This blog post was originally published by Giving Tree Associates.
When it comes to database management, one of the most frequently asked questions from our clients is “why is my mailing list so messed up?” In particular, we find many nonprofits use all kinds of workarounds to enter information for various family structures. To give you a quick rundown, we called in our go-to data expert, Debbie McCann* from W4Sight.
Entering names in your CRM so that your mailing lists come out perfectly every time can be a challenge, especially when you have couples on your list who don't fit the Emily Post 1950s-era examples. In modern life, it's common to have couples with different last names, couples where either partner (or both) have important titles (like "Dr."), and same-sex couples.
Luckily, most nonprofit CRMs are prepared to handle these situations. But you may find that the necessary fields are ignored (or the overall functionality is misunderstood) until it is time to run a mailing list! We recommend following a few important guidelines for entering and maintaining your data, and you’ll be well on your way to generating better lists.
So, even if you’re following these guidelines, what about those frustrated online donors? On your online donation form, specifically ask for the spouse’s name AND how the donor would like to be recognized. If donors don’t have another place to put this information, they will try to squeeze it into the only fields available.
Not sure how to achieve all this? Check out our freebie for detailed information on how to implement these suggestions using the most commonly used nonprofit databases.
One last suggestion: remember that CONSISTENCY is also a critical feature in your database that allows you to get big tasks done quickly and easily. Whatever exact rules and guidelines your organization follows, take care to be consistent in your data management so you don't end up with an annual report list that includes all different policies.
If your data is already all over the place, remember that for most systems, there are ways to reset the Addressee and Salutation fields according to a specific policy, without editing hundreds or thousands of records manually. Need help developing and executing policies that are right for the culture of your org? Just ask us!
*Debbie McCann is a co-founder of W4Sight LLC, a company that provides management and technology consulting services to the nonprofit community. W4Sight strives to provide pragmatic solutions that enable nonprofits to expand capacity and increase efficiency in support of their mission. Debbie can be reached at dmccann@w4sight.com.