Clean your donor list before the receipts go out.
Most donor lists carry duplicates. The same person gets entered from a Give to the Max gift, an event sign-up sheet, and a mailed check, each time spelled a little differently. In January those duplicates show up as split giving histories, year-end statements that understate what someone gave, and two acknowledgment letters to the same household.
After Give to the Max Day on November 19, the list is at its messiest right when the statements need to be right. I find and merge duplicates for a fixed price and log every decision, so your team can check the work.
Three records, one donor
This is what duplicates look like in a typical export. These sample records are invented. The problems in them are common ones. Highlights mark what differs from the first record.
| Record | Name | Address | Phone | Entered from | 2026 gifts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10442 | Margaret Lindqvist | 1880 Selby Ave | 651-555-0148 | Give to the Max | $150 |
| 11907 | Peggy Lindqvist | 1880 Selby Avenue | blank | Gala sign-up sheet | $0 |
| 12215 | M LINDQUIST | 1880 SELBY AVE APT 2 | 6515550148 | Mailed check | $500 |
Left alone, this donor gets two year-end statements in January: one for $150 and one for $500. Neither shows the $650 she gave.
The merge log
| Record | Into | Evidence | Score | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12215 | 10442 | Same phone once formatted. Same street address. Last name one letter apart (Lindquist, Lindqvist). | 0.96 | Merged |
| 11907 | 10442 | Same address. Peggy is a common nickname for Margaret. No phone or email to confirm. | 0.78 | Sent to youYou confirmed, then merged |
After cleanup
| Record | Name | Address | Phone | Entered from | 2026 gifts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10442 | Margaret Lindqvist | 1880 Selby Ave, Apt 2 | 651-555-0148 | 3 sources | $650 |
One statement for $650. The crosswalk file maps 11907 and 12215 to 10442, so her gift history follows her into your CRM.
Pricing
| List size | Fixed price |
|---|---|
| Up to 2,500 records | $600 |
| 2,500 to 10,000 records | $1,200 |
| Over 10,000 records | Quoted after a short call |
Ten business days from receipt of complete files. Working with a small budget? Ask about the sliding scale.
Also for year-end
- Data Health Check$250
- Year-End Giving Statementsfrom $400
- Year-End Bundle$850
- Campaign and Event Data$350
Files move through an encrypted transfer and are deleted with written confirmation after delivery. How I handle your files
Next step
Book a 20-minute call or email me. We'll look at where your data lives and confirm a price.