1. “Successful” database management: how, when, where and what?
Sue Fidler
Angela McCormack

2. Who We Are: Sue Fidler: Angela McCormack:
7 years as IT, Database and Web manager at WaterAid
3 years as Director of Solutions
18 months as Director of Sue Fidler Ltd
providing IT, Database and web consultancy to charities
Angela McCormack:
8 years at ChildLine, as Database Manager and then ICT Director
Programme Broad Member during the merge of ChildLine into the NSPCC
Currently project manager for the ACEVO database project

3. “Successful” database management:
Buying a database – key points
A how-to guide for cleaning your database: where do you begin?
Pros and cons of allowing supporters to change their details online.
Audience segmentation: what is suitable for your organisation?
Using the right tools, for the right audience, at the right time.
Collecting feedback, monitoring results and rearranging data.
Staying on top: keeping your data clean and up-to-date.

4. Buying a database – key points:
Key Business Requirements – the whole organisation not just marketing/fundraising
Key contact types
Key activities, i.e. fundraising, events, membership etc
Web integration issues
hosting/security/data protection/access speeds
Budget
Timescales
Project Management

5. A how-to guide for cleaning your database: where do you begin?:
How valuable is your data?
How visible is your data?
Do you know what you’ve got (mind the gaps)?
How does data get into your system?
Data integrity audit
Policing

6. Pros and cons of allowing supporters to change their details online:
Supporter involvement
Reduce administration
Keep data cleaner
Postcode lookup at entry
Con’s:
Address variations
Cost of postcode lookup
Data matching – timing issues
Can you do it? Is database capable of real-time updates from web?

7. Audience segmentation: what is suitable for your organisation?:
What matters to you?
Why treat people differently?
Do you know your data history?
KISS
? Have an in-house expert ?

8. Using the right tools, for the right audience, at the right time:
What are your key marketing messages?
stories to asks, videos to games
What are the key tools you can use to communicate?
from door knocking to telephone, SMS to
WHICH TOOLS SUIT YOUR AUDIENCE?
WHICH TOOLS WILL RETURN A DECENT ROI?
Integrate the messages across formats
Plan a full campaign
teaser, door drop, reminder, thank you, follow up, upgrade

9. Collecting feedback, monitoring results and rearranging data:
Offline – DM/Telephone results..
how fast can you get them?
can you import/integrate them?
re-segment for follow up/reminder
plan succession communications based on results
Online – Web, , SMS..
can you import/integrate the data – scheduling?
how fast can you react?
have you planned your next step?
EVERYTHING NEEDS SUCCESS AND FAILURE PLANNING

10. Staying on top: keeping your data clean and up-to-date:
Whose job is it? Individual responsibility / group responsibility
User training (initial and ongoing)
Regular data health checks
Supplier support
Peer support

11. “Successful” database management
Get the right tool
Recruit the right people and support them
Build the right culture (responsibility)
Plan investment in staff and data
Match your audience and your message with the tools for communication
Plan a whole campaign, success and failure
Monitor, record and evaluate
Learn from your activities

12. Sue Fidler