{"id":21998,"date":"2026-02-26T02:29:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T02:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teamheller.com\/?p=21998"},"modified":"2026-04-02T19:40:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:40:11","slug":"data-ai-2026-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teamheller.com\/resources\/guides\/thank-you-data-ai-2026-guide","title":{"rendered":"Data, AI, and Your Nonprofit: Building a Data-Ready Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"21998\" class=\"elementor elementor-21998\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bc2c2d0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7bc2c2d0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3445882c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3445882c\" data-element_type=\"container\" 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r=\"37.5517\"><\/circle><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e180f9c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3e180f9c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4af79463 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4af79463\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e54465f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2e54465f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Data, AI, and Your Nonprofit: Building a Data-Ready Culture in 2026<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24f64b96 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"24f64b96\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Here at Heller, we talk a lot about databases\u2014fundraising CRM platforms, engagement systems, donor and program data. We also talk about people, processes, workflows, and workarounds. Last year, I wrote about the bedrock of your fundraising program: data itself. This year, the conversation has only become more urgent, as nonprofits navigate an explosion of AI and automation tools. The fundamentals of good data management haven\u2019t changed, but the stakes (and opportunities) are higher. Robust data practices not only ensure accuracy, security, and regulatory compliance \u2013 they also position your organization to leverage AI responsibly for greater impact.<\/p><p>In this guide, we\u2019ll share updated best practices for nonprofit data governance and quality in 2026, grounded in Heller\u2019s recent work with mission-driven organizations and informed by emerging trends in the broader industry. We\u2019ll cover how to foster a culture of data ownership, break down silos (when it makes sense), clean and streamline your data, and prepare your team and technology for an AI-powered future. Along the way, I\u2019ll offer practical steps to get started and real examples (anonymized) of how these practices help nonprofits accelerate their mission.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61937088 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"61937088\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;rotateIn&quot;,&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"111.58\" viewBox=\"0 0 108.334 111.58\" width=\"108.334\"><path d=\"m107.442 111.58h-107.442v-111.072a99.4354 99.4354 0 0 1 10.0542-.508 98.28 98.28 0 0 1 98.28 98.28 99.2413 99.2413 0 0 1 -.8922 13.3z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-301d6fd7 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"301d6fd7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;rotateIn&quot;,&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon elementor-animation-pulse\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"126\" viewBox=\"0 0 126 126\" width=\"126\"><path d=\"m0 0h126v126h-126z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5cacd62f elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-absolute elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5cacd62f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/josh-square.jpg?strip=all\" class=\"elementor-animation-float attachment-full size-full wp-image-21864\" alt=\"A man in a suit and tie with glasses sits at a desk, focusing on a laptop. 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.0313)\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6be5f0e1 animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6be5f0e1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3524f7a4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3524f7a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>First, let\u2019s set the stage: Why does <a href=\"\/nonprofit-data-management\">data readiness<\/a> matter so much right now? Simply put, poor data is expensive \u2013 it wastes staff time and leads to missed opportunities. One study found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/capabilities\/tech-and-ai\/our-insights\/designing-data-governance-that-delivers-value\">knowledge workers spend ~30% of their time on non-value-added tasks due to bad data<\/a>. We see this in nonprofits too: teams wrestling with duplicate records, outdated spreadsheets, and siloed lists when they could be focusing on donors or program insights.<\/p><p>Moreover, as AI tools become commonplace (for example, using ChatGPT to draft appeals or machine learning to predict donor churn), the effectiveness of these tools depends entirely on the quality and accessibility of your data. Garbage data in, garbage predictions out \u2013 and potentially damaging consequences for trust with your supporters. On the flip side, well-governed data can be transformative. It enables personalization in fundraising, accurate impact reporting, and confident decision-making. It\u2019s also the foundation for <a href=\"https:\/\/nonprofitquarterly.org\/how-nonprofits-can-create-ethical-ai-policies\/\">ethical AI use<\/a>: you can\u2019t ensure fairness or transparency in AI if you don\u2019t even know where your data came from or who owns it.<\/p><p>So, how can your nonprofit get there? Let\u2019s dive into key best practices, updated for 2026, to strengthen your data foundation and prepare your organization for the next wave of technology.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68a834ff e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"68a834ff\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-407b5635 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"407b5635\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-415687c7 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"415687c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInDown&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Get this guide as a podcast<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ac2b83 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5ac2b83\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1958153\/episodes\/18750860-data-ai-and-your-nonprofit-in-2026\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite-300x300.gif?strip=all\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-22027\" alt=\"Podcast cover for &quot;Connected Cause&quot; featuring illustrated hands holding gears and an audio wave graphic below. Text reads: \u201cConnected Cause: Expert guide to nonprofit data and AI in 2026.\u201d.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite-300x300.gif?strip=all 300w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite-1024x1024.gif?strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite-150x150.gif?strip=all 150w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite-768x768.gif?strip=all 768w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite.gif?strip=all&amp;w=240 240w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite.gif?strip=all&amp;w=480 480w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite.gif?strip=all&amp;w=960 960w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gif-soundbite.gif?strip=all 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6351211f elementor-widget__width-initial animated-slow elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6351211f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Absorb these insights during your commute or while taking a walk instead: Listen and subscribe to <strong>Connected Cause<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1100a8c1 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"1100a8c1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"136.9995\" viewBox=\"0 0 261.0726 136.9995\" width=\"261.0726\"><path d=\"m0 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m31.0203 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m62.0391 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m93.0577 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m124.0751 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m155.0941 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m186.1121 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m217.1331 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m248.1481 0h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m0 31.0203h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m31.0203 31.0203h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m62.0391 31.0195h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m93.0577 31.0203h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m124.0751 31.0203h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m155.0941 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d=\"m93.0577 93.0576h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m124.0751 93.0576h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m155.0941 93.0586h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m186.1121 93.0576h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m217.1331 93.0576h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m248.1481 93.0586h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m0 124.075h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m31.0203 124.075h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m62.0391 124.074h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m93.0577 