4 Nonprofit Data and Reporting Trends for 2015

Allison Porter, president, Avalon Consulting Group
4. Donor analytics are a best practice. Analytics used to be a nice add-on if you had some money left in the budget to get a better read on your program and donors. But now, with the case for donor analytics so well-established, analytics are an indispensable tool for strategic planning, smart targeting and even creative development. Now that more nonprofits employ analytics, we know that they are essential to good fundraising and are no longer an optional competitive edge. This is a tall order — effective analysis requires a commitment to data hygiene, specialized statistical and interpretive knowledge, and a purposeful strategic-planning loop that both incorporates new information and establishes priorities.