http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php en clukemeyer@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-02-02T13:41:42+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/prospect-pool-part-ii/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/prospect-pool-part-ii/#When:13:41:42Z Back in November I mentioned the importance of cleaning up your existing prospect pool. So, now that you have deactivated those who are not really prospects and have identified those with true affinity, what is next? Now may be the time to take on a database screening.  Screening can mean different things to different people. For some it means finding wealth, for others it means determining who is likely to give and at what level. Wealth screening is also known as “list matching.”  Names from your database are “screened” against names in external databases to find matches. The matches then return financial, biographical and philanthropic giving information. A score, indicating the reliability of the match, is also returned so that you can be sure that your John Brown is the same John Brown with the 10,000 shares of stock in XYZ company. If the screening company also provides information on constituents’ gifts to other organizations, you may get some indication of philanthropic intent. Data modeling also uses lists but not for one-on-one matching for wealth.  At a very basic level, it applies mathematical formulas to existing statistical information such as the U.S. Census, credit reports, and IRS giving data to predict giving among groups of people. A group might just be a zipcode or a city or state. Data modeling can also incorporate information about your constituents to make it more meaningful. Sometimes a wealth screening is performed as part of this more tailored approach. A score, indicating whether the prospect is a major gift or an annual fund prospect, is returned for each of the names screened.  Finally, there is a third level of data modeling that involves a customized model based on the characteristics of your database and donor pool. This model is considered by many to be the most accurate but it is also the most expensive. Which of the screening/modeling methods is best for your organization?  We’ll try to provide some tools to help you reach that decision in an upcoming blog. Database Management, Prospect Research 2010-02-02T13:41:42+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/time-for-a-little-horn-tooting-and-thanks-giving/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/time-for-a-little-horn-tooting-and-thanks-giving/#When:15:25:05Z Data Sense launched in April of 2009 and I am happy to say I’ve been busy. I started with some pro bono work with Alpha Sigma Phi, Wishard Hospital Foundation and Progress House. Since then I have had as clients Kappa Alpha Theta, Sycamore Trails Research and Conservation District, Jessica White & Associates and the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. I have been invited to submit proposals to four other organizations. None of this would have happened were it not for local consultants and fundraisers who very generously took the time to meet with me and share their wisdom. So in this month of November I send a special “Thank You” to Jessica White, Wendy Boyle, Nancy Frick, John Carreon, Katy Cantor, Jim Wood, Meg Gammage-Tucker, David Sternberg, Ruth Purcell Jones, Bryan Orander, Gale Wilkerson, Jennifer Pendleton, Nancy Berst, Paul Giese, Bob Rush, Kim Hodges, Jane Howard, Becky Schafer, Larry Smith, Amy Rubin, Felicia Brewer, Beth Gehlhausen, Kathy Pedrotti Hays, Gwen Kibbe, Aimee Laramore, Mike Laudick, Marnie Maxwell, Kris Parmelee, Sonya Baker-Hallett, Jose Lucende, Steve Bariteau and Bob Swaney.  I hope I didn’t miss anyone. Thanks to you all for your time, advice and trust. Carol Behind the Scenes, News and Trends 2009-11-26T15:25:05+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/will-you-be-ready-part-i-your-database/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/will-you-be-ready-part-i-your-database/#When:15:17:39Z When the economy tanked, many non-profit organizations postponed capital campaigns or put existing ones on hold. Activity remained slow as fund raisers and board members took a wait and see posture.  At some point we will have a recognizable recovery and when that occurs, donor confidence will return. Have you been taking steps to be prepared for the recovery?  Downtimes are great times to examine and reevaluate your prospect pool. Who has stayed loyal during the tough financial times? Remember that giving is only one indicator of loyalty. Consider who has stayed in contact, come to events, and continued to volunteer. Take a look at your prospect ratings and determine if your affinity ratings should be adjusted and then consider adjusting your cultivation plans.  It will be well worth the effort. Database Management, Prospect Management and Tracking, Prospect Research 2009-11-19T15:17:39+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/presentation-at-the-foundations-seminar/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/presentation-at-the-foundations-seminar/#When:10:08:37Z I had the privilege of making a presentation at THE Foundations Seminar, hosted by the North American Inter-Fraternity Conference in my hometown of Indianapolis. The topic was “Prospect Tracking for Efficient Fundraising.”  