Are you drowning in data?

20 May 2019

Arts and Culture

Cost Per Dollar Raised. Donor Retention Rate. Matching Gift Rate. Social Return on Investment. The list goes on for metrics and measurements that come across your desk as a nonprofit executive on a daily or even hourly basis. No one can deny the importance of data: collecting it, understanding it, and communicating it. But equally important in the fundraising world is the impact of your nonprofit organization that performance data alone simply doesn't capture.

At first glance, it might seem like fundraisers are receiving two disparate messages: 'You must have good data, and lots of it,' versus, ‘You must have a unique story to tell for successful fundraising campaigns.’ So how do we marry these two ideas together cohesively?

Finding metrics that matter

Working with various nonprofit groups over the years has consistently shown us there is a gap in the metrics on performance and activity most nonprofits use regularly. The most important numbers are metrics that show the value brought by a specific organization. Whether writing a grant proposal, annual report, or planning for a capital campaign, it is crucial to show the true economic value of your nonprofit.

In our Organizational Value Proposition® (OVP), we help prove to investors what your nonprofit has accomplished by quantifying the impact you have had. ItÂ embodies the true investment concept of ROI, but is based on the broader mission of the nonprofit organization. Instead of using performance metrics or output activities (example: 3000 students graduated from a community college), the metrics in the OVP show the outcomes of this number (example: jobs filled by graduates, disposable income spent in the community by graduates, etc.).

In these examples, by communicating actual data for each output above in terms of outcome or real-world impact, you are able to create a much stronger case for investment. Demonstrating the true value of your outcomes to potential investors will give you the edge needed in today's competitive funding environment.

Telling your story for success

Now you have the right numbers. But being able to tell the story of your data is the final key to your fundraising success.

What part does your nonprofit play in making these projected outcomes a reality? How do the outcomes relate to each of the investors you are soliciting? Just like the role of a good OVP is to tell the story that makes their community's data matter, it is the role of the professional fundraiser to tell the story that makes your impact matter to individual funders.

When done skillfully, the numbers contained within an OVP easily become a compelling, positive story that a funder is willing to invest in to bring to life.

About The Author

Andy Coe

Principal

Department: Team

I was fortunate to stumble into my nonprofit fundraising career at 26 years old. My first fundraising effort was to raise $2 million to expand Great Bear Recreation Park in Sioux Falls, SD. The challenge was daunting; however, we were able to finish over goal, under budget, and on time. The feeling of accomplishment was unlike anything I’d ever experienced and became especially poignant after visiting the park years later and seeing the smiling faces of everyone enjoying the park.

Realizing that I had the ability to earn a living doing something I enjoyed while making a difference in people’s live motivated me to continue in fundraising and ultimately become a Principal with Convergent. I couldn’t imagine a more fulfilling and personally rewarding career.

With more than 20 years of for-profit and nonprofit experience, Andy is a highly skilled, well-respected, and exceptionally versatile professional. He is an equity principal of Convergent Nonprofit Solutions, a national consultancy focused on developing sustainable funding strategies and raising capital for organizations looking to improve involvement and investment from their constituencies. Andy’s primary responsibility with Convergent is to create opportunities for the firm to apply its unique philosophy about fundraising – known as “Asking Rights™” – which includes a practical approach to working with executive and volunteer leadership to create short- and long-term goals that are ambitious but obtainable and always outcomes-based.

Having co-owned a multi-site small business and led the sales and marketing efforts for a global, multi-million dollar aerospace corporation, Andy understands that attention to detail, clear communication, tenacity, and resourcefulness are critical components to any successful endeavor. His ability to navigate the nuances of internal and external situational pressures has made him a favorite with clients, which leads them to refer him to others in their network and seek him out again for additional projects.

Summary of Experience

Personally responsible for thousands of investment requests; more than $60 million raised for organizations that are positively impacting local, regional, national, and international communities.
Involved in successful fundraising efforts in eighteen states spanning the country from Florida to Washington.
Frequent conference speaker and author on topics related to economic and workforce development fundraising.
Alumni, Leadership Cary (NC) Chamber of Commerce (2013).
North Carolina Director, Southern Economic Development Council Board of Directors (2015-2017).
Board member and membership chair, University of South Florida Alumni Association.
Past board member and marketing/fundraising liaison, Virgin Islands Montessori School (St. Thomas).
BA in Marketing and MBA from the University of South Florida.