Are Your Suffering From Data Dread?

You know you need to gather donor data. But why? And more importantly, how? And what do you do with it once you've gathered it? Are you gathering too much? Or the wrong kind?

On June 10, we'll host the Engage Virtual Workshop: Driving Donations With Data to help attendees come to better understand and work with their data gathering and usage.

The panel will consist of Page Bullington, director of professional services at Target Analytics; Roger Hiyama, senior vice president and managing director at Russ Reid; and Mazarine Treyz, author, consultant and "The Wild Woman of Fundraising and Social Media."

Here, Page gives us a sneak peek into what she'll be talking about during the webinar.

FundRaising Success: Do you feel there is a sense of misunderstanding (or even dread) on the part of small to midsized nonprofits when it comes to gathering and using data?

Page Bullington: I think for many small and midsize organizations this is definitely true. Often they do not know where to start or just how powerful data can be when used correctly.

FS: To what would you attribute that?
PB: In my experience, it is usually because folks wear a lot of hats, and analyzing or collecting data is just one more thing to add to an already full plate. However, if done correctly, data and analytics can transform an organization and help work progress more efficiently.

FS: Of course you'll expand on this at the webinar, but in a nutshell, what do you think the biggest obstacles are when it comes to nonprofits successfully gathering and using data?

PB: History plays a large part. Over time, inconsistencies creep into databases and make them difficult to use. Along with that, people simply forget to add data as they are updating constituent records so it becomes a challenge over time to ensure you're looking at a holistic picture of your organization.

FS: What is a surprising fact about the gathering and/or use of data in nonprofit fundraising that you think many fundraisers don't know?

PB: Despite the challenges, it's not as hard as you think. And you don't have to collect and analyze everything. A few small data points can make a big difference, and even the smallest organization can improve its fundraising efforts with a little bit of focus in this area.

I hope you'll join us to hear more from Page and her fellow experts at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on June 10. What can you expect to learn? You'll find out how to:

• know which key metrics matter most and how to apply them to your strategic planning;
• find and use analytics from your website, emails and social media;
• coach staff and volunteers to be confident in dealing with data; and
• measure the success (ROI) of your data gathering and usage.

This value-priced ($19.95) webinar also will include in-depth case studies, plus a downloadable, comprehensive study guide for use after the webinar and inclusion in follow-up online gatherings to extend your learning.

Click here to register. Hope to "see" you there!