Cambrian College is a college of applied arts and technology in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1967, and funded by the province of Ontario, Cambrian has campuses in Sudbury, Espanola and Little Current. Cambrian works in partnership with school boards, training institutes, universities, and other institutions - locally, nationally and internationally - in order to provide additional educational opportunities and to share expertise and resources. More information about Cambrian can be found at www.cambriancollege.ca.
Testing New Technologies in Fundraising
Cambrian has used traditional methods for fundraising campaigns, however had not fully leveraged online options. In a step towards a new fundraising strategy, they decided to test run a holiday appeal micro campaign. Cambrian considered their first online appeal to be a pilot study, a starting point to test what works and to learn from what doesn’t work. Cambrian was initially unsure of the comfort level of giving online, but decided it doesn’t hurt to try it out.
Cambrian targeted approximately 1200 faculty, staff, and board members for the school and foundation. The team at RESolutionsTECH helped to provide a quick training session to help familiarize Cambrian’s staff with using their online technology. Cambrian launched a micro website for their holiday appeal, to draw attention to the student’s need for emergency bursaries and the emergency food bank. They worked with board members to define a goal that they felt was reasonable. The site included built in widgets to help build momentum with their appeal, such as a thermometer to gauge how much was raised, and a donor list to recognize those who gave. The site also had links to social medial networks built into the template. Cambrian provided an offline giving option as well, to ensure there was choice for their constituents.
In order to drive people to the site, Cambrian leveraged an email campaign system to solicit their audience with this holiday appeal. Email provided the ability for Cambrian to change their strategy as they went. For example, they tested different subject lines, and different messaging to see what was more successful. From there, Cambrian was able to track the response rate and determine what messages were opened the most, and what contacts were clicking through to the site.
Brian Soucie, Development Manager for Cambrian, states,
“We had the freedom to evaluate the most successful messaging, and tweak our strategy as we wished.”
The Surprising Results
Cambrian Foundation was pleasantly surprised with the results of their “test” micro-campaign. On the first day, they had reached 60% of their goal. Within just hours after sending the email messages, hundreds of dollars were donated online. Cambrian had previously leveraged a donate button on their website, however Brian states “We raised more money online in the last 10 days than we have raised online in the last 10 months. It became very clear, very quickly, that there is a comfort level with online giving. In addition, we see the power in leveraging online options to get the message out, as marketing method to solicit online and offline gifts.” Cambrian quickly surpassed their goal.
The Difference Integrating Technology Can Make:
Cambrian had previously leveraged mailed letters as the vehicle for their appeals. Letters would be designed, printed, and mailed. With that traditional fundraising method, Cambrian did not have the immediate ability to customize their messaging as they went. With mail campaigns, they were pretty much stuck with the messaging they decided on, and could change that as they launched the next appeal. Email shortened their cycle of preparing and launching the appeal, and provided the ability to track success, and adapt and change the messaging as they went.
Helping to Draw Immediate Attention to their Cause:
Cambrian Foundation came up with the idea for this appeal in mid November, and was able to quickly launch the appeal in early December. With traditional fundraising methods, they had never had the freedom to launch an appeal so quickly.
Brian states, “This online appeal helped to draw attention to the students who were in need this holiday season: immediately. We saw a quick response and a deep concern for students that were struggling, and the College was able to mobilize and give back. We had not appealed to this group in the recent past, and our online micro campaign was an easy, low cost way to test the level of their support for this cause.”
Changing Your Strategy on the Fly:
Cambrian had one donor come into the office to make a donation in the name of her friends as a holiday gift. Hoping to inspire others with this unique gesture, Cambrian decided to work this story into their messaging, via email and on their website. Brian states, “We wanted to highlight how this individual donated as a holiday present, to motivate others to do the same; we were able to take this kind of feedback and put it into immediate action.”
Cambrian’s Advice to Similar Organizations: Give it a Try!
The online micro campaign helped to reduce the preparation time before the appeal, build interest quickly, motivate people to donate, and helped to build momentum. Cambrian now looks to the future of their fundraising efforts, and how new emerging technology can assist.
