How to Increase the Quality of Your Data

Small and mid-sized nonprofits, we understand the unique challenges you face when it comes to managing data, reporting to stakeholders, and striving for excellence in your missions. Your success is our priority, and that's why we're here to share insights and solutions that can make a significant impact. In this blog post, we’ll share tips to increasing the quality of your data, both retroactively and proactively. 

Retroactive Data Management: Solving the Past

Ever found yourself dealing with inconsistent state data? Perhaps it’s abbreviated in some places and spelled out in others. Is capitalization causing an issue? How about misspellings? Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud offers a lifeline, allowing for automatic state picklist management. Say goodbye to data chaos!

The two most common issues we see with client data is either inconsistency or disconnectedness. Incomplete data can be a hurdle or a headache. Sometimes, it's not required on certain forms or during data entry. We'll show you how to bridge those gaps and ensure your data is in alignment. no data goes missing. 

When it comes to disconnected data, the root issue is often getting data shared and synced across departments or programs. Connecting the dots between program participation, donation history, and volunteering can be challenging. You shouldn’t need to work out of multiple reports to generate a single final result. If there’s a “connection” in the real world–maybe an individual to their organization, or a Case manager to their past client work–it should all be able to connect on a single report. 

We understand the overwhelming demand for reports from various stakeholders. Let's tackle reporting fatigue head-on, so you can focus on your mission.

Proactive Data Management: Shaping a Brighter Future

Duplicate Rules & Alerts: Ensuring Data Purity

Duplicate data can clutter your database and lead to inefficiencies. The Nonprofit Cloud allows you to set up duplicate rules and alerts, ensuring data purity from the outset. Here's how:

1. Define criteria for identifying duplicates, such as matching contact names or email addresses. That allows for automatic flagging of potential duplicates, which allows your team to review and merge records.

2. Configure alerts that notify your team when a potential duplicate is created. This proactive approach prevents the proliferation of duplicate records.

Validations: Preventing Inaccuracies at the Source

Inaccurate data can lead to reporting errors and inefficiencies. Our team will help you establish data validation rules that prevent inaccuracies at the source. Here's the process:

1. Defining Validation Rules and Error Messages: Define specific data validation rules, such as requiring a valid email format or ensuring donation amounts fall within a certain range that remind your team of your organization’s requirements before data is saved.
2. Custom Error Messages: When data doesn't meet validation criteria, custom error messages will guide users in exactly how errors should be corrected.

Automated Screens and Forms: Streamlining Data Entry

Manual data entry can be time-consuming and error-prone. Nonprofit Cloud offers automation options for streamlined data entry:

1. Custom Screens: Design custom screens tailored to your nonprofit's needs. These screens guide users through data entry processes, ensuring that critical information is captured accurately.
2. Forms Automation: Automated forms simplify data collection and reduce the risk of errors. Implement forms that populate your database and reports seamlessly and in real time and guide your users through exactly how your organization needs to receive data or performance transformation on the back-end before information is submitted.

References: Creating Reliable Data Connections

Consistency in your database is vital. Create reliable references within your database, ensuring data integrity. Here's how we can assist:

1. Relationship Mapping: Our experts will map out relationships between different data objects, such as contacts, donations, and programs. This enables you to track and reference data accurately.
2. Data Standardization: Define and standardize data formats and naming conventions, ensuring uniformity across your database.

Nimbus Tech serves nonprofits every day as a leading technology expert in database management on the Nonprofit Cloud platform. Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can optimize data management for your organization.