|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Product Support Product Registration |
Fundraising Analytics Testimonials Barnard College "Last winter, our team at Barnard used Data Description's predictive data modeling services because we wanted to identify those people in our database most likely to donate to the College. In the past we have relied primarily on outside wealth screening services and basic data mining techniques. So this initiative was a bold step to combine what we have learned about our wealthiest alumnae with the abundant information already sitting in our database and just waiting to be tapped. Working with Peter Wylie and John Sammis, we created a model that weighted a selection of predictive variables in our data. The model produced "propensity-to-give" scores that we appended to each record in our database. We are now positioned to prioritize our efforts more strategically for both our Annual Fund and Major Gift programs, and to approach all aspects of our fundraising in a more streamlined, optimal fashion. Not only did Peter and John provide the initial modeling and resulting affinity scores, but they also taught us to use the Data Desk statistical software so that--down the road--we can experiment in building our own custom predictive models for particular segments of our constituency. These two data gurus are a top-notch team, providing an invaluable, cutting-edge service!" Jane Holland Georgetown University "I just can't say enough about the training experience! I saw the potential of data mining right away, especially in terms of allowing us to maximize our resources, and John and Peter were great teachers. They have the ability to gauge the pace of your learning, and they adjust their speed to yours. Of course we started out with the very basics, learning to identify what we were trying to measure and which pieces of information in our database could lead to that. Understanding the ideas behind building a predictive--as opposed to as causal--model have allowed me much more flexibility in thinking about our marketing strategies. I have some new ideas for ways we could use data mining, and so now my goals are to become more self-sufficient in scoring and to offer this training to more of our staff." Heather Grieg Ohio Wesleyan "With development budgets shrinking and expenses going up, everyone in the field is more aware of the value of data mining. But even so, the data very often just sits there. Working with Data Description has given our department a way we can do something creative with our data to boost all our programs. Now we're able to focus on who we should target--in our phonathon program, for instance we're only calling the top 10 percent of the group we phoned last year. Not everybody who needs to data mining has a strong background in statistics, but John and Peter made sure we were comfortable with one concept and procedure before moving on to the next. And they have been very accessible for follow-up, say when I needed to explain what I was doing to someone else. What makes their training stand out is that they want you to succeed and they want your organization to succeed." Stephanie Jewell St. Francis Xavier University "Our VP for Advancement is particularly excited about our ability to segment our large pool of non-donors, identifying those individuals who are ripe for conversion. In the past, our only clue to their level of affiliation was their giving history. Our new model sheds light on that large mass of alumni who haven't yet given." Kevin MacDonell St. George's School "Peter Wylie's work brings a much needed element of science to advancement, and I've become a real advocate for his brand of predictive modeling. It's about making better decisions--who wants to spin your wheels on the wrong prospects?" Brandon Ferris San Francisco State University "It's been a pleasure-and very productive-to work with Data Description and Peter Wylie! With their help we have refocused our fundraising efforts and our spending. We had been working with an unanalyzed database of about 200,000, and we are now targeting about a quarter of these people-our real prospects. Our participation rates are up, and obviously we are saving a lot of money." George Machun University of Pittsburgh "A fantastic training program! Our staff worked through the actual building of a predictive model--and we came away with the ability to do it on our own. We were each able to work at our own level and have become very successful using and implementing Data Desk in our everyday operations. Training has allowed us to take a much more sophisticated approach to marketing strategy, leaving outdated business practices behind. Learning how to use and modify these models was motivating. We constantly think up ways to use Data Desk to get new and valuable information. Data analysis has given us a wealth of new information that was unavailable to us before -priceless information. What we took away from the process was a new sense of who were the right prospects to approach. We had no idea how successful we could be, and as a result, our whole fundraising program has become more strategic and targeted." Melissa Graff Stetson University "As soon as we finished the initial screening of our data, the proof of concept was there! Our first results were very positive, and the follow-up training was really effective in honing our skills in house. The Data Description team is very knowledgeable, and they understand data from an education perspective - and the fact that it takes place online minimized our costs. We're excited about the information we've developed, and our analysis is getting better and better with each screening!" Paul Gleason |
 |
|||
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
