Keeping Data Clean

Clean data is good data, that's for sure, but how can we insure that we're getting clean data, or that we're keeping data clean, and what, exactly, IS "clean" data.  

First of all, from a data entry viewpoint, clean data is information that is entered in a consistent way, with every data entry person adding things in the same way, using codes in the same way, and so forth.  For instance, if we use mailing labels, we want to insure that all of our mailing labels are consistent in style, both with names of donors and street addresses. 

City, State, and Zip (Postal Code) fields usually take care of themselves in FundRaiser, using the US Postal Code Lookup feature: i.e., entering the 5- or 9-digit US postal code will automatically (and consistently) fill in the corresponding City and State.  So far as the style used for the names on a mailing label, the Name Defaults section of the Options menu can help with that.  

 You've probably noticed, while entering a new name record, that FundRaiser automatically builds several forms of the name on the Name Details page, including Report Name, Public Name, and both Formal and Informal Salutations.  It does that by taking the information you type into the Donor and Spouse fields and applying the rules that you set up in the Name Defaults Options.  By the way, you can view these rules by opening the Options menu, then click on Name Defaults, OR, if you're on the Name Details tab, you'll see a "Settings" button to the right of the name fields which will also take you there.

When you explore the options, you'll find different possibilites for all the variations you might encounter.  There are just a few possible scenarios for any one record.  First, it could be either an organizational entry or individual entry.  This is determined by the Account Type setting on a name record.  Next, if it's an organization, it may or may not have a contact name on the record.  If it's an individual account, it may or may not have an organization name on the name record.  For individual accounts, it may have a spouse or not, and if it does, the spouse may have the same or a different last name.  With all these possible scenarios, it's good that you can tell FundRaiser how you want the names formed for any one scenario, for each and every way the names are used (Report, Public, Formal, Informal, and Mailing Label).  In some instances there may be subtle differences of which you need to be aware.  For instance, if you have traditional marriages (male/female) but the woman is the donor, you may need to make sure you have the Public Name options set to " " in order to come out with the traditional "Mr. & Mrs. John Doe", instead of "Mr. & Mrs. Jane Doe".

If, after using FundRaiser a while, you discover that you want to change the way the program forms these names, then you can re-set the options the way you want them, and have it apply those changes to all records by going to the Miscellaneous section of the Utilities menu, and choosing to Reform All Names.  HINT:  if you do this, and you know you have some Informal Salutations that use nicknames (Larry instead of Lawrence, for instance), then reform all EXCEPT the Informal Salutation, allowing FundRaiser to overwrite the existing entries, and then go back through the process choosing ONLY the Informal Salutation, checking the box that will NOT overwrite existing names, but simply fill in any blanks.

When it comes to other consistencies, like how and when to code people and gifts, you'll need to coordinate between data entry people and management in order to come up with the best and most understandable ways to code, and then write down those guidelines, maybe as a Staff Tickler that can be referenced easily while in the program.  For more on Coding, you'll want to view the Coding and Spare Fields training video by logging into the Customer section of our website.

Clean data is everyone's business, so work together to understand how data entry can be accomplished to satisfy everyone's use of the database.  It will be worth the effort, and having written down some guidelines will give everyone a reference to help stay on track.  You can always change the guidelines later, within reason, of course, but just having the guidelines will help.  You can reform names at any time, you can modify codes (within their code type) at any time, and you can merge codes together if you find you've created multiple codes that mean the same thing, but it's still much better to avoid all that by having a solid grasp of how you want the data entered from the beginning.