Your CRM is the centerpiece of your nonprofit’s technology stack, and how you use it will impact your organization’s overall strategy and effectiveness. For nonprofits operating at the enterprise level, most projects will leverage your CRM in some way, from planning a major silent auction to communicating internally about an ongoing project.
Of course, with all the features and applications your CRM provides, some tools can be overlooked or not utilized to their full potential. These include features that impact almost every part of your CRM, such as automation options, or specific tools you may not have initially considered investing in an integration for, such as a grant management application.
To ensure your nonprofit is getting as much out of your CRM as possible, this article will explore four commonly-overlooked tools and how your nonprofit can leverage them, including:
For some of these applications, your nonprofit may be already using the base tools but potentially overlooking specific features or ways they can work in conjunction with the rest of your software.
Grant management requires monitoring several time-sensitive tasks at once, including application deadlines, ongoing compliance check-ins, and upcoming renewal periods. Applying for and effectively managing a grant also requires a diverse range of tools, from creating profiles on individual grantmakers to accounting software to allocate awarded funds.
Nonprofits may default to using third-party tools and spreadsheets to manage their grants. However, many CRMs come equipped with basic grant management features or integrate with sophisticated grant management applications. For example, organizations using Salesforce NPSP for grant management may be interested in investing in Salesforce’s platform overlay created specifically for grants, foundationConnect.
When leveraging professional grant management software, your nonprofit will have access to features such as:
Given how grant requirements can vary widely depending on the grantmaker, ensure your CRM’s grant management tools provide flexibility to note each opportunity’s unique stipulations. For example, NXUnite’s guide to Google Ad Grants emphasizes the importance of tracking your ongoing Google Ad Grant marketing campaigns in relation to your other ongoing marketing activities. This will help you discover which ads leads are interacting with, allowing you to compare marketing strategies and determine the impact of the Google Ad Grants campaigns.
Many nonprofits likely consider event management tools when investing in a CRM. However, event tools have a wide range of features and potential integration options that can help power other parts of your strategy.
For example, consider the following aspects of your event management tools, if your CRM already comes equipped with them, or if there is a potential integration option:
Additionally, keep in mind that access to your event management tools isn’t only important for your event planning team. For example, if you’re holding a special event that major donors will likely be interested in, your major gift team should be aware of where your event is in the planning process so they can extend personal invitations to major donors at the right time and answer any questions they may have.
When evaluating CRMs, it’s common to focus on outward-facing features, such as fundraising and supporter management tools. However, CRMs often come with many tools that can improve your internal processes, making your team more efficient, organized, and less error-prone.
Specifically, look for a CRM with automation features that can speed up administrative tasks. This can include data hygiene management tools to help clean your donor data. Other automation features include tools that automatically send messages to donors when they take specific actions, assign tasks to specific members of your staff, and provide alerts for upcoming meetings, deadlines, and donor check-ins.
For example, if your CRM has a matching gift integration, you may be able to automate the entire process. Donors will be prompted to search for their eligibility during the donation process, receive automatic follow-up emails requesting they complete their application or check their eligibility, and view automatic thank-you messages when their application is submitted.
A robust CRM will grow with your organization through scalable features and integration options. CRMs with an extensive array of integrations may take more time to implement but can ultimately provide your nonprofit with nearly endless options for customization and expansion.
When choosing a CRM, evaluate each solution for integration options. When evaluating potential integrations, consider:
Ask CRM providers about their integrations and research new software integration options to ensure that your entire technology stack will work together without issue. Then, partner with a nonprofit consultant that specializes in your specific CRM to implement your integration and help develop any custom solutions you require.
Your CRM is a tool and how useful it will be is ultimately up to your team. Take time to explore your CRM’s features to ensure you are not overlooking any potentially useful tools and identify opportunities to invest in new applications.