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One of the most common questions I get from nonprofits is how to decide whether or not they really need Salesforce. I spoke with Alexandra Mannerings last week on her podcast, Heart, Soul & Data, about how to pick the right tech stack for your nonprofit. This inspired today’s episode of The Technopath Way.

While Salesforce is a robust and customizable tool, it may not be the best fit for every organization. I also dive into a few alternatives I’ve heard about throughout my years working with nonprofits.



My episode on Heart, Soul & Data: https://heartsouldata.com/ep-4...



“Salesforce might be a good fit for us” Checklist:

* We need to track donations and donor information
* We need to track our activity
* We need integrations with PayPal/Stripe
* We need to track event registration
* We need to send mass emails and texts
* We need to track custom information specific to our organization
* Our organization has unique needs
* Our organization wants custom automation
* Want to use it as a donor engagement/nurturing tool
* You have a designated data base administrator (someone who is in charge of taking care of and in putting data) on staff



“Salesforce might NOT be a good fit for us” Checklist:

* Only tracking gifts, contacts, email and text messages
* Your cause fits within a specific niche that has specific CRMs (example: a church, there are dedicated CRMs for churches that are designed to satisfy the unique needs only religious institutions would need to track)
* If you do not have a designated data base administrator (DBA) on staff. You absolutely need someone on your staff in charge of your data base if you are going to get Salesforce.



Great alternatives for very small nonprofits (small budget, no DBA)

* Little Green Light - https://www.littlegreenlight.c...
* Aplos - https://www.aplos.com
* Neonone - https://neonone.com
* Bloomerang - https://bloomerang.co
* Donor Perfect - https://www.donorperfect.com
* Social Solutions - https://www.socialsolutions.co...
* Hubspot for Nonprofits - https://www.hubspot.com/nonpro...
* Blackbaud/Raiser’s Edge - https://www.blackbaud.com/prod...