Can anyone tell me what your protocol is for bits of research and random information for people not in your database? We don’t routinely add a constituent record for the purpose of having a home for random data, but our research person is upset that I won’t create a record for someone that may not ever send a gift. I told her we create records when there is a gift or at least, a promise of a gift.
What does your organization do with data that doesn’t have a constituent record?
Thanks a lot,
Melanye V. Taylor
Development Operations Database Coordinator
Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County
135 North Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA. 90012
213.972.3123
mtaylor@MusicCenter.org
www.MusicCenter.org
Melanye,
In our consortium, we do add these types of records. Any one requiring research effort is usually worth adding to the database. There is still value in the potential for a non-patron to make a gift, just as there is for any single ticket buyer to become a subscriber.
If I were making notes on various patrons, I would want them all to be in one place and not a separate spreadsheet just because they aren't in Tessitura yet. Also, when it comes time to solicit, it will be easier to generate a list from one source and track the success of that mailing, telefunding effort, etc. in one place. We even have "dummy" information we can use to populate required fields, like address, if we don't yet have a complete profile. Would we add them by the thousands? Probably not, but anything we can maintain by hand will surely exist in Tessitura.
~Dan