Improving Fundraising Data Accessibility

We have been quite busy here at Funraise working on something I believe will transform the Nonprofit sector. And Today I get to tell you ALL about it. I am excited to introduce you to our latest AI-backed Fundraising Intelligence platform with some major AI enhancements like: 🤖 AI Revenue Forecasting Not all revenue is easy to forecast, especially when your business model is dependent on generosity. With AI Revenue Forecasting by Funraise, you'll get a better handle on future revenue and future donor activity using AI models powered by your past performance. 🤖 AI Data Explanations What's the Why underneath your data? With Data Explanations, you will be able to uncover unexpected patterns contributing to growth or decline in your fundraising performance and finally understand the logic supporting your data! 🤖 Data Alerts No one has the time to stare at a dashboard to watch it update. With Data Alerts, you'll receive automatic email or Slack messages for revenue thresholds and performance anomaly detections. 🤖 Natural Language Queries It's nerdy but you'll thank us later once you try building a complex report without needing to understand any special syntax or formatting to get you the data insights that you need fast! So, why is Funraise prioritizing this technology now? Two important reasons: 1) This effort to usher nonprofit organizations into the new era of AI will allow them to compete for the same dollars previously secured by for-profit companies that boast massive AI and data intelligence tools. Funraise’s team is excited to lead this turning point in nonprofit technology. I have seen firsthand how the power of data intelligence can sustain and accelerate life-changing impact. We’re excited to increase the accessibility of this technology because we know nonprofits are poised to launch into a future where actionable insights will increase impact in a big way. 2) Donor retention needs to be solved. Most nonprofits lose up to 50% of their donors each year. While technology alone won't fix this problem, it can play a critical role in decreasing donor churn. When you are growing revenue, it can be easy to overlook the revenue you are losing. With faster insights and more actionable data, I believe we can put this challenge behind us. FYI - I'll be going into much more detail about these features over the next several weeks so feel free to follow along and tag a nonprofit friend that may be excited to learn about this!

I’ve spent some time debating what fund disclosure should include. A different question is whether the information that already exists can be structured in a usable way. To test that, I reviewed the websites of 10 funds listed in ISF’s report on agricultural investment funds and pulled the portfolio information they publicly disclose (191 companies in total). I relied only on publicly accessible website pages, excluded reports, and did not infer fields from text. The graphic below shows which basic structural fields each fund makes publicly available.  I organized the data into machine-readable JSON files and published them. Links in the comments. Even with inconsistent disclosure, it is possible to align the available information into a shared structure.  More importantly, once data is structured: ▪️ Funds can report against the same fields ▪️ Updates can flow into a shared database ▪️ Access can be layered for public users and donors The conversation changes from what gets disclosed to whether the data can be combined and used.  The point is that the constraint is not technical, it’s coordination. I’ve been focused a lot on disclosure standards but I’m becoming increasingly convinced that interoperability may be the more important near-term lever. #FASAFund #AgriSMEs #BlendedFinance #Additionality #CatalyticCapital #SubsidyForData

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to build advancement operations that don’t just support fundraising, but actively accelerate it. At a time when institutions are launching bold campaigns and adopting new technologies, the smartest teams are the ones treating data as a strategic asset—not an afterthought. A few practical ways to put this into action: 🔹 Build proactive insight, not reactive reports. Quick, recurring intelligence (pipeline snapshots, movement alerts, simple KPIs) helps teams make decisions faster. 🔹 Create one source of truth. Shared data standards and clean entry practices reduce friction and build trust across departments. 🔹 Design analytics for action. Ask one question for every metric: What decision will this help someone make? If it doesn’t drive behavior, rethink it. 🔹 Use AI to remove friction. Automate drafting, summarizing, and segmenting so fundraisers can stay focused on relationships. When we align systems, analytics, and people around clarity and purposeful implementation, data stops being “extra” and becomes a real accelerator.

25% increase in donor retention + 30% boost in overall donations Discover how a client of ours transformed its donor management system using AI. Background A mid-sized nonprofit organization, "GlobalCare" (a pseudonym to protect privacy) aimed to improve its donor management system using AI technologies. They decided to follow the AI assessment framework to implement an AI-driven solution. Assessment Blueprint 1/ Assessment and Alignment • Evaluation: GlobalCare analyzed its current donor management processes, identifying inefficiencies in donor segmentation, personalized communication, and prediction of donor behavior. • Alignment: The organization aligned AI potential with its goal of increasing donor retention and maximizing fundraising efforts. 2/ Customization & Design • Tailored Solution: GlobalCare worked with AI experts to develop a customized donor management system that includes predictive analytics for donor behavior and personalized communication tools. • User-Friendly Design: The AI model was designed with an intuitive interface, allowing staff to easily access donor insights and automate personalized outreach. 3/ Implementation & Integration • Seamless Integration: The new AI-driven system was carefully integrated with GlobalCare's existing CRM and financial management software. • Pilot Project: A three-month pilot was conducted with a subset of donors to demonstrate the benefits of AI-driven personalization and predictive analytics. 4/ Training & Support • Comprehensive Training: GlobalCare provided a series of workshops and hands-on training sessions for staff members across departments. • Ongoing Support: A dedicated AI support team was established to address user questions and continuously optimize the system based on user feedback. 5/ Ethics & Compliance • Ethical Practices: GlobalCare implemented strict data privacy measures and ensured transparent communication with donors about AI usage. • Regulatory Compliance: The organization worked closely with legal experts to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and nonprofit sector standards. Real-World Results This case study demonstrates how following a structured AI assessment framework can lead to successful implementation of AI technologies in nonprofit organizations, specifically in donor management. • 25% increase in donor retention rates after six months • 30% boost in overall donations • Successful prediction of donor behavior leading to targeted and effective fundraising campaigns

Many organizations are sitting on a treasure trove of insights they're barely using. 🗝️💡 It's not just about collecting data; it's about actively engaging with it. Your existing data holds the power to keep your donors engaged but also predict and disengagement. How? By: 1. 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚: Dive into the data you already have. Patterns of past behaviors, interactions, and preferences are waiting to be discovered and acted upon. 2. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Analyze engagement metrics and communication responses to identify early signs of donor withdrawal. Tailor your outreach to rekindle their interest before they consider leaving. 3. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: Implement segmentation and predictive analytics to customize your communications. Show your donors they're not just another name in the database but a valued member of your community. 4. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Leverage tools and techniques like RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary value) analysis and machine learning to turn raw data into actionable strategies for retaining your donors. The reality is, you already possess a wealth of data that can transform your approach to donor stewardship. The challenge lies in effectively mining and applying these insights to foster deeper, more meaningful relationships with your supporters. By harnessing the power of the data at our fingertips, we can make every supporter feel like a hero to our cause. 🙌