While the presentation was geared toward fraternal organizations, I hope it will be helpful to anyone starting or revamping a prospect management program. Feedback is welcome —really! THE_Foundations_Seminarfr.pdf Database Management, Prospect Management and Tracking 2009-08-29T10:08:37+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/association-fund-raising-software/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/association-fund-raising-software/#When:12:31:23Z I will be making a presentation at THE Foundations Seminar which will take place in Indianapolis at the end of the month.  My topic for attendees, who are primarily fraternity and sorority foundation executives, is “Prospect Tracking for Efficient Fund Raising.” These organzations have special software needs because the product must serve two user groups—those who support the membership and those who raise money. Results of a survey of the foundation executives indicates that most use either Patriot Software, IMIS, or Raiser’s Edge—three very different software products. To prep for the presentation, I’ve been studying each to determine its prospect tracking capabilities. It has been an adventure. Fund raising software packages are like cars. Some have engines bigger than others, they come in different models, and if your budget allows you can add extras to make the ride more comfy. All of them can move you toward your fund raising goals and even the compact models, if they have user-defined fields, can handle prospect tracking. I drove a Raiser’s Edge for 10 years total and recently became certified to drive Blackbaud’s compact model, eTapestry. The company gave me access to a copy of the database which I have customized with fields for prospect tracking and moves management. It’ll purr like a Pontiac GTO when I’m done with it. The Patriot dealer let me test drive his newest model and I’ll be taking an IMIS for a spin in the next few days. Here is what I want to leave with you. Don’t give up on your fundraising software. It might not be the lemon you think it is. Learn to drive it, find out what it can do, and with a good map it will take you where you want to go. Oh, you might want to keep it clean and get it tuned now and then. Data Sense can help with that. Database Management, News and Trends, Prospect Management and Tracking 2009-08-20T12:31:23+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/how-many-gumballs/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/how-many-gumballs/#When:13:00:57Z Have you ever entered one of those “How Many Gumballs In the Jar” contests at the mall? You stare at the jar, drawn by the colorful orbs and the chance to win big. You start counting, maybe apply some multiplier, and then take a wild guess. You have nothing to lose. You have much to lose, however, if you apply the same guesstimate process to determining how many prospects you need to reach your campaign goal. Before beginning any campaign, whether it is capital or annual, you will want to know how many gifts you need, at what levels, to reach that goal. Then you can estimate, not guesstimate, how many prospects are needed. How? A gift chart. The chart helps you see how many gifts are needed at each level to reach your goal, and how many prospects are needed. You can then make adjustments to the chart based on the make-up of your current prospect pool. Uh, oh. Prospect pool. Yes, you will need to be knowledgeable about your current donor and prospect pool—but that is another blog topic. So how do you start?  Google “gift range calculator” and the results will lead you to free tools. Blackbaud has one and so do several large consulting firms. You plug in your goal and the chart fills in. You can also find formulas in any number of fundraising publications. Remember, though, that the chart is just a starting point—you need to make adjustments based on your prospect pipeline. You may discover that your goal is too ambitious or maybe (hopefully!) not ambitious enough. Adjustments will also be necessary if the chart is for an annual campaign as opposed to a capital campaign.  According to The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management, 2nd ed. by Robert Herman and Associates, the two have different percentages at the top of the chart. The top gift range in a capital campaign may be anywhere from 10% to 25% of goal. In an annual campaign that top range is likely to be closer to 5% of goal. There will be more gifts at the lower levels and fewer at the top. Gift range charts are not an exact science but they are a great tool. One other thing to think about—are there fewer blue gumballs than any other color? Chew on that.   Prospect Management and Tracking, Prospect Research 2009-07-30T13:00:57+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/biznar/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/biznar/#When:14:52:34Z If you do any research on businesses, are interested in statistics, government patents or Gallup-type reports, you have got to check out BizNar.  http://biznar.com/biznar/about.html. As explained on their website, this search engine goes “deep” into selected business collections and returns references that you will not get from a Google or Yahoo search. Oh, and you won’t get any duplicates either. There is a great advanced search feature that allows you to limit the search by collection or even specific resource. I checked out the resources they cover and it is a pretty nice handpicked group. BizNar, created by Deep Web Technologies, http://www.deepwebtech.com/ is free. News and Trends, Prospect Research 2009-07-22T14:52:34+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/search-language/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/search-language/#When:14:33:14Z I’ve been doing prospect research for sometime and there is something that continues to annoy and puzzle me. Why is search language not consistent from one search engine to another? “AND” is used in one while “+” is the character du jour in another. For proximity indicators you have your choice of “NEAR,” “w/” or an asterisk.  