Brian states, “We have a sense now of what the possibilities are. We chose to focus on a small sample, and the results were compelling. We were initially hesitant about the notion of online giving, however after seeing firsthand the momentum built with these methods, we now recognize the value and the potential as we move forward with other appeals. We just needed to do it, and did it ever pay off.”
Brian’ has a word of advice for small foundations looking to leverage online technology:
“Just try it. Test it out; if it doesn’t work, change it and test it again. There is a lesson to learn by testing it out and taking a chance. Even if your attempt isn’t a great success, you still learn something. Integrate those lessons into your strategy, and you will grow, adapt, and succeed in the end.”
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Database Audit
Happy New Years from the RESolutionsTECH team!
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It’s a new year, a clean slate, and a time for change. You have resolved to stop bad habits, join the gym and actually go, and spend more time with your family – so your personal life is set, but what about resolutions at the office? You’ve been putting off updating and cleaning up your database and don’t know when you’ll find time to do it. Your work resolution is to clear away all the clutter, garbage data, and inefficient processes that prevented your organization from maximizing its successes in 2009. RESolutionsTech wants to help you kick start that resolution by doing a major clean-up of your data through a process called Database Audit. We want to work with you to ensure opportunities missed in 2009 are capitalized on in 2010.
As we move into this exciting New Year, a Database Audit will provide you with a thorough, yet affordable reporting of all problem areas in your database. Once the problems have been identified, we can work with you to prioritize all issues in order for you to clearly meet your New Year’s resolutions.
A few examples of the many problems we have identified with other organizations include:
• Missing or incorrect addresses
• Structure prevents you from getting accurate reporting
• Missing or incorrect home phone numbers
• A security setup that is not protecting your data
• A setup that prevents you from tracking all fundraising tasks
Solution to these problems:
RESolutionsTech and a Database Audit! We can use National Change of Address to add thousands of new and correct addresses to your database. We will examine your campaign, fund, and appeal structures to ensure they are being used correctly. The Database Audit will verify which home phone numbers are correct and which ones are not. We will set up security to protect your valuable data. And we will ensure that you can track all of your fundraising tasks effectively.
Furthermore, the Database Audit will help your organization achieve several different goals:
1. Reduce operational costs, such as save at least 3 per cent of your annual direct mail cost;
2. Get accurate one-touch reporting – what gets measured, gets done;
3. Save time – stop the madness of the manual data review;
4. Improve system processes, especially those with advanced functions; and,
5. Identify areas where best practices can be implemented.
The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation has completed a database audit and their Vice President of Operations and Gift Planning, Lucie Châtelain, comments on how RESolutionsTECH included the Cancer Foundation staff in the audit process.
“All of our staff were involved in the audit process – from the CEO and Vice Presidents to our Special Events staff. A survey was distributed to learn exactly how each staff member was involved with the Raiser’s Edge database and get a better understanding of their thoughts on the current system. Interviews were also conducted of our key users to learn about our specific situation.”
Lucie has been involved with other audits but says the RESolutionsTECH audit differs in one major way, follow-through.
“We have done audits in the past – very detailed analysis of what we were doing well and what areas needed improvement. However, with each audit, there was never a plan of how we would move forward and implement those necessary changes. RESolutionsTECH ensured us they would provide a plan on how to complete the process and implement the recommendations.”
What should you expect from your Database Audit? Some areas covered include:
Staff Training and Support
Ask yourself: Are staff and volunteers using your database effectively?
• What level of expertise do employees and volunteers have with your database?
• Is data being maintained and entered consistently?
• Do users have support channels available to get help with the database whenever they need it?
• Are user manuals available, up to date, and easily accessible?
• What challenges are staff and volunteers currently having with the database?
The goal of this part of the analysis is having database users increase their frequency and accuracy of database use from proposed incentive and disincentive systems and having experienced users delivering support and training as often as needed. Also, all database users will significantly improve their productivity and achieve improved end results.
Data Clean-up
Ask yourself: What is the overall health status of your data?
• Are addresses accurate in your database?
• Is there data that you do not understand?
• Are there duplicate records?
