Needed capacities or functions - Fundraising and Marketing
In addition to general legal information available on a statewide website, the organization itself should have a compelling web presence that includes:
description of what services the program offers;
information about volunteer and donation opportunities, as appropriate;
ability to donate online; and
uses a modern content management system to enable staff to update the website quickly and easily.
Should an organization use social media, it should have a strategy on how to use social media to reach out to different target audiences, such as potential supporters, volunteers, and donors.
Electronically track each donor's contact information, donation, and contact history if the organization has individual donors.
Ability to generate reliable reports of donors that meet specific criteria, such as a donor's interests and giving history.
Generation of letters, reports, and other appropriate documents.
Important Considerations and Best PracticesConsider using a Customer Relationship Management ("CRM") system to track donor contacts and history. CRMs like Salesforce, CiviCRM, Raiser's Edge, and DonorPerfect are explicitly developed for nonprofit fundraising, and many also have features to manage volunteer contacts and activities. For CRM applications, critical requirements would include:
If using a CRM, it should integrate with the accounting system and become a subsidiary ledger so that all grants, donors, and money received go to CRM, then flow to the accounting system. Useful websites, resources, and other tools |