What is a CRM for Nonprofits?

“How do I choose a nonprofit CRM?” At first glance, this may seem like a simple question, but choosing a customer relationship management system (CRM) is a big decision for any nonprofit. With an overwhelming number of options and budget limitations, choosing the best nonprofit CRM software for your organization can be quite a daunting task. Although it might be tempting, you should avoid letting your search for the right-fit CRM system fall by the wayside. Also, don’t settle for “just okay.” Your nonprofit organization deserves the best CRM available so you can continue to better your communities and the world. A CRM platform is a critical component of any nonprofit organization’s tech stack because it streamlines your ability to connect with your donors and the communities you serve. 

Since a CRM system is such a vital part of technology services for nonprofits, we decided to put together this guide to explain how CRM software works, describe nonprofit CRM features, and list some of the best free CRM for nonprofits. 

What Does a CRM Do For Nonprofits?

CRM software platforms help nonprofit organizations track and manage their relationships with all of their contacts including donors, volunteers, and various additional supporters. CRMs are extremely powerful and complex systems and have the ability to integrate with many other types of tools. This means CRM systems can help with tasks like managing volunteers, planning events, and sending out mass email messages. Although there are endless possibilities to what you can accomplish with the right CRM system, we’ve picked our top 3 nonprofit CRM features to give you a taste of what CRM software can do for you. 

1. Keep all of your information organized 

Manually updating multiple spreadsheets filled with contact information and other important data is overwhelming, time-consuming, and leaves too much room for error. Using a CRM system allows you to store all of your data in one place and easily update that information so that everything is as accurate as possible. CRMs also have the ability to create many useful reports that give you insight into your organization’s overall performance, which is especially useful when it comes to managing your nonprofit’s finances. 

2. Connect with your target audience 

Any CRM’s primary function is to manage donors, but the best nonprofit CRM systems allow you to gain direct and targeted insights into your donor’s behaviors and their interactions with your organization. For example, many CRM systems allow you to develop donor profiles that catalog and track data such as: event attendance, social media interactions, phone calls, and more. Collecting and organizing this data keeps you informed and gives you a more in-depth picture of your donor’s unique experience. 

3. Keep your team on track and save time 

One of the most appealing aspects of using a CRM system is that it can automate mundane and time consuming tasks. This allows your team to focus on more high-level operations that cannot be completed by software like attending and managing events and getting out into the community. CRM systems can automate tasks like sending follow up emails or generating donation reports. 

Which CRM is Best for Nonprofits?

Although choosing the best CRM really depends on your organization’s specific needs, we’ve listed some of our favorite paid CRM platforms for nonprofits. 

• Salsa Labs CRM 

Salsa Labs is a top-ranked fundraising CRM system built specifically for nonprofits. Salsa Labs main goals are to streamline your donor data, optimize your fundraising strategy, and personalize your outreach. Some of Salsa Lab’s features include: 

Integrating with other platforms, like Salesforce

Creating donor profiles

Tracking donations

Managing grants

How much does Salsa Labs cost? Salsa’s pricing is based on an organization’s specific needs

• Virtuous CRM 

Virtuous is the first responsive fundraising CRM platform. Virtuous was made to help nonprofits build better donor relationships and increase their impact. Some of Virtuous’ features include: 

• Customizable donation and registration forms
• Marketing and process automation features
• Data-driven donor insights
• Social media insights

 How much does Virtuous cost? Virtuous plans start at $350 a month. 

• Salesforce for Nonprofits 

The Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack turns the Salesforce business platform into a Constituent Relationship Management system for nonprofits. Salesforce’s Nonprofit Success Pack provides extensive pre-built constituent and donor management components. Some benefits of Salesforce for nonprofits include: 

• Enter large volumes of income data 
• Capture all your income data in one place
• Gain insights with key performance metrics on any device

How much does Salesforce for nonprofits cost? The Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack pricing starts at $48 a month.

Is There a Completely Free CRM?

Yes, there are free CRM systems available! Organizations like Bloomerang CRM and CiviCRM CRM can provide you with some of the most basic and vital features of a CRM system. We actually discuss free CRM platforms for nonprofits at length in our “Best free CRM for Nonprofits” article. However, the downside to using a free CRM platform is that you miss out on a lot of the comprehensive features that come along with many of the paid platforms, like we mentioned above. At Computers in Ministry (CIM), we partner with you to help find the right tools that minimize spending but maximize efficiency.

Computers in Ministry: Tech Partners Dedicated to Building a Better Future

At CIM, we understand that we’re all in this together. We want to partner with your organization and provide you with efficient and affordable tech solutions so you can continue to make an impact in your community.We will get your nonprofit set up with the tech you need to accelerate your mission. Reach out to us today.