• Is there data that should not be there?
• Is all data being maintained in a single location?
The typical end result of completing this part of the analysis is to increase the number of constituents you are communicating with while reducing your costs. You will understand all data elements in the database and where they should be with less chance of the many forms of duplication of data that can occur. It will be clear what you have not been adding to the database and why you should be. After this analysis you can begin to focus on key constituents where you will have a better return on investment.
Accurate Reporting
Ask yourself: Is your reporting contributing to your success?
• Are you getting the reporting you want from your database?
• Can this reporting be generated with the click of a button?
• Is the reporting accurate?
• Is the data present to support your reporting needs?
• Is your reporting assisting you in reaching your goals?
Once the reporting analysis is complete, you should know what data you need to maintain to get the reporting you require. You will be able to create the structure in the database that will permit you to get the accurate, complete, consistent, and meaningful data you must have to achieve your ultimate success.
Online Presence
Ask yourself: What online technologies can assist you?
• Are you raising enough money online?
• Is your website integrated with your database?
• Is your website dynamic or static?
• Are you leveraging social networking websites?
• Is your website setting you apart from other charities?
After the analysis of your online presence, you should have a better sense of what will give you a better return on your investment. The analysis will look at options such as cloud computing, email, Google Analytics, Ad Words, Web Master Tools, your website and social networking use.
Communicating Effectively
Ask yourself: Are you communicating with your constituents to achieve maximum results?
• Are you leveraging email effectively?
• Are you recording all touch points with constituents?
• Are you able to focus on constituents where you will have your best return on investment?
• Are you tracking response rates, open rates, clickthroughs?
• Are you leveraging past results into future communications?
Upon completion, you will have indentified improved methods of communication and have accurate reporting driving how you adjust and tweak your communications to always be improving. This will include looking at all areas such as snail mail, email, phone, and social networks all while ensuring everything is tied back and reported on in your database.
A complete Database Audit is a thorough and affordable way to identify all of the areas within the database where improvements could and should be made. This assessment will ensure that the database is properly set up to meet the needs of your organization.
The ultimate goal of the Database Audit is for you to clearly understand:
• Where you are now
• Where you need to go
• How will the proposed changes make a difference
Just as we have for Renascent Foundation, Cambrian College, Kid’s Help Phone, and many other organizations – our team is ready to assist you in starting on the right track for 2010.
I wish you a Happy New Year with good health and great success!
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It’s a new year, a clean slate, and a time for change. You have resolved to stop bad habits, join the gym and actually go, and spend more time with your family – so your personal life is set, but what about resolutions at the office? You’ve been putting off updating and cleaning up your database and don’t know when you’ll find time to do it. Your work resolution is to clear away all the clutter, garbage data, and inefficient processes that prevented your organization from maximizing its successes in 2009. RESolutionsTech wants to help you kick start that resolution by doing a major clean-up of your data through a process called Database Audit. We want to work with you to ensure opportunities missed in 2009 are capitalized on in 2010.
As we move into this exciting New Year, a Database Audit will provide you with a thorough, yet affordable reporting of all problem areas in your database. Once the problems have been identified, we can work with you to prioritize all issues in order for you to clearly meet your New Year’s resolutions.
A few examples of the many problems we have identified with other organizations include:
• Missing or incorrect addresses
• Structure prevents you from getting accurate reporting
• Missing or incorrect home phone numbers
• A security setup that is not protecting your data
• A setup that prevents you from tracking all fundraising tasks
Solution to these problems:
RESolutionsTech and a Database Audit! We can use National Change of Address to add thousands of new and correct addresses to your database. We will examine your campaign, fund, and appeal structures to ensure they are being used correctly. The Database Audit will verify which home phone numbers are correct and which ones are not. We will set up security to protect your valuable data. And we will ensure that you can track all of your fundraising tasks effectively.
