CRM Software

Two CRM (customer relationship management) software providers who work with the charity sector are partnering with other companies for the purpose of improving and expanding their services to users, according to officials of both firms, Blackbaud and IRIS NFP Solutions.

Blackbaud officials say the company has linked up with O-Matic Software to offer a plug-in which “expands the importing capabilities of its fundraising platform The Raiser’s Edge.”

In addition to having one of the zingier names, Raiser’s Edge is a widely-used package for UK charities, commanding 16 percent of the market, according to the Civil Society’s Charity CRM Survey 2010. Raiser’s Edge officials say it will be the first product to market the Import-O-Matic tool to its users.

What that plug-in does is streamlines data processing, company officials explain, “by increasing the efficiency of data entry and eliminating manual steps.” It already has 150 U.K. users. O-Matic officials explain that the company has developed “a range of plug-ins” designed to improve the functionality of Blackbaud products, and the Import-O-Matic tool “is fully compatible with both The Raiser’s Edge and the Raiser’s Edge(i).”

The other partnership focuses more on Web and e-mail integration. IRIS NFP Solutions provides CRM services and products to 9 percent of the British charity sector, and has partnered with two companies, netXtra and Communicator Corp.

The partnership with netXtra is aimed at allowing charities, which don’t always have the most efficient back office integrations, to streamline the business processes between the Web and their back office functions, and receive an integrated Web service.

Working with Communicator Corp, IRIS officials say they will offer their users an e-mail and SMS management system, delivered on a SaaS (News - Alert) (software as a service) platform.

Given the generally lower level of technological expertise and IT budget found at nonprofit organizations, the SaaS feature is a nice bonus.

Communicator Corp’s platform can be integrated into the CRM system to run targeted SMS or e-mail marketing campaigns, provide transactional receipts and streamline data transfer as well.