Do your eyes glaze over when you start the daunting task of shopping for a nonprofit CRM? Don’t worry – you aren’t alone. Finding the right CRM is as easy as reading on to discover our nonprofit CRM checklist. We’ll have you confidently choosing your next CRM in no time.
Maybe you have an outdated CRM solution with clunky processes and a user manual the size of a phonebook. Or maybe you’re still using the dreaded Excel sheet that strains your eyes and leaves you manually collecting crucial donor data. Whatever your situation may be, selecting the right nonprofit CRM requires understanding what features really matter to your nonprofit. Beyond bells and whistles, there are eight core nonprofit CRM features that your fundraising CRM should have for effective, super-charged fundraising.
Let’s take a closer look!
We’ve polled our experts and pored over industry research to uncover these eight nonprofit CRM requirements to help you choose the best solution for your organization.
Unless you have super-human memory for every transaction and interaction you’ve had with your donors, you’ll need a CRM with strong donor management features. Donor management features help you determine the right time – and the right way – to reach out to each donor to maximize your engagement.
These are features designed to make building relationships easy. They include:
Ultimately, donor management is the main reason why nonprofits use CRMs – so look for a CRM that can help you recruit and keep donors.
Effective fundraising is all about streamlining your processes as much as possible. Using a CRM with built-in communication tools helps you work more efficiently. It also ensures that your communications are as effective as possible since you can access all of your donor information in the same tool you’ll use to contact them.
Look for CRMs that have communication tools like:
Interested to see how Donorbox CRM handles communication? Check out this blog to learn more about Mail Center – an integrated inbox that streamlines and implies your outreach!
Maybe you’ve heard the word “segmentation” before – or maybe it’s entirely new. Either way, segmentation is simply breaking your audience up by specific characteristics. For example, you may want to see how many donors gave to your last campaign and then reach out to them with a personalized campaign that speaks to that interest.
Segmentation is a common-sense approach to engaging donors because it personalizes your communications and makes donors feel special. To learn more about the basics of segmentation, check out this blog!
Having a nonprofit CRM featuring powerful segmentation ability is crucial for any fundraiser looking for better donor engagement. Look for a CRM that:
When it comes to donor communication, the more specific you can get, the better. Your CRM should be the perfect partner for all of your segmentation needs.
Data, data, data. Good fundraisers know how important it is. Expert fundraisers know how important it is to have a nonprofit CRM with easy-pull reporting templates.
Keep your data at arm’s reach by choosing a nonprofit CRM with built-in reports like:
And more. Your fundraising CRM should also make it easy to sort your data so you can pull custom insights whenever you need them.
Plus, consider choosing a CRM that harnesses the power of AI to pull detailed reports and help you visualize your data with custom charts and graphs, like Donorbox’s DonationDriver AI.
Synchronicity is everything in fundraising. What is a nonprofit CRM without powerful integrations with the fundraising tools you already love?
Having all of your data synching together allows your CRM to act as your one source of truth. This helps you execute campaigns more effectively, drawing insights each step of the way and creating lasting donor relationships.
Consider choosing a fundraising CRM that integrates with tools like:
Your CRM should serve as a one-stop shop as much as possible. Having your favorite tools integrate easily will make your life easier – and your fundraising more powerful!
What’s the point of fundraising if you don’t know how much you’ve raised? Use a CRM with financial management and tracking to assess how effective your fundraising is – from your budget to your messaging to your engagement.
Understanding how far you are from a fundraising goal is vital for any campaign. Look for a nonprofit CRM that has:
When it comes to what to look for in a nonprofit CRM, financial management should be a priority to help you grow your income – and your impact.
Things happen. If you have all of your donor data stored locally, all it takes is one bad day to lose years of progress.
That’s where cloud-based storage for your CRM comes in. In addition to making your data accident-proof, cloud-based storage also allows your team to access your CRM from anywhere. Working from home? Working from the beach? In the parking lot before a donor meeting? Whatever the case may be, having a cloud-based CRM makes access instantaneous.
Your CRM software provider should manage all infrastructure so your data is safe and sound in the cloud.
The best CRMs make stealing your donor’s information a Mission: Impossible. Your donors put their trust in you to keep their information – and money – safe and sound.
To keep your data secure, make sure your CRM:
These days, security should be one of your top priorities to protect your donors and your nonprofit’s reputation – so stick with a CRM solution that has you covered.
Looking for all eight of these nonprofit CRM features in one neat, attractive package? Donorbox CRM offers all – and so much more.
Donorbox CRM is a powerful, AI-driven solution built to evolve your donor management and fundraising efforts. Plus, it seamlessly integrates with our world-class fundraising tools so you can raise, track, and strategize all in one place.
With Donorbox CRM, you can count on:
And more!
From now until the end of September 2024, try all Donorbox CRM has to offer for free! Sign up for Donorbox if you don’t already have an account or log in to your existing account. Then fill out this form to get free access.
Want to see it in action? Watch this webinar for an in-depth look:
If you’re wondering what to look for in a nonprofit CRM, look no further. We’ve outlined eight of the most important elements you need to raise more – while streamlining your processes and putting a smile on your team’s face.
Donorbox CRM offers tons of functionality with a user-friendly interface so anyone in your office can be a CRM pro without hunting through a giant manual. Plus, Donorbox’s world-class customer support team is here to help you get set up and answer any questions you have along the way.
Sign up for a free trial of Donorbox CRM and see how Donorbox can help you help others. For more fundraising know-how, check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the best of the blog in your inbox every month.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower