The Importance of Sharing Donor and Volunteer Data Safely Across Your Organization

For nonprofits, success hinges not only on the passion behind your mission but also on how effectively you can harness and share data. Volunteers and donors are the lifeblood of any mission-driven organization. Yet too often, their data lives in silos—volunteer coordinators use one system, fundraisers another, and program teams yet another. This fragmentation doesn’t just hinder collaboration—it limits your ability to grow, fundraise, and drive real impact.

To truly maximise fundraising and organisational potential, it’s essential to share donor and volunteer data safely and seamlessly across your organisation.

Why Integrated Data Matters

Volunteer data isn’t just a collection of sign-up forms and hours logged. When used intelligently, it Think of the value that lives in your volunteer database: people already engaged, committed to your cause, and regularly contributing their time. Many of them have the potential to become financial supporters as well—but if you’re not sharing insights between departments, you could be missing crucial opportunities.

By connecting the dots between volunteer engagement and donor behaviour, your teams can:

• Identify individuals with a high propensity to give
• Build richer supporter profiles
• Target communications more effectively
• Increase conversion from volunteers to donors (and vice versa)
  
  

The Role of Technology in Safe, Smart Data Sharing

Having the right tools in place is key. It’s not enough to collect data—you need systems that talk to each other. That's where integration plays a critical role.

A modern volunteer management system should be able to integrate with other core parts of your tech stack, particularly your donor management platform. This allows your organisation to maintain a single, unified view of each supporter, enabling smarter segmentation and deeper engagement.

Rosterfy, for example, integrates with Blackbaud’s Raiser's Edge NXT, allowing nonprofits to sync volunteer activity with donor profiles. This kind of connection empowers teams to identify supporters who are highly engaged as volunteers and may be prime candidates for financial giving.

The Power of Targeted Communication

When your team has a holistic view of your supporters, communication becomes more personalised—and more effective.

Instead of generic appeals, you can send messages that reflect a person’s actual involvement with your organisation. For example, a volunteer who has given 100+ hours to your cause might be far more receptive to a tailored ask to support a specific campaign they care about. Or you might discover a donor who’s never been invited to a volunteer opportunity that aligns with their interests.

By using integrated systems and shared insights, you can move away from mass communication and toward meaningful, targeted engagement that drives both action and loyalty.

Safeguarding Data While Sharing It

Of course, sharing data must always be done safely and ethically. With rules like GDPR, data privacy laws, and growing public concern around personal information, it’s vital that any data-sharing practice comes with strong safeguards.

Ensure your systems use encryption, role-based access controls, and clear policies around data usage. Integrations like the one between Rosterfy and Blackbaud’s Raiser's Edge NXT are built with these standards in mind, so your teams can collaborate confidently and securely.

Conclusion: Stronger Together

When volunteer and donor data are integrated and accessible across teams, nonprofits gain more than just efficiency—they gain insight, opportunity, and impact.

By breaking down data silos, adopting integrated tools like Rosterfy and Blackbaud’s Raiser's Edge NXT, and using those insights to drive personalised communication, your organisation can not only raise more funds but also build deeper, more enduring relationships with the people who care about your mission the most.

Because when you share knowledge, you share power—and that power can change the world