Adopting a New CRM? 4 Change Management Tips for Small Nonprofits

There is something special about smaller social good organizations. It’s as if you’re a magnet for selfless, hard-working, passionate, I-don’t-care-how-many-hats-I-have-to-wear kind of people. Coordinate an upcoming event? Sure. Do research on prospective donors? You got it. Process incoming donations? Absolutely. 

Of course, there are downsides. If the organization only has 10 staff members, one person out sick is 10% of your workforce. You have less wiggle room in terms of time and budget. Many small nonprofits were started at the founders’ kitchen table, so there are often growing pains as the organization builds itself up.  

Even so, smaller organizations are nimble, picking up on trends and taking action nearly immediately. You have fewer silos (naturally), allowing for easier organization-wide sharing and access to senior leadership. 

You’re thinking, “I agree—we’re awesome! But we’re growing fast. How can my scrappy smaller organization, with all the tasks my team is already juggling, adopt a new fundraising CRM and learn to use it with the least amount of disruption?” 

The short answer: change management.    

What Is Change Management?

Put simply, change management is making sure that the human element is always in the picture as new initiatives are put into play. Regardless of whether the change is adding more staff, upgrading technology systems, merging with another organization, or any other project, it’s making sure that the human element is not lost in the details of project plans or technical requirements. In change management, leadership addresses these essential questions:

• What does the team know about the change? 
• What don’t they know? 
• What questions do they have?   

Managing change is key to the return on investment for any initiative because if the staff doesn’t adopt the change, then the ROI is zero. 

Why Smaller Nonprofits Need to Manage Change

While change management is very typical in larger organizations, the tenets of good change management for an initiative such as adopting a new CRM can be even more important in a small shop. If your team wears many hats, then not incorporating change management can have a negative multiplying effect: 

• If one person doesn’t understand the goals of the initiative, that means a good percentage of your staff doesn’t understand it. 
• If you don’t plan for time commitment and keep an eye on burnout, you run the risk of losing significant ground trying to implement new technology. 
• If you don’t build redundancies and consider all possible human risks, then one person disengaging or leaving can have an oversized negative impact and perhaps even crash the project. 

With fewer resources than large organizations, lean-but-growing teams cannot afford the negative impact of poor preparation for change. Let’s dive into the four key steps of change management and how to approach them if you’re leading a smaller organization.

1. Explain the “Why” to Your Small Team 

To initiate a successful change—specifically to a new fundraising software platform—organizations of any size need to have a strategic perspective about the change. They need to articulate the “why” this change is being made:

• Where is the change coming from? 
• What is the problem that needs to be addressed? 
• How does it impact your organization’s mission? 
• What are the reasons/trends/statistics/research that have pushed you to make this decision? 

Being able to describe the why behind the proposed change is especially important if you’re leading a small shop. Smaller teams are constantly making decisions about what they can tackle in the next day or week—or even hour. If I don’t see the reasoning behind an ask—if I don’t understand what challenge it is trying to solve—then chances are, your initiative (switching to a new CRM) is going to be pushed further down the list. When that happens, the change might not be adopted. 

So—first step—is to explain the why behind the change. Talk about the problem or the gap the new software will solve. Because you are all so close to the cause itself, show how the change will positively impact your mission—and get specific (such as, “It could help us raise 40% more money for our programs”).   

2. Tie the Change to Your Organizational Culture 

Another key element of effective change management is understanding the culture of your organization and the impact this change will have on it. 

Do smaller organizations have culture? Sure, they do. Culture is often at least partially defined by an organization’s values and rituals which can serve as a “glue” that binds its people together. Some talk about culture being the “unspoken rules” of the organization. While smaller organizations might not have as many subcultures as their larger counterparts, they certainly have an identifiable culture.   

Change initiatives present an ideal time to reflect on your organization’s culture. First, ask yourself these questions:

• What things do we reward or encourage here? 
• What things do we value more than other things? 
• What things do we discourage here? 

