I'm looking to create a query (but most likely a series of queries) that can identify our most active and valuable constituents. Any suggestions on how best to do this? Originally I thought I could just create a query that assigns values to donations, length of relationship, and possibly attributes but I'm not sure how to package them together without losing constituents Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Depending on what your criteria are, you could use some of the analytical reports to create queries and then combine them without duplication by using the OR Query merge function. (Top Donors Report, Consecutive years report, etc.)

 

I think you are absolutely in the right direction. You basically are trying to screen your records and assign them the value. I would advise you to come up with some kind of rating system (1-7) or (A-E). Then, create a constituent export with various totals, relationships, constituent codes, attributes, number of attended events and any information that would help you to assign the value form the rating system. Once you assigned the value for each record in the export file, you could load that information back to RE (preferably Prospect Module) or constituent attribute with the date of rating.

 

This would give you the ability to run various canned or custom reports.

 

What Mark says makes  sense - I would make sure you also set a policy and procedure in place for how these ratings are created and how often they are cleared out and updated - and how you would do that  (like right before annual solicitations or 4 times a year, etc.)