Find the Best CRM For Fundraising

Fundraising looks super smooth on the surface, but what goes on in the backend is something only nonprofits can understand. With the donor data being scattered across multiple spreadsheets, it becomes tough to get a complete view of donors. This is the time when you need something more than just a fundraising platform.

A CRM for fundraising works best in this case. It helps you manage donor relationships and centralizes the donor data. Basically, it brings everything under one roof. However, the challenge is the availability of so many options, each with its own set of features, models, and pricing.

But with expert insight and in-depth understanding of must-have features, you can land on the right platform. So, let’s get in and understand everything needed to find the best CRM for fundraising.

A customer relationship management (CRM) platform helps businesses manage their customer relationship. In the context of fundraising and nonprofits, such a platform helps manage and track interactions with donors. Unlike basic fundraising tools, it stores and organizes detailed donor data. This may include donor contact details, giving history, event participation, communication logs, and more.

When the donor data is scattered across spreadsheets, it leads to missed opportunities for engagement. But with a fundraising CRM, the data is concentrated in one place. This is particularly beneficial for nonprofits, as it helps them stay organized and connect better with donors.

Core Functionalities Of CRM For Fundraising

The following are the core features of a fundraising CRM that help achieve fundraising and advocacy goals more effectively.

Fundraising Campaign Management

A good fundraising CRM helps you plan, launch, and monitor campaigns with its fundraising campaign management feature. This keeps everything organized in one place, so you don’t have to juggle between spreadsheets.

Donor Profile And History

Gift officers can review a donor’s profile and donation history to get insights into what motivates them to contribute to a cause. They can review a prospect’s recent engagement and donation pattern, which equips them with better talking points when dealing with the person face-to-face. This helps convince donors while strengthening relationships.

Email Marketing System Integration

Email marketing is still very much in the game. This is why most CRMs for fundraising integrate with marketing tools. This makes it easier to automate thank-you emails and track click-through rates without switching between tabs.

Automations And Workflows

When CRM can do the repetitive tasks, there’s no need to waste human resources on heavy lifting. Automation can easily carry out various tasks like scheduling follow-ups, assigning tasks, and sending emails. So, human creativity is allocated to growing donor relationships.

Customized Reports And Dashboards

What’s the point of bulk data when it is not understandable? For this reason, CRMs have customizable dashboards with detailed reports. This shows exactly how your campaigns are performing and what part needs to be addressed.

A CRM adds functionality to your fundraising system. The specialized tools in a CRM can benefit your organization in the following ways:

360-degree View Of Donors

Having all the donor's data centralized and categorized help in campaigns planning. They can be typically grouped by factors like interests, amount, donation frequency, etc.

Accurate Reporting

On-time analysis of performance indicators, like volunteer engagement, helps teams monitor progress. Impact evaluation becomes easier; hence, organizations can identify what’s working and what’s not.

Manage GDPR Compliance

A CRM for fundraising is built considering the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines. This ensures all the donor preferences are logged and the data is completely secure.

Improved Donor Retention And Supporter Engagement

Having a detailed record of donor engagement and behavior helps organizations structure targeted campaigns. It becomes easier to track those at risk of lapsing. This makes it easier to have more consistent contributions over time.

Here are five actionable steps to help you through the process of choosing the right CRM for your fundraising organization.

Step 1: Figure Out Your Goals And Needs

The first step should be understanding what is not working in your organization. Figure out if it is donor retention that is giving a tough time or the event management that is falling apart. This will help you understand which CRM features matter the most for your organization.

Step 2: Assess Integrations

Check for the offered integrations to make sure the solution syncs with your tech stack without much effort. You need to look for a fundraising CRM to integrate with your finance systems, marketing platforms, or any project management tool. Software that integrates well with your existing infrastructure will help you increase the impact of the system and result in better performance.

Step 3: Consider Cost And Scalability

Next, consider how much you are willing to spend on a CRM monthly. At the same time, analyze where your charity organization is heading in terms of growth. That’s because some CRMs have low entry costs but expensive upgrades as you scale. So, you need to ensure the platform is capable of growing with your donor base without breaking the bank.

Step 4: Evaluate Support And Maintenance

A CRM won’t work for your organization unless your team gets along well with it. That is why we always recommend choosing software that provides personalized onboarding and helps troubleshoot problems whenever the need arises. Getting timely solutions and smoothly navigating challenges greatly affects your fundraising efficiency. So, pick the software that takes care of customer needs and maintenance.

Step 5: Check For Reviews And Recommendations

Real-life user experience can help a lot in selecting a fundraising CRM. You can look into the online customer reviews and testimonials for a better understanding of the software’s performance. By the end, you will have a good understanding of whether a particular software is capable of meeting your fundraising management needs.

Evolving technology has impacted everything around it, including CRMs. AI and automation are leading the way, helping nonprofits predict donor behavior using the available data and personalize outreach.

From a market perspective, the nonprofit CRM software market, valued at approximately USD 820 million in 2023, is expected to grow to USD 2.1 billion by 2033. This represents a robust 9.8% CAGR, which is fueled by expanding digital adoption.

Regionally, North America commands the largest share (about 45%) of the nonprofit CRM market, owing to its established nonprofit infrastructure and higher technology adoption rates.

What Real Users Say About CRM For Fundraising?

According to recent reports, 67% of nonprofits use CRM systems for donor tracking and engagement. But adoption is only half the story, what do users really think?

Most nonprofit teams consider integration as a game-changer feature of fundraising CRMs.

When accounting tools and email marketing systems are integrated with donation platforms, there is less manual work involved. In addition to that, mobile friendliness also ranks high among positive mentions. This is due to the fact that fundraisers need flexibility while working remotely. However, users also point out that onboarding is overwhelming without necessary training. Still, ease of use and responsive customer support consistently earn high ranks.

When you raise funds for your nonprofit, you need software that does much more than just collect donations. This is where a CRM for fundraising proves to be of great help. Using it, you can centralize all the donor data, improve donor relationships, and automate repetitive tasks. These CRMs come with features like email marketing integration, customizable dashboards, and more.

To find out what works best for your goals and organizations, you need to look for top fundraising CRM options. With a good CRM in place, you can make a big difference to your fundraising results.