Toward Data Maturity

Fundraising data maturity is a measurement of how advanced a nonprofit organization's data processes and analysis are. At higher levels of data maturity, fundraising data becomes deeply ingrained in the nonprofit and fully incorporated into all fundraising initiatives.

Fundraising data maturity can be measured in four stages. Knowing which data maturity stage your nonprofit is in can set you up for an intentional data growth spurt.

Stage 1: Curious Explorer

Also referred to as data awareness, in this first phase, you're just starting to become curious about data. Ways in which data can help drive fundraising decisions begin to be explored. You're still doing things the hard way, but you're starting to think there's got to be an easier way. You have multiple systems and databases, including those pesky shadow databases living in separate Excel files on different computer desktops. There is a lack of system integration and reports are created manually from separate systems, but the idea of standardizing the reporting process begins to take hold. A level of distrust in data and system outputs is common in this stage.

Stage 2: Empowered User

In this phase, also called data proficiency, your curiosity starts to pay off. This is the point in your progression toward data maturity when you and your fundraising team challenge yourselves to more fully engage with your data and systems on a regular basis. Data quality begins to be questioned. You still have multiple databases and there is no cross-system integration, but you've started to track fundraising KPIs. You are now ready to start talking more in depth about data policies, procedures, and products, but you may have little to no support from leadership as well as little know-how when it comes to working with data daily. It’s common at this stage for nonprofit fundraising teams to demand technological innovation.

Stage 3: Engaged Leader

At this stage, some call it data savvy, you and your team, including now organizational leadership, are using data to make critical fundraising decisions. This is the stage where cross-departmental data partnerships within your organization become next level. In this phase it becomes important to keep up with changes in technologies that integrate all data sources and systems to keep building on efficiencies in your new data processes. You may even start to use new data sets to supplement your existing donor and prospect data.

 Stage 4: Inspired Innovator

You have arrived! In this final stage of data maturity you have become a data-driven fundraising team. You live by the phrases "if it's not in the system it didn't happen" and "no data, no decision." Your main objective becomes scaling your use of data while continuing to reduce costs. Your fundraising team and other departments are working as a well-oiled data machine. You're using data not only to reach your goals, but to predict how you can stay ahead of the fundraising game too. You've integrated all data sources and systems and have implemented a powerful self-service reporting tool.

Your fundraising data is one of your most valuable assets and it's value will only increase with each passing year. Many fundraising teams don’t know how to fully utilize data...yet. But don't fret. This just means you're early on your data maturity journey. Your first step toward growth is to determine the data maturity stage in which your organization lives here, today, now. It then becomes a matter of staying curious and allowing your data maturity to unfold naturally.