Unless you have got been hiding under a rock for the last 18 months, you'll know that in just a matter of weeks, GDPR comes into full effect.

Charities are working round the clock to create sure that their houses are so as when it involves gaining consent from their donors for his or her marketing activities. Whilst many are seeing GDPR as a threat, we encourage our clients to embrace the changes and to work out them as a chance to confirm that their data is clean going into a replacement twelvemonth.

Whilst charities target gaining consent for communications, it's vital that they are doing not overlook another important aspect of GDPR which focuses on how data is held. this can be a vital component in becoming GDPR compliant. you must document what personal data you hold, where it came from, and who you share it with.

We have worked with many purchasers whose donor information has persisted a series of EXCEL spreadsheets or within a bespoke ACCESS database and who are now recognizing the requirement to maneuver to a secure and purpose-built CRM system that's not only suited purpose but will help them to fundraise “better and smarter.”

It is now a requirement for organizations who undertaken certain activities regarding data to use a knowledge Protection Officer. it's they who will ultimately be responsible on a day-to-day basis for ensuring that you simply are fully compliant. This alone shows the importance of creating sure you're ready for these changes.

If you're one in every one of the various charities who are now within the marketplace for a CRM system and don't know your Raisers Edge from your ThankQ or your DonorPerfect from your Donorfy then this guide should be of use.

Where Your Data is Held

One of the key features of GDPR is that the physical location of your data. The regulations state that as a UK organization, your data must be held within North America. you will be one of all the various charities that possess an in-house server that contains your data. If on the opposite hand you're looking to carry this information along with your CRM provider then this can be something in reality in mind. this can be to not say however that you simply should disregard a supplier that's based outside of North America. as an example, Blackbaud (Raisers Edge NXT/tapestry / Blackbaud CRM) and DonorPerfect are both US-based companies but they buy Privacy Shield, essentially a bridge “designed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and therefore the North American Commission and Swiss Administration to produce companies on each side of the Atlantic with a mechanism to go with data protection requirements when transferring personal data from North America to us in support of transatlantic commerce.”

Access to the Database

How will your employees access the data? this is often something to think about because it will prompt you to make your mind up whether to travel for a cloud-based CRM where you'll be able to simply check in with a username and password from any internet-enabled computer or tablet or one that must be downloaded and installed onto a tool. Some providers, like DonorPerfect, even have a mobile app that may be downloaded after you must access information on the go.

CRM (Constituent Relationship Management) Vs Fundraising

What does one want your “constituents” to try to do so as to support your organization? Are you focussing more on individual giving, volunteering, advocacy, or trusts and foundations? The answers you give will facilitate you to barter the array of solutions that are currently on the market.

Some platforms focus more on maintaining the “relationship” whereas others have more of a stress on donation handling, appeals and campaigns.
Gift Aid and GDPR

It is estimated that around $3bn was given to charities in Gift Aid last year with over 52% of donors saying “yes” to Gift Aid on their donations (Source: CAF North America Giving Report 2017). the method for claiming Gift Aid may be cumbersome if you're manually completing the HMRC form online. Nowadays, most fundraising CRM systems have a link to HMRC’s Gift Aid claim portal allowing you to easily download your eligible donations and submit the claim directly through the system. they'll even flag errors like incorrect address formats to permit you to correct them before submission.

Donorfy encompasses a great feature that can automatically flag any qualifying donations and permit you to submit the claim to HMRC on a monthly basis at the touch of a button.

GDPR – Consent

This is vital! Any CRM worth its salt will have an in-built consent function. Blackbaud released their add-on back in mid-February as did DonorPerfect. Donorfy has had one since it had been launched. in a very nutshell, you would like to be ready to record, for purposes of GDPR, how your donors wish to be contacted (if at all). Do they require to be emailed about fundraising? Do they not want to be contacted by post at all? Have they signed up for the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS)? Can they be contacted under “legitimate interest?” As an organization, you would like to be confident that you just are only chatting with the supporters who wish to be spoken to and this information must be evidenced and available upon request.
Integrations

The chances are…there’s an app for that!

If you choose to travel with a Blackbaud product then you may find that almost all of the available integrations come from third-party developers although Raisers Edge does have its own in-built event module. this may provide you with the pliability to choose and choose which integrations you'd prefer to use but will presumably incur additional charges.

If on the opposite hand you favor getting a system where the integrations are already hard coded into the software then you'll wish to think about either Donorfy (current integrations include Quickbooks, Mailchimp, JustGiving, MS Outlook, Eventbrite, Stripe, and Go Cardless) or DonorPerfect (integrations include Quickbooks, Constant Contact, Weblink and MS Outlook).

Gift Batching

This is pretty standard across most CRM systems but that’s to not say that it comes as standard. If you have got never worked with a fundraising CRM before then you'll find this protects you an outsized amount of your time when recording donations. If you've got ever launched an outsized scale appeal and have faced the daunting prospect of getting to

record each donation individually then having the flexibility to batch your donations and upload them in one fell swoop is priceless, leaving you with longer to secure that next major gift.

Donor Acknowledgement

Again, this is often a typical function amongst most CRMs but is worth checking before you create your judgment. Raisers Edge will allow you to come up with merged thanks letters through MS WORD then mark the donation as acknowledged, reckoning on the donor’s preference. Donorfy’s thanking is fully integrated within the system allowing you to print letters and send emails directly through the CRM.

Reporting

For any organization, having the ability to simply provide complex reports and analysis on activities is crucial. Most CRMs on the market provide a pre-loaded suite of commonly used reports for financial purposes. These can either be viewed within the CRM itself or exported to an integrated piece of software like EXCEL. Each CRM contains varying reporting capabilities and counting on your requirements it's worth taking the time to make sure that the system you select has the reporting functionalities your organization requires.

Support

How many people consider the support function until they really need it? after you have a deadline to satisfy and you just cannot pull the data you need. When something goes wrong and you can’t see a way to fix it. once you just need that extra support so as to finish a basic task. we've all been there which is why searching the support mechanisms earlier may prevent time and money within the future.

Raisers Edge treats a ticketing network where you'll be able to track your tickets and escalate them supported importance as do ThankQ. They even have telephone support if the matter is of the utmost urgency.

Donorfy also runs a ticketing web but also provides online support with step-by-step guides through their knowledge domain.

If DonorPerfect is your preferred system then you'll be able to cash in of their live online chat with a member of their support team but this is often only available to customers within North America from 2 pm, Monday, and Friday and is commonly closed during US holidays.

Multi-Currency Capabilities
Are you a multi-national organization? does one require the power to record donations in multiple currencies? Many CRMs can incorporate this functionality but watch out for additional costs.
Donorfy & Raiser’s Edge Pricing

Ultimately, everything boils right down to cost. As an organization but perhaps more importantly, as a charity, are you able to afford the software? On the flip side, are you able to afford to not make the investment?

Nowadays you may find that the majority of cloud-based suppliers treat a value per constituent basis (with unlimited licenses for you and your team) whereas pre-installed solutions have a value per license pricing model. Salesforce NPSP is currently offering ten free licenses but watches out for additional costs.

The length of contracts also varies from provider to provider.

Donorfy Essentials package is free for up to 500 constituents. The Professional package starts at $89pcm. Donorfy full list. there's also a choice to try before you get with a 14-day free trial.

DonorPerfect starts at $129pcm for the Express package which incorporates your first 2,500 records. DonorPerfect full list.

There is a variety of GDPR compliant CRM’s available on the market-specific for charities. Donorfy and Raiser’s edge are the two main players within the industry and there are often many comparisons between donor perfect vs raiser’s edge as they're both leading fundraising CRM’s.