Book Image

Using CiviCRM - Second Edition

By : Hommel, Murray, P Shaughnessy
Book Image

Using CiviCRM - Second Edition

By: Hommel, Murray, P Shaughnessy

Overview of this book

CiviCRM provides a powerful toolbox of resources to help organizations manage relationships with constituents. It is free, open source, web-based, and geared specifically to meet the constituent relationship management needs of the not-for-profit sector. Beginning with broader questions about how your organization is structured, which existing workflows are critical to your operations, and the overarching purpose of a centralized CRM, the book proceeds step by step through configuring CiviCRM, understanding the choices when setting up the system, importing data, and exploring the breadth of tools available throughout the system. You will see how to best use this software to handle event registrations, accept and track contributions, manage paid and free memberships and subscriptions, segment contacts, send bulk e-mails with open and click-through tracking, manage outreach campaigns, and set up case management workflows that match your organization’s roles and rules. With specific emphasis on helping implementers ask the right questions, consider key principals when setting up the system, and understand usage through case studies and examples, the book comprehensively reviews the functionality of CiviCRM and the opportunities it provides. With this book, you can help your organization better achieve its mission as a charity, industry association, professional society, political advocacy group, community group, government agency, or other similar organization and position yourself to become a power user who efficiently and effectively navigates the system.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
15
Index

Looking at communication

CiviCRM can assist your organization in sending, receiving, and tracking online and offline communications, but it is up to you to create an appropriate communication plan that fits your CRM strategy. Ideally, you will communicate in ways that will provide the following results:

  • Effectively and efficiently achieving your organization's mission
  • Responding to the interests of the different types of constituents in terms of topic, treatment, tone, and timing
  • Aligning the communication to its call to action
  • Reinforcing your brand

Aligning efforts with objectives

Your plans to communicate with constituents should relate to your plan to achieve your organization's mission. Usually, organizational goals are achieved both directly and indirectly through communications: serving clients, educating and persuading people, raising the profile of your organization within certain target groups, increasing event attendance, recruiting new volunteers, or generating new donations...