CRM for non-profit organisations

It might not be instantly obvious why CRM systems have proved popular for non-profit organisations and charities.

The terminology of a 'non-profit' organisation can be somewhat misleading. After all, non-profit organisations still have to pay their staff, rent office space, pay the bills and meet targets. In other words, they still have to make money.

And, more often than not, they're under just as much pressure to do so as 'for-profit' businesses.

The primary difference lies in what they're able to do when they make that money. While for-profit organisations are free to use the money they make as they wish, not-for-profit organisations must either hold profits and/or invest them back within the organisation.

So, with the line between profit and non-profit organisations becoming more blurred in recent times, why have non-profit organisations been one of the biggest investors in CRM systems?

Non-profit organisations can cover an increasingly wide spectrum, but for many the first thought when the words 'non-profit organisation' are uttered is of a Charity, or of an organisation that is looking to contribute something to society, for no personal gain.

Either way, non-profit organisations often rely on goodwill and donations in order to achieve their goals and continue to make progress.

It's no surprise therefore, that non-profit organisations need to maintain relationships with the people that are supporting them. One way to do this is by tailoring your communication and output to individual prospects and leads, so they are always receiving (free) information that is useful to them.

It is utilising the practices of Lead Nurturing and Lead Scoring at a time when people are taking longer than ever to decide on considerable purchases.

These practices are essential for charities, and non-profit organisations, who need to know who is giving them money and where they want that money to go.

If tailoring output  to an individual prospect/lead/client is something that businesses who sell B2B or B2C products would like to do, it is something that non-profit organisations simply must do.

If an organisation is reliant on donations, they need to understand their donors, and the way to do this is to centralise data and information in one system.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is something that allows non-profit organisations to see who is giving them money, where they want to see it spent and how they're responding to company-released information, which will tell them if they're likely to become a regular donor.

Though the concept is slightly different to a product-based 'selling' business, a non-profit organisation can use Microsoft CRM in a similar way; classifying leads into three types, and tailoring their output accordingly.

With such an easy way of ensuring that everyone is getting exactly what they want, it starts to become clear to see why Microsoft CRM has become such a hit with non-profit organisations all over the world.

After all, when you're offered something that can improve your organisation and that has the tools in-place to keep everyone happy, why would you ever turn it down?

Sound interesting? Why not call us for a no oblication, free chat and to explore in further detail how Microsoft CRM for non-profit organisations can boost your effectiveness.

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it's easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.