Learn more about analytics and research best practices, as well as real world examples and solutions for nonprofits.

The First Thing about Analytics

past-present-future As fundraisers, we plan to succeed.

And to maximize our chances for success, our plans have to be grounded in empiricism.

Far too often, we’ve seen inexperienced boards or EDs make up crazy revenue goals for their DDs. These goals seem to be based on whim and wish. The only thing these kinds of goals achieve is to motivate the DD to look for a new job in a less crazy environment.

I’ve often said, to create a good plan for the future, you have to know where you currently stand. And nothing gives you a better comprehensive assessment of your current situation than looking at your organization’s past giving trends.

Analytics’ first job is to look back with the purpose of helping you look forward.

It does more than that of course. But this is where it all starts.

The People Behind Nonprofits: Part Two

by Andi Jacobs | Aug 3, 2020

Surprises come in every career and the glamourized versions we imagine often don’t come close to the truth. For those making the change from the corporate world to the nonprofit sphere, these surprises can be unexpected and even shocking. For example, many of our...

Some Good News for a Change

by Bill Jacobs | Jul 29, 2020

I think few would argue that thus far, 2020 has been memorable for all the wrong reasons. However, while we all may be struggling, charitable donors have been very generous in the first half of this difficult year. This month (July 2020) we analyzed donor files of...

The People Behind Nonprofits: Part One

by Andi Jacobs | Jul 27, 2020

Unlike many careers, there is no clear path to nonprofit work. There are few university courses and even fewer majors dedicated specifically to nonprofit management. While this may be common knowledge, it became increasingly clear as our experts rattled off degrees...