Nonprofit Data Management Checklist The integration of cross-functional data and application of business intelligence will soon be a practice of not only the most strategic nonprofits, but of any nonprofit hoping to remain efficient, competitive, and relevant. The process of adopting an integrated and collaborative data management approach is complex and has procedural, technical, and cultural implications. Nonprofit leaders can use the following Data Management Checklist to: Facilitate a strategy discussion with executive and functional leadership Review key aspects of their organization s approach to data management Identify needed improvements related to the collection, analysis, and reporting of metrics Ensure they are unlocking the full power of their organization s data Some items require a yes/no or check the box response while others are intended to prompt a discussion and may not have a right or wrong answer. For these open-ended items, space is provided for the discussion facilitator to take notes. For benchmarking data on nonprofit data management practices, request a copy of our whitepaper Membership Metrics: A Review of Current and Best Practices. Page 1
Strategic Alignment Does the organization have a strategic plan that defines its mission, vision, and goals? What are the main objectives of the organization s strategy? How does your organization define success? Does the organization revisit its strategic plan at least annually? Are metrics included in the strategic plan? If yes, do the metrics tell you whether the organization s goals are being achieved? Are your metrics SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, results-focused, and timely)? If no, what metrics do you need to collect in order to know if the organization s goals are being achieved? Consider both the inputs and outputs of the organization For membership organizations: Do the metrics capture your membership structure and composition? Are your members individuals, organizations, or a mix? How many members do you have? Are there membership levels or tiers? How often is membership renewed? How do members interact with the organization? What different types of members or member segments exist? Page 2
Data Management What financial and non-financial metrics are currently collected, analyzed, and reported? Was the strategic plan used as a basis for selecting these metrics? For membership organizations: Do you measure member engagement? If so, how is it defined? Have you considered all of the ways a member might interact with your organization? Do you incorporate perspectives from different functions (e.g., finance, membership, events, marketing, accounting, IT, HR) when deciding which metrics to collect? How many of your data points are manually entered (versus automatically uploaded or fed from an integrated system)? For membership organizations: How many of your data points are provided directly/inputted by members (e.g., through completion of a membership form)? Who in your organization is responsible for inputting, analyzing, and reporting data? Is someone held accountable for the quality of the data? Does your organization reevaluate its metrics? If yes, are metrics reevaluated at least annually? Are data findings used to shape the organization s strategy? Page 3
Data Management (Continued) Do you have a documented business process for capturing data points and producing metrics? Does your organization have a quality assurance process to verify the accuracy of the data? Do you have data entry guidelines for your AMS/CRM/donor system? Do you provide training about how to use the AMS/CRM/donor system? Technology What/How many software system(s) are used for: Customer relationship management (i.e., AMS/CRM/donor software containing non-financial information, such as organizational activities and member/donor demographics) General ledger/accounting software (containing financial information, such as revenue inputs) Website platform and web analytics Are the systems described above integrated? If yes, are metrics consistently defined across systems? If no, are systems compatible/capable of being integrated? Page 4
Reporting What, how often, and to whom are metrics reported? Have you considered all of the organization s stakeholders in determining your reporting needs/requirements? Stakeholders are defined as any group, organization, member, or system who affects or can be affected by an organization s actions What information does the board need to make informed decisions? Have you incorporated the following data perspectives into your dashboard presentation: current snapshot, current vs. projections, current vs. goals, benchmarks (internal and external), trends (internal and external), and member/donor segmentation? For each metric, have you considered whether it is most meaningful to report on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis? Culture Are your executive team and board committed to the organization s data management efforts? Would you describe your culture as collaborative? Data-centric? Page 5