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A Pledge to Fundraising Data Teams

nonprofit data

There's this dream I have on a regular basis. In this dream every person who holds a leadership position at nonprofit organizations across the land makes a pledge to their fundraising data teams.

The pledge, recited publicly in front of the entire organization and repeated annually, goes something like this...

  • I pledge to build an organizational culture where the entire team sees data as a part of their work.
  • I will intentionally build a relationship with our fundraising data team.
  • I vow to radically expand our understanding, use, and management of fundraising data.
  • I will treat our fundraising data as an organizational asset.
  • I will treat our fundraising data as a mission-sustaining asset.
  • I commit to allocating the necessary financial and human resources to keep our data clean, safe, and secure.
  • I will make certain our fundraising data team understands their work has a positive impact and irrefutable effect on our entire organization and our ability to carry out our mission.

Although they often (unfortunately) take a backseat to the more public facing members of an organization's fundraising team, the fundraising data professionals (administrators, managers, gift entry specialists, prospect researchers, and more) create and maintain the foundation on which all fundraising is built.

Now, I know there are some in leadership positions who take fundraising data seriously and give it the attention and resources it deserves. I am incredibly thankful for them. However, we could certainly do with a few more of these good folks.

Everything starts with data. Staff come and go at a nonprofit. But fundraising data is forever. Let's give it the attention it deserves.

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