As data and analytics become increasingly relied upon for nonprofit decision-making, the quality of those decisions is directly linked to the accuracy and reliability of the data within their systems. Having accurate data allows organizations to serve their communities more effectively, enhance client experiences, engage donors and volunteers, and amplify their mission. Therefore, it is essential that data quality is a top priority for all nonprofit organizations.
In order to maintain high standards of quality, it is important to have systems and processes in place that ensure quality at every stage, from planning and intake to reporting. Furthermore, it is essential to instill a culture of quality throughout the organization, and to have technology in place that supports this effectively.
If you want to ensure high-quality data and move towards a data-driven decision-making culture, there are some best practices you should follow.
- Plan Ahead: As you embark on designing or updating your processes, and migrating to a new system, it is important to have a clear understanding of the data points you'll need for outcome reporting and success & efficiency metrics. By working backwards from these desired outcomes, you can ensure that your intake process and touch points with donors or clients capture the necessary data.
- Set-up a process: When creating a new form or launching a new program, it is important to establish a process for data quality checks. There are several factors to consider when setting up this process, including internal documents and references.
- Setting up your Data Fields : Data is the key to understanding your programs, services and customers. LiveImpact offers customizable data fields that ensure you can capture the information you need for reporting, analytics and decision-making. With our platform, you can easily create dashboards, intake forms, service forms and databases that are reliable, accurate and optimized for reporting. With just a few clicks, you can gain valuable insights into your programs and services and make informed decisions about how to improve them.
- Data Updates: It is important to regularly review your data for accuracy and completeness. This includes checking for duplicates, incorrect dates, and other errors. Pay special attention to newly added records, payments, and cases. Periodically running reports can help identify any inconsistencies or issues. Be sure to document these steps and reviews as part of your overall process.
- Choosing the right system:
Data quality is a critical issue for any organization that wants to make data-driven decisions. Choosing the right platform is essential to ensure that data quality is maintained at every stage. A good system will have data quality built into its core, with a variety of best practices in place to support it. Here are some features of a capable system and how they can help you in your quest for data quality.
Integrated System:
There are many benefits to using a single, integrated system for your organization instead of multiple disparate systems. Having all your data in one place can save you time and help you generate powerful insights for informed decision-making. importing-exporting data between multiple systems can lead to data loss at every step and take up a lot of unnecessary time. With an integrated system, you can streamline your intake, scheduling, tracking of touchpoints, communications and reporting processes, making your work more efficient and effective.
Cloud Based, Mobile Friendly System:
With our cloud-based and mobile friendly system, you can enter your data from anywhere - whether you're working from home or out of the office. There's no need to keep paper documents or notes that you might enter into the system at some point - everything can be done digitally.
Flexible Custom Fields:
Welcome to the field customization system! With this system, you can create custom fields to help you capture information in an organized and structured manner. Dropdown and multiselect fields ensure that inputs are consistent and accurate. This makes reports and analytics much easier to generate. So get started today and see how this system can benefit you!
Data Quality Checks:
There are many systems available that can help improve data quality through features like duplicate checks, reporting, and custom fields. When choosing a system, it is important to consider your specific needs and requirements.
As your organization grows, so does the importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date information. That's why LiveImpact offers a suite of tools to help you manage your nonprofit's most valuable asset: your database. Our software is designed to make it easy to keep your records clean and free of errors, so you can focus on what matters most: making an impact. Learn more about how we can help you streamline your operations and drive growth