124.075h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m124.0751 124.075h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m155.0941 124.074h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m186.1121 124.075h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m217.1331 124.075h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><path d=\"m248.1481 124.074h12.9245v12.9245h-12.9245z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-135b17a1 elementor-align-center elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"135b17a1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1958153\/episodes\/18750860-data-ai-and-your-nonprofit-in-2026\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">LISTEN NOW<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39dc96f7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"39dc96f7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-104df78d animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"104df78d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ae151eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4ae151eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One of the primary challenges we see in nonprofits is lack of ownership over data. In many organizations, no one feels fully responsible for maintaining the donor database or the client records, so data hygiene falls through the cracks. Different teams collect their own data for their own needs, and no one is looking at the whole picture. The result? Inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and a lot of head-scratching when reports don\u2019t line up.<\/p><p>Tech leaders can change this by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.councilofnonprofits.org\/research-reports-and-data-nonprofit-sector\">cultivating a culture where clean, accurate data is everyone\u2019s responsibility<\/a>. This means assigning business owners to each major system or dataset \u2013 real people who are accountable for data quality and utilization in their area. For example, assign your Development Director as the owner of the fundraising CRM, your Volunteer Manager as owner of the volunteer database, etc. The data owner role isn\u2019t about siloing access; it\u2019s about stewardship. Owners ensure the data under their care is up-to-date, oversee proper usage and user training, and serve as point people when issues arise. They don\u2019t necessarily fix every typo themselves, but they take ownership of the outcomes of that system\u2019s data.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3dfa42f7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3dfa42f7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78a9f458 animated-slow elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"78a9f458\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;_animation_delay&quot;:300}\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Create a culture of data ownership and accountability<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4260c296 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4260c296\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ad hoc approaches will fail<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e638f14 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"4e638f14\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-da954e4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"da954e4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b97ea14 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b97ea14\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><div>'Good data is everybody\u2019s responsibility'<\/div><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b72712e elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2b72712e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In our work, we\u2019ve observed that when \u201ceveryone is responsible\u201d in theory, often no one is responsible in practice. It helps to formalize responsibilities. One international relief nonprofit we partnered with found that many staff were freely modifying key records in Excel and internal systems with no oversight, leading to significant inconsistencies. Our recommendation was to establish a <a href=\"\/services\/data-strategy\"><strong>formal Data Governance Program<\/strong><\/a> led by a cross-departmental committee, with clearly defined data owners and custodians. This not only built a culture of accountability, but also introduced observable controls and change management discipline \u2013 for instance, requiring a review before bulk data changes, and documenting how data flows between systems. After implementation, they saw immediate improvements: fewer \u201cmiscoded\u201d gifts, less finger-pointing about reports, and faster resolution of data issues because responsibilities were clear.<\/p><p><strong>Form a Data Governance Committee.<\/strong> To support your data owners (and avoid each working in isolation), create a working group or committee that meets regularly to discuss data issues and policies. Include representatives from various departments \u2013 fundraising, programs, IT, finance, etc. In a large organization, you might invite department heads or even a leadership sponsor; in a smaller org, it might be a half-dozen power users who care about data. The goal is to align data practices with organizational goals and break down the walls between teams. For example, your committee might set organization-wide definitions (what exactly counts as an \u201cactive donor\u201d?), decide on data standards (everyone enters state names using the same 2-letter abbreviations, for instance), and agree on data sharing protocols (who can access which data). They also serve as champions when new tools or processes roll out, making sure colleagues are trained and bought in.<\/p><p><strong>Reality Check:<\/strong> A well-run data governance committee actually saves time by preventing problems. It\u2019s a forum to catch and fix issues early. And it gives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nten.org\/learn\/resource-hubs\/artificial-intelligence\">data the strategic attention it deserves<\/a>. Make it practical: share quick wins (e.g. \u201cwe fixed 5,000 duplicate contacts this quarter\u201d) and tie discussions back to mission impact (\u201ccleaner data means our email outreach reached 20% more constituents\u201d).<\/p><p><strong>Top leadership support<\/strong> is also key. Data culture flows from the top. If your Executive Director and managers talk about the importance of good data (and allocate time and budget to manage it), staff will follow. One Heller client, a national foundation, kicked off their data initiative with a message from the CEO to all staff: \u201cData is one of our most valuable assets. Treat it with the same care as the funds we steward.\u201d That kind of tone-setting empowers the governance team to enforce standards.<\/p><p>Key takeaway: <strong>Don\u2019t let data management happen ad hoc.<\/strong> Assign data stewards and create a structure for cross-team collaboration. When everyone knows their role in keeping data healthy, you build trust \u2013 both internally and with your supporters.<\/p><p>As we often say, \u201cbad data is nobody\u2019s fault, but good data is everybody\u2019s responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51522484 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"51522484\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5dc58c70 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5dc58c70\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d52333 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2d52333\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Identify your key data (and keep it clean)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42f3c30d elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"42f3c30d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:4,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;motion_fx_translateY_affectedRange&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:{&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;end&quot;:100}},&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;]}\" 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>To manage data effectively, you must zero in on what\u2019s most important. Not all data is created equal! A common trap is to try to track everything and end up drowning in a swamp of fields and files. Instead, define the key fields and metrics that drive your nonprofit\u2019s success, and concentrate your efforts there.<\/p><p>Start by asking: What core information do we need for a 360\u00b0 view of our constituents? For a fundraising-focused org, that might include donation history, recency\/frequency, communication preferences, and engagement indicators (event attendance, volunteer hours). For a service delivery org, it might be client intake data, service delivery dates, outcomes, and follow-up notes. Make a short list of the critical fields in your systems that, if well-maintained, give a reliable picture of your supporters or beneficiaries. These are your \u201cgolden\u201d fields that warrant extra attention.<\/p><p>At Heller, when we conduct data assessments, we often help clients create a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rti.org\/publication\/from-chaos-to-clarity-how-data-dictionaries-can-streamline-nonpro\">data dictionary<\/a> or catalog of key fields \u2013 essentially, an inventory of what data you have and why it matters. In one project, we worked with a large humanitarian NGO to enumerate the essential donor data points they relied on and found over 250 fields in their donor database, but only about 40 were used regularly in reporting or segmentation! Those 40 became the focus for cleanup and standardization. We helped them document each field\u2019s purpose and the acceptable values (for example, which codes represent which donor source).