Clean Data, Streamlined Workflows, Empowered Staff: Lessons from Scripps College

Constituent relationship management (CRM) systems are powerful tools for nonprofits, and their true potential is unlocked with successful implementations. A well-executed CRM implementation creates a unified system, ensuring all your data is clean, organized, and readily accessible.

Just as important as the initial setup is the post-implementation stabilization period. A CRM implementation is stabilized when the system is used consistently for day-to-day operations, allowing organizations to streamline and optimize their processes.

Taking time to prioritize data cleansing, user training, and system adjustments during this phase ensures the CRM functions optimally and delivers the promised benefits.

Navigating CRM Challenges: The Scripps College Story

Scripps College, a private women’s liberal arts college in Claremont, California, strives to educate women to develop their intellects and talents through active participation in a community of scholars.

After a series of CRM system changes caused lingering data issues, the college partnered with JCA to address the data challenges and ensure the system was aligned with their functional needs and strategic goals.

JCA helped Scripps optimize their conversion to Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge NXT (RE NXT), navigate configuration and process decisions, and achieve CRM stability. Through collaborative design workshops, they reviewed configuration choices and identified areas for improvement.

This resulted in a collaborative action plan focused on practical tasks like documenting procedures, reviewing general ledger processes, and enhancing data imports.

Refining the Database

Once these improvements were made, Scripps reached a point of stabilization, and they turned their focus to database management. With JCA’s support and guidance, Scripps worked through several evolutions of their database management strategies.

For example, the process of updating records for graduates and their families needed streamlining. It was a time-sensitive process performed multiple times per year that required hours of review and imports. Scripps worked with JCA to parse out the graduate data and import it in a way that inspired trust in the data, leading to improved reconciliation and export processes.

A Successful CRM Journey

Scripps embarked on a journey spanning several years to stabilize their CRM system. As a result, the staff gained a better understanding of RE NXT and how to interact with it to obtain the data they needed.

“While we will miss working with [JCA], this is a great indicator of the progress we have made in integrating the database and aligning our business processes,” said Binti Harvey, Vice President for External Relations and Institutional Advancement. “You have been an instrumental part of that success!”

By investing in proper implementation and stabilization, you not only unlock the power of your nonprofit’s data but also free up valuable staff time and resources to focus on what matters most: your mission.