THINKING ABOUT ADOPTING NEW DONOR MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE? HERE S A CHECKLIST OF 12 MUST-HAVES

Transcription

1 THINKING ABOUT ADOPTING NEW DONOR MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE? HERE S A CHECKLIST OF 12 MUST-HAVES WHY DO YOU NEED DONOR MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE? Ask any nonprofit leader what their organization needs most and the resounding answer will likely be: Time and money. Wouldn t it be great if there was a user-friendly, cost effective tool to help charities and nonprofit organizations save valuable time and cut costs? Happily, it exists! Donor management software helps nonprofits conserve resources and supports better relationships with donors. Choosing the right donor management tool can help your nonprofit raise more money for your worthy cause. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE? With so many different types of fundraising and donor management software available, it can be difficult to narrow down what s best for your organization. The first step in deciding which software to choose is to determine your organization s needs. A quick needs assessment can be done by answering the 5 W s. WHO are you trying to support (employees, donors, volunteers)? WHERE will you use it (on the go, in the office)? WHAT WHEN functionality do you need to support them? will you use this software (i.e. before/ after Giving Tuesday, specific campaigns, year-round, all of the above)? WHY do you need it (i.e. what problems are you looking to solve with fundraising software)? 1

2 WHEW, IT S A LOT TO CONSIDER! That s why we ve created the following check list of must-haves in any donor management software to help put you on the right track: 1. INTEGRATION: When you re ready to adopt donor management software, powerful integration is important. Tools that include online donation functionality and seamlessly incorporate established platforms such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, QuickBooks, etc. are invaluable. Does your donor management software incorporate other online donation tools and communication platforms, and if so, which ones? What additional costs are associated? What does the integration look like? 2. SECURITY: Online security is a top priority for nonprofit organizations. Your software technology should provide the highest level of Internet security available. Choose a provider that is PCI Level 1 Audited so you can rest easy knowing your donors information is protected. What security measures do you take to protect donor information? 3. MOBILE OPTIMIZATION: Today s technology allows us to work from almost anywhere! Why should your donor management software be any different? As a busy nonprofit professional you should be able to send personalized s, receive detailed reports, import data, and manage donation functionalities whether you re using a laptop, smartphone or tablet. Does your software operate on various types of mobile devices? Does your system include mobile messaging and social tools? 2 4. COMMUNICATION: Your software should give you a 360 degree view of your donors to help you to build personal relationships through vigorous communication tools. You ll need communication tools that allow you to segment donors, create donor personas, understand giving behaviors, and target groups of donors for specific campaigns. What type of tools does your software provide that allow me to identify, target and communicate with my individual donors? >

3 > 5. ANALYTICS: In addition to a complete communication solution, your platform should provide all the features necessary for comprehensive reporting on your constituents. Good donor management software has flexible and powerful query tools. You ll also need to easily export and update information in custom reports. Do you provide pre-set or customizable reports that I can modify for my organization? 6. CUSTOMIZATION: Whether you re an established nonprofit or a small grassroots organization, your software should accommodate your growing needs. Look for a solution that allows you to infuse your own brand identity in your s, reports and direct mailings. Can your platform s look and feel, branding, logo and content be customized? 7. IMPORTS, EXPORTS, AND ADD-ONS: No donor management software stands alone! It is most effective when combined with tools your nonprofit is already using. When you are ready to choose the software that is best for your organization make sure it can incorporate what s already working for you. For example, effective donor management software should allow you to import data from programs such as Outlook, Excel, FileMaker, etc. Additionally, it should let you export custom reports to the most common formats, and support add-ons such as Web Collect, Import Services, and more! Is your software compatible with third party add-ons and data management programs, and if so which ones? 3 8. IMPLEMENTATION: Perhaps one of the most important features of a fundraising platform is how easy it is to use and how quickly you can get started. Some of your employees may be experienced users of donor management software; others could be new to these types of technology. You ll need a solution that helps you hit the ground running. You also may not have the ability to budget time for a complicated implementation process that takes weeks, or even months! How long is the implementation process? How quickly can a typical user start using your platform? >

4 > 9. TRAINING AND SUPPORT: No matter how intuitive your donor management software is, the better you understand it, the more effective your fundraising will be! Look for a software provider that offers a personalized onboarding process with training options, an extensive online support library, ongoing technical support and on-demand How To videos. What type of training and user support does your platform provide? Is there phone support or is it online only? 10. VERSATILE: Your donor management software should be versatile enough to take on all your identified fundraising needs. What s most important to your organization? It could be donation and pledge management, SmartLists, comprehensive reporting, strong communication tools, or powerful third-party integrations. The donor management software you choose should meet all of your requirements! Don t settle for a partial fit. Can your donor management software application address all of my organization s identified needs? 11. UNLIMITED S: Donor management software often comes with a limit on the number of records you are allowed to have for free. Once you exceed a certain number, you will be charged additional fees. Is there a limit on how many s are included? 12. SOFTWARE AVAILABILITY: Given how globally widespread organizations are becoming, it's important to have software that can anticipate a mobile office. That's why it's wise to consider software that's located in the cloud rather than on individual computers. With a cloud-based donor management solution, you'll be able to access your files from anywhere, plus there will be more flexibility and collaboration for your staff. Is the donor management software located in the cloud, or do you have to download it? Are product updates and enhancements automatic in the cloud? 4

5 Everything you need to run your fundraising in one platform. galas seating charts mobile bidding registration teams branded customization Online Auctions Peer-to-peer and Giving Days easy export consolidated dashboard campaign reporting Custom Reporting Monthly Giving suggested donation amounts corporate matching recurring donations Donor Management Volunteer Management common donor profile reporting smart lists registration event search reporting What Panorama plan is right for you? PRO PREMIUM ENTERPRISE Custom reporting dashboard Peer-to-peer and project fundraising, giving days, and a donate button Online auctions, event seating, mobile bidding, and ticketing Everything Evrything in in Pro Pro p,l plus us: Donor management and volunteer Nonprofit portal CRM 360 Donor degree and volunteer view of your giving activity management Unlimited 360 degree records view of and your s giving activity Everything in Pro and Premium plus Fully white labeled peer-to-peer campaign and event pages Fully customized event registration, including multi-site events Dedicated account manager Want some extra help? Ask us about our 1:1 training options. Schedule a Talk to us: sales@frontstream.com or x1