Non-Profits collect and analyze data to make their efforts more efficient and effective. And they must know exactly what type of data they should gather first! This guide will walk you through some considerations Non-Profits need to make. When deciding what data they should be collecting.

How they should use this data to ensure the organization’s operations are running smoothly. And what kind of data each department in an organization should collect specifically for marketing a Non-Profit. It’ll also give tips on creating a good reporting structure within your Non-Profit. To ensure everyone’s contributing their part!

Things to Consider

Non-Profit organizations are businesses, and the data they collect is essential. But there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what data to collect. Every Non-Profit organization has different needs. The most crucial step is knowing your business and determining what data will help you achieve your goals. To get started, consider these questions:

What is the best time of day to reach your donors? Which types of gifts or donations do you want donors to give? Do you have any donors or staff members who speak languages other than English fluently? If so, can they make bilingual phone calls to those donors in their native language? It’s an easy way to expand your donor base.

Another question to ask is how many people are on your mailing list. Are they all committed supporters, or just a bunch of people who signed up at a booth at an event years ago? What about social media followers? Does every person like your Facebook page donate money too? Knowing this information can help you plan. For example, now’s not the best time to run an extensive advertising campaign on TV if none of your followers even watch TV.

The Importance of Data

First, let’s start by talking about funding. One of the most basic pieces of information Non-Profits are looking for is how much money they receive from donors. You need to break up donations into two categories to do this effectively: recurring donations and One-time contributions.

You should also keep track of how many people are donating to your organization on a monthly or yearly basis. Which will give you insights into donor retention rates and donor base growth over time. Another crucial piece of information is the demographics of your donors. Who are they, where do they live, and what do their interests look like? With all this information, you’ll be able to tailor your appeals to them more effectively.

Next up is event attendance. How often are people coming out to your events and fundraisers? What circumstances seem to be drawing the largest crowds? Do certain geographic regions have higher attendance rates than others? What are the average attendee donation amounts at these events? These statistics will tell you whether you’re running successful events or if changes need to be made.

What data should Non-Profits collect?

Non-Profit organizations need to be data-driven. The more data you have, the better your ability to understand your community and make informed decisions. To find out what data is most important for your Non-Profit organization. Start by identifying your mission and goals.

Do a SWOT analysis of your Non-Profit’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for marketing a Non-Profit. First, take a look at some of the main factors affecting your mission and goals right now. Internally (e.g., resources) and externally (e.g., population demographics).

What factors are driving change in these areas? What specific changes do you foresee occurring over the next five years? Where will they occur? Who will they affect? How will they affect your mission and goals? It can also help identify one or two metrics that measure progress toward your goals.

Once you have done this research, it should be clear which data points are most critical. To collect in order to measure progress toward achieving your goal(s). Start with collecting data that measures how the top metric has changed from the beginning of time up until today. Then collect data going forward from today up until five years from today. If there are any gaps in your data collection efforts. Work on filling those gaps before making any other changes.

How to collect data effectively

• Set Clear Goals – First, decide what data will be most important for your organization. Will you be focused on measuring outcomes or fundraising success? Results should include goals like reducing homelessness, increasing graduation rates, etc. Success metrics might consist of total donations, average donation amount, etc.
• Measure the Right Things – What metrics do you need to measure? How often will they be collected? How long will the data set last?
• Invest in Technology – If you’re not tech-savvy enough to build this technology yourself, try hiring a programmer or using an off-the-shelf tool. For example, Google Analytics could be used to track traffic sources as well as conversions on specific pages or offers. You could also use Qualtrics for surveys or Kiva for micro-lending loans.
• Look Beyond Your Own Borders – Another way to ensure that you’re collecting high-quality data is by making sure that others are doing so as well. For instance, if you’re assessing test scores, don’t just look at your own. Compare them with other schools in the area that serve similar populations. Make sure you take into account socio-economic factors (like parental education levels).
• Be Consistent – Lastly, try to keep things consistent from year to year. Conducting the same survey annually means that there’s consistency in the measurement process and the results over time. It also gives you new perspectives when analyzing your data since previous years’ responses will be included.

Conclusion

Data is critical to the success of marketing a Non-Profit. And these guidelines provide you with an overview of what data is essential and how to go about collecting it. The best way to learn more about data for your Non-Profit is by reading about other organizations’ data collection practices.

There are plenty of case studies out there that cover everything from small local charities to huge international organizations. Doing a little research on what others are doing will help you decide which method will work best for your Non-Profit.