Why implementing a charity CRM isn't one-size-fits-all.

Your charity isn’t just the same as any other; it’s a unique organisation with its own goals, processes and, well, quirks. That’s why a Donorfy-led, in-house implementation has been game-changing for so many of our customers. It’s not just about moving data from point A to point B; it’s about crafting a solution that fits like a glove, tailored to your needs.

It's All About The Right Questions

Experience is key here. While most in-charity fundraisers will implement one or two systems during their career, our implementation consultants have been behind countless more, for charities of all sizes and missions. Beyond your consultant lies a vast network of support too, a team of experts ready to swoop in and lend a hand whenever you need it.

Take Duncan, for instance, our Customer Success Manager with a background in fundraising at Help for Heroes and other smaller charities. He brings a deep understanding of both the technical aspects of Donorfy and the intricacies of fundraising to the table. 

Tailoring Donorfy to a charity's needs isn't just about checkboxes and configurations,” Duncan says. “It's about asking the right questions to unearth the charity's unique challenges, goals and workflows. More often than not, that uncovers things charities hadn’t even considered.”

This personalised strategy ensures the implementation isn't just a replication of past processes, but a journey towards unlocking the full potential of Donorfy, and optimised operations and enhanced impact long term.

Curious about the questions you might be asked? Here’s a couple to get you thinking.

• What’s the single greatest impact you’re hoping to achieve by moving to Donorfy?
• What data do you currently hold that you don’t make the best use of?

The Power of Collaboration

Now, you might be wondering, “Why do we need to be involved? Can’t Donorfy just handle everything?” Here’s the truth: nobody is a bigger expert about your charity than you. You bring the context and the nuance. For the best bespoke results, the team needs to spend time talking to you; getting to know your charity.

Why? Tailoring Donorfy to suit your needs not just for today, but for the seasons to come. It’s easy to focus on the here and now, and how to house current data, but helping us understand how you’ll use Donorfy in the future is critical. 

Also, when you’re involved every step of the way, you’re not just a spectator; you’re a co-creator. You help shape the system to fit your workflows, reporting needs and supporter engagement strategies - all from the get-go.

Overall, our onboarding process was very smooth, and that was down to Duncan and his team.” said Clare Sulley, Operations and Finance Manager at Child.org. “The pressure and responsibility of switching CRMs is great, but having the team guide us through it relieved that pressure and gave us the confidence to start using Donorfy to transform our organisation's record keeping.”

Addressing Misconceptions

There’s misconceptions about CRM implementations, the main offender being 

they’re always laborious, time-consuming and should be dreaded by all involved. You should be pleased to hear though, that implementation timelines can be surprisingly short. 

On the Acorn package, for example, charities can go from project kick-off to being live on Donorfy within just four weeks. While more complex projects will naturally need additional time, the notion that CRM implementations need to be lengthy isn’t quite right.

The perception that all migrations are complex and stressful isn’t true either. Well, not when you have an expert to make it a whole lot less daunting.

With Graham’s expertise it was a really smooth implementation, and you hear so many disaster stories of poorly implemented CRMs - CRMs that never totally make it and wasted money and time.” adds Nigel Hall, Operations Director at LICC. “Before he joined Donorfy, Graham worked for an organisation that was similar to ours so he knew exactly what we were trying to achieve. Graham was superb.”

Finally, let's touch on the cost of implementation. Believe it or not, no banks need to break. We’ve set prices into packages based on the amount of data being migrated, offering stability, fairness and transparency. No ups and downs of day rates - you're paying for the overall outcome, and nothing else.

Branching Out for Future Growth

So, whether you’re still deciding how to implement your new CRM, or gearing-up for your implementation, remember this: It’s not just about the destination; it’s about the path you take to get there. In-house implementation shouldn’t just be ticking off checkboxes and configurations; it’s about enablement, ownership and long term transformation. 

It’s about building for purpose, one tailored solution at a time.

So, if you can’t see the wood through the trees, it’s worth checking out our tree packages🌳