Until recently, the northeast has been spared from major snow this winter.  We were even more fortunate to have a few days of 60 and 70-degree weather.  I took this opportunity to go through my closet and donate a few items to a local charity.  As I told my wife, it was an “early spring cleaning”.

It also got me thinking about the importance of “spring cleaning” your data.  I know for many organizations the end of the year was very busy.  Many donors were making gifts early to maximize their tax benefits.

So in this “lull” before “gala season”, now is a good time to look at your data and clean it up!  Run a duplicate record search, run your data through the NCOA (National Change of Address) database, perform an e-mail append, etc.  Now’s the time.  You’ll be thankful this fall that you took the time to complete this important task.

About the Author

Michael J. Buckley, CFRE is a career fundraising professional and Founder and Managing Partner of The Killoe Group. His firm assists nonprofit organizations increase revenue, exposure and capacity through smart, data driven, successive decisions and effective planning. Mike’s experience and passion for the profession of fundraising have made him a sought-after speaker, consultant and presenter. The Killoe Group’s broad experiences include annual campaign audits and management, capital campaign leadership, feasibility studies, interim program leadership, board governance, strategic planning and capacity building.