are struggling when it comes to fundraising. They may be raising enough money to keep their programs going, or even growing… but they’re doing it with too much stress, constant staff turnover, and constant friction in their development program.