For some time now, we’ve used a SugarCRM spin-off called InfoAtHand, hosted internally but available globally, as our Constituent Relation Managing software or CRM. We expect a lot of it. We not only use it to help us remember the addresses for new prospective recruits, but also as a holding tank for data about our current members, donors, vendors, and more. But, we’ve used it since 2006 or so without much modification and, frankly, we’re beginning to feel some pressure to switch. Some of the pieces have now gone south (like the connector to Microsoft Outlook, which we were using to transfer contacts to our smartphones). What’s more, with spam email saturating as much as 1/3 of all internet traffic, today’s spam filters are becoming stricter about what they allow through the pipeline. Nowadays, it’s more and more common that we invest hours on a particular report or bulletin, only to find out that it’s not reaching 1/3 to 1/2 of its intended audience because of a picky filtering system. So we probably need to link more effectively with one of the major email distributors like iContact, Constant Contact, or MailChimp (rather than use our CRM to send the mail out directly). We’re also doing more and more events, which prompted us to need an online solution for registration and online payments. This resulted in adding yet another component (we’re using Wild Apricot, but there are several other equally capable options). What’s more, our CRM lags behind in collaborative tools, so we’ve added Podio to the mix (and we love it, by the way) for team communication and file-sharing. And at the end of the day, the truth is, our workers are no longer jazzed about trying to tweak our SugarCRM spin-off into handling all the nuggets of information we want to keep about every single type of volunteer to whom we relate.
The bottom line is — we probably need to switch. (The pressure under the volcano is mounting. :-) ). So may I ask — what has worked for you? Have you found an affordable solution for tracking contacts in a team environment, cross-pollinated with event registration (without having to double-enter or import-export), interlaced with personnel information as well? Obviously, it should be secure, easy, and affordable.
We’re currently considering:
CiviCRM — http://www.civicrm.org (I fear it will be too technical?)
Donor Tools — http://www.donortools.com/ (no event management)
Non-Profit Easy — http://www.nonprofiteasy.com (seems most promising?)
Non-Profit DB — http://www.nonprofitdb.org (does this seem quirky?)
Your thoughts? Anybody have any experience with any of the programs I mention above? Any other options out there that seem more promising to you? Please use the comments below to clue us in on your best recommendations.
we like eTapestry (heavey duty version
We are getting ready to rollout Salesforce, as our new CRM.
I would also have you consider http://www.InfusionSoft.com
Their CRM is very robust AND good at automating follow-up, responders, etc. They are geared for small business and include discounts for non-profits like ours. We have two accounts, using them for all our Good Neighbor Insurance clients and also for the non-profit we started.
Costs have been very reasonable compared to all the other BIG CRM companies out there and much better service – Have a non-profit style of service/orientation.
Don’t let this name scare you, but we have used http://www.karmacrm.com for almost a year now for our business as mission company – hopecoffee.org – and our mission organization – caminoglobal.org – has used it for the recruiting database as well. It connects well with MailChimp, FormStack and other programs. It allows you to import AND export data AND create a backup for offline. It is reasonably priced and offers great service.
We are using Non Profit Easy http://www.nonprofiteasy.com/ and are very happy with this. It helped us clean up our data, streamline our data management, and integrates with our website. It is geared toward small to medium-sized non-profits and works well for events, volunteers, and membership.
I have no idea what we did before NonProfitEasy. NPE has transformed the way we do our work. We are working smarter, not harder. With website integration and now using the events module to it’s full capacity, we are getting all of what we need with NPE, and we can afford it. The support from the customer service team is amazing and personal. It is a powerful and necessary tool for non-profits of any size.
This isn’t in time to help your initial query, but for those searching the archives, I suggest Little Green Light. It’s very easy to use, but very robust and customizable. Huge amount of data definition, lots of excellent support. I’m a fan!!
http://www.littlegreenlight.com/
We have used tntmpd (put out by Campus Crusade) for several years now and find it to be quite useful. It syncs perfectly with Outlook and MailChimp, and our mission sends us a file we can import each month with donations that have come it – so we can keep updated on what is coming in and from whom.
And best of all, it is free.
http://www.tntware.com/tntmpd/