Data isn’t just for data people
Over the years I’ve noticed a curious divide in fundraising teams.
Data often gets treated as separate to fundraising.
Sometimes there’s a bit of crossover, usually when a fundraiser says they quite enjoy the data side of things, but more often the two sit slightly apart; it’s not unheard of for the data operation to sit with Finance or IT. I’ve always found that strange, because data underpins almost everything we do in fundraising. Every appeal and every supporter journey depends on it.
Despite the symbiosis between fundraising and data, data often ends up treated like a “nice to have”. Something that gets attention when there’s a problem, or when a project finally gets approved, but not something that’s actively managed day to day. You see it in small ways:
• data housekeeping slipping down the priority list
• suppression management being handed off to external suppliers
• structural issues sitting unresolved for long periods of time
None of this happens because people don’t care. It usually happens because data is seen as someone else’s responsibility. But good fundraising data isn’t created by a data person working in isolation. It’s the result of lots of small decisions made across a team.
Data people maintain the structure. Fundraisers create the information that fills it.
When those two things work in concert, the database becomes a genuine fundraising asset rather than just a record of activity.
And when those two things don’t line up, you feel it. Segments don’t quite work. Reports get questioned. Campaigns underperform and no one is entirely sure why. Not because the fundraising is wrong, but because the data underneath it isn’t being treated as part of the same job.
The shift isn’t about turning fundraisers into data specialists. It’s about recognising that every interaction, every input, every shortcut feeds the system everyone relies on. Good data isn’t owned by a team. It’s shaped by behaviour. And the organisations that get this right aren’t the ones with the biggest databases, they’re the ones where data is part of everyday thinking, not an afterthought.
And in this challenging climate – the most challenging we’ve seen in years – the organisations that listen to and embrace their data will be the ones in a stronger position to adapt and grow.
If any of this feels familiar, I’ve got some availability from mid-May to help teams get a bit more joined-up in how their data is used day to day.
And if you know a team that’s a bit stuck with their data – whether that’s processes, their CRM, or just getting things to work as they should – I’d really appreciate an introduction.
#DataQuality
#CRM
#CharitySector
#DataGovernance
#Nonprofits
