Tip #16: Start Building a Database

Kindly provided by Kerri Tilby-Price from Exult (helping non-profits grow).

Fundraising is all about relationships. The more relationships you have and the deeper those relationships are, the more money you will raise. It’s simple maths.

In order to truly develop those relationships, it is important that you start keeping accurate records about who your supporters are and how they support you. You might like to include things like how they first got involved with your organisation, what their first donation was, how often they give and what their average gift is. You should also record if they provide support in other ways such as volunteering or gifts in kind.

The more you know about your supporters, the easier it is to connect them to relevant parts of your cause. Take time to genuinely get to know your supporters and make notes about their relationship with you as you go along. This is valuable information not just for your current fundraising people, but for anyone new who joins the team.

There are lots of database options available, but one that has been designed specifically for non-profit groups is www.infoodle.com.

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