How charities can improve the quality of their data

The economic downturn has presented charities with decreasing incomes and an increasing demand for their services. So how can they continue to connect with their supporters in a cost-effective way?

Direct marketing, if used with well-managed data, is a proven way for charities to encourage repeat giving from their supporters. But how can they extract maximum value from their existing data assets?

Here, five experts from data management companies The REaD Group and Occam offer their tips.

• Rob Salmon, managing director of meta-morphix, recommends a free data health check to highlight the cost of cleaning and updating your data – which can often be as little as £200. 

• Luci Penn, managing director of REaD UK, explains the importance of maintaining an efficient database by tracking goneaways and recovering and re-engaging with lost supporters.

• Dee Toomey, managing director of Scientia Data, recommends profiling the campaign response data and adapting the charity's propositions in line with the changing times and life stage of prospective donors. 

• Peter Bell, joint managing director of Funnel Lead Marketing, suggests finding a reputable marketing leads agency to generate opted-in data identifying new prospects.

• Scott Logie, strategy director for Occam, urges charities to ask supporters how they want to be contacted – mail, email, phone or SMS –  to increase engagement and reduce waste.