There was a time when tracking donors and members required little more than a fresh supply of 3×5″ index cards. If you were fancy, you got a special filing cabinet for them, and maybe went up to the 4×6″ size. Of course, there was a time when getting online involved a horrific screeching noise, but only after you made sure everyone else was off the phone first. Do you remember that?
Simple Yet Profound Benefits of Modern CRM For Nonprofits
Since then, technology has advanced considerably, and what it can do for a nonprofit is amazing. Indeed, the benefits of CRM and donor management software will make you wonder how anyone ever survived on notecards alone. Modern Donor management software (CRM software for nonprofits) allows an organization to keep all their information in a central database.
Smart Benefits of Nonprofit CRM Databases
There are several key benefits to one centralized CRM database, including:
No more having to keep a separate spreadsheet for donors, volunteers, cash donations, donations of goods, pledges, etc.
Generating reports across multiple sets of data no longer requires labor-intensive integration.
“The left hand will know what the right hand is doing.” In other words, changes made by one staff member or department will be seen by everyone else (donor name changes alone can be very time consuming).
Improve customer satisfaction by allowing your donors/members of the foundation to transaction online 24×7 with one system.
With orders online and ability to pay for multiple purchases online via one system it eliminates the need to rekey data into two or more financial systems.
No more asking what the password is for the staff member on vacation; any information he or she has about donors isn’t locked away in their computer.
The Value of a Central Repository of Data
Donor management software will save you an immense amount of time, and will allow you to not only focus more on doing the good your nonprofit wants to do, but to maintain your relationships with your existing donors. You could get donor management software that not only allows you to track their donations and volunteerism, but you can also take the time to add their birthdays, the names of their spouses and children, their interests and goals, and on and on. With all this extra information located in a central database, it becomes much easier for everyone in your organization to interact with your donors on a personal level, giving you a chance to express your thanks and remind them that they aren’t just a set of deep pockets.
When you are ready to take a look into which donor management software is right for you, or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We offer valuable assistance in guidance in finding the right tools based on need.
And then you can save the notecards for something else. Until next time, keep SmartThoughts in mind.
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