A simple example: Some organizations will thank a constituent for a gift immediately, and that thank-you process supersedes any other task until it’s done. If that’s how an organization operates, then it’s fair to deduce that they value constituent interactions more highly than, say, completing contact reports. 

Or think of the difference between organizations that have formal lines drawn between departments versus those with a “let’s pitch in and get it done” mentality. As organizations grow, it’s often necessary to build more structure, but smaller shops often do not have that luxury and consequently have more of a “pitch in” culture.   

In your culture, is it expected for the team to adopt new things? Or is it okay to actively or passively not adopt a change? Do folks generally follow the rules, both the spoken and unspoken? Many successful organizations are looser with formal rules—especially in smaller organizations where there is a need to think outside of the box and figure it out as you go—but from a change management perspective, it is important to consider this as you initiate your change to new software.   

In a smaller organization, cultural or impact analysis doesn’t have to be formal. It could be a team meeting where you honestly discuss who you are, what you value, and how things are prioritized. Understanding your team, your organization’s tendencies, and your spoken/unspoken rules will allow you to plan your change initiative according to your specific culture.

3. Prioritize Your Communication Plan

If you’ve completed strategic and cultural analysis, you’re in great shape to think about another key element of change management: strong communication.   

In larger organizations, a comprehensive communication plan can take weeks or even months to put together. A successful communication plan considers different audiences, communication channels, and vehicles. It considers message ownership, timing, opportunities for feedback and questions, etc. Yes, smaller organizations should mull over many of the same elements; but, no, you don’t have to make it as complex as the big operations. 

Here are the most essential communications elements for even the smallest shops:

• Conduct an audience analysis: Who are the different groups that should be communicated with for this initiative? Your staff is certainly one. And maybe it’s just big enough that you need to bisect it—say, senior leadership and general team. What about constituents? Board? Partners? Volunteers? This may only require one meeting with a whiteboard, but make sure to do it.    
• Explain what’s in it for them: What do your stakeholders value in their roles? What do they find most important? And how will the change to a new fundraising CRM impact them? Connect the dots for the team. Show each member how the new system will impact them in their individual roles—they will pay more attention when they know what’s in it for them. 

4. Tell Them What to Start, Stop, and Continue 

Any change can induce feelings of uncertainty or even anxiety. It’s natural to hear about a new initiative and immediately start to think about what it means for my role, what I have to learn, or how it will affect my daily tasks. 

In a smaller shop, these questions can loom even larger because individuals are often already pressed for time, making hour-by-hour decisions about what tasks are most important. Consequently, as you lead the change to a new fundraising CRM, it is imperative that you give your team guidance on prioritization. Everything can’t be the No. 1 priority—so letting your team know what they should focus on must be one of your priorities.   

As you embark on the change to a new software system (or plan any big change), it helps to remember the phrase, “Start, Stop, Continue.” 

• Start: Explain what the team needs to start doing differently (start training on the new system, start using integrated donation forms, start recording all donor interactions in the CRM, etc.)
• Stop: Explain what they need to stop doing (stop recording donor details on personal drives, stop sending mass, untargeted appeals, etc.)
• Continue: Explain why their expertise will not be devalued in the change (continue organizing events, continue managing volunteers, etc.)

Giving staff this start-stop-continue guidance can dramatically lower uncertainty. It can reinforce the importance of adopting the new CRM and demonstrate how it will positively impact their work. 

Perhaps most important, telling your team what to continue gives you an opportunity to remind them the new system will not change what you are trying to achieve as an organization: “We’re still building relationships and raising money for our mission—that’s not changing. What is changing is how we process those gifts.” 

Sometimes the team needs to hear this, especially if there is some stress about the change itself.   

Change Management Delivers Better Results

It’s inspiring to see the impact small-but-mighty nonprofits have on the communities they serve. No matter the size, though, all organizations must grow and evolve to continue that impact. Implementing change management best practices can make a significant difference in your likelihood of success.

Before you roll out a new fundraising CRM, make sure your team understands the why behind the change, think about your organization’s culture, employ formal communications planning, and give your team guidance on priorities. Managing change with these tips can help your team deliver amazing results now and as your organization expands in the future.