There are throngs of nonprofits who are looking to change the way that they think about nonprofit CRM. We hear all kinds of motivators for switching CRM. They range from the ability to access information via mobile devices to simply being frustrated with vendors.
All of these are reasonable motivators. But here’s the thing about change – it takes work. It many cases it needs a change management framework. A migration to a new CRM system can create significant opportunities for your organization. You can position it in a way to actually get value out of the change…and lead the pack. However, without leveraging the inherent possibilities of new technology, your organization runs the risk of being trampled by the cost, effort, and frustration of an implementation.
Here are some of the things that gets us, at Build, most excited about the opportunities that a successful CRM migration can create for nonprofits:
CRM can change the way you work
CRM can strengthen and encourage collaboration, manage work, and help you better understand your constituents.
The operative word here is “help”. Your organization must identify the barriers to working in new ways, then put the might of the organization behind those changes.
How to Lead the Pack: Pilot improved collaboration among two groups that are already ripe for exploring new ways to work together, with CRM as a tool. Learn, improve, expand, and repeat.
CRM can maximize constituent relationships
Increasingly, CRM can serve as a platform to foster bi-directional communication with constituents, be it online communities, social media interactions, and outbound engagement. Nonprofits who are able to compliment engagement with the rich information contained within their CRM platforms are able to better able to understand and serve diverse constituent groups.
How to Lead the Pack: Look for opportunities for your CRM tool to help either create communities or join existing conversations with constituents. How can you modernize and use online tools to better engage with constituents.
CRM can simplify the technology landscape
Oftentimes, the push for a CRM migration is driven by people who think technology can change an organization. Build believes that Old Organization + New Technology = Expensive Old Organization. This said, there is an argument to made for simplifying the number and complexity of systems used to track constituents.
How to Lead the Pack: Use the opportunity generated by system simplification to start conversations. What are the non-technical benefits of simplification? Can you get a more holistic understanding of your constituents, for example?
Many nonprofits continue to hope that changes in technology will lead to transformation at their organization. At Build Consulting, our experience has shown hoping technology will change organizations rarely works. Finally, if you want to lead the pack, and not get trampled by the burdens of implementing new software, you have to view the implementation as more than just switching technology.
Need More Expertise?
Are you looking for an assessment and roadmap to ensure your organization is considering your business needs to software investments with long-term strategic value? Or perhaps you’re ready to have a conversation about a software selection process? Learn more about our Nonprofit Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) solutions here. Whatever your nonprofit technology consulting needs, Build is here to help.
