We have just reached a point in our campaign where there is a need to be more meticulous about how donor prospects are tracked. Currently, we have a number of committees all working simultaneously with multiple prospect lists. The more events and prospecting sessions we have, the more difficult it becomes to track information and keep it consistent.
It is important when tracking donors to record past and current actions/status instead of solely prospect names. Knowing where a donor is in the pipeline of cultivation is essential, especially when working with a group or team of people. This is the only way to ensure that no one is dropping the ball and that everyone is staying on the same page with the donor.
Using a database is extremely valuable because you can both change information in one place and pull reports to answer your changing questions. In this way I can update actions and keep track of events without having to keep the information in several different locations. What information do you track and review on a regular bases when discussing donors?
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Information regarding Targeted Amount of request, who the solicitor is, who will be accompanying the solicitor, whether or not the prospect has been cultivated, who the decision maker is and any record of donor contact. It is also important to know about scheduled appointments. I use Access since the reports are easy.
It is VERY important to spell the name right when inputting data into the system.
I sort the prospects by solicitor and send email reports as to their progress (or lack thereof). Usually send this out two days befor the progress meeting. Definitely keeps everybody on the same page and plays heavily on peer pressure since they know they will be called on to correct any information..
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