Furthermore, the Database Audit will help your organization achieve several different goals:
1. Reduce operational costs, such as save at least 3 per cent of your annual direct mail cost;
2. Get accurate one-touch reporting – what gets measured, gets done;
3. Save time – stop the madness of the manual data review;
4. Improve system processes, especially those with advanced functions; and,
5. Identify areas where best practices can be implemented.
The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation has completed a database audit and their Vice President of Operations and Gift Planning, Lucie Châtelain, comments on how RESolutionsTECH included the Cancer Foundation staff in the audit process.
“All of our staff were involved in the audit process – from the CEO and Vice Presidents to our Special Events staff. A survey was distributed to learn exactly how each staff member was involved with the Raiser’s Edge database and get a better understanding of their thoughts on the current system. Interviews were also conducted of our key users to learn about our specific situation.”
Lucie has been involved with other audits but says the RESolutionsTECH audit differs in one major way, follow-through.
“We have done audits in the past – very detailed analysis of what we were doing well and what areas needed improvement. However, with each audit, there was never a plan of how we would move forward and implement those necessary changes. RESolutionsTECH ensured us they would provide a plan on how to complete the process and implement the recommendations.”
What should you expect from your Database Audit? Some areas covered include:
Staff Training and Support
Ask yourself: Are staff and volunteers using your database effectively?
• What level of expertise do employees and volunteers have with your database?
• Is data being maintained and entered consistently?
• Do users have support channels available to get help with the database whenever they need it?
• Are user manuals available, up to date, and easily accessible?
• What challenges are staff and volunteers currently having with the database?
The goal of this part of the analysis is having database users increase their frequency and accuracy of database use from proposed incentive and disincentive systems and having experienced users delivering support and training as often as needed. Also, all database users will significantly improve their productivity and achieve improved end results.
Data Clean-up
Ask yourself: What is the overall health status of your data?
• Are addresses accurate in your database?
• Is there data that you do not understand?
• Are there duplicate records?
• Is there data that should not be there?
• Is all data being maintained in a single location?
The typical end result of completing this part of the analysis is to increase the number of constituents you are communicating with while reducing your costs. You will understand all data elements in the database and where they should be with less chance of the many forms of duplication of data that can occur. It will be clear what you have not been adding to the database and why you should be. After this analysis you can begin to focus on key constituents where you will have a better return on investment.
Accurate Reporting
Ask yourself: Is your reporting contributing to your success?
• Are you getting the reporting you want from your database?
• Can this reporting be generated with the click of a button?
• Is the reporting accurate?
• Is the data present to support your reporting needs?
• Is your reporting assisting you in reaching your goals?
Once the reporting analysis is complete, you should know what data you need to maintain to get the reporting you require. You will be able to create the structure in the database that will permit you to get the accurate, complete, consistent, and meaningful data you must have to achieve your ultimate success.
Online Presence
Ask yourself: What online technologies can assist you?
• Are you raising enough money online?
• Is your website integrated with your database?
• Is your website dynamic or static?
• Are you leveraging social networking websites?
• Is your website setting you apart from other charities?
After the analysis of your online presence, you should have a better sense of what will give you a better return on your investment. The analysis will look at options such as cloud computing, email, Google Analytics, Ad Words, Web Master Tools, your website and social networking use.
Communicating Effectively
Ask yourself: Are you communicating with your constituents to achieve maximum results?
• Are you leveraging email effectively?
• Are you recording all touch points with constituents?
• Are you able to focus on constituents where you will have your best return on investment?
• Are you tracking response rates, open rates, clickthroughs?
• Are you leveraging past results into future communications?
Upon completion, you will have indentified improved methods of communication and have accurate reporting driving how you adjust and tweak your communications to always be improving. This will include looking at all areas such as snail mail, email, phone, and social networks all while ensuring everything is tied back and reported on in your database.
A complete Database Audit is a thorough and affordable way to identify all of the areas within the database where improvements could and should be made. This assessment will ensure that the database is properly set up to meet the needs of your organization.
The ultimate goal of the Database Audit is for you to clearly understand:
• Where you are now
• Where you need to go
• How will the proposed changes make a difference
Just as we have for Renascent Foundation, Cambrian College, Kid’s Help Phone, and many other organizations – our team is ready to assist you in starting on the right track for 2010.
I wish you a Happy New Year with good health and great success!
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