Glossary
Contact Management

Address Verification

By: Alec Hollingsworth
Updated:  
July 2, 2025

Definition:

Address Verification is the process of confirming that a contact’s address is accurate and deliverable.
Address Verification is the process of confirming that a physical or mailing address provided by a contact or donor is accurate, valid, and deliverable. This involves cross-referencing the submitted address with official postal databases or third-party verification services to ensure the address exists and is formatted correctly. Address verification helps prevent errors in communication, reduces returned mail, and ensures that important correspondence, such as donation receipts or event invitations, reaches the intended recipient. Nonprofit organizations frequently use address verification to maintain up-to-date and reliable contact lists, enhancing the overall efficiency of their outreach and fundraising efforts.

Key Takeaways

  • Reduces mailing errors and returned mail
  • Ensures accurate donor and contact records
  • Enhances communication efficiency
  • Supports compliance with postal regulations
  • Improves donor trust and engagement

Why It Matters

Accurate addresses ensure successful communication and reduce returned mail.

Real World Example

A nonprofit organization is preparing to send end-of-year tax receipts to its donors. Before mailing, the development team uses address verification software integrated with their CRM to check each address in their database. The system flags a number of addresses as invalid or outdated. The team reaches out to those donors to update their information, ensuring that all tax receipts are delivered successfully. As a result, the organization saves on postage costs for returned mail, maintains donor satisfaction, and stays compliant with recordkeeping requirements.

How Keela Helps

Within Keela, address verification helps nonprofits maintain clean and accurate contact records. Keela’s platform can integrate with verification tools to validate addresses automatically, saving time and reducing the risk of communication errors. This ensures that all mailings, such as tax receipts or campaign materials, reach supporters efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is address verification?

Address verification is the process of checking that a contact's or donor's address is accurate, valid, and deliverable using postal or third-party databases.

Why is address verification important for nonprofits?

It helps ensure communications, such as donation receipts or event invitations, reach recipients without errors or returned mail.

How does Keela help with address verification?

Keela can integrate with address verification tools to automatically validate and update addresses in your contact database, saving time and improving accuracy.

What happens if an address can't be verified?

Unverified addresses can be flagged for follow-up so you can contact the individual and update your records, reducing the risk of lost communication.

Does address verification protect donor privacy?

Yes, reputable verification tools use secure methods and comply with privacy regulations to protect donor information.

Related Terms

A/B Test
Accessibility Compliance
Acknowledgement Letter
Affiliation
Archiving Historical Donor Data
Audit Trail

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