Get cured of data decay with Martin Jervis’ database management surgery

Supporters are the lifeblood of most charities, so to ensure your organisation’s good health, all supporter data must be consistently well managed to maintain accuracy and reduce attrition levels, as well as provide additional supporter insight.

This is where having an effective supporter database management solution in place pays dividends. The question for many organisations is where to start in choosing the right solution, and how to get the most out of it.

Make the right choice

Look for a database management solution with as much relevant out-of-the-box functionality as possible. Work this out by identifying what you are trying to achieve in business terms, the issues you need to solve, and what realistically can be fixed. Then, define the steps you need to achieve these goals.

When selecting a solution, look too at the ‘use case’; the steps within the system that determine how details and transactions are processed and automated.

Seek advice

Choosing the right solution is not easy, so enlist the services of an experienced consultant who is well informed as to what is available for your needs. Team them up with an internal leader who has the necessary understanding of your business processes – and clout – to help the consultant accurately guide your choice.

Getting started

The easiest way to set up your new system is to get the vendor to install the software, and then appoint ‘super users’ from within the charity to manage it (and the resulting new business processes).

Alternatively, you could outsource the software’s management – but ensure you do not relinquish control altogether. Appoint someone at senior management level as ‘owner’ within the charity who can be responsible for the software, monitor its performance against goals and keep abreast of what future versions can do.

Data gathering

Now you have your new whizz-bang supporter management software solution in place, you need some supporters to manage.

When you transfer existing data from the old system, tidy it up. Validate it. Clean it. And check you won’t lose valuable data stored in unused fields (e.g. Address line 6 being used to store Skype ID).

Train and incentivise your data users within the charity in the art of collecting and recording data. To ensure new data is entered properly, automate the data capture process and its validation at the point of capture. This will help eradicate unnecessary and costly errors by checking the accuracy of address and banking details in real time, and asking for any incorrect data to be re-entered before final capture.

Keep it clean

Clean data before you import it, then keep it clean. Data decays naturally as people’s situations change, so one of your most important ongoing tasks is regular cleaning and suppression to weed out the likes of ‘goneaways’ (address changes) and deceased records.

Think about duplicates and whether you need to link people in the same households. Household data is notorious for duplicates – up to 20 per cent is not unusual.

Back up your records with cloud storage, and take the opportunity that donor upgrades present to conduct data hygiene checks.

You can also involve your supporters: make it easy for them to update their details by including reminders in your communications to inform you of any changes, or even letting them update their own information online.

Cost management

Justification of spend is particularly pertinent for charities, so managing costs when implementing a new solution is key. Look at your approach to TCO (total cost of ownership), as well as what your recurring costs will be and how best to manage them.

It also comes back to working out exactly what you need from a software solution before you choose one: get this right and you will be far less likely to waste valuable funds.

Other points to consider

Your hard work will be in vain unless you achieve buy-in from the whole organisation. Everyone needs to agree in detail what ‘best’ software means in the case of your organisation, and to whom, and what trade-offs it will take to achieve this.

Agree how best to move data and users of your current system over to the new one for a smooth switchover. Envision ten outcomes that will be different as a result of the new system, work out how they will be dealt with, and agree everything with your SMT and board.

Lastly, clear communication is vital if any new software implementation is to be a success, so communicate exactly what you are doing and why to the whole organisation. Explain how the new solution will work, and what your users need to know to ensure it runs smoothly.

Martin Jervis is chief operating officer at Fundraising Initiatives

This article first appeared in The Fundraiser magazine, Isseue 19, July 2012