Let me take that back . . . you don’t have a choice. The choice is made by those who design the search engines. Given the international nature of the Internet, wouldn’t it make sense for there to be one universal search language?  Until that happens, be sure you check the search FAQ or the search help feature of any search engine or database that you use. It can make a big difference in the results returned to you.  Prospect Research 2009-07-15T14:33:14+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/tools-for-selecting-a-donor-database/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/tools-for-selecting-a-donor-database/#When:13:46:07Z Selecting a database is a major decision. You are going to live with your choice for a long time and you are going to expend precious resources. When you purchase a car, you research the different makes and models to find out which will best meet your needs. Then you try to craft the best deal that you can. Doesn’t it make sense to do the same thing when selecting a database?  Before you go shopping, though, you need to narrow the field.  Look to your strategic plan. Where is your organization going in the next few years?  Do you hold a number of events? Are you planning to expand your annual fund and develop a major gifts program? Do you have a membership component? Will you need to track campaign solicitations?  Make a list and discuss it with others in your organization. You might also talk with other nonprofits at a similar stage of growth. Check out IdealWare at http://www.idealware.org/.  The organization behind the website is a nonprofit, which “provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits.”  You will find all kinds of helpful articles, but if you are a small nonprofit with a very limited budget you must check out A Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems. (http://www.idealware.org/low_cost_donor/consumers_low_cost_donor_mgmt.pdf) The authors reviewed 33 systems costing less than $4,200 in the first year, and came up with a top ten list. A matrix very clearly shows the strengths and weaknesses of each of those ten systems. A companion publication, Detailed Reviews of Low Cost Donor Management Systems, (http://www.idealware.org/low_cost_donor/details_low_cost_donor_management.pdf) provides a more in-depth look at the top ten and a few additional systems. Another great source for guidance in the area of nonprofit technology is TechSoup. (http://www.techsoup.org/index.cfm) Click on the “Learning Center” and then look to the left where you will find topics, including “databases.” The articles on selecting a database are a couple of years old but might be helpful in conjunction with the material cited above. This is a blog, not a full-blown article so I’ll haul up my pen at this point. But I do want to remind you of one more thing that could save you money.  Many vendors offer a fee to consultant partners whose clients purchase their product. This is because the vendor has expended less marketing and promotion dollars. Since most vendors do this, it doesn’t really benefit the consultant to recommend one product over another. Nonetheless, the consultants I’ve talked with do not keep that fee but ask the vendor to apply it toward discounting the cost of the product. Ask your consultant. If you are not working with a consultant, see if you can negotiate with the vendor to get the same discount. In an upcoming blog we will look at database screening products. Check back! Database Management 2009-05-11T13:46:07+00:00 http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/afp-conference-in-new-orleans/ http://www.datatodonors.com/index.php/site/afp-conference-in-new-orleans/#When:14:59:56Z I had the pleasure of attending the Association of Fundraising Professional’s conference in New Orleans last week.  I would like to share three take-aways from the conference. First is the changing face of fundraising.  There was considerable talk about President Obama’s use of social media during his presidential campaign. Some advocated immediate adoption of his campaign tactics—get on Twitter and Facebook or be left behind. The power of the millennial generation was proclaimed. One speaker announced that the donor pyramid is dead and that a flat fundraising model is the new paradigm. Others cautioned that traditional face-to-face cultivation of prospects and donors should not be ignored while incorporating new techniques.  I don’t know what fundraising will look like in the next year or decade, but I am convinced it is morphing.  That’s exciting and I can’t wait to see what is coming. The second take-away from the conference was the incredible variety of donor databases from which an organization can choose.  I spent a good chunk of my time at the conference talking to vendors about their products. Some provided me with sample database discs so I can “play” with their products.  In the next couple of weeks I’ll participate in vendor webinars and demos.  Look for a future blog on selecting a donor database. You do have options. The third and final take-away is that New Orleans is a great walking town.  The wharf, French Quarter, and Wholesale district are all easily accessible on foot. The Garden District can be explored by hopping a trolley.  My reason for being in New Orleans was the conference so exploration was limited but I will go back. Thanks to AFP for a great conference and thanks to New Orleans from providing a great welcome. News and Trends 2009-04-23T14:59:56+00:00