Getting the Right Software for Your Nonprofit Organization
What kind of software does a nonprofit need? If you’re running a charitable institution, the app you choose must address three key areas. These are data entry and management, fundraising and online donations. Of course, you also need to consider the available budget and tasks that will require the use of CRM software for nonprofits.
Suggestions from Nonprofit’s Staff
Before ordering your software, solicit recommendations from the organization’s workforce. Most likely, staffers will use this platform because it will address various aspects of raising funds. Therefore, it is important to seek the inputs of the nonprofit’s work units. Remember that the CRM system must tackle all your organizational requirements for optimum results.
Get the opinion of the IT team, marketers, event planners, and grant writers. Ask for the features and functionalities these people want to see in the software. In other words, it should be a collective effort to ensure smooth operations and the tool will help them perform their jobs effectively.
Consider Other Stakeholders
Aside from the staff, take into account the stakeholders who could be any of the following:
- Donors or Contributors
- Beneficiaries
- Volunteer Workers
- Board Members
- Corporate Sponsors
- Celebrity Advocates
- Social Influencers
- Media Practitioners
A useful CRM will enable you to establish the realistic information needed for your nonprofit to oversee and match it with the software’s capabilities. Likewise, think about the number of constituents you manage and the users dealing with these beneficiaries.
Review Your Processes
Next is to reassess your organization’s practices and procedures. These include the manner by which you usually receive donations. Are these in cash or in kind? Offline contributions can be compiled within the CRM software for nonprofits and run in the profile of donors. With this platform, you can easily input information with less likelihood of errors.
It is advisable to sign up for product demonstrations and let the software users to study the apps carefully. Find out if the software is intuitive and able to provide feedback for successful entries as well as glitches. Is it easy to understand and accommodate and easy integration? Also, go through online reviews about the product and possibly consult colleagues who have used that particular software.
Purpose of Usage
Identify the specific reason why you want to invest in this platform. Definitely, your main purpose is for the organized management of donations. At the same time, you need the CRM software for nonprofits to monitor activities and social media campaign initiatives. In case you require features separate from the software, see to it that these can seamlessly integrate with the CRM application. Your tool should also have data transfer support for migrating to other CRM software.
Finally, consider the end-products that the software will offer to users. These refer to activities crucial to achieving your organization’s objectives and KPIs or Key Performance Indicators that relate to such activities. If you plan to use the CRM for sending emails, find out if will give feedback on the typical and campaign-specific open rates. Similarly, it should inform you regarding bounce and click through rates. Many service providers offer a variety of plans with reasonable costs and easy payment terms. So, you will surely have no issues about the budget factor.
DataBox Solutions can assist you in looking for the appropriate Customer Relationship management system for nonprofits.