Make January easier: a two-hour donor records tune-up

You have a lot on your plate. A quick, kind sweep of your donor records this week will save hours in January and make year-end acknowledgments smoother. This close to the holidays (and year end!(, we'll keep it simple and practical.

Hour 1: tidy the data that powers your thank yous

• Merge obvious duplicate donor records so each person has one clean history. Your CRM likely has a duplicate finder or merge tool ready to go. Bloomerang, for example, flags possible matches and lets you combine them.

• Fix bad emails and postal addresses you already know about. Standard formats help every system deliver reliably. Quick hygiene passes like these improve segmentation and stewardship.

• Attach missing notes for non cash gifts. Describe the item, not the value, so your acknowledgment stays correct. The IRS asks for a description, not a dollar amount, in your letter.

Hour 2: code gifts so reports and letters are right the first time 

• Confirm soft credits. When someone influences a gift, like a board member or a DAF advisor, add a soft credit so your reporting reflects their role. CRMs handle this slightly differently, but the concept is the same across most.

• Tag restricted versus unrestricted. Label gifts that carry donor intent so your team honors it and your board sees a clear picture of flexible dollars. This is a core bookkeeping habit for nonprofits.

• Stage your acknowledgment run. Once records are tidy, your letters go faster. For gifts of 250 dollars or more, your letter should include the legal name, amount, a description of any noncash gift without a value, and the right goods-and-services statement. We are not giving tax advice here (yes our insurance carriers make us say this!) 🙂, just mirroring the guardrails that help nonprofits thank donors clearly.

Friendly pro tips

• Work in small batches so you feel momentum.

• Keep a short “how we code gifts” note inside your CRM so staff stay consistent.

• If time is tight, do steps 1, 4, and 5. Those three create the biggest lift for January.

A little care now makes your year-end feel human, accurate, and peaceful. Your donors get timely, thoughtful thank yous. Your team gets cleaner reports. Future you will be very happy.