DMP 201: Intermediate Functions

Learn how to plan and run more advanced queries using DataMiner Platinum. Build summary queries with aggregates (Sum, Max, Min, Count), build queries using AND and OR statements, and learn how to think through and build your own queries from scratch.

Quick Recap

The trainer discussed the intermediate level of DataMiner Platinum for custom report, as well as the challenges of managing donation data. She also explained the complexities of data filtering and the creation of targeted mailing lists, emphasizing the need for clear report parameters and when to use parentheses in query building. Lastly, she provided guidance on how to use and customize mailing lists and reports, and clarified the current email and export functions of DonorSnap.

Meeting Summary

DataMiner Platinum’ Intermediate Level Overview
The trainer detailed the differences between various types of reports, including contact versus donation reports and detail versus summary reports. The trainer also explained the use of advanced query functions such as aggregates, parentheses, and ‘OR’ and ‘AND’ statements. Lastly, she clarified that ‘DataMiner Platinum’ is a custom report builder that stores all previously built reports.

Report Builder Functionality and Customization
The trainer highlighted that the reports built in DataMiner Platinum are dynamic and always update themselves, pulling in the latest data. She demonstrated how to customize the report, including which fields to display and how to apply filters. She also showed how to schedule these reports to be automatically emailed, providing an example of a report that is sent monthly to the events coordinator. The trainer emphasized the importance of knowing where the report data is being pulled from, whether it’s the contact screen or one of the activity tabs.

Generating Donation Reports and Identifying Lapsed Donors
The trainer explained the process of generating donation reports, with a focus on identifying lapsed donors. She demonstrated how to pull contact data, including various fields such as address and phone attributes, and highlighted the presence of donation-related fields on the contact tab. The trainer also built a report of recent donors and showed how to access donation-related fields.

Managing Donation Data and Reports
The trainer discussed the challenges of managing donation data, using an example of a golf tournament. She explained that if specific donations, such as those from the golf tournament, need to be excluded from certain reports, then that can be specified in a donation report. She further clarified the difference between detailed and summary reports, with the former showing every donation since January and the latter only showing one summary line of all donations matching the query per contact. The trainer also began demonstrating how to create a basic sample mailing list, focusing on including volunteers.

Balancing Criteria for Targeted Mailing Lists
The trainer discussed the complexities of creating a targeted mailing list using DataMiner Platinum. She gave an example of an organization using various criteria, such as recent donations, volunteer status, and board membership, without excluding certain groups. The trainer emphasized the importance of clearly defining the parameters for each report and the need for parentheses when using a query that combines ‘and’ and ‘or’ statements. She also pointed out that many financial reports are already built into the system, so in many common scenarios, a custom report using DataMiner Platinum isn’t necessary to get that data.

Donation Report Types and Aggregates
The trainer clarified the differences between detailed and summary donation reports. She explained that detailed reports show every donation, while summary reports consolidate donations, making them more manageable when dealing with a large number of donations. She also cautioned against using the maximum or minimum date, campaign, or appeal in the summary report, as they may not accurately represent the most recent or significant donations. The trainer introduced the concept of ‘Count’, an aggregate that counts the number of donations, and gave examples of its use, such as at the end of the year to determine the total number of donations made by an individual. She also mentioned that the average aggregate could be useful in calculating the average donation amount, but warned against using the ‘Max’ and ‘Min’ aggregates, as they may not accurately represent the data.

Customizing Mailing Lists and Reports
The trainer provided guidance on how to use and customize mailing lists and reports, including the Strata report for giving levels and the donations received report. She emphasized that the canned reports are pre-built and offer a comprehensive view of data. However, she noted that the automated emails only send the Excel version, not the viewer version, which may be a limitation for some users. The trainer also demonstrated how to schedule reports to be emailed at a later date.

Additional Resources for DataMiner Platinum:

DataMiner Platinum Intermediate Walkthrough (PDF)
DMP 101: Introduction to DataMiner Platinum