Question 1

What is DonorBureau?

Accepted Answer

DonorBureau is an industry leader in data and analytics, including the acquisition and cultivation of high quality donors. Utilizing proprietary analytical techniques and machine learning technology, DonorBureau identifies characteristics of likely donors, predicting giving frequency and donation amount to improve the effectiveness of fundraising appeals.

Question 2

How do we get started?

Accepted Answer

Start with a free trial. Share 12–24 months of mail and donation history, we build and test a custom model, and you compare the results head to head against your current approach, risk free.

Question 3

How long does implementation take?

Accepted Answer

Once we have your data, custom predictive models are built and ready within 15 days. After that, scoring a file takes under 24 hours, so you see improvement on your very first appeal.

Question 4

What's the free trial offer? How does it work? Is it hard?

Accepted Answer

If your program is in a niche similar to our existing data, the process is incredibly fast and simple: Provide 12–24 months of mail history and donation history. Allow 3–4 weeks for model development, testing, and deployment. Send over your file before it goes to the mail shop. We will score it and return it in under 24 hours. We will provide two classifications: "Good" and "Bad." Mail the two files as separate appeals. Wait, and compare results. This requires greater investment on your side (providing the data) and DonorBureau's side (building and deploying a model). However, we are so confident in our ability to show dramatic improvement in your results, even in our initial model launch, that the trial is still FREE.

Question 5

How quickly will we see results?

Accepted Answer

DonorBureau's response models deliver noticeable results with the first test. When Precision Prospecting and the DonorRetention Model eliminate the worst performing names from a prospect list or choose the best names from a house file list, the client improves the average donation rate per piece mailed immediately.

Question 6

How does donor modeling work?

Accepted Answer

We build custom models from your historical mailings and donations, then score every prospect on hundreds of variables, such as giving history, seasonality, and demographics, to predict both likelihood and capacity to give.

Question 7

How do you predict donor behavior?

Accepted Answer

By combining demographic, psychographic, and behavioral data into a 360° view of each individual. Patterns emerge that let us predict how receptive a prospect will be to your organization, your appeal, and the timing.

Question 8

How does optimization improve fundraising?

Accepted Answer

We don't ask you to mail less, we help you mail smarter. Cutting the poorest performing names frees budget for packages and lists that work, increasing net income and ROI at any quantity you choose.

Question 9

My clients vary, how does DonorBureau fit the needs of each client?

Accepted Answer

Precision Prospecting and the DonorCultivation Model work by assessing an individual's propensity to donate to each client individually.

Question 10

Why are Lifetime Value models better than RFM?

Accepted Answer

RFM looks at only a few signals and assumes donors keep behaving the same way, which overmails your best segments. Lifetime Value models weigh hundreds of variables and adapt as behavior changes, predicting long term value, not just recent activity.

Question 11

What makes DonorBureau different?

Accepted Answer

Most in house analytics rely on a handful of variables and only your own data. We draw on billions of transactions across hundreds of organizations, so we know who has been mailed, how often, and what they are capable of giving.

Question 12

How are your models maintained?

Accepted Answer

Models are monitored continuously. If performance ever drifts, we rebuild on fresh data and revalidate, so your predictions stay sharp over time.

Question 13

Is our data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Security is foundational to how we work: your file lives in a data warehouse that is completely isolated from our cooperative database, and we never share your names unless you choose to participate.

Question 14

Who owns our data?

Accepted Answer

You do, always. You decide whether your data stays private or joins DonorDemocracy, our cooperative, where you earn list rental income for your names.

Question 15

What is the Data Cooperative?

Accepted Answer

DonorDemocracy is an optional shared pool of anonymized fundraising data. The more transactions the cooperative analyzes, the sharper every member's predictions become.

Question 16

What files are required?

Accepted Answer

Provide 12–24 months of mail history and donation history to get started. After the trial, partners send regular updates of mail activity and donations received.

Question 17

What is required of a partner to DonorBureau?

Accepted Answer

After the trial period, a Partner provides frequent updates of their mail activity — all mail sent and all donations received (and all non donor responses, where appropriate).

Question 18

How often are models updated?

Accepted Answer

Continuously. Ongoing data updates both improve your model and provide a critical signal about recent prospect behavior. Response rates fall fast once people see the same piece repeatedly.

Question 19

What ongoing support is included?

Accepted Answer

We set up a simple automated process for sending data, score files in under 24 hours via upload, and return classified results to your team. A short analysis after each appeal quantifies the lift.

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