Testing with The Raiser’s Edge

How to use Queries to better control your Mailings

Obligatory Introduction

THE WINNING QUERIES

1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and

Segments

2. Using Query Merges for best results.

3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and

Controls

SKILLS

Be able to set up simple queries for direct

response

Use query merge to enhance

Use “select from” functionality

Create test groups and control groups using

query

Inclusions and Exclusions

All Your Base

INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

Inclusions

Very basic high level

Can be your entire database,

can include people you will

not want to mail

Should have minimal criteria

Exclusions

Specific data

Everyone you most definitely

do not want to mail

Lots of criteria

Potential for errors – be

cautious

INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

Inclusions

Very basic high level

Can be your entire database,

can include people you will

not want to mail

Should have minimal criteria

Exclusions

Specific data

Everyone you most definitely

do not want to mail

Lots of criteria

Potential for errors – be

cautious

EXAMPLE INCLUSION

If you know you are mailing to:

Donors who gave in the last 5

years to certain campaigns

Event participants who came

to a dinner in the last 5 years

Specific Volunteers of type

General or Corporate

Then you might create:

Gift Date >= 2009-10-01

OR

Event Participation Event Is

Not Blank

OR

Volunteer Type Is Not Blank

The specific queries can break this

down even further. We just might

want to limit the scope of the mailing

in general.

INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

Inclusions

Very basic high level

Can be your entire database,

can include people you will

not want to mail

Should have minimal criteria

Exclusions

Specific data

Everyone you most definitely

do not want to mail

Lots of criteria

Potential for errors – be

cautious

EXAMPLE EXCLUSION

If you do not want to mail to:

People who have given in the

last 3 months

People with a solicitor

People who are inactive or

deceased

Attributes/Solicit Codes of

“Do not Mail,” “Do not solicit.”

Then you might create:

Last gift date >= 2013-07-01OR

Assigned Solicitor Name Not BlankOR

Deceased = YESOR

Inactive = YESOR

Solicit Code ONE OF Do not mail

Do not solicitHere we are very specific. These

will almost always be “ORs,” so

we can just keep adding

INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

Inclusions

Very basic high level

Can be your entire database,

can include people you will

not want to mail

Should have minimal criteria

Exclusions

Specific data

Everyone you most definitely

do not want to mail

Lots of criteria

Potential for errors – be

cautious

ADDING ON THE SEGMENTS

Segments are quick and should be based ONLY

on the specific criteria:

Donors who gave in the last 5 years to certain

campaigns

Gift Date >= 2009-10-1 AND

Campaign ID One of (Foo, Bar)

Specific Volunteers of type General or Corporate

Volunteer Type One of (General, Corporate)

ADDING ON THE SEGMENTS

Notice that we did not worry about inclusions and

exclusions – JUST the criteria.

THE WINNING QUERIES

1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and

Segments

2. Using Query Merges for best results.

3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and

Controls

Query Merges

OUR QUERIES

Inclusions

Exclusions

Segment 3

Segment 2

Segment 1

THE SUB-MERGE

Inclusions Exclusions

THE SUB-MERGE

Sub Merges Remove

One Set of Data from

Another

This is what is left of

our inclusions minus

exclusions

THE AND MERGE

The And Merge are the

records that appear in

both data sets.

Your Inc/Exc List AND

Your Segment 1 list, is

who you want to actually

mail in Segment 1

Segment 1

FOR COMPLETENESS

OR XOR

Not Included

RECAP

SUB merge – Inclusions Minus Exclusions

From your new query, AND merges with the

criteria.

We now have 3 segments, which will only pull

records that were in our inclusions, not in our

exclusions, and adhere to the segment criteria.

The Dynamic And

THE LAMENT OF THE MERGE QUERY

Query merges take a lot of

time

Inclusion/Exclusion SUB

Segment 1 AND

Segment 2 AND

Segment 3 AND

Lather, rinse, repeat…

“AND” MERGES - DYNAMICALLY

Select Merge

Select Query 1 (Inc minus Exc)

Select Query 2 (Criteria X)

Select Type

Run

Overwrite?

Complete

Run

THE DYNAMIC “AND” MERGE

Go to Query Options

Go to Record Processing

Choose a “Select From”

Query of “Inc minus Exc”

THE WINNING QUERIES

1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and

Segments

2. Using Query Merges for best results.

3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and

Controls

Onto the Test!

I WANT TO TEST THIS SEGMENT

A

I WANT TO TEST THIS SEGMENT

A

B

SEGMENT A

We could build another query and SUB merge

them like Inclusions and Exclusions.

But how do we build B?

RANDOM SAMPLES

In Record Processing under

the Query Options, there is

a greyed out section.

RANDOM SAMPLES

If we turn our dynamic query

into a static, the “Apply

Output Limits” option will be

available.

RANDOM SAMPLES

By checking “Apply Output

Limits” we can then select

two options:

Random Sampling

Limit to Top Rows

RANDOM SAMPLES

OUR QUERIES

So we now have Segment Query 1, which selects

records from Inclusions/Exclusions

We have now set to Static and Applied Output

Limits based on a Random Sample.

Let’s *SAVE AS* as a new Query. Let’s call it,

Segment Query 1B

Now, we need to make sure that those in B group

don’t get the A mailing.

SEGMENT A

So now we take our Segment Query 1 and SUB

Segment Query 1B. We save this as new query

Segment Query 1A.

Now we have an A and B

A should be approx. 80%

B should be approx. 20%

THE WINNING QUERIES

1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and

Segments

2. Using Query Merges for best results.

3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and

Controls

Putting it all together

STEP 1: INCLUSION

Create a general Inclusion

Query

Gift Date >= 2009-10-01

OR

Event Participation Event Is

Not Blank

OR

Volunteer Type Is Not Blank

STEP 2: EXCLUSION

Create your Exclusion query Last gift date >= 2013-07-01OR

Assigned Solicitor Name not BlankOR

Deceased = YESOR

Inactive = YESOR

Solicit Code ONE OFDo not mail

Do not solicit

STEP 3: SUB YOUR BASE QUERIES

Inclusions Exclusions

STEP 3: SUB YOUR BASE QUERIES

STEP 4: SEGMENT QUERIES

Create your Segment Queries

Use “Select From” on your merged Inclusions minus

Exclusions with each Segment Query

STEP 5: CREATE “B” GROUP

Now we can create our

random samples by creating

new static queries.

Save as *new* queries so

that the original dynamic

query remains.

STEP 6: CREATE “A” GROUP

Now we SUB the B group from the Dynamic Query,

and save as your new A group.

Moving Forward

STEPS

1. Inclusions

2. Exclusions

3. SUB Merge

4. Segments using Select From

5. Create Random Samples

6. SUB Random Samples from Segments

ANYTHING ELSE?

De-duplication – are your Segments mutually

exclusive?

Apply Appeals and Packages to these groups

What happens if we need to re-generate?

This is where we would use the Segment tool,

located in Quick Letters…

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Method Works offers online training by individual

course or by organization-wide subscription.

Come visit us at

http://www.methodworksconsulting.com for more

information.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Method Works in Toronto

Kathleen Pollard, Training Manager

kathleenp@methodworksconsulting.com

416-587-0059

Allison Skahan, Online Strategist

allisons@methodworksconsulting.com

647-669-1552

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