# CRMs: 18 top tips on using a fundraising CRM - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/01/18/tips-on-crms/ - Published: 2021-01-18T10:44:32+00:00 - Author: Howard Lake **UK Fundraising’s readers and followers have joined in this months’ focus on choosing and using a CRM to support their fundraising.**   We asked them to share their best tip on using a fundraising CRM. ## Advertisement   Add your tip in the comments below.       https://twitter.com/StuartChell/status/1350929535836028928       https://twitter.com/johngreenn/status/1350929962950414337       > CRM’s can provide joined up systems with integrations into web forms and popular > third party websites such as Mailchimp, JustGiving, etc. This will drastically > reduce the need for mainual data entry. > — Daniel Raphael (@Danielraphael1) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/Danielraphael1/status/1350931222197919745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Your CRM is only as good as the users. Remember a good database is about the relationships > data. Embed, grow and lead a culture of "everything goes on the database" and > everything else will start to fall into place. > — Sarah Goddard (she/her) (@FundraiserSarah) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/FundraiserSarah/status/1350936655616765956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Data structures and data quality are essential for making a CRM useful. The outputs > have to be reliable and trustworthy to be effectively used in fundraising. > — Roger Swannell (@rogerswannell) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/rogerswannell/status/1350941862077620229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Consistency in entry and use make it easy for your staff teams to access and use > and show them how > — Marion Currie (@LesandJonsMum) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/LesandJonsMum/status/1350942107041751048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Ensure that all staff (not just fundraising colleagues) fall in ‘love’ with the > CRM. They need to understand how it impacts on their work & ultimately makes their > job easier. > — Michelle Boakes she/her (@MichelleBoakes) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/MichelleBoakes/status/1350943129692753921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > A CRM, no matter its functionality or whistles & bells, will not fix systemic > development issues. Really thoughtfully, carefully, strategically determine what > goals are & how the CRM supports those. Don't base goals off of what a CRM can > do. > — T. Clay Buck, CFRE (@tclaybuck) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/tclaybuck/status/1350943438351511552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > My top is to think of it as much, much more than a way of recording transactions. > Your most valuable assets are your relationships. Use your CRM to support and > track how you manage them. Use it to produce reports that get buy in for this > from leadership. > — Teresa Forgione (@TeresaMForgione) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/TeresaMForgione/status/1350944313358876672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Also, it is far, far better to invest in training & revising your processes w/ > a new system up front. In my experience, people easily learn bad habits & leap > into workarounds. 'Have a play & get to kmow it' is good, too much reliance on > that leads to old problems in new CRMs > — Teresa Forgione (@TeresaMForgione) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/TeresaMForgione/status/1350945912449851398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Leverage your CRM to further good marketing. Segment your audiences, create content > that is specific to their interests, and generate it on frequent and regular basis. > Track engagement in your CRM so your users can integrate it into their one-to- > one efforts. > — Inga Broerman (@IngaBroerman) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/IngaBroerman/status/1350944517562761221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Know what u want ur core customer experience & customer journeys to be and ensure > your system can deliver…too often i have been told we couldn't do something because > the system wouldn't allow it…so we were led by the tech not the CX also good data > in = good data out > — Nix 💙 (@nix6573) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/nix6573/status/1350944662564040707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > 1) If you cannot sketch on a piece of paper what's your view of supporter is and > what journey you would like to take with them there is no CRM that will solve > it for you [https://t.co/aWT0ysJ9G9](https://t.co/aWT0ysJ9G9) > — Franki (@FrancescoAm) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/FrancescoAm/status/1350949375950905344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > 2) CRM starts with supporter/customer at the centre, therefore the first question > and functionality of a CRM is: how do I get what supporters think and their feedback > on what we do and how I can take this seriously and act upon? [https://t.co/aWT0ysJ9G9](https://t.co/aWT0ysJ9G9) > — Franki (@FrancescoAm) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/FrancescoAm/status/1350949804600414210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > 1) You can only get out what you put in. > 2) If everyone uses it consistently ( > ie recording the same data in the same fields), everyone's jobs will be easier, > and you will raise more. > — Emily Grint (@emilyreedsmusic) [January 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/emilyreedsmusic/status/1350955248517578753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Make sure it collects and can report on the data you are capturing, and don’t > set up your CRM in a silo otherwise it’s not going to be usable for staff. Does > it talk to the other systems and software you upload data from and to? Do you > have consistency across all these systems? > — Laura Anne Mackay (@lauraannebeth) [January 18, 2021](https://twitter.com/lauraannebeth/status/1350964676176334848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > Don't skimp on pre-launch planning. Verify and re-verify data mapping from your > old system. Assuming your overall development plan is solid and your team is always > learning, you won't regret paying for a system that's a notch or two more robust > than you currently need. > — Lynette Johnson (@Just_LynetteJ) [January 18, 2021](https://twitter.com/Just_LynetteJ/status/1350985017292431360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       > If you have a CRM complete with full donor profiles, don’t limit your fundraising > lists to donors based on just a few features (recency, frequency, value of gifts). > Add a machine learning layer to your CRM and target donors based on all available > data > — Tim Paris (@tiimparis) [January 18, 2021](https://twitter.com/tiimparis/status/1351117057518137344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)       Rapid access to this kind of experience and advice from other fundraisers is just one of the free CRM resources we featured in [CRMs: where to go to for free advice and support](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/01/15/crms-where-to-go-to-for-free-advice-and-support/)( 15 January 2021).   **Find all our CRM coverage this month, supported by lead sponsor Salesforce.org [CRMs: the heart of fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/01/15/crms-the-heart-of-fundraising/).** * **[What does a nonprofit CRM look like in 2021?](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/01/27/what-does-a-nonprofit-crm-look-like-in-2021/)**( 27 January 2021) * **[Tips on getting started with a new CRM project – with Heather Black & Julia Whitehead](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/01/29/tips-on-getting-started-with-a-new-crm-project-with-heather-black-julia-whitehead/)**( 29 January 2021) * **[Salesforce reaches half a billion dollars in all-time giving](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/04/25/salesforce-reaches-half-a-billion-dollars-in-all-time-giving/)**( 25 April 2022)