Lesson 4.3 – Constituent Codes and Segmentation

Welcome to Lesson 4.3! A database is only as powerful as your ability to extract meaningful information from it. In FastFund Raising, the key to robust data mining and segmentation is the utilization of Codes.

Codes are user-defined tags that classify, segregate, and identify specific characteristics of the individuals and organizations in your database. By consistently applying codes to your constituent records, you can easily use report filters and queries to generate highly targeted mailing lists, analyze donor demographics, and track community involvement.

In this lesson, we will explore the primary code categories used for segmentation and how to assign these codes directly to your constituent records.

1. Core Constituent Code Categories

FastFund provides several specific categories of codes to help you build a comprehensive profile for each donor. Before assigning codes to a constituent, the core codes must first be created in your system’s Code Tables.

The primary code categories used for constituent segmentation include:

• Attribute: Tracks personal attributes, interests, mailing preferences, or past giving information. Examples include “Major Donor,” “Newsletter Recipient,” or “Golf Enthusiast.”
• Classification: Categorizes demographic, educational, or business classifications. Examples include “Adoptive Parents” or “Minority Owned Business.”
• Affiliation: Tracks a constituent’s outside relationships with civic organizations, clubs, religious affiliations, or business associations (e.g., “Chamber of Commerce” or “Rotary Club”).
• Role: Identifies the specific function the individual serves within your organization, such as “Board Member,” “Committee Member,” or “Volunteer.”
• Relationship: Links two distinct constituent records together to define their connection, such as “Parent/Child,” “Business Partners,” or identifying a corporate “Matching Gift” relationship.

2. Assigning Codes to a Constituent

There is no limit to the number of codes you can assign to a single constituent record. All code assignments take place within the constituent’s detailed profile.

Steps to Assign a Code:

1. Navigate to Lists on the Main Menu, and under the ENTITIES section, click Constituents.
2. Click on the name of the constituent you wish to edit to open their details screen.
3. Click the horizontal Codes tab at the top of the record.
4. From the Code Type drop-down menu, select the category of the code you wish to add (e.g., Attribute, Classification, Role).
5. Click the New + icon.
6. A pop-up window will appear. Select the specific code from the drop-down menu (or begin typing for the auto-fill feature).
7. Enter any relevant details in the Comments field. This comment field is searchable and can be used as an output field in custom reports.
8. Click the blue SAVE button.

[INSERT SCREENSHOT: Display the Constituent ‘Codes’ tab with the ‘New Attribute’ pop-up window open, highlighting the Attribute drop-down, Comments box, and the SAVE button.]

3. Tracking Terms with Roles and Affiliations

When you assign a Role or an Affiliation code to a constituent, FastFund provides additional date fields to help you track their exact term of service or membership.

When the New Role or New Affiliation pop-up window opens, you will see a From Date and To Date field.

• If the constituent is starting a new term (e.g., a two-year term as a Board Treasurer), enter both the start and end dates.
• If the term is open-ended or has not yet ended, simply enter the From Date and leave the To Date blank.

These dates can be used as powerful filter fields in custom queries to find, for example, all “Active Board Members as of this year.”

[INSERT SCREENSHOT: Show the ‘New Role’ pop-up window, highlighting the ‘Role’ drop-down set to “Board Member,” the ‘From Date’ and ‘To Date’ fields, and the ‘Comments’ box.]

4. Linking Records with Relationships

The Relationship code type is unique because it structurally ties two different entity records together. This is highly useful for tracking family units, business partnerships, or employer/employee matching gift structures.

When you add a new Relationship code, the pop-up window will require you to select the related Entity. You must select the name from the drop-down list or begin typing to find an existing constituent. The matching record will appear alongside its unique Entity ID number to ensure you are linking to the correct person or organization.

Once the relationship is saved, you can instantly navigate to the related constituent’s profile by simply clicking their blue, hyperlinked name within the relationship list.