Are your donor records scattered?

You already know data is important. But here's the uncomfortable truth: knowing that and actually maintaining clean, actionable data are two very different things.

This week, we're cutting through the noise to focus on data hygiene that drives better decisions, stronger AI results, and fundraising you can execute with confidence. Whether your donor records are scattered across spreadsheets or trapped in data silos, you'll find practical steps to clean things up at any stage.

The take-home template

Your fundraising is only as good as your data. For smaller and newer nonprofits, digital spreadsheets like Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel come with plenty of advantages as a donor database solution. This free template from Neon One includes built-in structure, smart formulas, and a visual dashboard to help you build good data habits from day one.

Snackable snippets

Predictive AI starts with clean data 📖

Data silos are one of the biggest barriers to using AI effectively in fundraising. To perform more advanced workflows, it’s crucial to have clean, accurate data. That's exactly what Make-A-Wish America discovered. Only after unifying their scattered donor records across multiple systems could predictive analytics actually deliver smarter segmentation based on giving history and preferences.

How to turn messy data into quality insights 📖

No matter where you are in your data health journey, there are actionable steps to strengthen and refine your approach. Just starting? Clean duplicates and create basic entry standards. Struggling with consistency? Add regular audits and dropdown menus. Already ahead? Automate dedupes and implement sophisticated donor tracking.

AI-powered intelligence & fundraising offerings 📖

Understanding which marketing efforts actually drive donations has always been a challenge for nonprofits. Feathr Fundraising connects directly to Feathr's Marketing, Data, and Intelligence layers, so donation activity, attribution, and campaign performance are tracked together.

For your inspiration folder

charity: water just released WaterProof, which makes giving as easy as tracking a package. The message is simple: 100% of your donation goes to clean water, and the organization backs this up with photos, GPS coordinates, and real-life stories of change. They've applied the transparency that makes e-commerce so effective, like real-time updates, GPS tracking, and personalized dashboards, to donor relationships.