As the issue of data protection becomes more important, Hugh Radojev discovers that the sector still has some learning to do on the issue of CRM Systems.
According to research undertaken by Fundraising Magazine for its annual Charity CRM Software Survey, the sector has a number of ‘favourite’ customer relationship management systems. Blackbaud’s eTapestry and Raiser’s Edge seemed to dominate the responses, with systems from Harlequin and Salesforce also well represented.
This week’s Fundraising First Thing conference on ‘How modern CRM can treat people as individuals’. With the eyes of politicians, the media and, perhaps most importantly of all the supporters, now focused squarely on fundraisers the issue of data and individual’s personal contact details are becoming increasingly important.
With one eye on the present and another on the future, Anthony Fawkes, a database consultant; Craig Beadle, digital and communications officer at Alcohol Concern and Alison Edwards, head of individual giving at the National Trust outlined their experiences with CRM systems. Here’s what we learned.
The sector as a whole still has a long way to go
Considering how important, even central, a CRM system should be to all fundraising organisations, it was clear from some of the delegates in the room that the sector as a whole still has a long way to go.
One delegate from a medium-sized eyesight charity said that his organisation’s current system does not register dates or times when supporters have made donations or have been contacted by the organisation.
This can only lead to obvious problems in terms of both the volume of contact that individuals could receive and is also likely to make compliance with future, EU data protection legislation nearly impossible.
Another delegate from a small, London-based organisation said that getting her team to buy into good CRM practices was nearly impossible. While there are certain protocols in place, she said that many people don’t follow them to the letter, or simply ignore them altogether.
At least two or three other delegates from small organisations said that volunteers from their organisations have the ability to log into their CRM systems and yet some have only rudimentary training in how to use it.
While this came from a small cross-section of the sector, it is fair to say that, particularly in smaller and medium-sized organisations, the sector still needs to do much more to be compliant with data protection legislation in the future.
Get those at the top to buy in to CRM
Implementing a new CRM system is a laborious and costly process, says Anthony Fawkes and it’s only going to work properly if the trustee board and senior management at the charity are completely committed to making it work.
“You need to get your key stakeholders involved in the whole process and not just for the minute. Get them caught up in what you’re trying to do today and what you’re looking to do in 12 months, 18 months, two years’ time from now.”
The backing of senior management may also make the often huge costs involved in implementing a new CRM system more “palatable” for your finance departments, says Fawkes.
“Particularly for smaller organisations, paying for a new CRM survey in one lump sum can be too big a cost base. If you’ve got committed stakeholders though, you can spread the cost out over monthly instalments, which might make it more palatable for your finance department.”
The for-profit sector has changed the way the public thinks about service
The way that for-profit companies deal with customers has completely changed the way that supporters expect to be treated by charity, says Alison Edwards. People now expect interactions to be personal, but also easy.
“Supporters want to be taken on a ‘journey’. They want personal and less formal communications, but with proper structure and content that is based on their behaviours, preferences and interests through their chosen channels.”
Edwards said that adopting up-to-date marketing techniques and having all of the relevant data in one CRM system was vital to improving supporter journeys.
Apathy is the hardest trait to change
Craig Beadle, who is currently working on implementing a Salesforce system at Alcohol Concern, said that almost any reaction from other staff members towards a new system can be overcome, except apathy.
“Apathy is one of the hardest things to shift. I’ve just been on a week-long, eight-hour-a-day Salesforce training course. What’s the first thing I hear when I get back in the office and mention we’re moving across? ‘Do we really need Salesforce?’ Yes, yes we do!”
Beadle also said that ‘future enthusiasm’ can be equally damaging. “When someone says they’re excited for something and they’ll do it ‘when they get time’, then you know they’ll never do something. There’s never time.”
A CRM system should be the centrepoint of an organisation
In far too many organisations, says Anthony Fawkes, too many different people have their own little spreadsheets with information on them. A good CRM system should have every piece of relevant information, from every part of the fundraising and data arms, stored as a sort of central repository.
“A CRM system should effectively be at the heart of everything that your organisation does. You shouldn’t be keeping information on different Excel spreadsheets littered about the office. Overlap that information onto the CRM, so that everyone with access to it can see.”
