Data Quality Solutions for Charities & Not-for-Profits
The gap in data quality for charities costs Gift Aid revenue, wastes mailing budget, and puts GDPR compliance at risk. Data8’s data quality suite can solve that.
4 in 10
charities say they lack the time to focus on their data
26%
feel they aren't getting the most from their CRM system
49%
of charities want to use data to improve services
54%
face significant challenges with their existing CRM
What bad data really costs a charity
Supporter databases are how charities communicate, engage and fundraise. When that data drifts, the effects show up quietly, then all at once.
- Lost supporters. Bad addresses and dead phone numbers mean fewer people ever receive your appeal.
- Lower Gift Aid revenue. A single incorrect field at the point of entry can invalidate a claim.
- GDPR exposure. Holding inaccurate or outdated personal data increases compliance risk.
- Wasted mailing spend. Printing and posting to goneaway or deceased records burns budget and can damage trust.
NHS Lothian Charity Improves Data Accuracy with Data8
Data8 helped NHS Lothian Charity improve data accuracy, reduce returned mail and save time, with fast results, competitive pricing and brilliant customer service.
RNLI Improves Data Quality and Reduces Complaints with Data8
“It has come on leaps & bounds – we have much fewer complaints regarding data quality, our confidence level in our data has increased tremendously.”
Durham University Improves Data Quality and Reduces Returned Mail with Data8
“Identifying invalid and new addresses increases the chance of reaching the intended recipient and reduces the chance of returned mail.”
Charity & non-profit data questions we're asked most - and how to fix them
Six real problems charity data teams raise with us, and the specific Data8 solution for each.
- QUESTIONHow do you fix duplicate donor records across a Dynamics 365 CRM, fundraising platform and direct debit system?
- ANSWERDuplicare merges duplicate supporter records into one profile, with one giving history and one Gift Aid status.
- QUESTIONHow can a charity stop wasting postage on goneaway and deceased supporters?
- ANSWERData Cleansing identifies goneaway and deceased records so they can be suppressed before a mailing is printed.
- QUESTIONHow do you stop a Gift Aid claim being invalidated by a data entry error?
- ANSWERData Validation checks names, addresses and details in real time, at the moment a supporter enters them.
- QUESTIONHow do you get one accurate view of a supporter across multiple systems?
- ANSWERData8 Data Integrity monitors data quality on an ongoing basis, so records stay accurate after the initial cleanse.
- QUESTIONHow does a charity stay compliant with TPS, CTPS and GDPR when contact data goes out of date?
- ANSWERData Validation checks phone numbers against TPS & CTPS in real time, reducing GDPR exposure.
- QUESTIONWhat can a small charity data team do about a fast-growing supporter database?
- ANSWERA dedicated Charity Sector Data Specialist and reduced-cost non-profit pricing, plus Business Insights and Data Migration for bigger one-off projects.
Explore the full data quality suite
Data Validation
Real-time checks at point of entry, covering addresses, email, phone and name.
Data Cleansing
A one-off cleanse of a single database through our easy-to-use online portal.
Data Quality Monitoring
Keep your CRM clean and accurate with AI-powered monitoring .
Data Enrichment
Generate company credit validation reports on over 2.5 mil active businesses in the UK
Data Migration
Migrate only your clean, valuable data to your new CRM with ease.
Data Deduplication
Eliminate duplicates in your Dynamics 365 CRM with our award-winning tool and AI-powered technology, Duplicare.
TThe Results of Choosing Data8 as Your Data Quality Partner
Real outcomes from charities that have used Data8 to improve data quality and protect the supporter experience.
Alzheimer's Society enhanced the quality of their Facebook donor data using the Data8 online portal, recovering over £240,000 in additional Gift Aid revenue.
"The audit was conducted on over 240,000 records and allowed the charity to identify that just under 10% of their supporters were goneaways, over 4% were flagged as deceased, and just under 3% could be re-activated with a new forwarding address."
"Data8 have provided an excellent level of support — we know that if we ever have any queries around the service, Jo is always on hand to help."
"I completed the data clean without issue — I followed your instructions to the letter. The costs came well under budget, and I couldn't believe how fast the turnaround was for the entire project."
Data8 vs. a single-purpose data tool
Most tools clean a list once, or validate a form, and stop there. Here's what's different when one provider covers the whole supporter data lifecycle.
| Criteria | Single-purpose tool | Data8 for Charities & NFP |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Validate OR cleanse, rarely both | Validate, cleanse, dedupe, monitor, enrich and migrate |
| Dedicated charity sector specialist | Not typically assigned | Assigned to every charity account |
| Non-profit pricing | Standard commercial rates | Reduced-cost plans for registered non-profits |
| Goneaway & deceased suppression | Basic address cleanse only | Dedicated goneaway and deceased suppression |
| Duplicate supporter records | Not addressed | Duplicare merges duplicates into one profile |
| Gift Aid–focused validation | Not addressed | Reduces the entry errors that invalidate claims |
| TPS & CTPS suppression | Often an extra add-on | Built into real-time validation |
| Data quality after the cleanse | Degrades again over time | Data8 Data Integrity monitors it on an ongoing basis |
| Charity CRM integrations | Generic CRM connectors only | Donorfy, Dynamics 365, Salesforce, Drupal and more |
Integrations
Data Quality Solutions For
Any Integration
Easy plug-and-play integrations that support your data quality goals.
Explore all integrations
Why Choose Data8?
For over 25 years, we’ve been helping charities and non-profit organisations improve their data quality, with trusted solutions and a level of customer service they can rely on.
1:1 support with our Head of Not-For-Profit
Work directly with our charity data experts to configure your data challenges and find a solution.
Recognised innovation
In 2022, Data8 received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation, recognising our pioneering approach to data quality.
We're #1 for 'Best Support' on G2
The the fourth consecutive quarter on G2 Data8 has been awarded 'best support'.
How can Data8 help Charities with their Data Cleansing?
Enhance Address Quality
Provide standardised records and improve mail delivery rates with greater detection of duplicates.
Find Goneaway & Deceased Records
Identify unmailable addresses and deceased individuals to reduce unnecessary printing costs whilst protecting brand image.
Help Claim the Most GiftAid
Reduce human error at point-of-entry for accurate records to claim the most possible GiftAid
Contact the Right Supporters
Ensure you are contacting the maximum number of supporters, whilst checking the 'do not call' register for TPS & CTPS.
Questions Charity Data Teams Ask Us
What is charity data cleansing and why does it matter?
Charity data cleansing is the process of finding and correcting inaccurate, duplicate, goneaway or deceased records in a supporter database. For charities it matters because a stale database quietly drains budget through wasted postage, undermines Gift Aid claims, and increases the risk of a GDPR breach when outdated data is mishandled.
How can poor data quality effect gift aid claims?
A Gift Aid claim can be invalidated by something as small as a misspelled name or an incorrect address captured at the point of donation. Validating supporter details in real time, at the moment they’re entered, removes this kind of human error before it ever reaches a claim.
Does Data8 offer discounts for charities and non-profits?
Yes. Data8 offers data quality services at a reduced cost for registered non-profits, and every charity account is supported by a dedicated Charity Sector Data Specialist.
What is goneaway and deceased suppression, and why should a charity use it?
Goneaway suppression flags supporters who have moved address; deceased suppression flags records for people who have died. Removing both from a mailing file cuts unnecessary print and postage spend and avoids the reputational damage of contacting a deceased supporter’s household
What CRM systems does Data8 integrate with for charities?
Data8 integrates with all major CRM platforms including those commonly used across the charity sector, including Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce, the charity-specific CRM Donorfy, and Drupal.