CRM nonprofit is a significant segment under customer experience and CRM software, owing to numerous unique features, capabilities, and benefits. As online fundraising increases in popularity due to the ease and accessibility of digital platforms, CRM nonprofits are also rising as independent fundraisers and NGOs alike are looking for better ways to manage their donor and volunteer records.
However, this is just one piece of the puzzle. At the same time, centralizing donor/volunteer profiles helps reduce data duplication and paves the way toward building a unique customer experience. Donor acquisition is another critical requirement for fundraising organizations since immense potential exists over social networks and personal recommendations.
The integration of enterprise Unified Communications has long since been a boon for CRM platforms, as customer service teams gain the autonomy to engage with customers across multiple communication channels and different departments within the organization. CRM nonprofit is no exception, as fundraising entities constantly seek to alleviate silos between various communication channels and business units.
Donor management is a vital component of a CRM nonprofit, and its overall efficacy can determine whether your nonprofit organization or fundraiser’s CX strategy is executed according to plan. From unifying donor data to comprehensive pledge management, donor management tools can further bolster the capabilities of your CRM nonprofit, so your staff can focus on the tasks that matter most.
Here, we outline the basics and some important things to know about CRM nonprofit, so you and your fundraising teams are well equipped to choose the correct CRM nonprofit software for your unique requirements.
CRM Nonprofit: Features and Benefits
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Donor data management
Storing, retrieving, and segmenting donor data enables service teams to maintain organized CRM nonprofit databases that can be used for various processes within and beyond the service department. While donor management can streamline the handling of existing and new donors, gathered data can be integrated with business intelligence tools to reveal valuable insights that can assist in wise decision-making for the future.
Donor pledge management
Keeping track of the pledges that donors make can be long and tedious, especially for popular campaigns that would’ve attracted interest from large numbers of people. As your CRM pipeline gets inundated with records, streamline follow-ups in your CRM nonprofit using the pledge management capabilities that come with leading donor management tools. These include (but aren’t limited to) tracking funds received on a real-time basis and generating reminders as follow-ups over preferred customer communication channels such as SMS or email.
Fundraising platform creation and management
Although common CRM management tactics apply to fundraising websites as they bear conceptual similarities to e-commerce platforms, many characteristics are still unique. Team members can manage them via a CRM nonprofit. Build an interactive fundraising website with either CRM nonprofit experts' assistance or self-build through a minimal or zero-code platform.
Enhance engagement by offering progress bars of donation goals, building easy options to share campaigns, and offering alternative activities to get involved in, such as volunteering or praying. With fundraiser platform management, your CRM nonprofit will be your central, go-to source to keep track of all activities, so you don’t need to toggle between multiple applications.
Event and auction management
Although online fundraisers are immensely popular due to convenience, live, in-person events are still sought after by NGOs for activities such as blood drives, food donations, and medical camps. Such events frequently occur in remote areas or overseas, requiring teams to organize every step of every process in consideration of international laws and regulations.
Like sales force automation, a CRM nonprofit can automate routine tasks such as monitoring event/fundraiser budgets and notifying staff of overdue tasks. Maintaining an inventory of auction items is also part of CRM nonprofit event management, so a detailed database is always available for what was sold, when, and how much.
How Donor Management Software Supports CRM Nonprofit Capabilities
Detailed and accurate donor data
Accurate data is one of the most significant benefits of donor management tools within CRM nonprofit software. As donor data is systematically gathered, validated, and stored, there is a reduced chance of human error while having good hygiene to run reports either through a third-party analytics tool, a self-service business intelligence solution, or within the CRM nonprofit software.
Better autonomy for staff
Task management and workflow automation capabilities in a CRM nonprofit can enable service teams to attend to every action without error, so various stakeholders are always kept in the loop as needed and promptly. This will also free staff from mundane administrative duties, so they can focus better on attending to donors and practicing the best qualities of customer service.
Enhanced ROI to make more significant and lasting impacts
As data integrity and accuracy are sustained through a donor management system, your CRM nonprofit will pave the way for better cost savings through equally accurate insights and by reducing any unnecessary overhead through automation. Although measuring CRM ROI can be a complex endeavor, focusing on your business’s unique KPIs and the capabilities of your CRM nonprofit can help draw parallels so you can quantify whether your CRM investment has been worthwhile after all.
Choosing the Correct Donor Management Tools for Your CRM Nonprofit
While choosing the best CRM nonprofit for your business isn’t much different from selecting a suitable CRM system in general, it is helpful to remember factors unique to your nonprofit organization to choose the best solution.
Likewise, this also applies to donor management components within your CRM nonprofit. Doing a business assessment for your CRM nonprofit is always a good starting point, as it will allow your team to identify existing problems and how they can be solved with the right solution.
Speaking to prospective CRM vendors and comparing CRM vendor ratings online becomes more strategic, as the assessment will serve as a critical point of reference for both parties. Leading software vendors also tend to offer discounts to nonprofit organizations, so check whether your CRM nonprofit vendor is offering one before making the final purchase.
