Modeling — Taking It Straight From the Experts (Part 2)

John Ernst: Models, ideally, are able to put the channels on one platform and level the playing field, so to speak. There's no channel politics or budget silos to a math equation. I believe models will inform the movement to multichannel marketing by playing the role of translator, enabling the channels, and their respective owners at each organization, to speak the same language. Models only see data. If the data says donors should be communicated to via e-mail vs. direct mail, or some shared combination of both, then there should be little room for debate.

Gretchen Littlefield: From an acquisition perspective, modeling offers the best ability to match the prospect to the offer and channel of his/her choosing, and deliver the offer when he/she is most likely to respond. The fact that marketers now have the ability to deliver targeted ads online in concert with mail, all driven by models powered with transactional data, is thrilling. The amount of online data is mind-blowing; it seems everyone is talking about "Big Data." With all of that data, how does a marketer find actionable insights? Modeling. It's quite simply the ability to be relevant.

Jim Emlet: If you ask the right question and have the right data, modeling can inform nearly all aspects of direct-marketing decision-making.

Jeff Birkner: Successful modeling must look at all transactions across all channels. However, understanding why people give is a first critical step in the development of a modeling methodology and required to account for the underlying psychographic nature of charitable behavior.

4. What is the future of modeling for fundraising — what's on the horizon?

Eskew: Not to be indelicate, but nonprofit fundraisers are likely years behind other commercial interests in the use of sophisticated modeling. The economic pressures that commercial direct marketers faced 10 to 20 years ago are currently evident in the nonprofit space. It is highly likely that their need to raise funds more effectively and efficiently will lead them to expanded modeling generally and cooperative database models specifically. Not only will models improve results through better selection, they can also be used to identify the best prospects from within the current house file for reactivation, monthly giving, major gifts and planned gifts.