Get My Weekly Email
top down view of two pairs of scissors with intricate handles on white background

The Shortcut Myth

nonprofit data

Hands down, the number one question I get asked when working with nonprofit organizations, their data, and the systems that hold their data is, "Ed, isn't there a shortcut? Isn't there a quicker way to do this?"

My answer is typically, "If you had set your system up to be quicker, more efficient, absolutely yes." Proper initial configuration and regular maintenance is key to efficiency and "short cuts."

So, there are no shortcuts in your donor management system. Let me rephrase that. There are no readily available shortcuts in your system. If you invest the time and resources to set up the shortcuts, yes they will be there.

Having said that, here are a few of my favorite timesavers available in both RE NXT database view and web view.

Database View

RE Mail
In the RE menu bar click Mail. Click Donor Acknowledgement Letters. Open or Create your Master Donor Acknowledgement file. Add new letters to this file as needed. Once set up you will have an easy, quick way to send out donor acknowledgements.

RE Batch
In the RE menu bar click Batch. You can enter gifts as well as constituents using Batch. I recommend using Batch for all gift entry from one gift to thousands of gifts. This way you will have a quick, organized means of entering gifts and an electronic trail of all gifts entered into the system.

RE Reports
If you're only going to run one report out of database view, make it the Gift Detail and Summary Report. The detail version of this report provides detailed information (name, address, contact information) about a constituent's giving within a specific date range. The summary version of this report totals gifts within a specific date range by constituent code, campaign, fund, and/or appeal. In the RE menu bar click Reports. Click Financial Reports. Select Gift Detail and Summary Report. Click the new button.

Web View

Work Center
Located under the Fundraising menu, the Work Center is a view of everything that has been assigned to you as a Fundraiser. I call it an expanded portfolio as it not only shows you Constituents (under Portfolio) assigned to you it also shows Actions, Gifts, and Opportunities assigned to you. From this point you can easily create Lists, access Constituents, work with Actions, view Gifts, and manage asks. It's kind of like your fundraising command central.

Your Lists
Under the List menu you can create Action, Constituent, Gift, and Opportunity Lists. If you use the same Lists day after day, keep them open. This way they will always be open and ready to use even when you log out and log back into the system. Easy access!

Your Standard Dashboards
Found under the Fundraising menu, the Reporting option houses your Dashboards. Take a bit of time to set these up in a way that serves you best. You can then save and come back to them anytime for the latest and greatest.

Working with data is like working out or losing weight, if someone tells you there's a shortcut, they aren't telling you the whole truth. The truth is, the better you plan and maintain the quicker you will be able to get around in your system.

Sign up to receive my weekly email with updates, fresh takes, advice, & tips on building better fundraising data.

Sign Me Up!