As nonprofit professionals, we hear about data all the time. At conferences, on social media, in reports. Bad data, good data, trends from data, data hygiene. Data has become yet one more part of our job that we’re told we have to master.
But what if instead of simply managing our data, we get more curious about it?
Merriam-Webster’s first definition for the word is “factual information (such as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation”. The definition expands later on by saying “Data comes from the plural of datum, a technical word that refers to a single piece of information…More commonly, however, data refers to masses or collections of pieces of information, and functions much like the word information itself…”
What if we lowered the pedestal we’ve put the word “data” on and looked at it as the information itself? Then anything we collect becomes clues into a much bigger story.
You're collecting more than you think
If your association runs events, sends email, and manages a membership database, you're collecting information that’s applicable across your whole organization. Event data alone functions as a real-time picture of what your members actually care about, such as the following:
- Session attendance: Which sessions filled up, who attended more than one, who stayed for the Q&A.
- Email behavior: Not just opens, but which links get clicked, how quickly, and by whom.
- Renewal timing: Who renews early without a reminder, and who needs three nudges.
- Portal and app activity: Logins, downloads, time spent, pages revisited.
- Physical location at events: Who showed up at a competitor conference, a chapter meetup, or your own annual meeting. Who is showing up to a single event versus every event?
The information is already there, just perhaps siloed. Best practice is collecting the data. Strategy is sharing that data and creatively looking at it from different angles because there could be a loyal, energized member just waiting to be asked to step up as a supporter. They just need someone to get curious enough about the data to find them.
What curious professionals do differently
Curiosity leads to pattern recognition and tells a story about someone’s experience with your organization. In the July 2026 AFP article from Karen S. Cochran, CFRE and Jennifer Filla titled, What Strong Relationship Mapping Reveals About an Organization, the authors emphasize that serious investment usually comes after positive engagement or experiences with the organization. Your strongest supporter more than likely is already showing up for your organization before they make their first gift.
A curious approach doesn’t just ask, “did we hit our registration goal?” It asks “who kept showing up, and why?” An exhibitor who also sends their team to certain sessions or webinars outside of the conference is a decent prospect for scholarship funding or to help launch a workforce development initiative through their corporate philanthropy.
Creative ways to use data you already have
Information sharing creates effective use strategies. Here are different ways to use existing data.
- Turn session attendance into a giving signal: If someone has attended every session your association has ever run on a specific issue, they've told you what their interests are.
- Score engagement, not just opens: An open rate tells you almost nothing about intent. A click, a reply, or a return visit to a landing page tells you a lot more. Lean into your existing platforms or data infrastructure to create engagement scores across multiple touchpoints.
- Watch what happens after a membership lapse: A lapsed member who still opens your newsletter tells you the relationship matters to them even if they aren’t paying dues. Some members might even continue engaging philanthropically to give back to the community even if membership doesn’t make the most sense for them right now.
- Use location data to reach people at someone else's event: If your association tracks where members and prospects are physically gathering, that's an opportunity to put an impact story in front of the right audience without waiting for them to open your email.
- Let renewal timing tell you when to ask: Members who renew early, without a reminder, are telling you something about their relationship to your association that a wealth screening never will, allowing you to prioritize more personal relationship building with supporters who have already “bought in”.
- Volunteers are your rockstars: Your volunteer and leadership pipeline is often the single most fundraising-predictive data. Someone who's given years of unpaid committee time has already shown you they'll go out of their way for the organization.
- Watch who answers in your community: Is there a discussion or online forum where certain members show up every time to answer questions or help their colleagues out? This is usually a good indicator that they care about the overall health of the industry or profession.
- Up your stewardship game with a more personalized approach: Use existing information for a more customized stewardship strategy. For example, if you brought on a new sponsor and noticed they consistently click through for updates on a specific program in your newsletter, invite them to a special event for that program. Similarly, if someone renews or sends support via physical mail, they would probably appreciate being thanked by a mailed postcard.
Why this matters more than it used to
Organizations are moving to diversify into non-dues income, and fundraising is a growing piece of that mix. Meaning the data your colleagues own is quietly becoming fundraising infrastructure even if they don’t realize it.
Supporters expect experiences, including their donor journeys, to be more personalized to them. As Chris Vaughan, Ph.D. wrote in his July 2026 article, You’re Selling Events. They’re Buying Relationships., for ASAE, “Corporate partners are trying to buy something more valuable: relevance inside a community that trusts your organization year-round.” They want relationships and they want to be treated as a long-term partner, not just a booth or a logo on a screen.
So before your next fundraising campaign goes out, pull up your event registration list, your top email engagers, and your renewal report side by side. Don't look for a segment to sell to. Look for a pattern you didn't already know was there. Have some curiosity first, then build the strategy around what you find.
