Back in action

It’s baaaaaaaaaaack. The Fundraising Nerd blog is officially back from the dead.  I’ll be posting a couple of times a week about data management, fundraising, and fundraising data management.

After a yearlong sabbatical, I am refreshed, inspired, and eager to share with the nonprofit community. The renewed blog is only the first step in a reboot of Fundraising Nerd. I am very excited about the new direction we are headed, and I can’t wait to tell you more in the coming weeks.

Please enjoy these recent data-related news items, all from the Washington Post. Seeing data applied in other settings can be inspiration for how we manage our fundraising data, and all three of these stories have take-aways for nonprofits.

• “Astros’ World Series win may be remembered as the moment analytics conquered MLB for good”

A great look at how to meld quantitative analysis with human decision-making. This is data done right, and a great example for development offices.

• “What Russian Facebook ads would you have seen if you were …?”

Not only is this article a fascinating window into Russian meddling in the election, but it’s also a helpful illustration of how Facebook’s demographic targeting works. This may help you if you are new to Facebook ads.

• “The way we categorize hurricanes is problematic. Here are some alternatives.”

This is great example of how multi-faceted issues need multi-factor analysis. The current hurricane measurement system only accounts for wind speed, but size turns out to be a major factor in how destructive the storm is. Similarly, when prospecting for donors, there are a variety of factors you might consider. Check out this article on RFM scoring (Fundraising Nerd’s most popular post of all time) for more on this concept.