ARTICLE
3 Things A DRM Does That A Database Can’t
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Nonprofits focused on supporting the human services space often come up against a myriad of challenges. From the emotional labor tied to having to make major decisions for others to rampant burnout to a serious lack of training in technology, human services and social workers are in need. Especially the small to medium-sized nonprofits who may not have the budget or resources to afford and leverage larger-scale technology platforms to manage their donor and volunteer relationships.
While small to medium-sized human services organizations use both nonprofit databases and donor relationship management (DRM) solutions, there are three key things a DRM can provide that regular databases don’t. Nonprofits can benefit from the organizational capabilities native to both solutions, but DRMs can take human services organizations to the next level by offering features that directly address challenges within the industry, including personalization, targeted communications, dashboards, and reporting.
Decrease burnout by making data analysis accessible to all
Since the onset of COVID-19, one in five healthcare workers have quit their jobs. Burnout across industries is the result of too little resources and severe overextension of existing staff. It can take several years to train a truly empathetic, hard-working social worker, so retaining experienced employees is vitally important to ensure the industry is well staffed and can support the mission-critical work being done.
DRMs can automate many of the time-consuming tasks involved in fundraising, including donor research, segmentation, and communications. This frees up fundraisers to focus on more strategic tasks, like building relationships with major donors and developing new fundraising campaigns. DRMs also provide fundraisers with insights into their donors and fundraising campaigns that can help them make their jobs easier and more efficient.
Increase return on investment (ROI) for your fundraising more cost-effectively
Studies have shown that it can cost six to seven times as much to attract a new customer than to retain an existing one. The same concept goes for nonprofits and donors. Acquiring new donors is often costly and immensely time-consuming. Donor retention is a more cost-effective process and gives nonprofits access to a more reliable stream of funding.
DRMs provide fundraisers with a more holistic view of each donor, as well as deeper insights around engagement and generosity that a database doesn’t usually have the functionality or capability for. For example, a database can show you historical spikes in giving, but not necessarily why that spike happened. An effective DRM solution can uncover these events in real-time and surface them for your team—vs. someone needing to go looking for it. Using this information, fundraisers can create more targeted and engaging communications, leading to greater donor loyalty and support. This creates a better ROI for a nonprofit’s efforts, addressing organizational complexity to ensure more seamless growth.
Keep up with donors and volunteers all in the same place
Not only can human services nonprofits leverage a DRM to track progress on fundraising campaigns and grant applications in real-time, but they can also use them to keep up with both donors and volunteers following an event or campaign. This is crucial to maintaining long-term relationships and building crossover where your donors also become volunteers and vice versa.
Human services organizations, like many nonprofit cause types, are already strapped for time, resources, and people. So being able to take advantage of insights from an effective DRM—with the ability to encourage donors to volunteer and give volunteers the opportunity to donate—makes it easier to give supporters more ways to engage with the organization. These nonprofits can use information from their DRMs to better connect with donors and volunteers. This can make people more likely to keep giving and volunteering, leading to longer-lasting and more valuable relationships.
Don’t leave money on the table
A DRM will be one of the most essential tools in your nonprofit’s technology stack. As human services organizations continue to grapple with increasingly limited budgets, the need for a single technology platform that is cost effective and can do it all is paramount.
But don’t just take our word for it. Check out a few of our success stories to see how a DRM solution can serve your human services organization in the ways you need most:
See How Bloomerang Can Have a Bigger Impact on Your Mission!
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