<\/p><p>This process uncovered a lot of ambiguity \u2013 e.g., multiple fields that all seemed to store \u201cengagement score\u201d from different tools \u2013 which we then helped consolidate. By listing out key fields and their definitions, you can spot overlaps, gaps, or useless information that\u2019s just taking up space. As a best practice, maintain this data dictionary and update it whenever you add or change fields so everyone stays on the same page about what data means.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-350b99c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"350b99c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d76e9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d76e9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><div>Don't let perfect be the enemy of good<\/div><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ca2a12e elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ca2a12e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Once you know what\u2019s important, plan to audit it regularly. Schedule periodic data health checks for those key fields. This could be quarterly de-duping of contacts, a monthly report of new records missing critical info, or an annual comprehensive audit. If that sounds like drudgery, make it fun: I love running cleanup events like \u201cData-athons\u201d where staff come together (with pizza or snacks, of course) to tackle a data quality to-do list in a blitz. Alternatively, use downtime or volunteer power \u2013 one nonprofit we know engages skilled volunteers for an annual \u201cdata spring cleaning,\u201d giving them clear instructions on how to merge duplicates and fill missing data. The point is to embed cleanup as a routine, not a one-time fire drill when something breaks.<\/p><p>Also, automation can be your friend here. Many modern CRM and data platforms have built-in tools to enforce data quality rules (e.g., preventing invalid values or alerting on duplicates) or can integrate with third-party services for checking addresses, standardizing names, etc. In 2026, we also have AI-powered data cleansing tools emerging \u2013 these can intelligently find anomalies or even correct data by referencing external sources. For example, an AI might flag that \u201cRobert Hernandez\u201d and \u201cBob Hern\u00e1ndez\u201d in your donor system appear to be the same person with differing info, prompting a review. While these tools aren\u2019t magic, they can significantly reduce manual workload. Several nonprofits we work with have started using an AI-based de-duplication service that learns from past merges \u2013 it has sped up their duplicate resolution by more than half. Consider budgeting for such tools if you have a large volume of data; it often pays off in saved staff hours.<\/p><p>Consistency is king. If every department is using a different format or criteria for data, you\u2019ll struggle to use it effectively. <a href=\"https:\/\/nethope.org\/toolkits\/data-governance-toolkit-a-guide-to-implementing-data-governance-in-nonprofits\/\">Set organization-wide standards<\/a> for data entry and train everyone on them. Simple examples: decide on one format for phone numbers and stick to it; use picklists (dropdown options) instead of free-text for categories whenever possible; ensure dates are entered in a consistent way. These standards can be documented in a short \u201cdata entry guidelines\u201d reference. One nonprofit we advised even instituted a short online training for all new hires on \u201cData 101,\u201d covering how to use the CRM and the importance of following conventions. That investment has paid dividends in data quality.<\/p><p>Finally, don\u2019t let perfect be the enemy of good. You will never have 100% pristine data \u2013 and that\u2019s okay. Focus on making it trusted and fit for purpose. If you identify, say, 10 key donor attributes and you bring those from 60% complete to 90% complete and accurate, you\u2019ve made huge progress. Leadership and teams start trusting the reports they get because the crucial stuff is right. And with trust comes adoption \u2013 staff will be more diligent about entering data once they see it actually being used to drive decisions.<\/p><p>In summary, know your critical data and continuously tend to it. As we noted in 2025, good data governance helps maintain trust with donors and stakeholders; in 2026, it also allows you to leverage new technologies effectively. For instance, if you ever want to implement predictive analytics to forecast donor giving or AI to personalize communications, those systems will lean heavily on those key fields being consistent and accurate. Think of it like feeding an engine: high-octane fuel (clean data) makes it run smoothly, but dirty fuel (bad data) can clog it up. So fuel your mission with the good stuff!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-496fa4b0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"496fa4b0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-551a5e45 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"551a5e45\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2849e95e elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"2849e95e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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y=\"0\"><path d=\"m350.953 539.766-350.953-357.677 185.577-182.0881 350.953 357.6761z\" fill=\"#f9f9f9\" transform=\"translate(-141.0985 28.9764)\"><\/path><\/mask><g mask=\"url(#a)\"><path d=\"m425.403 96.3688a112.4061 112.4061 0 1 0 -1.508 158.9592 112.406 112.406 0 0 0 1.508-158.9592zm65.429-64.1988c-78.935-80.4471-208.14-81.673-288.587-2.7382s-81.673 208.14-2.738 288.587 208.139 81.673 288.587 2.738 81.673-208.1398 2.738-288.5868z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-141.0985 28.9764)\"><\/path><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ec02f98 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7ec02f98\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span style=\"font-size: 35.2px\">Bust data silos by focusing on cross-team goals<\/span><div><br><\/div><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f00c5cc elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"2f00c5cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:4,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;motion_fx_translateY_affectedRange&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:{&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;end&quot;:100}},&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;]}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"193.0228\" viewBox=\"0 0 176.0565 193.0228\" width=\"176.0565\"><path d=\"m175.617 78.7633a152.2916 152.2916 0 0 0 -34.739-43.9276 157.3048 157.3048 0 0 0 -48.5826-28.9436c-4.3584-1.6649-8.7167-2.9456-13.2032-4.2263-4.8711-1.2807-10.5113-2.9458-15.2542-.2558-8.0758 4.7385-6.4093 16.1367-3.7174 23.5647 3.5892 9.9893 9.614 18.8261 16.28 27.0225 6.5376 8.1964 13.46 16.0086 19.9971 24.2051 12.8187 16.2647 24.74 33.938 31.6617 53.661 1.539 4.226 3.205 9.093 3.59 13.319a22.4146 22.4146 0 0 1 -.129 5.123 8.6051 8.6051 0 0 1 -1.538 3.97 3.6493 3.6493 0 0 1 -1.41 1.025 5.69 5.69 0 0 1 -2.564.384c-2.435-.256-4.742-2.049-6.793-3.458-3.718-2.69-7.307-5.763-10.768-8.709-14.2288-12.423-26.9193-26.51-41.2762-38.677a143.9044 143.9044 0 0 0 -22.9458-16.3928c-7.6911-4.2263-16.28-8.3245-25.2527-8.7087-4.1019-.1281-8.46.3842-11.9213 2.5614a14.6054 14.6054 0 0 0 -7.05 11.5262c-.3845 5.2508 2.051 10.5016 4.7429 14.8556 2.82 4.611 6.0248 8.965 8.8449 13.576 10.2549 16.777 17.9461 37.268 10.1267 56.478a32.965 32.965 0 0 1 -6.9221 10.758c-2.82 2.946 1.6665 7.556 4.4866 4.482 13.8441-14.728 14.3569-36.884 7.6912-54.941-3.7174-10.118-9.2295-19.467-15.2542-28.432-2.82-4.226-6.0248-8.452-7.1785-13.4468-.8973-3.714.3846-7.428 3.4611-9.221 2.9483-1.793 6.6657-1.921 10.1267-1.5368a39.8121 39.8121 0 0 1 11.5368 3.33 104.23 104.23 0 0 1 23.4578 13.7036c14.87 11.142 27.4319 24.973 40.8915 37.652 3.461 3.202 6.9222 6.275 10.5112 9.349a132.0082 132.0082 0 0 0 11.537 8.965c4.23 2.689 9.87 4.226 14.485 1.28 3.589-2.305 4.999-6.403 5.512-10.373.513-4.226-.385-8.325-1.41-12.423a140.0314 140.0314 0 0 0 -4.999-14.6 168.7142 168.7142 0 0 0 -14.742-27.6627 304.0489 304.0489 0 0 0 -18.8432-25.4857c-6.5375-8.0683-13.46-15.6244-19.7408-23.8208-5.7683-7.6842-11.5367-16.5209-13.7159-26.1261-.6409-3.2017-.7691-7.0438.8973-9.7332a4.5553 4.5553 0 0 1 3.7174-2.0492c2.3074-.128 4.7429.64 6.9221 1.1527a147.5489 147.5489 0 0 1 49.48 23.3085 150.2335 150.2335 0 0 1 37.558 39.3172 133.71 133.71 0 0 1 6.794 11.7824c2.0511 3.714 7.5631.3842 5.6411-3.2018z\" transform=\"translate(.0391 .0313)\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52ca0a8a animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"52ca0a8a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e708b79 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2e708b79\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Data silos are the bane of many organizations. Nonprofits often end up with different departments or chapters using separate tools that don\u2019t talk to each other. Your fundraising team logs donor interactions in one CRM, your programs team tracks outcomes in another database, the advocacy folks have a petition platform, and so on. It\u2019s totally normal \u2013 each team picks the tool that suits their needs \u2013 but it can result in a fragmented view where no one can see the whole relationship with a supporter or beneficiary. Siloed data can also lead to inefficiencies (reporting takes ages because you must export and join spreadsheets from five places) and errors (one system says John Doe is a donor, another says he opted out of emails, another has an old address \u2013 which is correct?).<\/p><p>In 2025, we admitted that sometimes siloed data is completely fine, if it truly doesn\u2019t impact cross-functional goals. We stand by that. Not every piece of data needs to be integrated into a monolithic system. <strong>The key is to identify which data must be shared across the organization and which can live happily in its own silo.