All of us agree that there are some very fundamental differences between regular businesses and organizations that are not-for-profit. Whereas one deals with clients and suppliers, the non-profit works with government, clients, donors and volunteers. A good not-for-profit CRM solution can boost donor retention rates very significantly
Non-Profits have different needs
Any business needs a CRM solution to manage its relationships with its clients and customers and to make the interactions with them efficient. However, because non-profits are different from businesses that are run for profit, a CRM solution that works with traditional businesses will just not do for non-profit organizations. This is why a new genre of CRM solutions is now making its presence felt. Welcome to the Microsoft CRM for Non-Profits.
Microsoft calls this solution an “NGO Accelerator” and that is what it is. Tailored completely to non-profit use, the solution ensures that “donations”, “relationships” and “members” can all be accommodated in the software to ensure that the organization runs smoothly and effectively.
A non-profit CRM also caters for activities such as ‘group activity’, managing volunteers and case management. These are all events and activities that traditional businesses may not need to handle but they are the very life blood of an NGO.
With a CRM solution that is built specifically for NGOs, you can handle issues such as member recruitment, follow up on pledges and keep track of constituents.
Getting Microsoft CRM for Non-Profits
Since there is a large discount available to non-profits, Microsoft has laid down a number of conditions that need to be met before a company can qualify. Before you begin planning for a non-profit version of Microsoft CRM, check that you quality. In general, you have to be a registered non-profit (besides the US, Microsoft considers non-profits in 15 other countries to be eligible). In some cases, even public libraries may qualify but most formal educational institutions and healthcare organizations are not.