How to Prep for a Powerful Fall Fundraising Season!
By Angella Hubbert, Vice President of Data Services
I know, I know… summer is supposed to be the “quiet season” in the fundraising world. But for me and my team of Data Stars, it’s the perfect time to roll up our sleeves and get donor databases in tip-top shape before the fall rush hits!
Trust me: a little work now will save you time, stress and last-minute chaos when campaigns start flying in September.
Summer is a golden opportunity to take a breath and give your Rescue Mission data some love. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to get started:
1. Merge Those Duplicates
Duplicates may sound like a small issue, but they can snowball into all kinds of problems – wasted postage, double-solicited donors, inaccurate reporting and one very confused database.
Use your CRM’s deduplication tools or work with your CRM administrator to:
- Identify matching names or addresses
- Merge records without losing gift history
- Clean up formatting weirdness (we see you, “J. Smith / John Smith / Jon Smith”)
It’s a little tedious, but oh-so-worth it!
2. Standardize Your Donor Flags
You know all those fields in your database… the ones that indicate whether someone is a monthly donor, a mid/major donor or holiday only? Summer is the perfect time to make sure those flags actually make sense and are being used consistently. And pay special attention to older flags that could be removing donors from key communications!)
Take this opportunity to:
- Review your donor flags, tags and codes
- Ensure everyone across your team is using the same terminology and logic for flags
- Archive any outdated codes or clean up messy custom fields
Standardizing your donor flags is like tidying your closet. If you put in the effort now, you’ll thank yourself when campaign season rolls around and you can pull accurate, meaningful lists in seconds.
3. Review Your Data Entry Rules
If you have multiple people entering data, especially across departments or systems, it’s easy for inconsistencies to creep in. Are people in your org entering data the same way?
Ask:
- Is everyone following the same formatting rules?
- Are gift notes, appeal codes or campaigns entered uniformly?
- Do we need a summer refresher training or cheat sheet?
Make sure your team takes the time to create or update your data entry guide. Host a quick refresher session with staff on the data entry process and fix inconsistent formatting now.
Consistent data entry is one of the easiest ways to increase reporting accuracy and reduce manual rework during crunch time.
4. Revisit Lapsed Donors and “Cold” Records
Are you still mailing to donors who haven’t given in five years or more? If so, it might be time to reassess. These individuals could be better suited for a reactivation track, or it may be more cost-effective to suppress them from your fall mailings altogether.
Start by asking a few key questions:
- When did this donor last make a gift?
- Have they ever responded to your emails?
- Are you engaging them in a way that’s still relevant?
Taking the time to evaluate these lapsed donors not only helps your budget but also gives you a much clearer picture of who your active donors really are.
5. Create a Quick Data Health Checklist
Finally, make summer your “data audit” season. You don’t need a full overhaul – just a quick review.
Consider:
- Bounce rates for email
- Opt-out or “Do Not Mail” counts
- Donors with incomplete contact info
- Segments that need new messaging (e.g., online-only donors)
- Update your National Change of Address data (NCOA) to ensure mailing to correct address
Ask your CRM administrator to help build a monthly check-in. You’ll head into year-end with clarity and confidence.
Why it Matters
When fall hits, things move fast. Campaigns launch. Segments shift. Reports are due yesterday. The teams that thrive during year-end? They’re the ones who used the summer to get their data game tight.
By investing in your data infrastructure during the summer, you set your fundraising team up to move faster, make smarter decisions and deliver more targeted campaigns when it matters most.
A little cleanup now means fewer headaches later – and stronger results when year-end giving season arrives.
And hey! If you’re not sure where to start or what to prioritize, don’t stress! That’s what we’re here for – reach out anytime. Your Data Stars are always ready to help make sense of the mess and set you up for success.
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