Summer Housekeeping: Why Now Is the Time to Clean Up Your Donor Database

Summer is the perfect time to clean up your donor database.

I'm not talking about a complete overhaul. I'm talking about a practical, tactical cleanup that will make your entire fundraising operation stronger for the rest of the year and beyond. A few hours of work now will save you hours of frustration later—especially if your organization has a fiscal year-end coming up. 

Here’s how I do this for most databases, but modify as needed.

Step 1: Backup Everything

Before you do anything—and I mean anything—back up your database. Export it. Save it. Keep it somewhere safe.

This isn't about being paranoid. It's about being smart. If something goes wrong during cleanup, you need to be able to go back. Don't skip this.

Step 2: Get Everything Into Excel

Export a complete list of all your donor records. Include every identifying field: name, address, phone, email, and anything else you have.

Don't overthink which fields. Get the key ones. You need to be able to see the data clearly so you can work with it.

Once you have that list, sort by name. Last name first if possible. This is your foundation.

Step 3: Hunt for Duplicates

Now here's where it gets real: you're going to find duplicates.

Excel has a highlight duplicates feature (here's a tutorial: https://www.excel-university.com/how-to-highlight-duplicates-in-excel/). Use it. It's helpful.

But—and this is important—it will only find exact matches. If Sally Martinez is in your database as both "Sally Martinez" and "Sal Martinez," Excel won't flag it. You have to find those manually.

And you will find them. A lot of them.

Do the same exercise with addresses. 101 West Smith Street, 101 W. Smith Street, 101 W Smith St., 101 W. Smith St.—these are all the same address, but Excel won't see them that way. You will. You'll go through your list, and your eye will catch the variations.

Do it with phone numbers. Do it with email addresses.

The first time you do this, it's going to hurt. You're going to find duplicate after duplicate. You're going to realize how inconsistent your data entry has been. You're going to feel a little sick about it.

That's normal. And it gets better.

Step 4: Merge Duplicates

Once you've identified duplicates, you need to merge them. How you do this depends on your database. Some platforms have built-in merge tools. Some don't. You might need to delete one record and move the giving history to the other. You might need to contact support.

Figure out your process first. Then execute it systematically.

Step 5: Standardize Your Data

While you're in cleanup mode, fix the formatting issues.

Remove extra spaces. Standardize phone number format (there's a good tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-aKRkAWRho). Standardize address format. Pick a format and stick with it going forward.

This might feel tedious. It is. But it matters.

Getting the Data Back Into Your System

Once you've cleaned everything up in Excel, you need to get it back into your database. How you do this depends on your system.

Some databases allow you to upload a cleaned file directly. That's the easy path—if your system supports it. But don't assume it will work perfectly. Even with an upload, you might need to do manual updates to match how your database expects the data to be formatted.

Some systems don't allow bulk uploads at all. You might need to manually update records. This is tedious, but it's part of the process. Figure out your system's capabilities first, then plan accordingly.

The important thing: know what you're working with before you start. Contact your database support if you're not sure. It's better to ask ahead than to do all this cleanup and then discover you can't get it back into your system efficiently.

Why This Matters

A clean database isn't just about appearances. It's about functionality.

When your donor records are clean, your segmentation works better. Your E.A.T. cycles work better. You can actually trust the data you're looking at when you're deciding who to reach out to and how.

You'll run fewer emails to bad addresses. You'll spend less time chasing down duplicate records. You'll have confidence that when you're targeting a specific donor segment, you're actually reaching the right people.

And frankly, you'll feel better. There's something deeply satisfying about having clean, organized data. It's a foundation you can build on.

One More Thing

Once you've done this cleanup, set some standards for data entry going forward. How should names be formatted? How should addresses be entered? What fields are required?

Make it easy for your team to follow these standards. The cleanup you do this summer will only stick if you make it easy to maintain going forward.

Budget a few hours for this work; more if you have thousands of records to review. Do it while the pace is manageable. And do it after your year-end, if your organization's fiscal year ends in June.

Your database—and your entire fundraising operation—will thank you.