The most powerful way to organize raw files by EXIF data is the command-line program
exiftool.
I used exiftool to reorganize my Lightroom catalogue. I had about 4000 shots which were organized into a subject-based hierarchy of folders. I decided that I would prefer the organization of the photos to be date-based, and I would use keywording to create subject-based collections.
So how to reorganize 4000 photos in a reasonable amount of time?
Using exiftool, I was able to use a single command that read the EXIF data in each individual file, create a new folder structure based on that information, and move the files one by one into the new folder structure. It took my about half an hour to grasp exiftool's command structure, and the process itself took minutes. I then re-synced my Lightroom catalogue, and all was good (except that my stacks disappeared).
See the
exiftool web site.