Why NCOA is Mission-Critical for Non-Profits
No type of organization better understands the importance of accurate address data than non-profits. Unlike businesses that generate revenue through product or service sales, non-profits rely heavily on donor support—often secured through capital campaigns delivered via direct mail.
To support these campaigns, non-profits frequently outsource mailings to print service providers (PSPs). These PSPs typically standardize addresses and process lists through the National Change of Address (NCOA) database before mailing. Ideally, the PSP also returns updated address information so the non-profit can revise its own donor records—its “source of truth.”
However, this process is often manual, loosely defined, and filled with risk. Without strong data governance, address quality can atrophy over time.
Common Risks with NCOA Handling
- False Confidence: “Our printer handles NCOA for us.”
- Manual Updates: No automation, and often no defined owner.
- Incomplete Coverage: Only subsets of the database are processed per campaign.
- Lack of Clarity: Misunderstanding the differences between CASS and NCOA.
The Limits of PSP-Handled NCOA
While it’s a positive that PSPs run NCOA, they typically do so to satisfy USPS “Move Update” requirements for postal discounts—not to improve your database integrity. Most capital campaigns only process a fraction of your donor base. If your PSP doesn’t return NCOA data—or you don’t request it—you’re missing vital updates.
Even if your organization has a protocol for updating addresses, it’s often manual. Pulling the entire database out of your CRM (especially if you’re using Salesforce) to process updates takes effort, ownership, and time—resources that are often limited.
CASS vs. NCOA: Know the Difference
Many organizations conflate CASS and NCOA, but they serve distinct purposes:
- CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System): Ensures the address is standardized and deliverable. It cares about valid delivery points—not the person at the address.
- NCOA: Tracks where people have moved. It’s about your donors, not just their addresses.
Understanding this distinction is key to maintaining a healthy, revenue-generating donor database.
NCOA Flavors Explained
The NCOA system offers several “flavors,” each with different look-back periods and data depth:
- NCOA 18: Captures move data for the past 18 months.
- NCOA 18 w/ANKLink: Looks back 48 months but only returns new addresses for the last 18 months. It flags moves from 19–48 months as unverifiable.
- NCOA 48: Returns full address updates for moves within the last 48 months.
Why We Prefer NCOA 18 w/ANKLink:
It’s best at exposing data integrity issues by returning blanks where data is missing—making gaps obvious. Plus, if you maintain regular updates, you shouldn’t need a full 48-month look-back. If you do, that’s a red flag indicating systemic neglect.
Take Action: Build a Sustainable Address Hygiene Protocol
- Review your data governance: Make sure your policies reflect your fundraising and operational goals.
- Automate NCOA where possible: Tools like NCOA4Salesforce integrate directly into your CRM and can run monthly updates automatically.
- Shift NCOA costs: The expense of tools like NCOA4Salesforce can often be offset by reducing the NCOA processing currently handled (and billed) by your PSP.
Final Thought
Mail-based donor outreach is only effective if your messages reach the right people. An outdated address may not just cost you a letter—it could cost you a lifelong donor. Embrace a proactive, automated, and strategic approach to address updates, and you’ll preserve the lifeblood of your mission: your donor relationships.ry reporting for bulk mailings.