Nonprofits are wrestling with donor engagement and digital transformation and an effective CRM is more important than ever. For many organizations the choice between sticking with the old guard like Blackbaud or trying something new like HubSpot can make all the difference to their operations and donor relationships.
The Problems with Legacy Systems
Many nonprofits have been with Blackbaud for so long because of its long history in the sector. But as donor expectations evolve – especially post COVID-19’s digital acceleration – many organizations are finding themselves stuck with the limitations of these legacy systems.
At a recent virtual event hosted by Lake One, experts from Pinky Swear Foundation, FundraiseUp, Hewitt Johnston Consultants (HJC) and HubSpot got together to discuss these problems. Mary Beth Meyer, Director of Marketing at Pinky Swear Foundation said: “We were using different technologies for different purposes – Blackbaud for CRM, WordPress for our website and Classy for peer-to-peer fundraising. It ended up being a lot more work for our small team to manage all these platforms that weren’t talking to each other.”
This is a common problem for nonprofits that have grown up piecing together different technologies over time. Blackbaud has a whole suite of tools but you need to buy additional modules or use external platforms for specific needs which leads to inefficiencies and extra cost. And many of these systems don’t integrate so you end up with data silos and no visibility into the donor journey.
Why HubSpot for NonProfits
The search for an integrated solution has led many nonprofits to consider HubSpot as an alternative. HubSpot’s ability to consolidate marketing, fundraising, volunteer management into one platform is a big differentiator. Unlike Blackbaud where you have to buy additional modules to meet specific needs, HubSpot is flexible and customizable and can scale with your organization.
Sal Salpietro, Chief Community Officer at FundraiseUp said: “With a platform like HubSpot nonprofits can think bigger and more strategically. HubSpot integrates with other tools and platforms so you can build the tech stack that’s right for your organization without being limited by one provider.”
One of the best things about HubSpot is its “crafted, not cobbled” approach. This means we eliminate the problems of managing multiple point solutions that don’t talk to each other. Ali Clifford, Solutions Engineer at HubSpot said during the discussion: “What we like to help nonprofits with at HubSpot is give them a suite of tools to track the donor journey from when they engage with your site or paid ad all the way through donation and then nurture them through recurring donations.”
This is especially helpful for nonprofits that are struggling to get a view of donor interactions across multiple channels. HubSpot gives nonprofits a unified view of each donor’s journey so they can personalize their communications which in turn leads to higher donor retention and lifetime value.
Cost and the Value of Modern Platforms
Switching platforms is never easy especially for nonprofits on a tight budget. But the panel agreed that the long term benefits of moving to a modern platform like HubSpot far outweigh the initial cost. HubSpot offers nonprofits 40% off its standard pricing and more importantly 24/7 support at no extra cost – a big difference from what many nonprofits experience with legacy systems.
Mary Beth Meyer shared Pinky Swear Foundation’s experience with HubSpot: “We’ve been able to consolidate our website, point of sale technology and marketing platforms into one spot. This has been huge in helping us scale our operations without having to add more full time staff.”
And HubSpot’s flexibility and open platform makes it easier for nonprofits to bring in the tools they need without being locked into one vendor’s ecosystem. For example HubSpot integrates natively with FundraiseUp a modern online donation platform that is all about ease of use and donor experience. This integration allows nonprofits to manage all their donor interactions – from the initial donation to ongoing stewardship – in one place, without manual data entry and the risk of errors.
Sal Salpietro added: “HubSpot has emailing but it also integrates with MailChimp, ActiveCampaign and other tools. They’re not nickel and diming nonprofits by blocking competing solutions. They’re giving you the freedom to build the tech stack that’s right for you.”
The Integration Advantage
One of the biggest advantages of HubSpot is its open platform that integrates with many tools including FundraiseUp for online donations and Salesforce for CRM. This is especially helpful for nonprofits that already have some systems in place but want to add HubSpot to their tech stack.
Karen Sievewright, Chief Innovation Officer at Hewitt Johnston Consultants said: “Having your direct mail campaigns, digital ads and donor management all working together in real-time is key. HubSpot’s ability to integrate with other platforms means there are no gaps in your data which is critical for donor engagement.”
Karen also pointed out the challenges nonprofits face when trying to integrate legacy systems with modern tools. “Nonprofits often find themselves in a situation where they’re forced to use legacy systems that weren’t designed to work together. This leads to inefficiencies and data silos that make it hard to get a full view of the donor journey. HubSpot’s approach of integration and flexibility helps solve this.”
Real-World Example: Pinky Swear Foundation
Pinky Swear Foundation is a great example of incremental change. Instead of trying to rip and replace their entire tech stack at once they took a phased approach. They started with their website. “We implemented HubSpot CMS first and built a new website in under a month,” said Mary Beth Meyer. “Then we added FundraiseUp for online donations and migrated our email marketing to HubSpot. This step by step approach has allowed us to improve our processes without overwhelming our team.”
This approach has not only made the transition smoother but more sustainable. By addressing the most pressing needs first – like the online donation experience and email marketing – Pinky Swear Foundation has seen benefits right away and laid the groundwork for future improvements.
The results of this approach were evident during a recent Radiothon. Mary Beth explained how the integration between HubSpot and FundraiseUp worked: “We used FundraiseUp’s virtual terminal on our website and all donation info was added to our HubSpot database. No manual data entry and no donor fell through the cracks. The efficiency gains were huge and we saw better engagement and communication throughout the event.”
Conclusion: Make the Switch
If you’re considering switching from Blackbaud the key is to start small and focus on the most critical areas. As Ryan Ruud, CEO of Lake One said: “Progress over perfection. Start with something simple like your online donation experience and then build from there.”
Sal Salpietro ended with: “Raise your expectations as a nonprofit. Your donors have higher expectations now, so should you. With modern platforms like HubSpot and FundraiseUp you have the tools to meet and exceed those expectations.”
Ali Clifford added: “Be brave and take the risk to improve your go-to-market strategy with your donors. The upside is so big. You have partners like HubSpot and Lake One to support you through the transition.”
Karen Sievewright’s final words of wisdom were: “Plan carefully and think of this as a hierarchy of needs. Some systems are easier to switch than others but with the right approach you can make big improvements without disrupting your operations.”
Mary Beth Meyer wrapped up: “If Pinky Swear can do it, so can you. Start with the free tools, try it out and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The support you’ll get from partners like Lake One and platforms like HubSpot and FundraiseUp will make all the difference.”
In the world of nonprofit management HubSpot is becoming a great alternative to Blackbaud. With flexibility, integration and support modern nonprofits need to succeed. By taking a step by step approach to migrating you can make the switch and improve your efficiency and donor engagement for years to come.