growing your database and research

Growing your database

Andy Cooper

Head of Development Services

University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

www.shef.ac.uk/alumni

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

I aim to cover …

• What is a database?

• Why have a database?

• Types of database

• Information to hold

• Sources of information

• Resources

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

What is a database?

“A structured collection of data held in computer storage; esp. one that incorporates software to make it accessible in a variety of ways” O.E.D.

It could be your most powerful resource: collective memory, evidence and a working tool

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Database examples

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Without maintenance

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Why have a database?

• Store our information in

one place

• Easily extract information

e.g. mailing lists, email

addresses, VIP’s

• Search for information

• Secure

• Reduces paperwork

• Collective memory

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Spreadsheet

Pros

Cheap

Easy to create

Cons

Hard to manage

Difficult to share

Hard to query

Limited in data

Relational Database (Access,

Oracle, SQL)

Pros

Easy to manage

Easy to share

Easy to search

Can be very complex

Cons

Can be expensive

Types of database

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Information to hold

• Minimum of

• Name

• Contact details (home & work)

• Educational qualifications

• Work including salary

• Donation history

• Interests (while at University and now)

• Event history (mailings, email, visits)

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Sources of information 1

• Existing Systems

• Current Databases

• Alumni Directories

• Paper Records

• Personal Knowledge

• Business Cards

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Sources of information 2

• External Sources

• Business Directories

• Public Libraries

• Newspapers

• Research

Companies

• The Internet

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Sources of information 3

• Pro-active sources

• Questionnaires

• Email-shots

• Adverts

• Website

• Business Cards

• Networks

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Questionnaires

• Cheap to produce

• Easy to fill in

• Engage your alumni

• Can be used at all events and with all mailshots

• Gather a lot of information quickly

• Need to be input

• Need addresses

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Questionnaires

• In 2002, we sent 100,000 questionnaires

• 18,000 were returned with new and updated information

• 9,000 were returned due to incorrect addresses

• 25% response in some form on the first contact for 8 years!

• Even received several donations

• 43 Weeks to Update the Database

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Email

• Easy to create

• Cheap to send

• Very easy for people to respond

• Good response rate

• Need email addresses

• Need resources to update your database

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Adverts

• Potentially reach a large

number of alumni

• Good Public Relations

for your institution

• Do not need addresses

• Get a news story and

you get a free advert!

• Can be expensive

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Website

• Easy to set-up

• Easy to maintain

• Provide key information

• Advertise events and services

• Use forms to gather data

• Have to be kept up-to-date

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Business Cards

• Easy to collect

• Up-to-date contact

information

• Have a Business

Card raffle at all

events with a prize

• Encourage

academics to send

you business cards

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Networks

• Use personal and

professional

networks

• Encourage people to

tell you if they meet

alumni

• Encourage alumni to

tell you about other

alumni

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Legal issues

• Before storing information check for any legal

issues

• In Europe the “Data Protection Act” defines

how we can store personal information

• Explain to people how you are going to store

and use their information

• Give them “opt outs” so they can choose not

to be contacted or removed from your

database

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Data entry

• Huge job (mountain)

• Very important

• Need high accuracy

• Speed

• “Boring” job

• Most important job in

the office?

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Resources – what you will need

• Database

• Data entry staff

• Researchers

• Database

administrators

• Money for mailshots

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Data entry staff

• Students

• Hardworking

• Intelligent

• Appreciate why

• Can do “odd hours”

• Cost effective

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Database screen shots

With Sample Data

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Database screen shots

With Sample Data

Conclusions

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Conclusions

• The database underpins all the work in your office

• It is a long-term investment which requires proper

funding

• Over time it will become a tailor-made resource of real

value

• We are blind and impotent without a database

• “Rubbish in = rubbish out”

Research

Andy Cooper

Head of Development Services

University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

www.shef.ac.uk/alumni

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Research

• Why do research?

• Where to find information?

• How to record it?

• Sample profiles

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Why do research?

• If you don’t know who your alumni are how can we ask

them to help

• Help provide quick briefings to senior staff

• To save embarrassment

• To understand who we are

• To provide evidence and statistics

• Help group our alumni to manage them

• To find our high flyers and influential alumni

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Building a picture

• Name

• Photo

• Address

• What do they do? Biography?

• Do they have family?

• What are they interested in?

• Who do they know at the Institution?

• Who is in their network?

• What might interest them at the Institution?

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Building a picture 2

• What are they worth?

• What motivates them philanthropically?

• What is their capacity to give?

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

Where to look

• Alumni Database

• News clippings and media stories

• “Tip offs” and personal updates

• Commercial databases (Compass, Companies House,

Nexis, Who’s Who)

• The Internet

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

All sorts of information

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications

How to record information

• Alumni Database

• Drop down lists vs “Free text”

• Keep it simple and consistent

• Group information where you can

• Media stories and clippings as images and documents

• Create Profiles

• Regularly check and update

• Keep figures to show progress

24/05/2011 © The University of Sheffield / Department of Marketing and Communications