Responsible donor data management at a nonprofit can prove complex without the right approach to nonprofit data integration. Very few groups only use a single software platform for fundraising and engagement, which means that it is all too easy for important data to end up siloed on different platforms. The ability to readily import and export data is essential for keeping records correct and up-to-date. Here are five tips for managing and tracking data, whether stakeholders need to integrate Salesforce and Raiser’s Edge or build bridges between other common donor relationship management and fundraising software platforms.
Donor Data Management Best Practices
Any organization can benefit from observing best practices for donor data management. The first tip for simplifying data management and tracking pertains to the selection of the right cloud integration solution for nonprofits. Integration software is just as important as the primary and secondary platforms you are seeking to connect.
Organizations that use one or more platforms to manage operations and donor relationships often need to make records available across these platforms. The accuracy of records is directly related to the frequency with which imports and exports take place and the activities that are part of a workflow. It is important to regularly audit donor databases and identify points where inaccuracy or inefficiency could diminish the effectiveness of operations.
The second best tip for simplifying the way an organization manages and tracks data involves implementing automated solutions. A cloud-based suite that includes tools to automate data imports and exports and improve the quality of records can go a long way toward expediting essential tasks at an organization that call for cross-platform data management.
Ensure Your Constituent’s Data Is Up To Date
The third best practice for donor data management pertains to maintaining accurate and current constituent records. Gaps in donor information can end up being detrimental to an organization’s prospects for achieving the funding goals necessary to make an impact. The tips that follow relate to the currency of donor information intended for use in conventional offline and online modes of raising funds and engaging with supporters.
Using a cloud-based data integration platform that has support for automation only lays the basis to pursue best practices for donor management. The availability of a data health suite with features for completing, standardizing and even improving the quality of records can have transformative effects for a nonprofit organization. The right integration solution is also likely to include tools for enhancing the availability and quality of data. This software has the potential to improve the effectiveness of primary or secondary platforms and returns on investments in licensing software.
Using these tips to inform an organizational data strategy can simplify the way stakeholders approach managing and tracking donor data. Using cloud-based integration software can be the most accessible and efficient way to manage and keep track of donor data in Salesforce for Nonprofits and Raiser’s Edge as well as many other software platforms currently in use by groups that operate on a not-for-profit basis.
