How your not-for-profit can benefit from an online CRM

Over the last 20 years the not-for-profit (NFP) sector has changed significantly, with increasing competition for limited grant funds and greater compliance requirements. The needs of those served by NFP organisations have also become more complex, with members and donors requiring a greater range of services with clear and integrated planning for these services. This places pressure on NFPs to diversify their programs, do more with less and offer more services in more locations.

While this may seem overwhelming, a good customer relationship management (CRM) system should be able to provide NFPs with a solution for all of these areas and more, as outlined below.

Reduces costs

When well implemented, a CRM data management system will assist your NFP in reducing administration costs through greater efficiency of data management, improved data quality and reduced ongoing IT maintenance costs. In addition, most CRMs can manage document uploads, including scanned documents, allowing for a truly electronic data management system.

Provides stronger services

Implementing an online CRM provides an opportunity to create a common registry of stakeholders across the whole organisation. These contacts are entered once into the data system with multiple programs, support activities and case notes linked to their common record. This provides staff with a wider view of all services each contact is receiving. This removes information silos within an agency and allows staff to work more collaboratively across multiple programs, leading to more effective outcomes.

By storing all stakeholder information in one place, it opens up new opportunities for your organisation to develop intake systems, common care plans, reduce over-servicing and develop clear prioritisation of stakeholder needs. In addition, an effective data system will reduce time-consuming administrative tasks, allowing for more time for face-to-face stakeholder work for frontline staff.

Enables robust reporting

Online CRM data systems can provide you with on-demand, automated reporting for key government, funding body and governance reports. They should also provide your organisation with ad hoc reports to data mine your system on client demographics, service delivery levels, key performance indicators, worker performance and population stakeholder data. These features will reduce time pressures on managers when preparing reports, allowing them to focus on high-level roles within your organisation. Management will also have greater access to research data for advocacy, tender writing, service development and program planning.

Facilitates accessible data collection

Some database solutions are based on hardware that requires regular upgrading and ongoing maintenance, and is difficult to access when not in the main office. Alternatively, some solutions run different databases in different offices, which become very time consuming to combine for reporting purposes.

Online CRM data systems only require a computer with an Internet connection, and allow data to be used and collected from all offices, as well as on the road and at home.

All the data is stored in one database, ensuring there are no unnecessary administrative tasks generated as a result of data being in multiple locations, on multiple machines, in multiple formats.