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Try explaining to a donor why your organization got hacked and they are now getting appeals from abroad that clearly are scams. According to data from Silent Partner Solutions, 92% of donors polled choose organizations with a clear data protection. Every fundraiser knows that trust impacts fundraising conquest and long-term donor relationships.
Data security equals trust in the mind of donors and protecting that relationship drives the ability to raise more money, according to Yvette Burton, Ph.D., founding partner of Silent Partner Solutions. She made her comments during a session of “Nonprofit Fundraisers Symposium” in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Nonprofit Alliance and the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW)
Organizational culture matter when it comes to donors’ data with strong security habits reducing incidents by 30% which combines with a measurable return on investment via 32% higher donor trust scores, according to Burton. And while data shows 64% of organizations have been breached in some way, only 28% have security policies.
Data from Silent Partner Solutions shows that 15% of breaches happen through compromised fundraising platforms and constituent relationship management systems. And, their data shows that 93% of hacks come through vendor connections with donors increasingly requiring vendor security certifications prior to making a major gift.
There are four pillars of security culture at a nonprofit:
* Awareness: Staff recognize phishing emails targeting donor databases.
* Behavior: Strong passwords and locked screens become automatic habits.
* Attitudes: Everyone sees donor data protection as their responsibility.
* Engagement: Team actively reports suspicious activities without fear.
Once you have a security culture you need to look at impact. Those include:
* Donor Trust: Transparent security practices increase donor confidence and retention.
* Response Speed: Trained teams spot and report threats 62% faster than untrained staff.
* Cost Savings: Strong culture reduces security incidents by 30% annually.
* Competitive Edge: Security certifications help win more grants and major gifts.
Fundraisers need to be mindful of the donor data journey which starts with collection, moves to storage, processing and then transparent communication regarding privacy policies and a commitment to protection.