<\/strong> This comes back to your organizational goals. For example, if one of your strategic goals is to improve supporter engagement across all touchpoints, then you likely want fundraising, volunteer, and event participation data in one place (or at least easily accessible to each other). If another goal is to measure program impact against dollars spent, you\u2019ll need to link finance data and program outcomes data. On the other hand, suppose your Programs team gathers very detailed data for a specific grant report that no one else in the org uses \u2013 that might be okay to keep in a separate system or spreadsheet, as long as it\u2019s not valuable to others.<\/p><p>We advise clients to develop cross-functional data goals: essentially, list what insights or operations require data from multiple teams. An example goal could be \u201cUnderstand a constituent\u2019s full journey (donations, event attendance, volunteer hours) to tailor our outreach.\u201d Achieving that requires breaking silos between fundraising, events, and volunteer management. Another goal: \u201cReduce redundant data entry and manual reconciliation.\u201d That might mean integrating the donation form on your website directly with the CRM, instead of having the web team maintain a separate donation log. Use these goals to prioritize integration efforts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f77561 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1f77561\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b2d3603 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b2d3603\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><div>Unify your data for donor clarity<\/div><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b3077b elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5b3077b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One membership nonprofit we worked with faced classic silo issues: membership records in their AMS (Association Management System), learning records in an LMS, emails in a marketing tool, and no unified view. Through workshops, it became evident that their cross-team goal was to increase member retention by providing more personalized, timely engagement. To do that, they needed membership status, event attendance, and content interaction data in one place. We helped them build a data integration roadmap focused on those areas \u2013 starting with a project to sync their event registration system with the main CRM, and to pipe key web engagement metrics into the CRM as well. Meanwhile, there were other datasets (like internal HR data and certain finance records) that we deliberately left siloed because they weren\u2019t relevant to that goal and would have added complexity and cost for little benefit. This pragmatic approach ensured that effort went into integrations that move the mission needle, not integration for integration\u2019s sake.<\/p><p>When you do need to break down silos, there are a few ways to tackle it:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Choose a Primary \u201cSource of Truth\u201d:<\/strong> Decide which system will be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicefpartners.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Data-Governance-Toolkit_April-2022.pdf\">master repository for core constituent data.<\/a> Often this is your CRM or donor database. Other systems (email platform, event tool, etc.) should feed essential data back to the CRM so you\u2019re not manually updating contact info in five places. For instance, if someone updates their address via an event registration form, that change should flow to the CRM master record. Modern integration tools or APIs can make this seamless.<\/li><li><strong>Integrations and Data Pipelines:<\/strong> Invest in connecting systems in real-time or via regular imports. This could be as simple as setting up a nightly sync of new records from your volunteer system into your donor database, or as advanced as a real-time data warehouse that aggregates everything. The approach depends on your resources and IT capacity. The good news is that integration technology has become more accessible (with middleware platforms and even no-code connectors). We\u2019ve helped nonprofits set up integrations without heavy custom coding by using tools like Zapier or native connectors between, say, Salesforce and Mailchimp. The key is to map which fields need to move between systems and establish a process for it.<\/li><li><strong>Unified Reporting Layer:<\/strong> In some cases, you might not integrate databases directly but instead use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.missioncapital.org\/blog\/nonprofit-data-collection-and-storage\">a reporting tool or data warehouse<\/a> that pulls from all systems and lets you analyze in one place. For example, a <a href=\"\/services\/microsoft\">BI (business intelligence) dashboard<\/a> that combines finance system data and program data to show a cost-per-outcome metric. This \u201cvirtual integration\u201d can be a quick win if moving data around is too complex; however, remember that for front-line staff work (like a fundraiser wanting to see volunteer activity before calling a donor), a unified system or CRM is much more user-friendly than telling them to consult a separate dashboard.<\/li><\/ul><p>The benefits of breaking down silos are huge. When data is connected, you get richer insights: you might discover that volunteers have a higher donation rate, or that event attendees are likely to become members. Your teams can collaborate better with a shared understanding of constituents. And you eliminate the frustrating duplication of effort (like five people all compiling slightly different lists of \u201cactive contacts\u201d for their own use). A Heller analysis for one nonprofit found that a unified data architecture could drive efficiency gains and deeper constituent relationships \u2013 specifically noting that a connected ecosystem \u201cempowers staff with timely, accurate data, deepening constituent relationships and enabling real-time insights and data-driven action at every level.\u201d In plain language: when your data systems talk to each other, your team can talk to supporters in a more informed and impactful way.<\/p><p>That said, integration projects can be complex and require investment. It\u2019s okay to pace yourself. Tackle one silo at a time based on priorities. Maybe this year you integrate your email marketing tool with the CRM so unsubscribes and preferences sync (preventing PR headaches of emailing people who asked out). Next year, target event registrations, and so on. Each integration will yield new value.<\/p><p>And remember: if you decide not to integrate a particular dataset, document the reason and periodically revisit it. Sometimes a data set that wasn\u2019t important before becomes important later. For example, maybe that siloed grant report data wasn\u2019t needed by others \u2013 until suddenly your development team attempts a big program-restricted fundraising campaign and realizes that information would actually be gold for donor updates. The landscape of needs can change, especially as you adopt new strategies or tools (like AI). Stay flexible.<\/p><h4>The bottom line<\/h4><p><strong>Tear down those silos \u2013 but do it strategically.<\/strong> Share and unify data where it serves a clear purpose. Where silos remain, keep an eye on them. By addressing fragmentation, you pave the way for organization-wide initiatives (like an AI project that uses data from multiple sources) to succeed. In fact, in an AI-readiness assessment we did for a global research nonprofit, one major finding was that their data was \u201cdistributed across various systems and fragmented,\u201d and that they needed to improve data accessibility and quality before implementing AI-driven analysis. In other words, no AI tool was going to magically knit together their silos \u2013 that work was a prerequisite. The more you can connect and centralize your data (securely and thoughtfully), the more AI and analytics can work for you down the road.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49eb334f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"49eb334f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52d69cd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"52d69cd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c272b37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6c272b37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Let it die: Establish data retention (and deletion) policies<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58b2f68f elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"58b2f68f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:4,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;motion_fx_translateY_affectedRange&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:{&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;end&quot;:100}},&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;]}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"193.0228\" viewBox=\"0 0 176.0565 193.0228\" width=\"176.0565\"><path d=\"m175.617 78.7633a152.2916 152.2916 0 0 0 -34.739-43.9276 157.3048 157.3048 0 0 0 -48.5826-28.9436c-4.3584-1.6649-8.7167-2.9456-13.2032-4.2263-4.8711-1.2807-10.5113-2.9458-15.2542-.2558-8.0758 4.7385-6.4093 16.1367-3.7174 23.5647 3.5892 9.9893 9.614 18.8261 16.28 27.0225 6.5376 8.1964 13.46 16.0086 19.9971 24.2051 12.8187 16.2647 24.74 33.938 31.6617 53.661 1.539 4.226 3.205 9.093 3.59 13.319a22.4146 22.4146 0 0 1 -.129 5.123 8.6051 8.6051 0 0 1 -1.538 3.97 3.6493 3.6493 0 0 1 -1.41 1.025 5.69 5.69 0 0 1 -2.564.384c-2.435-.256-4.742-2.049-6.793-3.458-3.718-2.69-7.307-5.763-10.768-8.709-14.2288-12.423-26.9193-26.51-41.2762-38.677a143.9044 143.9044 0 0 0 -22.9458-16.3928c-7.6911-4.2263-16.28-8.3245-25.2527-8.7087-4.1019-.1281-8.46.3842-11.9213 2.5614a14.6054 14.6054 0 0 0 -7.05 11.5262c-.3845 5.2508 2.051 10.5016 4.7429 14.8556 2.82 4.611 6.0248 8.965 8.8449 