Nonprofits need to refine and adjust how they manage their data capture regularly. As part of this process, we recommend that you review how you’re utilizing and structuring key fields. There are four questions I return to when examining the fields in a database. These may help you think about how you can better structure your data capture.
For this post, I’m going to use Salesforce-specific terms. However, the concepts are suitable for all databases.
How often am I using this information now?
When reviewing how you structure your data fields in Salesforce, you have to balance how you’ve used Salesforce in the past and how you should use Salesforce in the future.
Evaluating your prior use – even if you’re working to change it – is helpful when trying to plan. Past performance and usage is often the best indicator of future use. If you’ve only captured data in a particular field for 12 people in your database of 6000+ contacts, it may be better to use a checkbox or text multi-select picklist.
Will I need to pull reports on this information for grants?
Even with the best planning, the grant-writing process can be chaotic. Evaluating if a field may be useful for grant outcomes can help you determine how you want to structure the text and field type.
If you need to pull reports quickly and assess information, a structured field type may be best. If you use a picklist, you may have an “other” option. Do you need to capture more information about the constituents that fall under the “other” group? Would adding a text field be beneficial for providing more context for grant writing? For example, it can be hard to translate your picklist into a grant’s picklist for ethnicity terms if they are different.
How many users will be using this field?
The number of users in Salesforce or any database can have a direct effect on the quality of your data. The more users you have, the simpler you’ll need to make things. If a lot of people are using a specific field, it can be helpful to develop a definition of terms for your users. While “How they learned about our organization” may be a simple field to you, your users may be confused about what this means. If you have some fields that will only be used sparingly, it may make sense to move the most common fields to the top of the intake page so it is easy to use.
How clean do I want Salesforce to be?
We don’t recommend making your database decisions based on aesthetics, but this is a factor for some users. Some individuals thrive with a messy desk and others can only focus in a clean work environment. Your database is similar. We’ve all worked with folks who are overwhelmed with data capture and review. A complicated and lengthy contact page in Salesforce may cause you to lose your users that are easily overwhelmed. While we believe that the best data capture should always win over aesthetics, Salesforce and database layout is a factor to consider when making your decisions.
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Justin (he, him) is a Principal and Co-Founder of Social Change Consulting. He has over fifteen years of nonprofit experience, with expertise in online fundraising, digital communications, and data management. Justin helps organizations connect their communication strategy to their income development needs. When he’s not on the clock, Justin is exploring Berlin, running, listening to too many podcasts, and drinking too much coffee.