
This month at Wingo NYC, we’ve been thinking about how we ❤️ data. Numbers, after all, do make the world go round. For many non-profits, the beating heart that tracks and organizes all their information is their Customer Relationship Management (CRM), aka database.
Are you pining for a CRM solution to your data woes?
Are you at a stage where it is time to start courting a new CRM?
Or, do you simply love learning about how better managing your data can positively impact your organization?
Read on for answers to the two most common questions our clients ask us about CRMs:
When is the time to start using a CRM and what are the benefits?
The sooner the better! Maintaining clean and current data is crucial. CRMs allow you to streamline fundraising efforts by having all your data in one place–from event tracking to donor records and giving history, to contact information.
CRMs help translate data into stories by tracking the history of your relationship with each donor, pulling a report on a specific group of donors, and creating charts to quickly visualize your progress toward reaching different fundraising goals (Pro Tip: this is great for board meetings). Segmentation and tags are key ways of organizing and categorizing donors, which allows you to tailor your messaging and more easily identify trends in your donor base.
Many CRM solutions today bundle together key fundraising functionality, such as contact management, event ticketing, and email marketing (or offer integration with popular email platforms, like MailChimp and Constant Contact). This can drive powerful insights, like identifying donors who attend every event but never engage with your emails.
Everyone has to start somewhere. If you aren’t ready to make the CRM jump consider using our free Excel template for organizing donor data.
We polled the Wingo NYC team about how properly leveraging CRM data impacts the work we do with our clients. Here is what each department had to say:
Digital Engagement
Up-to-date data allows us to segment email audiences and personalize messaging, from engaging email subscribers who have never donated to converting one-time donors into repeat donors.
We can leverage email performance reports to see what type of messaging drives the most engagement with different donor groups and optimize messaging for future emails.
CRM data can be used to create an audience for digital ads designed to attract the most qualified new potential donors. In other words, we can deliver a digital ad to an audience that “looks like,” or has very similar characteristics to, your most engaged donor group.
Fundraising
Without accurate and up-to-date donor data that includes key information about a donor’s recent giving history or notes from their last solicitation meeting/call, it can be very challenging (but not impossible) to craft the most effective strategy for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding them. Regardless of how messy a client’s data is, we work with them to strengthen their infrastructure and jumpstart or transform their fundraising strategy.
Design
We reference data to design with the appropriate target audience in mind. It is important to consider different design elements such as color, contrast, or images that would appeal to specific groups in your database. Our design department likes to pitch different design ideas for audiences based on a varying set of values, cultures, or interests.
Events
Donor data is crucial in building the revenue model for a financially successful event. At the start of every engagement, we review corporate and individual history to determine potential event sponsorship asks, with the intent of growing revenue each year.
With accurate data, we can segment and target sponsorship appeals, invitations and night-of fundraising to ensure your event is filled with the right people, guaranteeing financial success.
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