13.576 10.2549 16.777 17.9461 37.268 10.1267 56.478a32.965 32.965 0 0 1 -6.9221 10.758c-2.82 2.946 1.6665 7.556 4.4866 4.482 13.8441-14.728 14.3569-36.884 7.6912-54.941-3.7174-10.118-9.2295-19.467-15.2542-28.432-2.82-4.226-6.0248-8.452-7.1785-13.4468-.8973-3.714.3846-7.428 3.4611-9.221 2.9483-1.793 6.6657-1.921 10.1267-1.5368a39.8121 39.8121 0 0 1 11.5368 3.33 104.23 104.23 0 0 1 23.4578 13.7036c14.87 11.142 27.4319 24.973 40.8915 37.652 3.461 3.202 6.9222 6.275 10.5112 9.349a132.0082 132.0082 0 0 0 11.537 8.965c4.23 2.689 9.87 4.226 14.485 1.28 3.589-2.305 4.999-6.403 5.512-10.373.513-4.226-.385-8.325-1.41-12.423a140.0314 140.0314 0 0 0 -4.999-14.6 168.7142 168.7142 0 0 0 -14.742-27.6627 304.0489 304.0489 0 0 0 -18.8432-25.4857c-6.5375-8.0683-13.46-15.6244-19.7408-23.8208-5.7683-7.6842-11.5367-16.5209-13.7159-26.1261-.6409-3.2017-.7691-7.0438.8973-9.7332a4.5553 4.5553 0 0 1 3.7174-2.0492c2.3074-.128 4.7429.64 6.9221 1.1527a147.5489 147.5489 0 0 1 49.48 23.3085 150.2335 150.2335 0 0 1 37.558 39.3172 133.71 133.71 0 0 1 6.794 11.7824c2.0511 3.714 7.5631.3842 5.6411-3.2018z\" transform=\"translate(.0391 .0313)\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f433194 animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f433194\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49be1d3c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"49be1d3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It\u2019s tempting to keep data forever. Storage is cheap, and you never know when that old list or extra fields might be useful, right? Besides, many of us in the nonprofit sector have a bit of a hoarder instinct when it comes to historical data \u2013 \u201cDon\u2019t delete those records! That\u2019s our institutional memory of donors from 20 years ago!\u201d However, there are strong reasons to be deliberate about data retention and purging: compliance, cost, clarity, and yes, even performance.<\/p><p>First, consider privacy regulations. Depending on where you operate (and the jurisdictions your constituents reside in), there may be laws requiring you to not retain personal data longer than necessary. <a href=\"https:\/\/gdpr.eu.org\/art\/5\/\">GDPR<\/a> in Europe, for example, mandates that data should be kept only for as long as its original purpose requires. If your nonprofit has EU constituents, you should have a policy defining how long you keep their data and when you remove or anonymize it. Even outside of strict legal requirements, practicing good data hygiene with respect to personal information is part of ethical stewardship. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.councilofnonprofits.org\/articles\/earning-trust-imperative-data-privacy-nonprofits\">Donors and clients trust you with their data<\/a>; abusing that by hanging onto everything \u201cjust because\u201d can backfire, especially if there\u2019s a breach. Reducing your data footprint reduces risk.<\/p><p>Secondly, old data is often bad data. People move, change emails, change names, pass away. Organizations rebrand or merge. If your CRM is cluttered with thousands of inactive contacts or outdated entries, it becomes harder to separate signal from noise. When you run a query or train a model, those irrelevant records could throw things off. We\u2019ve seen CRMs where 30% or more of contact records hadn\u2019t been touched in a decade. In one case, an outreach email accidentally went to a bunch of lapsed contacts and resulted in a spike of bounces and even a few irritated replies (\u201cI haven\u2019t volunteered there in 8 years, why do you still have my info?!\u201d). A solid retention policy would have archived or removed those long-disengaged contacts and avoided that reputational ding.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a94ebc5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a94ebc5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bcc36b5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bcc36b5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><div>Make a decision and stick to it<\/div><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-773a2d2 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"773a2d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>So how do you decide what to keep and what to let die? Define retention rules for each type of data. For example: \u201cWe retain donor records indefinitely, but we archive (deactivate) any donor who has been inactive for 7+ years and had no meaningful interactions in that time.\u201d Or: \u201cWe purge event attendance records after 5 years.\u201d The rules can vary \u2013 maybe programmatic data tied to federal grants must be kept for X years for audit purposes, whereas email logs can be dumped after Y months. The important part is <strong>making a decision and sticking to it<\/strong>.<\/p><p>A data governance committee is a great forum to develop these policies. They can weigh the pros and cons and consider input from all departments (maybe Programs feels they do occasionally reference client records from 10 years ago for follow-up research, so they advocate a longer retention for those). Aim for <a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/issues\/consumer-privacy\/data-minimization\/\">policies that balance historical value with relevance<\/a>. And document the rationale so future staff understand why the policy is there (e.g., \u201cDelete financial aid applicants\u2019 data after 3 years to protect privacy and because analysis beyond 3 years isn\u2019t used in decision-making\u201d).<\/p><p>Many systems allow <strong>soft deletion or archiving<\/strong>. Use those features. \u201cArchiving\u201d often means the data is still in the system but excluded from everyday views and reports, keeping things cleaner for users. You might archive an alumni\u2019s record when they haven\u2019t engaged since graduation, but still have it in the background should they reappear or for historical reporting. True deletion means it\u2019s gone permanently \u2013 use that for data that really has no future purpose or is sensitive. For instance, if you collected personal ID numbers or background check data for volunteers, you might choose to securely delete those once they are no longer volunteering, to eliminate any chance of misuse.<\/p><p>Data retention isn\u2019t just about contacts. <strong>Think about your data warehouses, file repositories, and email archives<\/strong> too. Do you really need every email attachment from 2011\u2019s project? Probably not. Clearing out old files (especially those containing personal data) is part of good data governance. Some orgs implement an automatic purge of files older than X years from certain drives, after notifying owners. Again, tie this to compliance and policy \u2013 e.g., \u201cWe keep board meeting recordings for 2 years, then delete.\u201d<\/p><p>Another hidden cost of keeping everything: \u201cdata debt.\u201d This term refers to the burden of maintaining and managing large amounts of legacy data that no longer provide value. It\u2019s analogous to tech debt. Data debt can increase storage costs (especially if you\u2019re on platforms that charge by records or storage, like certain CRMs). More importantly, it increases cognitive load on staff and systems. Imagine an analytics team trying to build a model but having to sift through mountains of outdated info \u2013 it\u2019s inefficient. In fact, studies show a high percentage of companies struggle to get value from new systems because of messy, debt-laden data. Nonprofits are not immune to that; if anything, we have fewer resources to throw at the problem. Proactively managing retention helps prevent accumulating a swamp of unusable data.<\/p><p>One Heller client, a mid-size foundation, faced a situation where their CRM was nearing its record limit (which would bump them into a higher-cost tier). A big reason was that they had never deleted a contact, including thousands of one-time event attendees from 15 years ago and ancient mailing lists. We worked with them to define an archiving rule: contacts with no activity in 10+ years and not connected to any current program would be exported and removed from the live system. We verified no active staff was using those, then proceeded. The outcome: a leaner database (20% fewer records), lower monthly fees, and actually <strong>improved performance in the CRM<\/strong> (searches and reports ran faster with the reduced load). The team was initially nervous about \u201closing data,\u201d but with policy and backups in place, they grew comfortable. Now they archive yearly as a routine.<\/p><p><strong>Include data retention in your governance charter<\/strong>. Make it someone\u2019s job to review data age and implement deletions or archiving on whatever schedule makes sense (year-end often is a good time). And make sure your privacy policy (the one you tell donors or clients) aligns \u2013 if you promise \u201cwe won\u2019t keep your data longer than necessary,\u201d then follow through internally.<\/p><p>To borrow a phrase: sometimes you have to let it go. Let that data die with dignity once it\u2019s past its useful life. Your CRM (and your staff\u2019s sanity) will thank you. Plus, having a lean dataset means when you do dive into analysis or feed data to an AI, you\u2019re working with fresher, more relevant information, which typically yields better results. <strong>Cluttered data can confuse both humans and AI<\/strong>. By trimming the bloat, you ensure that what\u2019s left is high signal, low noise.