Unlocking fundraising success: A data quality guide for charities

Data quality strategy

You need to start by defining a clear data quality strategy. A well-formulated data strategy is paramount for an organisation since it articulates its vision to store, use and manage data. Outlining what success looks like and aligning these with your overall fundraising strategies will help you gain business buy-in and show the benefits data quality can have. Make sure you establish clear data quality standards, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all touchpoints of data interaction within the organisation.

Data cleansing

After setting your data quality strategy, it’s time to understand how accurate your current data is. At the heart of maintaining high-quality data lies a crucial practice: data cleansing. This process ensures the integrity, accuracy, and effectiveness of a charity’s engagement with its supporters. As donors interact with an organisation, over time, their details may change—addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses may be updated. Without regular cleansing, these changes might go unnoticed, leading to outdated and inaccurate records.

Data collection and validation

To optimise data integrity, it is crucial to establish clear data collection protocols, including standardised formats for names, addresses, and contact details (e.g., specifying title inclusion and date format). By implementing Experian real-time validation in your webforms, such as email validation, you can prevent inaccuracies at entry, reducing the need for corrections. The importance of validating data at multiple touchpoints, including during data entry, import, and before major campaigns, is to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Using the right tools

In the pursuit of maintaining high-quality data, charities can leverage a suite of cutting-edge tools that not only streamline data processes but also elevate the overall efficiency of fundraising initiatives. Data management is vital to ensuring a single source of truth for donor information while maintaining compliance with data protection regulations. Experian Data Quality Solutions ensure the accuracy and completeness of donor information. We can also integrate with platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 to offer a comprehensive solution for maintaining data excellence.

These tools work in tandem to enhance data quality, streamline processes, and contribute to the success of digital fundraising initiatives. From the centralised capabilities of CRM systems to the analytical power of tools like Experian Data Quality Solutions, charities can harness these resources to not only maintain high-quality data but also unlock deeper insights that drive successful digital fundraising campaigns.

Experian’s Data Validation Solutions: Serves as the frontline defenders of data integrity. By ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance at the point of entry, charities can trust that their donor databases are built on a foundation of reliable information. Say goodbye to errors and inaccuracies from the outset, paving the way for more effective and targeted engagement.

Experian Data Quality Integration Solutions: Seamless integration is the heartbeat of efficient data management. Experian’s Data Quality Integration Solutions, integrated with platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365, provide charities with the agility to synchronise, update, and retrieve data in real time. This integration not only enhances workflow efficiency but also guarantees a unified view of donor interactions across platforms.