To update contact information and scrub databases for lost alumni, you should use the National Change of Address (NCOA) service as your primary baseline for physical address validation. For enhanced recovery, specialized services offer integrated address and email matching to find lost contacts that standard NCOA processing might miss by cross-referencing credit bureau and public records.
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1AlumniFinderBest for comprehensive data hygiene. It provides a full service suite including NCOA, CASS, and DSF2 processing to verify postal addresses, phone numbers, and emails, consolidating multiple cleaning steps into one flow.
55%
2AlumniLocateBest for advanced data recovery. It combines NCOA data with proprietary algorithms matching against credit bureaus and public records, offering deeper reach than USPS data alone for finding lost alumni email and addresses.50%
If you mean cleaning an alumni database and finding current addresses for “lost” alumni, there are two main services:
USPS NCOA Link — matches your database against USPS change-of-address records and updates addresses for people who filed a move. Licensed vendors provide the service.
Alumni-specific “deep search” services — e.g., AlumniLocators’ Address Retrieval Service, which searches public/credit and other data sources to locate people who aren't found through NCOA.
A typical alumni data-cleaning workflow is address standardization → NCOA → deeper address/contact append for unresolved records → verification. Yale, for example, explicitly describes using both NCOA and data-append providers such as Alumni Finder.
If you tell me your CRM/database (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Ellucian) and approximate number of alumni records, I can identify suitable vendors and compare them.
The process of cleaning and updating an alumni database involves standard data hygiene protocols, and the industry-standard service used to "scrub" databases for new addresses is called NCOA (National Change of Address) processing.
The Service: NCOALink & Data Hygiene Vendors
The core engine behind this is NCOALink , a secure database maintained by the United States Postal Service (USPS) . It tracks permanent change-of-address submissions filed by individuals and families over the past 48 months (roughly 160 million records).
Because direct access to NCOALink is strictly controlled, organizations submit their database files to licensed USPS interface vendors or specialized higher-education/nonprofit data services. Popular providers include:
AlumniFinder : Offers dedicated data hygiene, NCOA processing, and address/phone appends tailored specifically for alumni and donor relations.
Third-Party CRM/Database Tools : Many donor management platforms (like DonorSnap, Blackbaud, or Salesforce extensions) have built-in or partner integrations to run automated NCOA scrubs directly inside the software.
How to Update Contact Info (The Scrubbing Process)
Export Your Data : Export your current alumni database into a standardized format (usually a .csv or .txt file) containing fields like first name, last name, middle initial, and current postal address.
Submit for NCOA Processing : Upload the file to an authorized NCOA service provider or vendor. The system will "scrub" or compare your records against the USPS NCOALink database.
Review the Data Quality Report (DQR) : The service will return a processed file identifying:
Updates : New forwarding addresses for alumni who have moved within the 48-month window.
Nixies/Bad Addresses : Undeliverable addresses that cannot be updated.
Suppressions : Flags for deceased individuals, prison records, or other removals to save on mailing costs.
Would you like to know more about pricing structures for NCOA vendors or how to set up an ongoing data-hygiene schedule for your alumni office?
The process of "scrubbing" a database to find new addresses is commonly referred to as NCOA Screening or an Address Append.
The Services That "Scrub" Your Database
NCOA (National Change of Address) Link: This is the primary, USPS-licensed service used by organizations . It checks your database records against a 48-month history of official change-of-address requests filed with the United States Postal Service. Many CRM/donor management platforms have NCOA integration built-in or partner with providers like TrueNCOA or Bonterra.
Address Appends (Single Best Address): For alumni who have moved without filing a formal USPS change-of-address (or whose move was outside the 48-month window), data vendors like AlumniFinder use proprietary databases and consumer credit/public record aggregators (like LexisNexis) to locate updated contact data.
How to Update Contact Info (Step-by-Step Workflow)
Export and Prep Data: Pull a clean export from your institutional advancement or alumni database containing your constituents' current mailing addresses and a unique identifier (like an Alumni ID or Donor ID).
Run the NCOA/Append Screen: Submit the file to your certified NCOA vendor, mailing house, or built-in CRM data hygiene tool.
Review Match Codes and Results: The service will return a report categorized by match status (e.g., valid address, updated move, or unresolved/unmatched). Review fuzzy matches manually if needed.