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b0b48a6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7b0b48a6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-385c3d05 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"385c3d05\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-561b78cb elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"561b78cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Build a habit of continuous data cleanup<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d29523f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d29523f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">It doesn't have to be boring<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f489e84 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"f489e84\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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-48.5826-28.9436c-4.3584-1.6649-8.7167-2.9456-13.2032-4.2263-4.8711-1.2807-10.5113-2.9458-15.2542-.2558-8.0758 4.7385-6.4093 16.1367-3.7174 23.5647 3.5892 9.9893 9.614 18.8261 16.28 27.0225 6.5376 8.1964 13.46 16.0086 19.9971 24.2051 12.8187 16.2647 24.74 33.938 31.6617 53.661 1.539 4.226 3.205 9.093 3.59 13.319a22.4146 22.4146 0 0 1 -.129 5.123 8.6051 8.6051 0 0 1 -1.538 3.97 3.6493 3.6493 0 0 1 -1.41 1.025 5.69 5.69 0 0 1 -2.564.384c-2.435-.256-4.742-2.049-6.793-3.458-3.718-2.69-7.307-5.763-10.768-8.709-14.2288-12.423-26.9193-26.51-41.2762-38.677a143.9044 143.9044 0 0 0 -22.9458-16.3928c-7.6911-4.2263-16.28-8.3245-25.2527-8.7087-4.1019-.1281-8.46.3842-11.9213 2.5614a14.6054 14.6054 0 0 0 -7.05 11.5262c-.3845 5.2508 2.051 10.5016 4.7429 14.8556 2.82 4.611 6.0248 8.965 8.8449 13.576 10.2549 16.777 17.9461 37.268 10.1267 56.478a32.965 32.965 0 0 1 -6.9221 10.758c-2.82 2.946 1.6665 7.556 4.4866 4.482 13.8441-14.728 14.3569-36.884 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.0313)\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-127e1607 animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"127e1607\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3bac59d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3bac59d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Hand-in-hand with retention is the idea of ongoing data maintenance. Data quality isn\u2019t a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d thing \u2013 it\u2019s like garden maintenance. You\u2019ve got to water the flowers (enter new data properly), pull weeds (fix errors), and trim when things overgrow (archive old stuff). We touched on audits and using data-athons earlier; let\u2019s expand on making data cleanup a sustainable practice.<\/p><p>Many nonprofits kick off a data clean-up as part of a new CRM implementation or a big campaign (e.g. prepping for a capital campaign, you suddenly realize the data needs scrubbing). That\u2019s great, but the worst thing is to clean everything once and then let it slowly decay again. Establish routine processes and even automation to keep your data clean as you go. Here are some tips:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Validation rules:<\/strong> Use system controls to prevent bad data at entry (e.g., require last name or ZIP code). Immediate prompts reduce downstream cleanup. Don\u2019t overdo required fields\u2014too many can lead to fake data and workarounds.<\/li><li><strong>Duplicate management:<\/strong> Configure duplicate detection to warn users before creating similar records (email, name+DOB, etc.). Run regular dedupe reviews, auto-merge clear matches, and consider third-party or AI-based tools. Ongoing monthly cleanup is far easier than annual overhauls.<\/li><li><strong>Spell check and standardize:<\/strong> Consistent spelling and formats (St. vs Street, Intl vs International) improve segmentation and integrations. Reference tables or automation can reduce false mismatches when combining data sources.<\/li><li><strong>Leverage AI for anomaly detection:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.org\/blog\/data-quality-best-practices-for-nonprofits\/\">Some CRMs flag anomalies<\/a> (e.g., impossible ages, missing key fields). Use these features if available\u2014or run simple checks yourself, like sorting by age or scanning for $0 or unusually large gifts.<\/li><li><strong>Gamify data cleaning:<\/strong> Friendly competitions\u2014data cleanups, team challenges, or small rewards\u2014can motivate staff and make quality improvement more engaging.<\/li><li><strong>Document issues and fix root causes:<\/strong> Repeated errors signal process or training gaps. Adjust workflows to prevent problems upfront\u2014for example, using import checklists to avoid recurring upload mistakes.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Involve multiple teams in data quality checks. Data entered by one group is often used by another, so occasional cross-reviews can catch issues early and reinforce that data is a shared asset\u2014not siloed work.<\/p><p>Bottom line: make data cleanup a habit, not a one-time project. When people see the payoff\u2014better reporting, higher response rates, more trustworthy dashboards\u2014it becomes easier (and even satisfying) to maintain. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nten.org\/resources\/data-governance\/\">Clean data is infrastructure<\/a>.<\/strong> You wouldn\u2019t run programs in a messy space; don\u2019t run operations on messy data.<\/p><p>And yes\u2014data cleaning doesn\u2019t have to be boring. A good playlist and coffee help.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4824e553 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4824e553\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c4d5df2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6c4d5df2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e8ee7cd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3e8ee7cd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Prepare your data (and people) for an AI-powered future<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-145352b3 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"145352b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:4,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;motion_fx_translateY_affectedRange&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:{&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;end&quot;:100}},&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;]}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg 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39.3172 133.71 133.71 0 0 1 6.794 11.7824c2.0511 3.714 7.5631.3842 5.6411-3.2018z\" transform=\"translate(.0391 .0313)\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56e634dc animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"56e634dc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-246ee121 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"246ee121\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"rte-item rte-52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"279op\" data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\"><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">AI is core to how nonprofits operate in 2026. From grant-writing assistants and predictive donor models to chatbots that support client intake, AI tools are moving quickly from experimentation to everyday use. They promise real efficiency gains, especially for organizations under pressure to do more with limited resources. But those benefits aren\u2019t automatic. AI only works as well as the data and governance behind it.<\/div><div data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">A useful way to think about this is that AI is a high\u2011performance engine. Your data is the fuel, and your governance is the set of guardrails. If the data is incomplete, inconsistent, or siloed, AI outputs will be unreliable. If there are no clear rules about privacy, human review, or acceptable use, the risks increase quickly. Strong data foundations\u2014clean, well\u2011structured, and well\u2011governed\u2014are what make AI practical rather than risky.<\/div><div data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">To prepare, focus on a few fundamentals. Make sure your data is accessible and joinable across systems, with unique identifiers and the ability to export or analyze it outside your CRM. Invest in consistent taxonomy and metadata so AI tools can detect meaningful patterns instead of noise. Put basic AI guardrails in place early, especially around sensitive data and the expectation that humans remain accountable for AI\u2011generated outputs. Even lightweight policies can prevent accidental misuse.<\/div><div data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"52e7915c-61d3-439b-8681-1a99d13f8094-0-0\">The best way to adopt AI is incrementally. Start with small pilots on clean subsets of data, measure whether the tool actually improves outcomes, and iterate. AI won\u2019t fix messy data or broken processes\u2014but when your data house is in order, it becomes a powerful multiplier. The unglamorous work of data quality and governance is what allows AI initiatives to succeed, scale, and align with your mission.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5575972 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5575972\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2127cb16 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2127cb16\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>How to strengthen your data in the age of AI<\/h2><h4>\u00a0<\/h4><h4>1. Assign data owners and stewards<\/h4><p>Designate who is responsible for data in each system or domain, and form a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techsoup.org\/support\/articles-and-how-tos\/building-a-culture-of-good-data\">cross\u2011functional data governance group<\/a>. This creates clear accountability, establishes authority to enforce standards, and eliminates the \u201cno one owns it\u201d problem that drives poor data quality.<\/p><h3>2. Define key data and standards<\/h3><p>Identify the most critical fields and metrics across the organization. Document clear definitions, acceptable values, and standardized formats or picklists. This focuses effort on high\u2011value data and ensures everyone shares the same understanding of terms like \u201cactive member\u201d or \u201cengaged donor.