AFP Basics - Advancement Services

AFP Massachusetts

March 2013 BASICS Course

Advancement Services


Areas Considered

• Overview

• Gift Processing

• Information Management

• Prospect Research

• Technology

• Compliance

• Evolution

• Questions and Answers


Overarching Principles

• Institutional Focus, Mission Driven

• Customer Support

• Long-Range Perspective

• Accountability/Timeliness/Appropriateness

• Standards of Excellence and Innovation

• Partnerships

• Institutional Memory


Gift Processing

• Mandate

• Accurate and timely recording of all gifts

• Accurate and timely acknowledgement of gifts

• Efficient process


Gift Processing

• Guiding Principles

• Build a culture that encourages ongoing process analysis and is open to change

• Understand how the data is used in other areas of operations

• Aim for balance between efficiency vs. impersonalization


Gift Processing

• Key Strategies

• Invest in staff training to develop technical, analytic and project management skills

• Take every possible advantage of technical advances and features of available software

• Build team environment: set goals and expectations for productivity; use rewards and recognition to motivate team members


Gift Processing

• Top Lessons Learned

• Be proactively involved in the planning of new fundraising activities

• Understand impact of new systems on existing data flows and financial controls

• Communicate status of efforts to full organization


Information Management

• Mandate

• Create repository of information meeting current and future business needs

• Engage business units in strategies and decisions




• Create a “vision” for information flow around your organization's needs

• “Proactively” manage every data element and process

• Make data integrity a top priority

• Monitoring performance and establishing metrics requires information



• Key Strategies

• Centralize key processes for quality control and monitor outcomes as a routine matter of business

• Set business rules and apply them consistently

• Keep abreast of evolving technologies

• Improve access to and timeliness of data and insights




• Any lapse in the quality of data entry will eventually cause some issue

• Data on its own it not valuable; reporting, analysis and consultation must go together


Prospect Research

• Mandate

• To identify and qualify potential donors

• To inform strategy cultivation and solicitation strategy

• To track prospect/donor activities


Prospect Research


• Use your organization’s priorities and strategic plan to shape or adjust your work plan

• Develop the right research products for the need

• Make your knowledge base as broad as possible


Prospect Research

• Key Strategies

• Know your data system; use it to enhance efficiency and productivity

• Select the research tools that will optimize your efforts

• Commit to training, training and more training


Prospect Research


• Having researchers partner with gift officers will maximize your results

• Research be both responsive (answering questions) and proactive (raising opportunities)


Technology

• Mandate

• To facilitate fundraising efforts through technology (hardware, software, PDAs, etc.)


Technology


• Ensure appropriateness of technology to needs of organization

• Do only what optimizes efficiency and effectiveness


Technology

• Key Strategies

• Maintain security and functionality of database

• Develop tools and applications to support prospect management and financial reporting

• Choose technology vendors that meet financial, security and compliance requirements

• Help staff “stay on the road”


Technology


• Pick the tools that are right for the organization

• Avoid the shiny objects – technology should make sense for your culture and business processes

• User support and training are necessities (with needs that change over time)!


Compliance

• Mandate

• To ensure fundraising operates within the regulatory, legal and ethical boundaries set forth by professional groups, industry associations, as well as, government entities


Compliance


• Ensure compliance across regulatory areas of both current and proposed programs

• Serve in an impartial manner when adjudicating conflicts and compliance questions

• Enforce rules and guidelines consistently and impartially

• Maintain policies, procedures and roles sufficient to fulfill the function


Compliance

• Key Strategies

• Set standards for maintaining confidentiality of donor and prospect information

• Establish guidelines of both practices, as well as, problem practices to educate staff

• Monitor changes in laws related to fundraising (HIPAA, CAN-SPAM, Pension Protection Act, etc…)


Compliance


• Develop consistent monitoring methods to ensure compliance reviews are happening continually

• Educate staff to make compliance a part of everyone jobs and awareness (not just one designee)

• Partner with third-parties (legal office, consultants) when grey areas emerge

• Previously

• Enter high volumes of data, mainly from direct mail

• Support campaigns and segments for direct mail

• Develop reports on outcomes, financial measures

• Provide reactive research based on fundraiser requests

• Deliver technology focused on stability and containing costs

• Currently

• Enter high volumes of data, from sources online and offline

• Support cross-channel campaigns with complex segmentation

• Develop metrics that predict revenue opportunities

• Provide proactive research identifying best / most likely donors

• Deliver technology that opens revenue opportunities


Evolution

Questions???

Thank You!!!!!!

Christopher Maddocks

Director f Information Management and Technology

Children’s Hospital Trust

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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AFP Basics - Advancement Services

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