One of the biggest challenges of purchasing a new CRM is migrating your donor data, but it is a necessary evil.

Data migration is time-consuming, often confusing, and somewhat frustrating.  However, it is extremely important given how crucial it is to have your donor data organized.

TO SAVE YOU SOME HEADACHE, WE’VE OUTLINED A SERIES OF GREAT TIPS TO HELP NONPROFITS MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM ONE DATABASE TO ANOTHER.

TIP #1: CLEAN YOUR PREEXISTING DONOR DATABASE

Imagine you’re moving houses in a month.  You don’t want to take every extra hairbrush and empty soda bottle when you move.

Just like moving is the ideal time for house-cleaning, data migrating is the ideal time for database cleaning.

Cleaning your database before the move will drastically improve your efficiency during the process.

Save time on the back end by ensuring that everything is organized on the front end.  Standardize your data as you clean and your database will be in great shape to make the transition.

TIP #2: APPOINT A PROJECT MANAGER

The migration process is hard enough without having too many cooks in the kitchen.

There are so many moving parts to migrating that having a point-person will simplify everything.  This person should create and implement a project plan, as well as design materials to update your various departments on what is happening.

TIP #3: KEEP YOUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN THE LOOP

This process will be a big transition for your organization and your staff.  Let each department (or individuals) in your nonprofit know the impact this change will have on them in the short term.

Think about the questions you may have to address:

• Will the database be down for a few days?
• Will the staff need training to access records?
• How will data entry happen with the new system?
• How will staff members interact with the software?

Having a clear plan in place with your employees will help smooth the transition as much as possible.

The better equipped your staff is to handle the change, the better they will be able to perform their jobs in the interim.  It is paramount that your departments are able to maintain great donor stewardship while undergoing this shift.

TIP #4: FIND A PARTNER TO HELP

Chances are, you are going to need a partner to aide you in this process.  Many CRM companies (like NonProfitEasy) will help you migrate your data and walk you through the process.  They might even provide migration templates.

Don’t be afraid of getting a partner involved earlier in the process.  CRM selection is a big decision and any assistance in the research and decision process should be welcome.

TIP #5: PRIORITIZE YOUR DATA

Chances are, your organization will have data it has to leave behind during the migration.  Before the process begins, rank your data on a scale from must have to would be nice to have to we no longer need.

For instance, your organization is going to need names and addresses for all of your donors.  Those details are must haves.

In your current database, you might have notes about a donor’s attendance at an event five years ago.  That is potentially helpful to know, but it isn’t nearly as necessary as names and addresses are.

Deciding to keep a piece of nice to have data is going to be a case by case situation.  In this case a good plan of action would be to set a time limit, maybe the past two years, and only keep the event attendance notes within that time limit.

TIP #6: MIGRATE IN STAGES

This is where the prioritization will be beneficial.  Take your must haves and migrate that data.  Now work with that data in the new CRM.  Use it so that you can test it.

It won’t take long to figure out if your must haves are sufficient.

Are you missing important information?  Figure out what is still needed, then migrate that data next.  Continue this process until your new database has all the data it needs to fully assist your staff in carrying out their duties.

For some organizations, migration will span numerous weeks or months.

The various migration stages are going to have a massive impact on the functionality of your organization and staff.  There will be a disruption.

The best way to reduce disruption is to have a detailed project plan.  The plan should outline the various stages and keep all involved educated about the whens and hows of the process.  Proper communication is a must.

TIP #7: SAVE A BACKUP

Be prepared for a worst case scenario.  It is always good to have a backup ready.  You backup your files in case of a computer crash, this tip follows the same principle.

TIP #8: CUSTOMIZE IF NEEDED

Your new database will have a preset list of fields that you can migrate into.  These should be fairly standard, from addresses to phone numbers to emails.

Look at what data you have that doesn’t fit into the preset parameters and decide if it is worth customizing for.

For example, most databases have a space to list a donor and the donor’s spouse.  If your organization is a school though, you would probably have information on your donor’s child and his grade.  That would be something you might want to customize for.

Be forewarned, it is easier to decide what you want customized than it is to actually have the work done.

You likely won’t have the capacity to do the customizations in-house.  You’ll need to work with the CRM’s company to build out the specific custom modules you require.

Some customizations might be easy to do and your database software provider will have no issues helping you.

Others might take some major manipulation and, as a result, come at a cost.  It’ll be up to your organization to decide what is worth the money.

TIP #9: ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF LAPSED DONORS

Your hoarding instincts might kick in here.  Lapsed donors aren’t necessarily permanently lapsed.  Performing an “interest test” is a good way to decide whom to leave behind in the migration.

For this “interest test” you will use your old database and segment out your lapsed donors.  From there you’ll want to determine who on that list still wants to be a part of your organization’s community.

To test your list send out some sort of traceable communication.  It could be whatever works for your nonprofit, be it a fundraising appeal or a newsletter email.

Those who respond to your communications come with you for the move, those who don’t get left with the old database.

TIP #10: DETERMINE HOW MANY YEARS OF DATA TO MIGRATE

This number is going to vary from organization to organization.

Try to think of the furthest back you’ve gone in your data timeline with your current system.  4 years?  2 years?  That’s a good rule of thumb for how many years you should save.

It can be hard to let go of data, but it will be functionally beneficial in the long run.

TIP #11: SET A TIMELINE

Migration is time-consuming.  You should expect this.  That being said, set a realistic timeline and try your best to hold to it.

The timeline can be anything from 1 day to 3 weeks to 5 months.  The scope of the work involved is going to determine that number.

Once you have your set timeline though, establish a series of checkpoints to keep your team on track during the process.

Taking these steps will help make sure your data is primed and ready for as smooth a move as possible.

Just remember, this will be a taxing process, but well worth it.  The experience will feel arduous, but your new CRM will more than make up for its migration challenges by efficiently streamlining your fundraising efforts.