Museum Analytics SD Jun 25 | Alexander Haas

June 5, 2025

from the desk of

Sherrie Dodson | Associate Partner – Analytics and Advancement Services

Turning Insight into Action: The Role of Predictive Modeling in Advancement

In today’s rapidly evolving advancement landscape, instinct alone is no longer sufficient. While relationships remain at the heart of fundraising, data is swiftly becoming the bridge between insight and action. We believe that the most successful advancement strategies do not merely react to the past — they proactively anticipate the future.

That’s where predictive modeling comes in. It uses the information you already have about your donors—their behaviors, histories, and engagement patterns—to help you make smarter decisions for the future.

It’s more than just a list of names. Predictive modeling provides clarity by showing you which prospects are most likely to respond, when to reach out, and how to align your strategy with their capacity and connection to your mission.

This type of data leads to sharper campaigns, more efficient outreach, and stronger portfolios. With goals grounded in data, fundraisers can focus their time where it matters — and leaders gain real insight into the road ahead.

Of course, none of this works without a solid foundation. Strong advancement services—from clean data to streamlined gift processing and reliable reporting—are what make analytics meaningful. Our role is to come alongside your organization, assess those back-end systems, and ensure everything is aligned and functioning in sync.

Predictive analytics isn’t about replacing intuition or relationships — it’s about empowering them. It’s about giving your team the tools to work smarter, plan better, and make the kind of impact your mission deserves.

The future is now—Alexander Haas is proud to offer a comprehensive suite of predictive modeling, donor analysis, and advancement services solutions designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your development program.

Alexander Haas Analytics & Advancement Services

Some highlights of our strategic approach to prospect identification and management:

Fundraising Capacity Analysis

Our Capacity Analysis service gives your organization a solid foundation for successful fundraising. Collaborating closely with your leadership team, we will perform an in-depth capacity analysis at both the institutional and departmental levels to set realistic yet ambitious fundraising goals. This analysis considers historical giving patterns, current donor engagement, and external market factors to establish achievable targets.

Predictive Modeling and Donor Segmentation

Major Gift Model: Identify donors with the highest capacity and propensity to make significant contributions to your organization, allowing for focused cultivation strategies.
Planned/Deferred Gift Model: Pinpoint prospects likely to consider legacy giving, helping you build long-term sustainability through your planned giving program.
Annual Fund Model: Optimize your annual giving program by identifying donors with consistent giving patterns and those ready to increase their support.
Organization-Specific Model: Receive custom predictive models tailored to your unique institutional characteristics and fundraising priorities.

Prospect Pool and Portfolio Optimization

Comprehensive Pool Analysis: Transform your database into a strategic asset by identifying, qualifying, and prioritizing prospects based on giving potential and engagement readiness.
Portfolio Balancing: Optimize workloads by determining ideal portfolio sizes and compositions, ensuring fundraisers manage the right mix of prospects across various stages of cultivation.
Strategic Prospect Assignment: Match prospects to fundraisers based on expertise, relationship history, and prospect characteristics to enhance engagement effectiveness.

Go here for more information about these services.

Client Leader Honored by City of New Orleans

Congratulations to the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) President & CEO Daniel Hammer, who was named one of New Orleans CityBusiness’s 2025 Driving Forces honorees, a distinction that recognizes leaders who have made significant contributions to the economic development of the New Orleans area.

Alexander Haas is pleased to have provided fundraising counsel to HNOC over the past two years. Our Managing Partner, Jerry Henry, who worked directly with HNOC, says of his friend, Daniel:

“He is passionate about his work and is committed to enhancing the French Quarter as well as the entire New Orleans area through the preservation work he oversees.”

New Orleans CityBusiness highlights Hammer’s commitment to economic growth through cultural preservation, including an ongoing multimillion-dollar renovation of seven HNOC buildings and the former K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen property in the French Quarter.

Welcome New Client Partner

We Know Museums
For more than 35 years, Alexander Haas has been a fixture in the nonprofit community. We are honored to have worked with leading museums and cultural organizations across the country that help communities be a better place to live. Just ask our clients.

Face It: Museums are Different
Our services aren’t cookie cutter. We don’t operate with a boilerplate, merely changing names and locations. We craft each and every service we provide to match your museum’s unique needs, wants and abilities. We work hard and expect you to do the same. Together we can help you transform your museum, your fundraising, and the community you serve.

Whether your need is in Capital Campaign, Annual Fund Campaign, Major Gifts, Leadership Annual Giving, Planned Giving or all of the above, we take a fresh approach to nonprofit fundraising.