Our database is terrible.
Garbage in - garbage out
I can’t get any accurate data.
No one really knows how to run these reports!
How did we miss that donor’s gift in our annual report?
Yep, these are all statements that I have made as a career fundraiser.
These are also similar statements to what we hear from clients.
Now, I am not going to discount the fact that sometimes an organization needs a new database. They do become antiquated and that Excel spreadsheet of donors can become really unruly.
When done the right way, launching a new data project is a BIG deal and will likely take more of your time than what you are budgeting. It is also a big expense, including the extra dollars you should be spending to make sure the right people are trained the right way.
But I want to propose a few questions before you start interviewing new CRM or database vendors.
1. Have you sat down and identified exactly what your problems are?
Maybe you have broken reports. Or perhaps you can’t get the information you want in one report. Or maybe your ticketing and donor databases aren’t communicating with one another. We recommend that you gather the necessary people into a meeting and spend no more than one hour identifying what your current problems are.
Pro Tip: don’t let complaining compromise the meeting. Write down the problem with as much detail as possible and keep the meeting moving. If you aren’t finished at the end of an hour, schedule more time later. Just beware of spiraling out of control.
2. Have you identified what you need from your database?
This may feel a bit redundant to the first question, but it is important to both identify the problems and then determine exactly what you need your database to be doing for you. Is it better reporting? An easier interface to enter donations? Do you need it to talk to another source of information? Or perhaps your team just needs a training refresher course.
3. Have you had a conversation with the company to see if there is a way to meet your needs and solve your problems?
Sure, you may be so fed up with the database that you don’t even want to talk to the sales rep or account manager. But, you really should give it a shot. After you identify what your problems are and what you need from the database, send an email outlining both and ask for a follow up call or Zoom to discuss what options they might have available. We recently encountered a situation where the nonprofit organization had not gone through a series of software releases and the database company was able to make significant upgrades and improvements with very little cost.
4. Have you engaged a trainer to make sure the right people are trained the right way?
Most CRM and database companies either have in-house training available or they can recommend consultants or trainers to help. As technology changes and with the likely high turnover on your teams, it makes sense to allocate some professional development dollars in each year’s budget to make sure the database is kept in tip-top shape. And while this may seem like an extra expense, you will not only save your team the time and headache of trying to figure out how to pull that one report, you will save the organization time and money in the long run when donor information is timely and accurate.
5. Do you have an organization-wide database best practice guide or manual?
Where does a person’s preferred first name go? How are we tracking their children? Middle name or middle initial? How long can I wait before I enter my contact report from that donor call? How do we enter soft credits? How do we log grants from DAFs?
These are all questions that most organizations will encounter on a regular basis. Having a standard set of best practices that are clearly written out and distributed to anyone who touches the database will make sure that you have clean and accurate data. It doesn’t have to be a binder full of instructions for every team member, but maybe a two-page document that lists expectations for good database hygiene.
Your database is one of your most powerful tools. Spending the time and (sometimes) the resources to make sure it is accurate will not only benefit today’s team, but also anyone who comes after you.
Before you decide to abandon the current ship and jump into another one, consider if allocating some more time and resources into your current product can keep you afloat for a while longer.
John Mainella
Cape Fletcher Associates
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