How Custom Reporting Helps Refine Your Fundraising Efforts

Why custom reporting matters for nonprofits

Custom reports go beyond standard templates, allowing you to:

• Focus on metrics that matter most to your organization
• Combine data from various sources for a comprehensive view
• Visualize information in ways that resonate with your team and stakeholders

By creating reports that align with your specific goals, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions and optimize your data analysis and fundraising efforts.

Assessing your nonprofit’s custom reporting needs

Before diving into custom report creation, take a step back and assess your organization’s needs and types of data you can track using your CRM. Consider the following questions:

• What are your primary fundraising goals?
• Which metrics are most crucial for measuring success?
• Who will be using these reports, and what information do they need?
• How frequently do you need to analyze this data?

Clarifying your organization’s goals and objectives will prepare you to create reports that deliver actionable insights.

Pro tip: Consider creating specific reports for your year-end giving campaigns, a significant funding source for many nonprofits. These reports can help you track progress toward your goals, identify last-minute opportunities, and provide valuable donor insights (e.g. retention rate or average gift size) for future year-end fundraising strategies.

Tips to create custom fundraising reports

Now that you’ve identified your needs, let’s explore the process of creating custom reports:

• Choose accurate, consistent data sources.
• Select relevant fields and metrics.
• Apply filters to focus on specific data sets.
• Design your report layout.
• Add visuals to enhance understanding.

Remember, the goal is to create reports that drive decision-making. Focus on the metrics that matter most and present them in a clear, actionable format.

DonorPerfect offers comprehensive training resources to help you master custom reporting. From video tutorials to live webinars, you’ll have all the support you need to become a reporting pro.

Maximizing your nonprofit CRM for custom reporting

Nonprofit CRMs are a goldmine of donor relationship data. They offer powerful reporting tools that make custom report creation a breeze. Take advantage of these features to:

• Combine data from multiple campaigns to reveal comprehensive donor participation and giving patterns. For example, evaluate or merge results from your summer peer-to-peer campaign with your year-end giving drive to understand donor crossover and total impact.
• Track individual donor engagement by monitoring their involvement. Identify donors who start with small gifts and gradually increase their support over time.
• Compare fundraising channel effectiveness by analyzing response rates and return on investment (ROI). Determine whether email or direct mail generates more year-end donations for your specific donor demographics.
• Maintain data integrity through regular cleaning and updating. Run periodic reports to identify and correct outdated contact information, eliminate duplicate entries, and ensure your donor database remains accurate and actionable.

Mastering your CRM’s reporting capabilities will allow you to extract maximum value from your donor data.

DonorPerfect’s intuitive reporting tools allow you to create custom reports with simplicity. Easily combine data from various modules to gain a 360-degree view of your fundraising efforts.

Key takeaways for effective custom reports

To create impactful custom reports, focus on clarity and relevance. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with your fundraising goals, including donor retention rates, campaign conversion rates, and monthly recurring giving trends. Use visual elements like bar charts to quickly convey progress and incorporate conditional formatting to highlight critical data points.

Regularly review and update your reports to ensure they evolve with your organization’s needs. Schedule quarterly audits and share insights across departments to foster a data-driven culture. Maintaining accurate and timely reporting not only guides internal decisions but also demonstrates accountability to donors. Effective reports don’t just present data—they tell a story about your nonprofit’s impact and guide future actions. By implementing these best practices and regularly refining your reporting strategy, you’ll build a strong foundation for data-driven decision-making.

Take advantage of DonorPerfect’s automation features to run regular reports, ensuring your team always has access to the latest insights.

Custom reporting can transform your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. By tailoring your reports to your organization’s unique needs, you’ll gain valuable insights that drive success. Embrace the power of custom reporting, and watch your fundraising strategies soar to new heights.

Get to know your metrics and grow your mission with DonorPerfect’s advanced reporting and data analytics tools. Request your free demo below!