\u201d<\/p><h4>3. Regularly clean and update data<\/h4><p>Schedule routine audits to address duplicates, missing information, and errors. Use automation\u2014such as validation rules and deduplication tools\u2014and involve staff through data days or incentives. Ongoing maintenance keeps data trustworthy and prevents costly buildup of data debt.<\/p><h3>4. Integrate silos for key information<\/h3><p>Identify where data needs to be shared across teams, such as between programs and development. Implement integrations or centralized reporting, and establish a single source of truth for core constituent data. This enables holistic reporting and reduces time spent reconciling spreadsheets.<\/p><h3>5. Implement data retention policies<\/h3><p>Decide how long different types of data should be kept, then archive or delete records that exceed those thresholds. Document and communicate these policies clearly. This reduces risk, improves data relevance, supports compliance, and removes clutter that obscures what matters most.<\/p><h3>6. Educate and empower your team<\/h3><p>Train staff on data procedures and explain why they matter. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackbaud.com\/blog\/data-quality-everyones-job\">Build data literacy<\/a> so teams can confidently interpret reports, dashboards, and basic AI outputs. Sharing wins from data\u2011driven decisions builds buy\u2011in and reinforces a data\u2011informed culture.<\/p><h3>7. Establish AI guidelines early<\/h3><p>Set <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/trust\/ai\/\">basic rules for AI use<\/a> before large initiatives begin\u2014for example, prohibiting sensitive data in public tools and requiring human review of AI outputs. Consider a small AI working group to explore use cases responsibly. 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class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Conclusion: Data readiness is mission readiness<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4313ef82 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"4313ef82\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:4,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;motion_fx_translateY_affectedRange&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:{&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;end&quot;:100}},&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;]}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"193.0228\" viewBox=\"0 0 176.0565 193.0228\" width=\"176.0565\"><path d=\"m175.617 78.7633a152.2916 152.2916 0 0 0 -34.739-43.9276 157.3048 157.3048 0 0 0 -48.5826-28.9436c-4.3584-1.6649-8.7167-2.9456-13.2032-4.2263-4.8711-1.2807-10.5113-2.9458-15.2542-.2558-8.0758 4.7385-6.4093 16.1367-3.7174 23.5647 3.5892 9.9893 9.614 18.8261 16.28 27.0225 6.5376 8.1964 13.46 16.0086 19.9971 24.2051 12.8187 16.2647 24.74 33.938 31.6617 53.661 1.539 4.226 3.205 9.093 3.59 13.319a22.4146 22.4146 0 0 1 -.129 5.123 8.6051 8.6051 0 0 1 -1.538 3.97 3.6493 3.6493 0 0 1 -1.41 1.025 5.69 5.69 0 0 1 -2.564.384c-2.435-.256-4.742-2.049-6.793-3.458-3.718-2.69-7.307-5.763-10.768-8.709-14.2288-12.423-26.9193-26.51-41.2762-38.677a143.9044 143.9044 0 0 0 -22.9458-16.3928c-7.6911-4.2263-16.28-8.3245-25.2527-8.7087-4.1019-.1281-8.46.3842-11.9213 2.5614a14.6054 14.6054 0 0 0 -7.05 11.5262c-.3845 5.2508 2.051 10.5016 4.7429 14.8556 2.82 4.611 6.0248 8.965 8.8449 13.576 10.2549 16.777 17.9461 37.268 10.1267 56.478a32.965 32.965 0 0 1 -6.9221 10.758c-2.82 2.946 1.6665 7.556 4.4866 4.482 13.8441-14.728 14.3569-36.884 7.6912-54.941-3.7174-10.118-9.2295-19.467-15.2542-28.432-2.82-4.226-6.0248-8.452-7.1785-13.4468-.8973-3.714.3846-7.428 3.4611-9.221 2.9483-1.793 6.6657-1.921 10.1267-1.5368a39.8121 39.8121 0 0 1 11.5368 3.33 104.23 104.23 0 0 1 23.4578 13.7036c14.87 11.142 27.4319 24.973 40.8915 37.652 3.461 3.202 6.9222 6.275 10.5112 9.349a132.0082 132.0082 0 0 0 11.537 8.965c4.23 2.689 9.87 4.226 14.485 1.28 3.589-2.305 4.999-6.403 5.512-10.373.513-4.226-.385-8.325-1.41-12.423a140.0314 140.0314 0 0 0 -4.999-14.6 168.7142 168.7142 0 0 0 -14.742-27.6627 304.0489 304.0489 0 0 0 -18.8432-25.4857c-6.5375-8.0683-13.46-15.6244-19.7408-23.8208-5.7683-7.6842-11.5367-16.5209-13.7159-26.1261-.6409-3.2017-.7691-7.0438.8973-9.7332a4.5553 4.5553 0 0 1 3.7174-2.0492c2.3074-.128 4.7429.64 6.9221 1.1527a147.5489 147.5489 0 0 1 49.48 23.3085 150.2335 150.2335 0 0 1 37.558 39.3172 133.71 133.71 0 0 1 6.794 11.7824c2.0511 3.714 7.5631.3842 5.6411-3.2018z\" transform=\"translate(.0391 .0313)\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-327e7cbd animated-slow e-con-full e-flex elementor-invisible e-con e-child\" data-id=\"327e7cbd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;animation_delay&quot;:500}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59990617 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"59990617\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"rte-item rte-395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"30h8k\" data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\"><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">Last year, we emphasized that robust data governance helps nonprofits maintain trust, improve outcomes, and adapt to new tools faster. In 2026, this rings even more true. We are on the cusp of an era where nonprofits can leverage artificial intelligence to achieve their missions faster and more efficiently \u2013 but only if their data house is in order. By understanding ownership, identifying key data, breaking down silos, implementing retention policies, and fostering a continuous cleanup culture, you create the conditions for success. You mitigate risks (nothing undermines an AI initiative more than a glaring data mistake or privacy blunder) and you position your organization to harness innovation rather than be left behind.<\/div><div data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">At <a href=\"\/services\/data-strategy\">Heller Consulting<\/a>, our work with organizations large and small has underscored a simple insight: <a href=\"\/client-testimonials\">data work is mission work<\/a>. When a fundraiser doesn\u2019t have to waste time merging duplicates, that\u2019s more time to build donor relationships. When program staff trust the data in their dashboard, they can pivot services to help more people. When leadership gets accurate, timely metrics, they can steer the organization more effectively. And when an AI tool is introduced, it augments rather than confuses, because it\u2019s drawing on a well-managed reservoir of information.<\/div><div data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">So, don\u2019t consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/topics\/ai-principles.html\">data governance<\/a> and cleanup as some back-office IT chore \u2013 see it as a strategic asset and an investment in your mission\u2019s future. Nonprofits often operate in resource-constrained environments, juggling big societal challenges. Good data practices help ensure no effort is wasted and every opportunity (whether a donor insight or a program improvement) is captured. As the saying goes, \u201cwhat gets measured gets improved.\u201d I\u2019ll add: \u201cwhat gets managed (well) with data, gets magnified.\u201d<\/div><div data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"395553a5-9dd3-442e-bde0-9502354a0000-0-0\">By implementing the best practices described above, you\u2019ll give your organization a strong foundation to magnify its impact through emerging technology. You\u2019ll be ready to pilot that next AI project or adopt that next CRM feature, because your data will be reliable and governed with care. Importantly, you\u2019ll continue to earn the trust of your supporters, clients, and partners in how you handle their information \u2013 and trust is the currency that fuels everything from fundraising to service delivery.<\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-708e8da2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"708e8da2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e3f7850 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4e3f7850\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30238fff elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"30238fff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Now it's your turn<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-346f960a elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"346f960a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_translateY_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:4,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;motion_fx_translateY_affectedRange&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:{&quot;start&quot;:0,&quot;end&quot;:100}},&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;]}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"193.0228\" viewBox=\"0 0 176.0565 193.0228\" width=\"176.0565\"><path d=\"m175.617 78.7633a152.2916 152.2916 0 0 0 -34.739-43.9276 157.3048 157.3048 0 0 0 -48.5826-28.9436c-4.3584-1.6649-8.7167-2.9456-13.2032-4.2263-4.8711-1.2807-10.5113-2.9458-15.2542-.2558-8.0758 4.7385-6.4093 16.1367-3.7174 23.5647 3.5892 9.9893 9.614 18.8261 16.28 27.0225 6.5376 8.1964 13.46 16.0086 19.9971 24.2051 12.8187 16.2647 24.74 33.938 31.6617 53.661 1.539 4.226 3.205 9.093 3.59 13.319a22.4146 22.4146 0 0 1 -.129 5.123 8.6051 8.6051 0 0 1 -1.538 3.97 3.6493 3.6493 0 0 1 -1.41 1.025 5.69 5.69 0 0 1 -2.564.384c-2.435-.256-4.742-2.049-6.793-3.458-3.718-2.69-7.307-5.763-10.768-8.709-14.2288-12.423-26.9193-26.51-41.2762-38.677a143.9044 143.9044 0 0 0 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the end, this isn\u2019t really about data or AI \u2013 it\u2019s about people. It\u2019s about how we honor the information people share with us, how we break down barriers between teams to better serve our communities, and how we learn and adapt to create more value for those we exist to help. Data is the thread woven through all of that.