I love my apartment. The way the light hits the floors in the afternoon, the birds that sing outside my windows, and how I live just a 10 minute walk away from some of my favorite people and coffee shops. It’s amazing! However, the apartment comes with one downside – my closet is tiny. Without regular organization, it’s impossible to find what I’m looking for, let alone assemble outfits or even remember what clothes I have to begin with. Sound familiar? A disorganized closet is a lot like a disorganized donor list. Without the space or time to make sense of the valuable information you have, it’s hard to know how to effectively use your donor list. Summer, with its natural lull, is the perfect time to treat your donor data like my tiny closet – clean it out, organize, and make sure you’re ready for whatever comes next.
Here’s how to tackle your donor data summer refresh:
By dedicating some time to data hygiene now, you’ll head into fall fundraising season with a “closet” full of neatly organized, accurate donor data – no surprises, no clutter, and no missed opportunities.
Cat Clements is GiveMN's Senior Fundraising Coach. She is committed to reframing fundraising as an avenue for deeply fulfilling relationships, and helping organizations approach fundraising from a place of joy, sustainability, and abundance. For more of Cat's tips and tricks, read last month's Content Corner.