The lowdown on CRM systems

Let's kick things off with a question. How do you manage your donor data? Excel spreadsheets? Word documents? Post-it notes strewn across your desk?

If you answered yes to any of the above, it’s time for an upgrade.

Enter the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

What’s a CRM system?

 A CRM system is a software solution that enables charities to store and manage information relating to current and prospective donors, volunteers, suppliers, and other charity stakeholders in a single, centralised database. Think of it as a sophisticated, modern-day Rolodex.

What are the benefits of a charity CRM system?

There are loads of reasons to swap your Excel sheets for a CRM. Namely:

Speed: The beauty of a centralised database is donor information can be quickly accessed and updated by any member of staff. 

Say, for example, a donor calls and asks to be removed from your mailing list. Rather than scribbling a reminder on your hand to wade through your spreadsheets later, you can retrieve and amend their donor record during the call, at the click of a button.

Eliminates manual admin: Excel is labour intensive. It requires a lot of manual input and editing. CRM systems can automate much of the admin for you, from data entry and donation processing to donor communication (i.e., thank you letters) and your fundraising campaigns.

Makes GDPR compliance easier: CRM systems have built-in features to help you adhere to GDPR regulations. For example:

Consent: Fields can be set up to provide granular opt-in options based on communication type (newsletters, appeal letters) and communication channel (phone, email, SMS, post).

Security: Excel offers very little in terms of security. Access can be easily granted, and files can be saved to personal computers and shared outside of your organisation.

However, CRM systems come equipped with robust security features such as data encryption, multilevel security, and anti-hacking tools, to keep your data safe.

Reporting: Most CRM systems have inbuilt reporting features, which you can use to track everything from donor acquisition rates, to fundraising income (by campaign).

This can help you identify what’s working/not working and easily pull-out key data for trustees/grant makers/other stakeholders.

CRM picks:

Those are just a few of the benefits of investing in a CRM system.

Now let’s turn our attention to what’s on the market.

Here are our top picks for small, mid-level and large charities: 

Small charities

Donorfy is an entry level donation management tool, designed to help small charities automate their fundraising admin and understand donor behaviour.

Easy to learn and simple to use, it’s a great option for non-tech-savvy fundraisers.

The cloud-based system comes with a range of basic features for data import, fundraising, gift entries, prospect tracking, event management, and campaign management. 

On the downside, it lacks the more sophisticated features you’ll find in the likes of Salesforce.

With regards to pricing, there’s a free plan (Donorfy Essentials), for charities with fewer than 500 constituents. This has all the basic features you need to move away from spreadsheets. 

The paid version (Donorfy Professional) enables you to access all the features. It starts at £65 a month for 500 constituents.

You can see a comparison of the features here.

Medium-sized charities

Designed for growing organisations, Blackbaud’s eTapestry helps charities be smarter with their donor data management.

This user-friendly solution comes with a series of tools to help you optimise your donor data, manage your fundraising activities, and manage your communication strategy, so you can engage with supporters more effectively.

The CRM can consolidate payment processing, email automation, social media, and event management. There are also functions for membership management.

You’ll need to contact eTapestry for a customised quote. But, as a rough guide, prices start at $99 per month for up to 1,000 records and 25,000 emails a year.

Note: Some of eTapestry’s features cost extra, so check you’ll get everything you need before diving in.

Large Charities

Salesforce is a major player in the CRM space, with a 19.8% share of the corporate market.

In 2018, they launched a cloud-based version of the software, specifically for charities.

Ideal for charities with a big budget and complex requirements, Salesforce for Nonprofits comes with a wide range of features for retaining and engaging donors, monitoring resources and funding, and campaign tracking.

One of the most sophisticated systems on the market, it’s highly customisable and the technology integrates seamlessly with other Salesforce products and third-party applications.

The best bit? Registered charities can apply for ten free licenses through Salesforce’s Power of Us programme. For additional subscriptions, you’ll need to get a bespoke quote from a Salesforce Account Manager.

Note: Salesforce can be difficult to set up and use, especially for small charities with limited IT resources and expertise.

Final Word

Streamlining donor management is important if you’re looking to scale-up your fundraising efforts. The CRMs covered in this post are designed to help you do just that.

Looking to hire a CRM expert to level up your donor management? We can help. Call us on 020 3750 3111 to find out how.