<\/p><p>So take stock of where your<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techsoup.org\/support\/articles-and-how-tos\/building-a-culture-of-good-data\"> nonprofit\u2019s data practices stand today<\/a>. Celebrate the things you\u2019re already doing well (maybe you have a terrific CRM administrator who\u2019s effectively the \u201cdata steward\u201d unifying your org \u2013 give that person a high-five!).<\/p><p>Identify one or two areas from this post to focus on improving this quarter. Maybe convene that first data governance meeting, or clean up a pesky dataset that\u2019s been problematic, or draft a simple AI usage guideline. Incremental steps go a long way.<br \/>By strengthening your data culture now, you\u2019re not only solving today\u2019s problems \u2013 you\u2019re future-proofing your organization for the exciting changes ahead. Whether it\u2019s AI or whatever next big trend comes, you\u2019ll face it on solid footing. And I find that empowering.<\/p><p>Here\u2019s to data-driven, AI-augmented mission success in 2026 and beyond. You\u2019ve got this! And as always, if you need a thought partner on this journey, we at Heller are here to help (we admittedly love this stuff). Happy data cleaning, and may your data forever be in your favor!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60aa6f69 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"60aa6f69\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f330d9b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1f330d9b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c466fd2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7c466fd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Heller Consulting's approach to nonprofit data and AI<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-555f35ef elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"555f35ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Methodology<\/h4><p>Our <a href=\"\/services\/data-strategy\">data and AI strategy<\/a> approach starts with clarity, not tools. We work with you to define ownership, prioritize the data that truly matters, and establish governance practices that make information reliable, usable, and secure. From there, we design a practical roadmap that connects data quality, integration, and analytics to real organizational goals\u2014whether that\u2019s better reporting, smarter segmentation, or preparing for responsible AI use. AI is introduced deliberately and safely, with clear guardrails, human oversight, and an emphasis on augmenting staff decision\u2011making rather than replacing it.<\/p><h4>\u00a0<\/h4><h4>Experience and Perspective<\/h4><p>With decades of experience helping mission\u2011driven organizations manage complex data ecosystems, we understand both the technical and human sides of data and AI adoption. Our consultants combine deep platform knowledge with nonprofit\u2011specific insight, guiding organizations through data cleanup, integration, analytics foundations, and early AI exploration without creating unnecessary risk. The result is not experimentation for its own sake, but a durable data foundation that supports trust, scales with emerging technology, and enables AI to deliver meaningful, mission\u2011aligned value.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ad88398 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"5ad88398\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;rotateIn&quot;,&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"111.58\" viewBox=\"0 0 108.334 111.58\" width=\"108.334\"><path d=\"m107.442 111.58h-107.442v-111.072a99.4354 99.4354 0 0 1 10.0542-.508 98.28 98.28 0 0 1 98.28 98.28 99.2413 99.2413 0 0 1 -.8922 13.3z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61931699 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"61931699\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;rotateIn&quot;,&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon elementor-animation-pulse\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"126\" viewBox=\"0 0 126 126\" width=\"126\"><path d=\"m0 0h126v126h-126z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31c7894b elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-absolute elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"31c7894b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/alison-square.jpg?strip=all\" class=\"elementor-animation-float attachment-full size-full wp-image-21865\" alt=\"A woman wearing glasses and a brown sweatshirt smiles while holding a phone. Two other people sit nearby, also smiling, with laptops and a Rubik\u2019s cube on the table. 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The background is bright and out of focus.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit.jpg?strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit-300x300.jpg?strip=all 300w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit-150x150.jpg?strip=all 150w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit-768x768.jpg?strip=all 768w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=200 200w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=400 400w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=600 600w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/square-postit.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=450 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-339a9c59 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-absolute elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"339a9c59\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop.jpg?strip=all\" class=\"elementor-animation-float attachment-full size-full wp-image-21888\" alt=\"Close-up of a person\u2019s hands typing on the keyboard of an open silver laptop, viewed from above. The partial screen displays text about Raiser&#039;s Edge options for nonprofits in a document.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop.jpg?strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop-300x300.jpg?strip=all 300w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop-150x150.jpg?strip=all 150w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop-768x768.jpg?strip=all 768w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=200 200w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=400 400w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=600 600w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/square-laptop.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=450 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5615322b elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-absolute elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5615322b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square.jpg?strip=all\" class=\"elementor-animation-float attachment-full size-full wp-image-21887\" alt=\"A woman with long blonde hair smiles and looks upward, holding a white takeaway coffee cup with both hands. Dressed in a grey hoodie and light shirt, she appears happy and relaxed indoors, perhaps reflecting on raiser&#039;s edge options for nonprofits.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square.jpg?strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square-300x300.jpg?strip=all 300w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square-150x150.jpg?strip=all 150w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square-768x768.jpg?strip=all 768w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=200 200w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=400 400w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=600 600w, https:\/\/es7hq8rr83h.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kelsy-square.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=450 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5539580 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5539580\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-734b71b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"734b71b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57ff498 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"57ff498\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInDown&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ready to get started?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8b96a3d elementor-widget__width-initial animated-slow elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8b96a3d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Heller Consulting helps nonprofit, education, and healthcare organizations leverage technology to achieve their missions. There is no more experienced platform-agnostic technology services partner serving the cause sector.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-98d2b14 elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-absolute elementor-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"98d2b14\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;absolute&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_scrolling&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_devices&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;],&quot;motion_fx_motion_fx_mouse&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_mouseTrack_effect&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_mouseTrack_direction&quot;:&quot;negative&quot;,&quot;motion_fx_mouseTrack_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:0.40000000000000002220446049250313080847263336181640625,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":22006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,136,508],"tags":[254,606,1019,1020,1021,1022],"ppma_author":[588],"class_list":["post-21998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nonprofits","category-ai","category-guide-content","tag-nonprofit-ai","tag-nonprofit-data","tag-healthcare-ai","tag-education-ai","tag-education-data","tag-advancement-data"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Data, AI, and Your Nonprofit: Building a Data-Ready Culture - Heller Consulting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Data, AI, and your nonprofit\u2014how to build a data-ready culture in 2026, with 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