Although 2020 is upon us, we want to reflect and take a look back at the content that resonated with the Omatic community this past year. Here is our countdown to the top ten posts from the Omatic blog in 2019. Have you read them all?
10. Spring Clean Your Database
Dirty databases can create frustrated staff, cause ineffective decision making, and inevitably slow down your organization. Ultimately, these trickle-down factors can negatively impact supporters and prospective donors – the most important assets of any successful nonprofit. Why not take some time to refresh your database to ensure it’s in the best condition possible? We’ve got the steps you should take to make your data shine.
9. How Nonprofits Can Build the Ultimate Donor Journey
Every nonprofit organization should aim to create the perfect donor journey to increase the number of new and recurring contributions. With an updated and standardized donation process, nonprofits can keep their donors happy and build lifelong supporters. In this post, we cover the simple steps you can take to provide your supporters with the ultimate donor journey:
- Step #1: Get Discovered
- Step #2: Gain Their Respect
- Step #3: Encourage Donations
- Step #4: Say Thank You
- Step #5: Build Loyal Supporters
Are you providing your donors with the ideal supporter experience?
8. Donor Retention: Small Improvement, Big Impact
Are all your supporter interactions captured in your fundraising system? If not, then you are missing key ingredients in your ability to measure engagement. And if you can’t measure engagement, you can’t identify donors that are at-risk of lapsing (to pre-empt attrition). Your data strategy has a direct impact on the supporter experience.
For the last 10 years, donor retention rates have remained lower than 50%. What’s your donor retention rate?
7. How to Make Virtual Fields Work for You
Virtual fields are the key to avoiding manual entry. There are many possibilities ranging from simple profile additions to complex logic that can help make your imports do all your hard work! Have some fun with Virtual Fields and see how much manual data entry you can avoid with these how-tos:
- Adding a Field to Every Record in Your Import
- Using a Field to Populate Not Just One, But Two Fields in RE
- Using a Field to Conditionally Populate an Additional Field in RE
6. Data Management Best Practices
Are you leveraging your data to the fullest extent? Today, massive amounts of information are being shared, but not all organizations know what data they should be collecting or how they should be managing it. Some of our suggested best practices include:
- Identifying and Aligning Valuable Data
- Integrating Your CRM
- Developing Systems and Processes
Make sure your information doesn’t go to waste by implementing a donor data management strategy that supports your goals. Learn to leverage our tips to become a more data-driven organization today.
5. ImportOmatic FAQ: Dictionaries
Ever wonder what an ImportOmatic group training session is like? During these interactive trainings, attendees ask a variety of questions. We compiled a few of the more popular inquiries from recent ImportOmatic Refresher Trainings & ImportOmatic Basics Series Trainings.
4. Say Hello to Our New Brand!
Omatic has evolved a lot since we started in 2002, and it was time to show our logo some love! Our new brand identity better matches who we are: an innovative team with a never-ending drive to be better and a deep desire to always positively impact the organizations we serve.
Have you seen it yet? Learn more about our transformation and the reasoning behind it all.
3. Plan. Don’t Panic. 7 Tips for a Successful Data Migration.
Consolidating, migrating, moving, or cleaning data seems easy but it can quickly become more challenging than you initially thought. Without the right plan and tools in place, you are risking a significant amount of downtime, data loss, or very messy data. Jump-start your next project with these seven steps:
- Get Your Team On Board
- Clean Up the Mess
- Set Clear Goals
- Get Organized
- One Step at a Time
- Use the Right Tools for the Job
- Plan Long-Term
The good news is, there are plenty of things you can do to help prepare for data migration. Don’t worry, we’ve got all of the tips to help you do things the right way.
2. Six Best Practices for Your Pledge Reminder Strategy
For donors that pledge large gifts to be paid as installments over time, pledge reminders are the key to keeping these supporters continuously engaged. Cultivating these relationships with proper stewardship practices will help foster a stronger giving program overall, allowing your nonprofit to reach new levels of fundraising success. With our simple practices, you can create a strong pledge campaign that helps your organization achieve its mission.
1. Removing Barriers to Hire the Best Data Entry Staff
Finding great data entry personnel can be challenging. You may already have a database manager or a strict budget, so you’re looking for an entry-level employee. Why not focus on the qualities that make someone great at data entry? For example:
- High attention to detail and consistency
- Ability to repeatedly perform a task at the same level of attentiveness and quality
- Ability to learn new software systems through videos and guides (self-taught, self-motivated)
Check out the full post to learn more about how to identify candidates for data entry by focusing on other factors, besides experience.
