Melissa UK Team | United Kingdom

2% of contact data is subject to inaccuracies every month which means that almost 25% of data is corrupted on an annual basis. However, new statistics demonstrate that organisations find almost 30% of their contact data to be inaccurate.

This is not an alarming statistic as smart technology has meant that we are more connected than ever, but it has created distance between organisations and clients. Charities and not-for-profit organisations also fall victim to the distance created by growing technology and in order to create a smooth experience for supporters as well as to gain trust and loyalty, good quality contact data is needed.

Creating a process for good-quality contact data is not actually difficult. Charities and not-for-profit organisations can implement software which cleanses their existing data, removes duplicates and standardises the data held whilst providing real-time address validation, email, phone and name as well as Identity verification practices to ensure quality data enters into the newly cleansed database.

You can learn more about What is Data Cleansing here.

Melissa works with a number of not-for-profit organisations to help them maintain a strong contact database – our previous experience has shown us that a quality database is key to marketing and raising support for their work. Our solutions which include checking address data, data deduplication and data cleansing have enabled a number of charitable bodies to increase their outreach efforts and enhance their fundraising efforts.

Enhancing data quality plays a strong role in creating a solid reputation and seamless supporter experience. Reputation and experience are key drivers of support for not-for-profit organisations and charities and so with the right contact data, engagement with supporters is not lost and contact is made to the right people, at the right time, with the right message.

Good quality data also has an impact on day-to-day operations as it can reduce costs in the long run. Charities and not-for-profit organisations come into contact with large numbers of data and manually sorting this data can be time-consuming and costly – having a data quality solution embedded into the database will not only reduce time spent on sorting data but provides cost efficiencies that can invest elsewhere within the organisation.

You can learn more about What is Data Quality here.

It is also important to note that regulation plays a huge role in today’s digital society. Regulation regarding privacy and protection can become more difficult to meet as the volume of data grows however, with a data quality solution, keeping contact data up-to-date is no longer an issue. Management is able to focus on other areas of the business as the solution ensures compliance requirements are met including GDPR.

Finally, tackling data quality issues allows charities and not-for-profit organisations to become part of the digital world. It opens the organisations up to future technological changes which can further enhance the supporter experience and raise awareness for the organisation’s work.

With solutions which can be embedded anywhere within an organisation’s process, Melissa works with their clients to create a data-driven competitive advantage. Using our data quality and fraud prevention tools, you’ll be getting the most out of your customer data which could be key to your future growth and success. Today’s digital world means that there are high expectations and charities, just as much as financial institutions, are expected to meet the technical expectations of consumers.

Melissa are also proud to be part of the HM G-Cloud 10 framework – we work with a number of public sector bodies and offer a special rate for registered charities. If you would like more information then please give us a call at 020 7718 0070, or email us at info.uk@melissa.com.