New to Nonprofit Data?

Are you a nonprofit data professional or nonprofit asker? Are you new to nonprofit data all together? Or new to a specific donor management system? Follow this advice and you will be well on your way to a deeper understanding of data generally and your system specifically.

My top recommendation for anyone just starting to work with a donor management system is to get into the area called, depending on the software maker, configuration, administration, or settings and review all code tables related to contributions.

I call this the development structure. It is how an organization fundraises. More specifically, it's how an organization translates the fundraising it does in the real world into the world of the database. If you think it has something to do with entering or outputting gifts, look at it. Get a feel for this structure.

The other tables I would take a peek at are any that speak to a constituent's most important relationship to the organization. Depending on the system these can be called constituent types, person types, constituencies, constituent codes, etc.

If you check these code tables out and can begin to see groups of constituents and how they give, you will get around in the system more efficiently, better understand reports as well as other types of outputs (and request them with more confidence), and be better prepared to do your fundraising work. 

Don't have access to these areas of the system? Ask someone who does have this level of access to walk through these areas with you. Trust me...they'll be impressed and appreciative.