Issue 22: Data Culture

I’m beginning to build a few assets relating to Generosity Experience Design, the first of which will be a workbook around the framework we’re developing to help contextualize the intersection of people and technology.?

The framework has helped me develop stronger, more clearly defined presentations on this intersection. When I speak about the Generosity Experience, it's the zone of trust and connection that nonprofits use technology to build.?

However, there’s a fair amount of disconnect between that in practice and a fundamental issue we can start with - power, or who ultimately decides the usage and prioritization of technology in generating revenue for the nonprofit??

Is it the board authorizing the expenditure, the executive director asking for reports, or the people managing the system??

My research and interviews have pointed to the answer being all of the above, and ultimately, these are questions deeply tied to the data culture the nonprofit has designed within its organization.?

This month, I’ll ask some core questions about data culture, asset management strategies, and tactical decisions your team may need to make to achieve sustainability.?

Are you ready??

Generosity in Action

I continue to be both excited and concerned about the forward momentum of artificial intelligence in the nonprofit sector. I’ve been paying attention to this for a long time now, but I can’t say I’m surprised by anything we’re seeing.?

That’s why I want to ensure that the GOOD parts are balanced about every news story about AI telling people to eat glue. I have a very good thing for you today.?

Meenakshi (Meena) Das and Michelle Flores Vryn, CFRE are putting together a survey about AI and data equity in the nonprofit sector and it takes about 10 minutes to fill out. I hope you can get this filled out.?

I’m especially asking those of you who follow me who are small shops to fill this out. Your voice is critically important at this stage, and having your insights come through in this research will empower folks like me to advocate better when I’m sitting in the inevitable closed-door rooms where these decisions are discussed.

Initiatives like this and Fundraising.AI are so important and I’m so thrilled about Neon One’s support for this work.?

Tips & Tricks

If you’re like me when doing mailings, getting a return of address envelope is the pits. I was even told that our holiday card only JUST arrived to someone this week!

A way that nonprofits can get ahead of this is to invest into a National Change of Address (NCOA) update to their mailing list in their database. I loved doing these at my last job and wanted to share some tips from the Neon One team about the process:

The purpose of the NCOA database is to reduce the occurrence of returned mail, which means giving individuals an easy way to update their mailing address while helping organizations like yours keep their mailing list up to date and properly formatted.

On the organizational side of that equation, here are several tasks that the NCOA database can help your nonprofit accomplish!?

• Change of Address Updates: By processing your mailing list through the NCOA database, you can replace outdated addresses with current ones, ensuring that your mailings reach the intended recipients. This is basically the primary purpose of the database.?

• Address Standardization and Correction: This service ensures that all addresses in your database follow a consistent format according to USPS guidelines, making them easier to manage and improving the chances of successful deliveries.

• Duplicate Detection and Removal: The NCOA database can help identify and remove duplicate addresses from your mailing list, which is essential for maintaining a clean database and preventing multiple mailings to the same address, and reducing postage and printing costs.?

• Move Update Compliance: Using the NCOA database helps your nonprofit comply with USPS Move Update requirements, which mandates that address lists be updated at least every 95 days to qualify for bulk mailing discounts (And avoid penalties for non-compliance.??

• Suppression Services: The NCOA database can also help with suppression services, identifying addresses that should be excluded from your mailing list. This includes addresses of individuals who have moved and not provided a forwarding address, deceased individuals, or those who have requested not to receive mail.?

• Address Verification: The NCOA checks addresses against USPS records, identifying any inaccuracies or invalid entries, ensuring that the addresses in your database are valid and deliverable.

• Forwarding Address Information: When individuals or businesses move, they often provide a forwarding address to the USPS. The NCOA database includes this forwarding address information, allowing nonprofits to update their records with the new address.?

In the rest of the article, they dive into all the ways that these services provide real, tangible value to nonprofits like yours.?

Data Dive

This keeps coming up so I’m just going to resurface an old piece I wrote on private equity and its implications for the nonprofit sector. With another CRM platform announcing its acquisition into a larger platform, I think its important to address that for the time being, the source of “business innovation” will be driven by private equity investment firms.

As mentioned in my article, we don’t have to assume things will be bad automatically. But usually, they will get bad before they get better, and much of the data culture a nonprofit can establish will be influenced by the companies that are ultimately being merged and acquired through these private equity deals, which happen on a pretty consistent basis.?

There are no easy answers here and everyone has a different interpretation. Regardless of its underlying capital structure, every company needs to make money. “The mission is in the margins” is a phrase I’ve begun to internalize. But I continue to witness how critical it is to have voices who deeply understand the nonprofit sector have meaningful roles within any new entities. There’s little data on the actual investment specifics at this stage, but if someone had the time to infograph it, I bet it would look very interesting.?

Over the years, many folks have come to me and asked what to pay attention to, how to build a culture that meaningfully elevates the nonprofit voice in operations, and all the weird things that can happen when a company shifts into a different phase. I will continue to be a resource for anyone who wants to talk to me and get a supportive ear.?

We’re all in this together!?

Community Spotlight

I started this week off by asking the question “Technology is good for nonprofits - or is it?”

I expected some insightful thoughts here and y’all didn’t disappoint. Here are some of the top comments to help you navigate that question more deeply:

• Important to ask if the tech is purpose built by those with deep nonprofit experience for nonprofits. Don’t let tech lead the way. I’ve been part of too many tech customization projects inside nonprofits because the tools weren’t purpose-built. Gerrymandering tech is a waste of time for nonprofits. Would love to see a round-up of companies led by nonprofit experts. - Tina Duong
• Agree with starting with defining what "Good for nonprofits" means. The answer is not always clear to organizations on the front lines, and may in fact differ organization to organization based on their priorities, but it's such an important one to put some framework around.? - Kevin Kreamer
• I think both "technology" and "nonprofits" are too broad - the most helpful inquiries will define those terms more I think. What kinds of technology is included? Any? Would fax machines have made this list years ago? And which categories of nonprofits? - Hope Adair

These questions helped me identify the path I want to take this month to explore that. What other questions do we still need to interrogate when addressing technology’s role in the nonprofit sector??

Upcoming Events

We have a fun show planned this month, including a giveaway of Rhea Wong 's book "Get That Money, Honey".

Save your spot here!

Neon CRM Monthly Release: June 2024

June 25, 2024 | 3:00 PM ET

The one where we debut Text-to-Communicate and new one-click automations and deeper grants enhancements.?

Register

Mastering the Art of Inquiry: Enhancing Donor Engagement through The Socratic Method

June 27 2024, 2024 | 3:15 PM ET

In this session, you will learn how to ask powerful questions of your supporters and technology to gain deeper insights and foster a culture of generosity. Utilizing The Socratic Method, a time-tested approach to questioning and dialogue, we will guide you through creating impactful donor surveys.?

Register

Final Thoughts

In working through this vision around a Generosity Experience Design framework with my team member Alex Huntsberger , it's been fascinating to come full circle to some of the basic truths that I’ve known for a while now.?

The culture around your nonprofit’s data is critical to its success. Technology will amplify existing behavior - for better or for worse.?

The trick here is that the companies who build these supporting infrastructures need to continue to listen to the folks they serve - small nonprofits, in particular, get left out of the conversations that actually most need their voices.?

I continue to be optimistic that any sized nonprofit can succeed with technology when given the proper support and environment to thrive. My job will be to continue to focus on making that as easy as possible for both my immediate clients and the nonprofit sector at large.?

Till next week.

Puzzle of the Week

Check out this fun Riddle Generator that I found, its better than anything I could come up with: