Every charity is founded from a passionate vision to improve a chosen area of society.
While a well-thought-out business plan is required to launch a charity just like any other organisation, in many cases, the scalable systems required to help a charity grow are rarely in place from the outset.
As the charity evolves, it’s common for charity staff to work from a range of systems that don’t communicate with each other. While this causes more work than is necessary, it can also lead to serious issues that could harm a charities relationship with donors.
A charity must spend every donated dollar responsibly. Reducing overall operational costs will help increase the return on the investment of the platform you choose.
Less manual output required
An integrated system reduces the workload for an already busy team. Rather than spending time updating multiple systems, integration means that the CRM is updated from website uploads and any data changes are consistently updated across the board.
Not only does this save time, but it also saves money and gives staff the luxury of more time to work on building the mission rather than manual handling of data.
Less room for human error
Mistakes cost dollars. Manually inputting data across many systems can easily mean that data is duplicated, entered incorrectly or important updates to details are missed.
When systems communicate with each other, data is often drawn from that which donors have uploaded themselves making it accurate and consistent across all programs.
Consistency across all communications
Consistency is one of the most effective ways to build a brand and ensure credibility with current and potential donors. Supporters want to hear from someone who knows them. If one piece of communication is addressed to the correct name and another is filled with errors or refers to a different name or title, it can confuse the recipient.
When systems are integrated, all details remain the same across all platforms to give supporters continuity in their experience with you.
Complete donor picture in one place
When using an integrated system, it’s much easier to get a complete donor snapshot. With the click of one button, you can see whether a donor has given online, responded to appeals, has communicated with the team or been involved in online community events. You can also get an overview of all communications and correspondence and run individual reports to find out exactly how you can help a donor reach their giving potential based on data.
This snapshot leads to more effective communication with a donor as it avoids the need to switch between systems mid-conversation to get information.
Build better relationships with supporters
Ultimately, integrated systems help a charity build better relationships with its donors which is the key to improving fundraising outcomes. Communication is seamless, errors are reduced, reporting is more specific and the donor-charity experience is enhanced when all information is held in one place and can be accessed and utilised quickly and efficiently.
SupporterHub is an integrated SaaS platform helping charities build better relationships with donors to improve fundraising outcomes. To find out about our FREE trial (no credit card required) and learn how SupporterHub can help take your charity to the next level, book a demo HERE today.
