Is Your Data Clean and Ready?

Did your data hygiene practices take a back seat during the pandemic? Here are some things you can do to improve patron contact.

Address Updates: Prior to the pandemic, the US Post Office recorded nearly 35 million Change of Address requests annually. Those numbers increased by 5% in 2020 and early 2021. (Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University) The National Change of Address database is a resource that identifies bad addresses in your file and updates patron information with new addresses.

Phone Updates: Less than 40% of US Households have a working landline phone. (Source: Centers for Disease Control). A major US-based advocacy organization recently reported to DCM that fundraising participation rates over the phone are 3x higher when cell phones are dialed as opposed to landlines. Conventional means of categorizing phones (i.e., Phone 1, Phone 2, etc.), are outdated. There are a host of tools available to update and properly categorize phones including:

  • Phone Disconnect - Marks phones that are not in service. Don’t waste time dialing bad numbers.

  • Phone Classification - Matches phones to telecom company records and marks them as landline, mobile, or VoIP. Know before you dial if this is ringing to a home or someone’s pocket.

  • Phone Append/Verify for both Landlines & Mobile Phone - Check your phone records for accuracy and append new numbers where available. Don’t miss the chance to connect with your patron.

DCM provides an entire suite of hygiene services on all of our campaigns to maximize contacts and improve your ROI.

Phil Miller