Giving Compass' Take:

• Sarah Tedesco, at PhilanTopic, offers five critical techniques to help you maximize impact with effective donor data on Giving Tuesday.

• Why is it so essential to use donor data on Giving Tuesday? Without it, why might your giving fail to effectively support communities in need? How are you starting to collect donor data as Giving Tuesday approaches?

• Read about more innovative ways to fundraise this Giving Tuesday.

#GivingTuesday is a global day of generosity that usually takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. In 2019, $1.97 billion was raised on that Tuesday alone. And this year, nonprofits have an opportunity to build on that success and generate even more support for their programs and mission.

As you and your colleagues begin to prepare for this year's event and start to brainstorm strategies to maximize your organization's success, consider how donor data can help. From conducting prospect research before the big day to analyzing the data afterwards, there are many ways that donor data can be used to elevate your #GivingTuesday results specifically and overall fundraising results more generally.

Below, we consider in more detail some of the most effective ways to utilize donor data, including:

1. Keep your donor data clean. 

Strategizing and designing a #GivingTuesday campaign with incorrect data can negatively impact relationships with donors you've spent so much effort cultivating.

2. Identify new prospects. 

Simply put, prospect research is the process of researching your would-be supporters to see which of them is most able and willing to donate to your organization.

3. Segment your donors. 

Donor segmentation helps you better communicate and reach out to supporters in ways that are most likely to catch their attention and encourage their engagement.

4. Optimize future outreach.

One of the best ways to increase response rates, build deeper connections, and improve donor retention is to personalize your outreach.

5. Look for opportunities to match gifts. 

Unfortunately, many gifts go unmatched simply because donors are unaware that their gifts are match-eligible. This #GivingTuesday, don't leave money on the table.

Read the full article about using donor data on Giving Tuesday by Sarah Tedesco at PhilanTopic.