Data-driven fundraising with Dynamics 365

After the summer of 2021, it was quite a shift for operational director Fundraising Geert-Jeroen Klootsema and his team. Suddenly, there was the news that the current CRM system would no longer be supported in the short term. Thus, the national department of the Salvation Army quickly began a search for a new CRM specialist.

'We quickly drafted a minimal viable product: what do we minimally need to keep our business running?' Klootsema reflects. 'At the same time, it was an opportunity to look ahead: what steps do we want to take as the Fundraising department to be future-proof? This was the ideal moment to review our business processes and, where necessary, redesign them to better support our work.'

Optimal customer journey

For the Fundraising department of the Salvation Army, a future-proof CRM system is indispensable. 35 million of its revenue comes from donors. This ensures that these givers contribute to the Salvation Army being able to do what it has been good at for decades: providing help to those who need it most. They deserve an optimal 'customer journey' and thus a CRM system that facilitates this at the highest level. From the first customer contact to follow-up and further financial settlement: all contact moments must come together, with ease for both the customer and the employee.

The same language

With these wishes, the Salvation Army explores the market. After a short but intensive process, the choice falls on CRM specialist Axelio, formerly Pixelzebra, and its solution based on Microsoft Dynamics 365. The mutual connection is decisive, Klootsema explains. 'Ultimately, it's about people. The employees of Axelio speak our language and understand what we need. We can tell that they are specialists who can help us further.'

Also nice: globally, the Salvation Army works with Microsoft technology. The solution from Axelio thus aligns with all operational systems within the organization. Klootsema: 'That is a nice bonus, but the cultural fit we have experienced since our introduction has been decisive. That is the basis for building something beautiful together.'

Foundation

This journey starts in 2022 with the establishment of a new CRM foundation. 'Our work depends on good relationship management,' says Klootsema. 'And that starts with a good setup of systems and processes. Together with Axelio, we reviewed those. We also held up a mirror to ourselves: how can we improve processes? We eliminated the clutter so that the new system would better support our work.'

Getting the complete donor administration in order is one thing, optimizing relationship management is another. Here comes the future-oriented desire to work more data-driven into play. 'If people are satisfied with the way we serve them, they remain connected to us longer,' Klootsema explains. 'Insights based on data help with that. If you know that a colleague had email contact with a donor the day before yesterday, and answered a question via social media yesterday to the same person, you can build a better relationship.'

360-degree view

The solution that has emerged from the needs of the Salvation Army consists, in addition to Microsoft Dynamics 365, of Social Matters, a central system that brings together donor administration, a payment platform, and smart marketing tools. It provides the opportunity to fully visualize donors from the very first contact moment. By gaining insight into when donors want to receive which information, Social Matters makes it possible to strengthen the relationship.

And it turns out that three months after the go-live (early 2023) of the new system, it is already bearing fruit. Klootsema: 'We now have a 360-degree view of our relationships, whether they are major donors in the business sector or individual donors. This allows us to monitor their customer journey and manage and strengthen the relationship based on those insights. Much more data-driven, indeed.'

Efficiency boost

The execution of (tele)marketing campaigns, complete with selecting donors and processing results, is also integrated with the new system. 'We have made a significant efficiency gain in data conversion,' says Klootsema. 'What we have now brought together in the system is comprehensive. It is truly a complete relationship management system.'

For end users, this takes some getting used to, but they are already seeing the benefits. 'Someone who used to only handle the telephone processing of donor administration now sees the entire customer journey before them. That requires training and explanation of why we have taken these steps. Employees are already experiencing the efficiency and are happy about it. That contributes to job satisfaction. They understand that the customer benefits from these developments: they want to be helped as quickly and well as possible. Working more data-driven increases the connection.'

Further development

The new system is ready for further development. Klootsema: 'The Microsoft platform offers so many possibilities. There are plenty of opportunities for the future. The beauty of our partnership with Axelio is that we discover together what is valuable for our organization. We are making progress every week.'

This does not always go without a hitch, but it is based on a strong partnership. 'We work as one team, with a lot of trust in each other,' says Klootsema. 'Our organization is complex and extensive. We have had to overcome multiple challenges during the implementation process of the new system. It was a process of give and take, sometimes clashing and rubbing. Lots of laughter, sometimes a figurative tear. But in all openness and honesty towards each other, we have achieved a beautiful success together. Our organization has been further helped, and Axelio will have broadened its knowledge.'

Involvement

Even now that the system is live, the Fundraising team of the Salvation Army experiences a high level of involvement from the CRM specialists at Axelio. Klootsema: 'They are very eager to continue building with us. The contact between the people in our organizations is very pleasant, and the collaboration so far has made an impression on both parties. We launched and celebrated the go-live together. That makes us want more.'

The goal is clear: 'To work more data-driven and thus place the customer even more at the center. Less waste of time and energy, resulting in better customer contact.'