Nonprofit CRMs: Making The Best Choice

Selecting the wrong software system for your nonprofit can be a costly mistake. If you get the wrong thing, or set it up poorly, you lose money, productivity, and the confidence of your staff. So, how is this a mistake you can avoid making? 

You may be familiar with Simon Sinek’s famous TEDx Talk, Start With Why. Most nonprofit tech searches start with What, namely “What product should we get?” But the place to begin is actually Who. Who do we serve? Who, then how, and finally what. 

Who Do You Serve?

Consider “Southern Justice,” an abortion fund in Mississippi that helps cover the travel expenses of pregnant people leaving the state for healthcare. So, who do they serve? At the most basic level, they serve people seeking abortions. But it helps to be more specific. 

Southern Justice serves people who are pregnant and don’t want to be, people who feel overwhelmed, uncertain, and stressed. Finances were already tight, and now this! They may have partners or parents they don’t want to know. They just aren’t sure what their options are. 

How Do You Serve Them?

Southern Justice helps its constituents in three ways. First, if they do not have appointments yet, they provide them with the contact information of the clinics that are closest to them. That means they need to get some information about their pregnancies, so they can refer them to the right place. Staff also collect financial information, because they do have some grant money available for people who meet certain criteria. Next, when they know how much people need, they call upon a network of volunteers to pitch in and help raise the money. Finally, because of fraud, they avoid giving clients funds directly, instead purchasing airline tickets and paying for hotels themselves. 

What Do You Need?

Who you serve is about people. How you serve them is about processes. With the “What do you need” question, we are starting to get into products. But there are two parts to this question. The first part is, “What do you need to do?” Southern Justice needs to:

• Collect custom information, such as weeks along in pregnancy.
• Provide specific information about clinics or state laws. 
• Track dates and deadlines for things like hotel bills. 
• Track travel information, like flight numbers. 
• Communicate with volunteers and track their donations. 
• Coordinate with other team members on internal tasks. 

When you assembly your “do” list, try to be as expansive as possible. Do not just think about specific needs. Think about everything your organization does. Sometimes, a single system might be able to replace multiple applications your organization uses, saving you money and increasing efficiency. 

The second part of the “What do you need” question is, “What do you need to buy?” This is where that list becomes important. Use your requirements as a kind of checklist when you consider different products. You want to go with a platform that checks as many boxes as possible. Don’t settle for anything that does not address 90-95% of your needs, even if it is more expensive than you would like. Otherwise, you simply won’t get your money’s worth. The wrong tool is a software expense. The right tool is an investment in your growth. 

Conclusion

People hire realtors and financial advisors because they recognize the need for expertise when it comes to major investments. The same is true of tech. Our experts can help analyze your situation, identify needs, and implement products that will empower your organization to make a bigger impact in the lives of the people you serve. We choose and implement systems that benefit your company as a whole. Click here to get started!

Check out Investing in Productivity: Why Nonprofits Need to Prioritize Efficient Operations for more tips and tricks.