One size doesn’t fit all, but for too long nonprofits of all sizes have either had to settle for stripped-down fundraising CRM systems with limited functionality (and let’s face it, less than appealing user interfaces) or be roped into expensive, complex systems that were unwieldy to administer for smaller scale shops. Thankfully CRM’s are more frequently being built with scale in mind, and I don’t mean the lets-charge-you-more for additional modules and functionality version of scaling up.
Your CRM should start with a strong foundation of basic nonprofit modules, such as gift entry and grants management, but it should also give you the option to add additional fields and modules as your organizational needs evolve without additional cost; and this should happen with the click of a button because that feature is already a part of the product, not something that needs to be added on to it. For example, let’s say your organization has grown to the point where you want to run social media campaigns in addition to email campaigns and have these tracked and reported on from within your CRM. You should be able to turn on your social media module and add social to your email campaign function with a few clicks.
Or perhaps you want to start tracking clients who have moved through a program your organization offers so you can continue to cultivate relationships and track their progress after they have completed the program. Your CRM should allow you to easily add a custom module for program alumni so you can marry your program data and personal data within a related module using easy to add drag and drop fields to capture that unique information. Or maybe your events have grown in size and you want to manage the full event cycle from marketing to ticket sales to sponsor and vendor tracking. If these capacities are already within your CRM, it’s just a matter of clicking on a connector to integrate specific functionality or turning on modules specific to purchase orders and invoicing.
The bottom line is that your CRM should have the capacity to handle the sophistication of a large organization without demanding that you start there. And without you ever having to call your CRM account manager to upgrade, or be on calls with support because getting the additional functionality turned out to be a total hassle (usually because you are trying to integrate a product they didn’t build or because, surprise, their API isn’t able to accommodate true integration with that product’s specs). You should also be able to easily grow the number of constituent records within your system without being penalized for adding additional records. After all, more constituents mean more support for your mission, so make sure when you consider pricing as an organization who has 10,000 records that you might soon be one that enjoys 25,000. If your CRM vendor charges you for success, it’s a flawed pricing model.
While all this functionality should be available, it should be available in the background, so if for example, you don’t need a membership or volunteer component yet, you won’t have to clutter your system with modules you are not using. You just simply don’t turn them on. Your CRM should also be flexible enough to have options to make modules viewable or not according to specific roles, so perhaps your finance team can see gift entry, but does not have access to your volunteer module.
And let’s also remember that no matter what your organization’s size there are a few things that should be a part of any effective operational footprint. First, a user interface and search functions that are intuitive for nontechnical users. Second, calendar, phone, email and social integration in account records so every user can be on the same page and enjoy full constituent communication, context, and history in real time. Third, automation and workflows that allow you to start with simple macros on repeated tasks, and evolve into elevating your fundraising and communication output to keep pace with your next level moves management goals.
Large or small, it’s worth considering how your fundraising CRM software can meet your nonprofit’s needs both now and five years from now so you have a communications solution that can scale to make anyone feel right at home.
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