Custom Fields allow your nonprofit to capture unique information pertaining to donors and opportunities associated with your organization. Below are some best practices to consider when creating custom fields, as well as examples of custom fields that could be useful for your organization.
Best Practices
When thinking about data you want to capture in your site, if it is custom to the way your organization works, then create a custom field.
- Avoid creating custom fields just for notes.
- Each CRM or Opportunity profile contains a specific notes section that stores applicable notes.
- Consider the purpose of your custom fields.
- Custom fields cannot be archived, so they will always show in your site even if they aren't enabled.
- Be mindful when labeling your custom fields. In case of staff transitions, custom fields should be relevant and clear to new staff members.
- Custom fields should contain factual and relevant information.
- Custom fields can be found in both CRM and Fundraising. Consider how your organization can create custom fields that pertain to both profiles and opportunities.
- Create custom fields that help identify needs specific to your organization.
Custom Field Examples
Below are some examples of custom fields that your nonprofit may find useful.
- Types of Outreach
- Possible types of outreach could include direct mail, donor engagement, and recurring. These could indicate the preferred method of communication for donor profiles or opportunities.
- School District
- County
- Could include multiple school districts.
- Status of Registration
- Possible status types could include open, closed, pending, and canceled.
- Donation Range
- Possible donation range examples could include giving cycle and the amount of giving.
- Pronouns
- Possible pronouns could include her/she, he/his, and they/theirs. These would largely depend on the services that your organization offers.
- Allergies
- Emergency Contact