Why the right CRM integration is critical to connected fundraising

This blog was written in collaboration with Saiba Singh, Product Marketing Manager, Partnerships and Integrations, of GoFundMe Pro’s Product Marketing team.

Today’s digital world is crowded. Supporters are asked to engage with countless causes across multiple channels, making it hard for any single one to stand out. 

To rise above the noise, nonprofits need more than compelling messaging. They need the right tools to share stories thoughtfully, at the right time, and in the right place. A strategic tech stack helps organizations personalize the donor experience in meaningful ways, building stronger connections that inspire lasting support.

That’s where a customer relationship management platform (CRM) comes in. When integrated with your fundraising and engagement tools, a CRM transforms scattered data into clear insights, enabling personalized engagement at scale while offering critical customization in data collection and reporting.

Below, we’ll cover what CRM integrations are, how they work, and some of their key benefits to help you build a case for making the investment.

What is a CRM, and how is it used?

Before we discuss CRM integration, let’s take a step back and discuss the role a CRM solution plays. 

CRM solutions, like Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and Hubspot CRM, are technologies that help project management, donor relations, and sales teams store and manage donor or customer data. Some of that donor or customer information includes customer interactions, contact information, and donor preferences. 

In the context of fundraising, this means capturing when, where, and how supporters engage with your organization—and using that insight through your CRM system to help gift officers build strong, personalized relationships that drive donations and boost retention.

What are CRM integrations?

CRM platforms are the most useful when integrated with other apps and tools. Effective integrations allow for software and tools to automatically pull information into the CRM, keeping it a reliable source of truth. 

Through these connections, small businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations can centralize data from various sources, such as:

• Flexible fundraising platforms like GoFundMe Pro
• Data analytics platforms like Google Analytics 4
• Accounting software like QuickBooks
• Ecommerce software like Shopify
• Social media platforms like LinkedIn
• Marketing automation tools like Mailchimp
• Team communication channels like Slack
• Enterprise resource planning systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365
• Email providers like Gmail
• Customer support products like Zendesk

How does a CRM integration work?

There are several ways to add a CRM integration to your tech stack. If you’re using tools from the same provider, integrations are often built in—for example, HubSpot’s CRM automatically connects with its Marketing Hub and Service Hub.

Connector integrations are another option. These tools, such as Zapier or Omatic, are third-party applications that facilitate connections between your CRM and other products. With them, you can create custom workflows for tasks like marketing automation or customize how and where your data flows.

The final way to incorporate CRM integrations is through a custom application programming interface (API). An API is a software interface that lets two programs talk to each other. If you have a capable IT department or dedicated software developers, you can create an API to support integrations more specific to your nonprofit.

What are the benefits of a CRM integration?

A CRM integration gives your nonprofit everything it needs to support donor management efforts in one place. This functionality touches several critical parts of nonprofit development.

1. Enhanced donor outreach

CRM integrations can dramatically improve the customer experience. With automation software, you can send: 

• Post-event survey questions to attendees
• Follow-up messages to supporters
• Thank-you notes for donations
• Other key outreach

A CRM system ensures your team never misses an opportunity to connect with your donors in a timely, personalized way.

2. Meaningful donor segmentation

Marketing campaigns are most effective when tailored to specific audiences. CRM integrations provide robust data to segment email marketing and targeted social media advertising more thoughtfully. 

To get the most out of your email campaigns, you can create custom contact lists of donors based on different demographics, interest areas, and giving capacities.

3. Improved reporting capabilities

CRM tools help you analyze which outreach strategies and campaigns generate the most leads by pulling data on new contacts, recurring donations, and more. Many also offer built-in reporting templates, making it easy to interpret results and share insights with your team.

4. Greater internal organization and efficiency

With automation capabilities, your nonprofit can streamline workflows, freeing up administrative time for your staff to focus on other mission-critical tasks. And since CRM platforms update in real time with your integrations, all team members have access to the most-current data whenever they need it.

Improve connections with donors through an effective CRM integration

Your choice of CRM software is the backbone of your donor relationships, and the right integrations can supercharge your impact. Whether you’re streamlining operations, enhancing segmentation, or creating a seamless donor journey, the best CRM for your nonprofit is the one that connects most easily with your fundraising tools.

GoFundMe Pro is committed to providing nonprofits with best-in-class solutions that empower teams to maximize impact. We work across leading vendors at various pricing to deliver seamless integrations that help you amplify your mission, reduce manual tasks, and engage donors more meaningfully. 

Native CRM integrations available with GoFundMe Pro

We offer direct, built-in integrations with these leading platforms:

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud

Harness the power of Salesforce’s latest nonprofit CRM to automate workflows, gain donor insights, and build personalized donor journeys while easily tracking fundraising outcomes. Our integration ensures clean data syncs and seamless campaign alignment across teams.

Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)

Tailored for nonprofits, this bi-directional integration enables rich supporter insights, recurring giving data, and streamlined campaign tracking directly within your Salesforce environment.

DonorPerfect

Connect fundraising efforts and donor data without the manual hassle. With daily syncing and automated workflows, you can spend less time managing data and more time building relationships.

Partner ecosystem integrations available with GoFundMe Pro

Through our partner network, we offer powerful integrations with additional CRM solutions:

DonorDock

Ideal for growing nonprofits, DonorDock’s user-friendly CRM works seamlessly with GoFundMe Pro to simplify donor communication and track engagement effectively.

Daxko Operations

This integration, perfect for Ys, JCCs, and other member-based organizations, links operational data with fundraising activity on GoFundMe Pro, providing a 360-degree view of supporters and members.

Raiser’s Edge via Omatic

Sync donor data efficiently between GoFundMe Pro and Raiser’s Edge with Omatic’s reliable middleware. This integration puts the control in your hands, letting you customize how, where, and when your data syncs.

Humanitru

Humanitru empowers nonprofits with scalable data consolidation, predictive analytics, and game-changing automations to revolutionize fundraising and donor engagement. When paired with GoFundMe Pro, it delivers a unified view of supporters, enabling smarter strategies and more meaningful connections.

Virtuous CRM

Built for responsive fundraising, this integration enables timely, personalized donor interactions that boost retention and donor satisfaction.

Beyond CRM: A connected tech ecosystem

In addition to the various integrations outlined above, GoFundMe Pro also integrates with a wide range of essential platforms—including email marketing, employer matching, data analytics, texting, and SMS—to power every step of your fundraising strategy.

Additionally, we partner with trusted consultants and service providers who can support your implementation, customization, and marketing strategies to ensure your tech stack is tailored to your unique goals.

Request a demo today to see our commitment to industry-leading CRM, analytics, and marketing integrations in action.

Copy editor: Ayanna Julien