3 Top Analytics Techniques Every Fundraiser Should Know, Part 2

That answer lies in analyzing the data that’s available to describe your donors, Austin said. So, what data is available to fundraisers?

• Census data: the least expensive and least accurate
• Geodemographic: PRIZM, for example, based on “neighborhoods”
• Compiled demographics and lifestyle: very comprehensive
• Purchase behavior: catalog, retail and Web transactions
• Social-networking data: number of friends, groups, etc.

Census data applies to relatively large geographic areas and does not provide insights to specific households, Austin said. Geodemographic data categorizes neighborhoods into many different segments, generalizing on known household data. Compiled demographics and lifestyle data provide very detailed and comprehensive information on household demographics and interests such as age, income, household composition, wealth, etc.