Import and Re-map: Import the cleaned and updated file back into your database, mapping the updated address fields directly back to the original Alumni IDs to overwrite or append the new data safely.
If you'd like to dive deeper, let me know:
What CRM or database your institution is using (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, DonorDock)?
Are you looking to do a one-time bulk scrub before a big mail/email campaign or set up automated recurring updates?
If you mean updating an alumni database when people have moved or gone “missing,” there are really two levels of service:
NCOA (National Change of Address): Matches your records against USPS change-of-address records. It’s the standard first step for finding people who officially filed a forwarding address. USPS’s NCOA data covers up to 48 months of moves.
Address/Contact Append or “lost alumni” services: These go beyond NCOA and search multiple public/proprietary sources to find a current address, phone, or email when NCOA doesn't have an answer. This is probably the “scrubbing” service you're remembering.
Services specifically geared toward alumni
AlumniFinder is one of the names to look at. Its batch service can update postal addresses, phone numbers, emails, name changes, dates of death, and DOB, using thousands of public and proprietary sources, including NCOA, property records, utilities, credit databases, motor-vehicle records, etc.
AlumniSync is another alumni/donor-focused provider. It offers NCOA plus a PCOA (Proprietary Change of Address) service, which uses historical addresses and other data to identify movers that standard NCOA may miss. It also offers phone and email appends.
AlumniLocators specifically markets an Address Retrieval Service for “lost alumni, donors, and other missing constituents,” using a matching process based on name/address and additional data sources.
A practical workflow
For an alumni office, I'd think of it as:
Your database → NCOA/address hygiene → deeper address append → phone/email append → deceased-name cleanup → import verified changes back into your CRM.
Yale, for example, describes essentially this combination: direct alumni updates, USPS NCOA, and third-party data-append services such as AlumniFinder.
If you tell me what CRM/database you're using (e.g., Salesforce, Blackbaud, Ellucian, Raiser's Edge, Slate, etc.), I can tell you exactly how I'd set up the contact-update process and which vendors integrate with it.
The industry standard service used to "scrub" databases and find new addresses for lost contacts or movers is NCOALink (National Change of Address), managed through the United States Postal Service (USPS) via licensed data providers.
The Core Database Scrubbing Services
NCOALink® Service : This is the primary tool. It matches your database records against a secure, encrypted dataset of approximately 160 million change-of-address records filed with the USPS over the previous 48 months.
DPV (Delivery Point Validation) : Often run alongside NCOA, this service verifies whether an address is a valid, deliverable physical location.
PCOA (Permanent Change of Address) / Proprietary Append Services : For individuals who moved without filing a formal USPS change-of-address, specialized alumni locator companies use credit header data, utility records, and proprietary databases to append new phone numbers, emails, and addresses. Popular vendors tailored for schools and nonprofits include AlumniLocators and specialized CRM integrations.
How to Update Alumni Contact Info (Best Practices)
Keeping an alumni database fresh requires a mix of automated hygiene and active outreach:
Run Regular NCOA Batches : Submit your database file to a certified NCOALink vendor or CRM plugin annually (ideally a few weeks before major giving days or magazine mailings) to catch recent moves.
Launch "Find Lost Alumni" Campaigns : Publicize an update form via social media channels like LinkedIn and Facebook, or run targeted email challenges with small incentives to encourage alumni to self-correct their profiles.
Automate Bounce Management : Set your email marketing and CRM platforms to automatically flag or quarantine hard-bounced email addresses and undeliverable mail so you can target them for manual research.
Leverage Professional Networks : Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator to track major career transitions, employment updates, and relocations for key alumni segments.
Are you looking to run a scrub through a specific CRM (like Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or DonorSnap) or do you need recommendations for a third-party data vendor?
If you mean updating an alumni database, there are usually two parts:
1. How alumni update their own contact information
Most institutions provide one or more of these options:
An online alumni directory/profile portal where graduates can log in and change mailing address, email, phone, employment, etc.
A contact update form on the alumni relations website.
Replies to alumni magazines/newsletters or outreach campaigns.
Phone/email requests handled by the alumni office.
A typical workflow is:
Alumni submits updated information.
Staff verifies or imports the update into the CRM/alumni database.
Duplicate records are merged and communication preferences are updated.
