Embracing the Power of CRM: How to Enhance Operations of Nonprofits and NGOs

For a while nonprofits and NGOs were not viewed as the target users of different software solutions. Although the number of such organizations across the globe is massive and the purposes, they serve are crucial, there was little to no software that would help to simplify day-to-day life.

Managing an NGO or a nonprofit is a challenging and complex task as they have tons of different operations to cover. Among the most common tasks such organizations handle daily are fundraisers, tracking donors and volunteers, informing them of ongoing activities and events, etc. And this is why adopting a CRM into their operations has become a must.

Agiliway is one of the very few software development companies that took the development of a solution for NGOs to the next level. And this is what we are discussing in the article. We will take a look at the pros and cons of CRM adoption in nonprofits and NGOs through the example of CiviCRM and CiviMobile.

Why CiviMobile and CiviCRM?

The core idea behind Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is to improve all aspects that fall within the operating capacity of nonprofits and NGOs. So, what are the activities the organizations perform daily? From managing contacts, and communicating with volunteers, stakeholders, and donors to email marketing, organizing events, and reporting, all these tasks require precision, constant updating, and tracking.

Adoption of a CRM can help facilitate the operations, is time-efficient, and requires fewer resources for maintaining these operations on the necessary level. And CiviCRM and CiviMobile have proven to be perfect solutions to cover all these needs.

CiviCRM is an open-source CRM software that was exclusively created to manage the operation of nonprofits and NGOs. It broadens the horizons of effective and efficient management, allows paying attention to details, and keeps up with the recent news within an organization. One of the major advantages of CiviCRM is that it is fully customizable, therefore, you get a product that specifically caters to all your operation’s needs. Another important aspect is that it is free, hence, you can either modify it yourself or hire the development team.

Another solution for nonprofits is CiviMobile. It is a native mobile application for organizations that utilize CiviCRM and want to take the fullest advantage of the CRM on the move. Users get access to all their CiviCRM data regardless of their location with just their mobile phone or tablet. This allows you to spend more time outside the office in meetings and events and still keep in touch with what’s going on while you are out. In addition, CiviMobile provides a wide range of functionalities such as push notifications, offline access to the data, GPS mapping, and a lot more. You carry everything you need in your pocket, hence, be more fruitful and flexible while performing your work.

Pros and Cons of CRM Adoption within an Organization

Every software solution offers a wide range of benefits but also has its drawbacks. Let’s have a look and discuss them so that you can decide whether your need a CRM or not.

Advantages of CRM Adoption

• Process automation: CRM allows you to streamline your operations through processing and structuring your valuable data, hence, giving you more time to address more vital tasks.
• Increased presence and reachability: With the help of a CRM, NGOs, and nonprofits can reach out to more people simultaneously as the software allows automatically sending emails with the information you want to spread among the donors, stakeholders, or volunteers.
• Openness: openness and transparency are valued especially when it comes to charities, donations, fundraisers, etc. With a CRM at your disposal, your donors will be able to keep track of the spending and activities within the organization. This way you can improve the relationship with donors and analyze their preferences for future communication.
• Fostering teamwork: once the entire team gets access to the full scope of data, they can generate ideas on how to reach a wider audience and interact with each other. CRM turns teams to be more efficient as they spend less time on unnecessary discussions and focus on how to get the most use of the data that’s already in the system.

Disadvantages of CRM Adoption

• It can be costly and takes time.

Adoption of CRM into your organization is not free if you want to have a customizable solution tailored to your needs. Migration of data, custom development, and training of the team members are the most costly parts of the transition to CRM. Please, ensure that enough attention is paid to the staff, as they may find the adoption complicated, and you don’t want them to be discouraged.

• Losing personal contact with the donors

Since nonprofits and NGOs are highly dependent on donations, they mustn’t lose donors. Well, CRM adoption may become an issue if you have donors who are not keen on receiving automatic emails and prefer personal calls and interactions. Steps shall be made to ensure that this category of donors still receives the desired communication and does not stop supporting your organization.

Bottom line

Nonprofits and NGOs, similarly to businesses that generate money, have a lot of operations that require time and resources to handle. With a CRM at their disposal, these organizations can automate multiple processes, hence, allowing addressing more complex or urgent tasks first. In addition, a CRM allows checking the donors’ fundraising preferences so that you draw their attention when something within their interests comes up.

As to the staff and volunteers, a CRM is a great solution as all your team gets access to the necessary information and can easily communicate and process that data without additional meetings or calls.

If you are a nonprofit or NGO and seek solutions to bring your operations to the next level, contact us, and our CRM experts will help you make the best decision for your organization.

READ ALSO: Improving Administration and Visualization Features for NGOs Management