Nonprofit CRM: Managing Your Audience While Nurturing Relationships
Your nonprofit needs a CRM software — here’s why
Remember your Rolodex? The satisfying flippy-flip sound when you spun the wheel and watched your critical contacts whoosh by in a blur? That original donor database was oddly satisfying, no?
Still, most of us dumped our ‘dexes when spreadsheets came into vogue. What they lacked in auditory entertainment, spreadsheets made up for in convenience, efficiency, and (at the time) high-tech street cred.
But it’s time to move on. Actually, it’s long been time to move on. Where do we go from spreadsheets? CRM.
In the business world, CRM means customer relationship management. Nonprofit CRM is more like constituent relationship management or the differently acronym-ed donor database management.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be talking about the benefits of swapping your spreadsheets for fundraising software like a nonprofit CRM that provides a working donor database — and how to do it.
Why a nonprofit CRM software?
The most basic reasons include:
- Managing all your audience segments in one place: donors of all levels, leads, beneficiaries, volunteers, sponsors, media, etc. No more toggling from tab to tab in multiple spreadsheets.
- Customizing communications by storing detailed information about each contact so you can easily incorporate it into your messaging.
- Nurturing relationships by allowing you to set up important messaging streams like social media posts, follow-up emails, etc. to keep donors engaged.
- Getting everyone on the same page. If it happens in the CRM, it happens everywhere. No need to worry about Bob forgetting to alert the team about the information he just put into the spreadsheet and Linda accidentally moving the spreadsheet to her desktop trash can.
- Running reports more easily. Even the most basic fundraising software allows you to slice and dice data and spit out reports to pinpoint what’s working and not working and why.
CRMs are an added expense, but the costs and capabilities vary greatly and you should be able to find one that fits your needs and your budget.
Nonprofit CRM: Managing your audience while nurturing relationships. It’s an expense that will more than pay for itself in convenience, efficiency, better donor relationships, donor experiences, and, ultimately, more money to fund your important cause.
All the best,
– Your friends at NonprofitLibrary
P.S. We meant it when we said our product demos are free and pressure-free. Go check our free demos on Kindful and Bloomerang. There’s no cost, and we won’t share your information with our partners unless you opt-in. That’s a promise.