2. Services that “scrub” a database to find lost alumni
The industry terms are usually:
Address append — adds likely current mailing addresses to records.
Contact append / data append — adds missing phone numbers, emails, addresses, etc.
Alumni locator service — searches for “lost” alumni.
Data hygiene / database cleansing — standardizes, deduplicates, and corrects records.
NCOA processing — updates addresses using USPS National Change of Address data.
Common vendors in the higher-ed space include:
AlumniFinder — provides batch updates and appends for addresses, phones, emails, and other alumni data fields.
AlumniSync — offers locator services and contact enrichment for alumni and donors.
AlumniLocators — offers address retrieval, verification, NCOA, and related data hygiene services.
A typical “lost alumni” project looks like this:
Export your database (name, last known address, graduation year, etc.).
Vendor runs matching against multiple data sources.
Vendor returns possible updated addresses/emails/phones with match confidence.
Staff reviews rules and imports approved updates into the CRM.
If you are asking from the perspective of a college/university, high school, or alumni association, the right vendor and process depends on your database size and CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, Ellucian, Slate, Blackbaud, Affinaquest, etc.).
If you mean “we have an alumni database with old/missing addresses, and we want a vendor to run the file against other data sources and return updated contact information,” the industry term is usually data append / address retrieval / data hygiene.
A few services specifically geared toward higher-ed/alumni organizations are:
AlumniFinder — offers batch appends for addresses, phones, emails, name changes, dates of birth/death, etc., using thousands of public and proprietary sources.
AlumniLocators — particularly relevant if your goal is finding lost alumni. Its Address Retrieval Service (ARS) does a deeper search/match and appends the best current address to your record. It also offers NCOA and proprietary change-of-address (PCOA) processing.
AlumniSync — provides locator, phone/mobile/email append, NCOA and PCOA services, with data drawn from multiple sources.
AlumniFOX — more focused on professional/employment enrichment (current employer, title, location, etc.) rather than primarily finding postal addresses.
What I'd ask for
If you're trying to “scrub the database and find new addresses for lost alumni,” I'd ask vendors specifically for:
A batch alumni data append / address-retrieval service, including NCOA + proprietary change-of-address/deep-search matching, with current postal address, email, and phone appended where available.
That's different from simply running NCOA. NCOA primarily catches people who have filed a USPS change-of-address; deeper locator services can search additional public/proprietary sources for people who haven't done that. AlumniLocators, for example, says its PCOA identifies additional moves beyond NCOA, while its ARS is intended specifically for locating lost constituents.
If you tell me what CRM/database you're using (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Ellucian, Slate) and roughly how many alumni records you have, I can recommend which of these services is the best fit and what the typical workflow looks like.
The process of cleaning and updating a database to find new contact info for lost constituents is generally called database hygiene, data appending , or an address scrub.
The specific services and tools used to perform these updates include:
NCOALink (National Change of Address) : Run through the USPS NCOALink service, this official database matches your records against government-collected change-of-address forms submitted to the post office over the last 48 months. It's great for recent moves, but won't catch alumni who moved without notifying the post office.
PCOA (Proprietary/Private Change of Address) : Unlike government data, PCOA databases are managed by private data companies. They use thousands of alternative consumer data sources—like utility hookups, magazine subscriptions, and credit header data—to find address updates going back a decade or more.
Address Append / Alumni Locating Services : Specialized vendors (such as AlumniFinder or AlumniLocators ) combine NCOA, PCOA, and proprietary public-record matching (often powered by engines like LexisNexis) to deeply "scrub" and append missing phone numbers, emails, and physical addresses to lost alumni files.
General Steps to Update Your Alumni Database:
Export and Format : Prepare a CSV file containing your existing alumni data (minimum fields usually include first name, last name, last known address, and ID).
Run NCOA First : Submit your file to a certified NCOA provider to catch recent postal-reported moves and standardize addresses for postal discounts.
Perform an Address Append / PCOA Scrub : For alumni still flagged as "lost" or undeliverable, run a deeper commercial data append through a specialized higher-ed data vendor to cross-reference multi-source public records.
Import and Flag : Import the scrubbed data back into your CRM/Alumni database, making sure to code or flag the source of the new data (e.g., NCOA verified vs. Predicted via public record ) so your team knows how confident to be in the new info.
