In recent years, charities have encountered notable challenges. The impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis has intensified demand for their services while simultaneously facing rising costs and funding reductions.

For many, the pursuit of increased capacity while managing escalating expenses is a constant struggle.

However, there is hope. Embracing digital solutions to modernise processes presents an opportunity to tackle these challenges by using technology for greater efficiency.

Digital tools offer a range of benefits, including amplifying fundraising efforts, fostering trust and transparency, and strengthening marketing and communications. With increased digital adoption, charities are better able to continue their vital work and meet the expectations of stakeholders.

Now more than ever, people who volunteer their time or donate to charitable causes want to understand how their contributions are making a difference. They care deeply about the causes they support and want to know about the outcomes achieved.

Yet different donor groups have varying expectations, which adds to a sense of urgency for organisations to modernise, especially as many charities face a squeeze on resources, despite rising demand for their services.

The changing face of fundraising

In an increasingly digital and connected world, charities must be relevant to a broad range of supporters and funders.

This means investing in technology, using data analytics, and streamlining processes. Yet many smaller organisations are making do with outdated CRM or attempting to work wonders with basic tools like Excel.

This results in a fractured landscape of solutions, patched-together manual processes, and custom workflows that create complexity and result in higher overhead costs as an organisation grows. The real danger is that their people get stuck maintaining legacy spreadsheets, bespoke solutions, antiquated software and processes that have grown along with them.

Data is crucial, allowing charities to track their progress and understand what is working and what isn’t to decide where best to allocate resources.

When data is unified, it can be easily accessed and understood. This allows you to uncover insights, increase your reach and make informed decisions about your fundraising, relationship-building, and social impact.

Embracing data to grow relationships

Using a centralised solution, you can capture the data to better understand and engage donors and constituents. You can see how supporters and donors interact with your emails, website and other content channels. You may spot patterns and trends in how they learn about your programs and prepare to give.

Data gives insights into your donors’ preferences, so you can tailor appeals and communications to resonate with them. Data also allows you to see how much and how often supporters interact with your organisation.

All of this information is important to maintain strong relationships with supporters. Organisations that don’t frequently communicate or only do so when asking for donations are less likely to grow a loyal and engaged supporter base.

Therefore, it’s essential to demonstrate effective use of your data by sharing relevant information with supporters at the right time.

Final thoughts

Data is a potent tool for organisations seeking to expand their supporter base and build strong relationships.

Using your data effectively can avoid common mistakes, like overloading donors with too much information or only communicating when asking for donations. Instead, data should be used to understand supporter interactions and preferences that will enrich communications.

Your supporters want to see evidence that your organisation is using data effectively. This starts with having a modern CRM solution that allows charities to strategically use complete data to measure impact, inspire engagement and earn trust through effective communication.

Our team has been helping charities succeed with CRM technology for over 20 years. Let us help you unlock value from your data to increase efficiency, grow donor relationships and advance your social purpose.

Contact us to discuss your requirements and receive advice from one of our CRM experts.