Considering a Nonprofit CRM? Here’s What to Do Before You Decide

Define your goals first, features second

It is tempting to start your nonprofit CRM search by comparing feature lists. You may already have a few systems in mind or have received recommendations from your peers. But instead of jumping straight into side-by-side comparisons, the best place to begin is with your goals.

Ask your team the following questions:

• What outcomes do we need most from fundraising this year?
• Where are we losing time, money, or donors?
• What will our needs look like if we double our donor base?

Starting here ensures that any system you evaluate is measured against your current priorities, not your past habits. A CRM that doesn’t align with your goals will only create noise, but one chosen with longevity in mind will become a foundation for growth.

Not sure what to ask vendors? Get your free 10-step checklist: How to Choose the Best Nonprofit CRM >>

Bring cross-department voices into the process

Nonprofit development isn’t an island. You often depend on other areas of your organization—like data entry and donation processing—to do your job well. The same goes for your staff. Considering their daily operations, needs for integration, and how your roles overlap can help you make a smarter decision in the long run.

Here are two quick examples:

• Your administrators may need integration with accounting to track monthly gifts
• Your communicators need reliable data syncing to send automatic gift receipts

If they don’t buy in now, you could face bigger battles later. Involving these voices early prevents bottlenecks and ensures your new system supports the whole organization.

Look past the demo and evaluate the partner

Any nonprofit CRM vendor can show you a shiny demo, but don’t get excited by smoke and mirrors—investigate their track record of delivering your needs.

Do some digging on Google and broker sites:

• Have they been serving nonprofits for more than a few years?
• Do organizations of your size and scope recommend them?
• Are they financially stable and committed to nonprofit success?

Remember, you’re betting on the company behind the software. Choose a long-term partner who will grow with you and remain trustworthy five years from now.

Look for features that facilitate your goals

Nonprofits grow in complexity as their donor base expands, but switching systems mid-growth is costly and disruptive. The right nonprofit CRM will help you find donors, grow lists, and improve retention now and in the future.

Look for a nonprofit CRM that can support you through each phase:

• Smaller teams benefit most from donor records, online giving forms, automated thank-yous, and built-in email tools
• Mid-sized organizations need campaign tracking, donor segmentation, event and volunteer management, donation processing, and strong reporting tools
• Larger organizations require predictive insights, major gift tracking, mobile fundraising, and deep integrations with accounting, advocacy, and marketing systems

Plan thoughtfully for setup and migration

Implementation is a key stage where your new nonprofit CRM can succeed or fail—setup can take longer than expected, and undocumented decisions can come back to haunt you. Protect your investment with the time, thought, and documentation it deserves.

When evaluating vendors, ask:

• Will you facilitate full data migration with cleanup?
• Can the system be configured to fit our team’s workflows?
• What is the timeline, and how will you support our training?

Prepare and train your team early

Vendor-provided training is a non-negotiable. Product demos are just a highlight reel—your team needs to know exactly how to carry out their daily tasks. Plus, everyone learns differently, and everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to technology. Early training not only empowers your staff before go-live, but can also reduce resistance and increase adoption.

Look for a nonprofit CRM that includes multiple training formats:

• Individual or group
• Expert webinars
• Hands-on sessions
• Recorded tutorials

As a Development or Executive Director, remember: vendor resources provide a solid foundation for turning software into results and inspiring confidence during change.

Evaluate support alongside features

In fundraising, there are so many situations where your team will need answers fast. Imagine you’re days away from launching a GivingTuesday campaign, and your online donation forms are experiencing technical difficulties. You don’t have time to explain the nuances of year-end fundraising—you need someone who not only knows your system inside and out, but also knows the nonprofit sector like the back of their hand.

Look for a CRM vendor that offers:

• Phone, chat, and email support
• Nonprofit-specific expertise
• A strong user community

Support is your safety net. Having access to support staff who understand fundraising as well as technology makes all the difference.

Watch for budget traps and rigid contracts

Pricing is always a factor, but the fine print matters. The best nonprofit CRMs will earn your renewal through value, rather than locking you into a long-term contract, so watch out for multi-year contracts that limit flexibility and cost increases tied to record limits. Flexible pricing is a sign of confidence—in their product and your results.

Knowing how and when to choose a new nonprofit CRM is just as much about finding the right partner as it is about finding the right technology. The best system for your organization is the one whose values, track record, support, and resources align with your goals.