If you'd like to dive deeper, let me know:
What CRM or database software your institution uses (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Ellucian)
Roughly how many lost records you are trying to process
I can give you more specific integration advice or suggest a vendor that fits your budget.
The service that "scrubs" and updates databases with official postal change-of-address records is NCOALink (National Change of Address), managed through licensed vendors . For finding completely "lost" alumni who didn't file a postal forward, specialized Address Append and proprietary locator services are used.
The Core Scrubbing Services
NCOALink (USPS): A secure dataset of roughly 160 million permanent change-of-address records . It checks your existing names and old addresses against 4 years of postal service change requests. (Note: NCOA requires you to already have the person's old address and name to find the new one).
Address Appends / Proprietary Databases: When alumni are truly "lost" (no forwarding address on file with the post office), specialized higher-education and non-profit data vendors—such as AlumniFinder or Alumni Locators —run your list against massive consumer data feeds (like credit headers, utility records, and public databases) to append new mailing addresses, phone numbers, and emails.
Complementary Postal Hygiene: Services like CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) standardize your addresses, and LACSLink updates rural or newly-recoded street addresses.
How to Update Contact Info (Step-by-Step Workflow)
Export and Clean Your Data: Pull a clean CSV file of your alumni records from your CRM or database (ensure fields like First Name, Last Name, Last Known Address, City, State, and ZIP are cleanly mapped).
Submit to an NCOA/Data Vendor: Partner with a licensed NCOA fulfillment vendor or use the integrated data-hygiene tool built into your advancement CRM (like Blackbaud, Salesforce, or Ellucian).
Run the Scrub: The service processes your file, returning match codes indicating who moved, who is deceased, or whose address is unfound.
Would you like to know how often you should run an NCOA scrub , or do you need recommendations for specific CRM-integrated vendors that handle this automatically?
If you mean updating an alumni database, there are usually two parts:
How alumni update their own contact information
Most institutions provide an alumni portal/directory where graduates can log in and update their address, phone number, email, employer, etc.
They may also accept updates through the alumni relations office, email, phone, or mailed forms. For example, many universities combine self-service updates, direct outreach, and data services to keep records current.
How institutions “scrub” the database to find lost alumni
The service is usually called alumni data enhancement, data append, address verification, address retrieval, or database hygiene.
These vendors match your existing records against large data sources to append newer contact information (addresses, phones, emails, employment data, deceased indicators, etc.).
Common services/vendors in the higher-ed space include:
AlumniFinder — provides batch services for updating alumni/donor records with items such as addresses, phone numbers, emails, and other data enhancements.
AlumniLocators — offers address retrieval, verification, NCOA processing, and other constituent data services designed to reconnect with lost alumni.
AlumniSync — provides locator, phone append, email append, employment, and related data services.
A typical cleanup project looks like this:
Export your alumni records (name, graduation year, last known address/email, ID number, etc.).
Send the file to a data enhancement vendor.
The vendor matches records against available sources and returns possible updates.
Your advancement/CRM team reviews match confidence and imports approved changes.
Run ongoing maintenance such as USPS change-of-address processing (NCOA/NCOALink), duplicate cleanup, and periodic re-screening.
If you’re asking from the perspective of an alumni office/advancement department, the term you probably want when requesting proposals is: “alumni database address verification and data append services.”
Data Appends (Optional) : If basic NCOA doesn't find lost alumni, you can request an Address/Phone Append or Email Append , where vendors cross-reference consumer credit and public record databases to locate updated contact numbers or emails.
Import and Clean : Re-import the updated file back into your institutional CRM, applying standard naming conventions and flagging profiles that require manual research.
Involve Faculty and Class Secretaries : Peer-to-peer outreach or departmental check-ins are often surprisingly effective at uncovering contact details for long-lost alumni who ignore official institutional emails.
Establish Direct Feedback Loops : Create an easy online "Update Your Info" form on your alumni website and incentivize submissions via newsletters or class notes.
Perform an Address Append (Optional): For the remaining unverified or "lost" alumni, submit the stubborn records to a proprietary append service to track down new contact profiles.
Import and Review Updates: Import the corrected mapping files back into your database, making sure to spot-check fuzzy matches or anomalies manually before overwriting historical data.
