CRM or customer relationship management software is one of the best tools nonprofit organizations can leverage. With CRM software, you’ll better understand your target audience and manage your long-term relationships with your donors.
That said, every nonprofit has its own needs. Whether you’re looking for CRM software for the first time or are considering switching from your current software to a new platform, you need to know what features to look for. Today, let’s break down the essential features of nonprofit CRMs – by the end, you’ll know how those features can benefit your objectives.
For starters, good CRM software for nonprofit organizations should have automation tools across the board. Why?
Simply put, automation frees up project hours that your nonprofit employees can use on other, more critical tasks. For example, you can use automation tools to create donation pages, assisting your non-technical employees and preventing you from having to hire a dedicated web developer.
Other common automation tasks your nonprofit may benefit from include:
Above all else, automated CRM software removes much of the busy work for nonprofit teams and organizations. Automation tools and features free up valuable time, streamline your working process, and allow your nonprofit to do its vital work efficiently. Learn more about how to use business automation at your nonprofit organization here.
Good nonprofit CRM software also handles third-party integrations smoothly. Third-party integrations involve merging the data from third-party programs with your CRM platform – this is crucial so you can accomplish all your goals, handle your donors, and more.
There are three ways your nonprofit CRM platform can handle third-party integrations:
No matter what method your third-party integrations use, your organization will benefit massively from them. Why?
Your nonprofit CRM software will have additional capabilities and functions with third-party integrations. For instance, if you use QuickBooks but haven't integrated it with your CRM platform, you'll need to move all the info from your CRM into your accounting software.
By integrating the two programs, you’ll not only save valuable time, you’ll also be able to perform business functions more easily. Such integrations allow data transfers to happen easily and automatically.
Similarly, you can integrate your CRM with an email management platform. This centralizes your communication efforts with donors and allows you to build marketing lists and launch email marketing campaigns without issues.
Bottom line: any quality CRM form should include good third-party integration capabilities.
Naturally, quality nonprofit CRM software must have many different donation and donor management features. After all, much of your work will revolve around acquiring, maintaining, and soliciting donations from key individuals.
Donation management features are tools or widgets that let you acquire and, more importantly, maintain or keep donors over time. For example, your CRM software may let you easily send donors tax receipts and thank you notes so you can tell them how much you appreciate their contributions.
Some of the most important nonprofit CRM features to look for include:
Every nonprofit organization is different. Therefore, your CRM software should be customizable – that way, you can tailor it to your organization's needs and project specifications. For example, maybe you work with a small but tight-knit group of donors instead of a larger group. Alternatively, maybe your nonprofit constantly solicits donations from an ever-expanding group of well-wishers.
But different CRM software platforms may come with different customization capabilities, such as:
Customization is crucial due to the challenges nonprofits face every day – learn more here.
Lastly, make sure your nonprofit CRM includes tools for data gathering, analytics, and data reporting.
CRM analytics are key data points you should constantly collect and study, like donor amounts, donor behavior, and overall organizational performance. Robust CRM analytics is important so you can look at key metrics such as:
Your CRM software should help you track many different analytics, including:
As you collect and analyze CRM data, you’ll be able to improve your organization for much better performance in any market. The more data you have, the wiser and more informed your decisions will be.
Ultimately, the best nonprofit CRM for your organization will have strong automation, third-party integration, donation management, customization, and data analytics tools. Without these features, your CRM won’t be as effective as it could be otherwise. Take the time needed to find the right CRM software, and your organization will benefit from it in the long run!
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