How to Improve Fundraising With Data: A Modern Guide for Nonprofits

Palm Consulting

Fundraising has always been about building relationships. But in today’s digital world, it also depends on understanding data—how donors behave, what campaigns work, and where your efforts can have the greatest impact.

For many nonprofits, this can feel like a leap. But with a tool like Salesforce, tapping into your data doesn’t require a data science degree—it just requires the right approach.

Here’s how nonprofits are using Salesforce to create smarter, more effective fundraising strategies.

1. Segment Your Donors—And Make Every Message Count

Not every donor is the same, so why treat them like they are? With Salesforce, you can segment your donor base in countless ways: by donation size, frequency, giving history, campaign source, or even engagement level.

This lets you:

• Send tailored messages that speak to different types of donors

• Create targeted campaigns (e.g., lapsed donors, first-time givers, recurring donors)

• Avoid sending irrelevant or generic messages

The more relevant your communication, the better your response rate.

2. Track Engagement, Not Just Donations

Fundraising isn’t just about dollars—it’s about relationships. And relationships grow through interaction.

With Salesforce, you can track:

• Email opens and clicks

• Event attendance

• Volunteer activity

• Website visits (with integrations)

This helps you understand who’s engaged, who’s drifting away, and when to reach out again. You can even score engagement to prioritize your follow-ups.

3. Automate Stewardship and Follow-Ups

Timely thank-you notes. Year-end summaries. Invitations to special events. These are all important—but easy to forget when things get busy.

Salesforce lets you:

• Automatically send personalized emails after donations

• Remind staff to follow up with high-value donors

• Schedule campaigns around key dates (like donor anniversaries)

You stay on top of outreach without overwhelming your team.

4. Use Dashboards to Guide Strategy in Real Time

Your fundraising data shouldn’t just live in reports that no one reads. Salesforce dashboards let you visualize:

• Donation totals by campaign or period

• Average gift size

• Donor retention rates

• Monthly fundraising progress toward goals

With these insights, you can adjust strategies on the fly and share progress with your board or team at a glance.

5. Connect Fundraising to Impact

Donors want to know: “What difference did my gift make?”

By connecting fundraising data with program outcomes in Salesforce, you can show exactly how funds are being used. For example:

• $100 helped feed 10 families

• $500 funded 3 weeks of after-school tutoring

• $1,000 helped enroll 4 new students

When you link dollars to impact, you inspire confidence—and more giving.

Final Thoughts

Fundraising driven by data isn’t cold or impersonal. In fact, it allows your nonprofit to treat donors with more care, more relevance, and more transparency.

At Palm Consulting, we help nonprofits set up and use Salesforce in a way that strengthens relationships and supports your mission—without overwhelming your team.

Let’s build a smarter fundraising engine that’s powered by both heart and data.