When data is NOT the fundraiser's friend

Good use of data can help you create messages for your donors that are more relevant, interesting -- and effective. But data can betray you in embarrassing ways. Like it does in this letter from an organization I support. (I'm hiding their identity because I don't want them to be embarrassed in front of their peers.) Here's the paragraph where things go awry: I'm embarrassed that I neglected to donate for such a long time. It's an excellent cause. But does that call for sarcasm? Okay, I know they aren't being sarcastic, but it comes across that way: All the wonderful things we can do, thanks to your gift of nothing. It's just a slight hiccup with the data. My record with its $0 worth of giving should have triggered a different version of the copy. It didn't. These things happen. Similar things have happened on messages I was involved with. The lesson here: Think it through. Be very careful. Make sure there's a sensible path for whatever is in the data. Get professional help if you need it (and it's okay if you need it). Data glitches make the difference between a truly relevant and personal message -- and a weird slap in the face! (This post first appeared on May 18, 2016.)

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