From Overwhelmed to Organized: Why This Nonprofit Switched From Salesforce to DonorDock

Founded in the 1960s, Southwest West Central Service Cooperative (SWWC) is a small nonprofit with a big heart, dedicated to serving its community. With just one employee, Shelly Maes, at the helm, SWWC focuses on providing resources and support to address regional needs, fostering collaboration, and delivering solutions that make a lasting impact.

Shelly shares how:

• SWWC has added numerous business partners, hundreds of individual donors, and a few thousand potential donors to their database with DonorDock.
• With DonorDock they’ve been able to simplify their outreach by having an integrated donorbase, email, and donation page system.
• SWWC has saved time by eliminating data silos.

“I don't know what we would be doing if we didn't have DonorDock. We'd be looking at something much more expensive, probably more complex for the user, and probably not with all the features that we have.”

Finding the right fit

When SWWC first set out to find a donor management system, they turned to Salesforce. As a small nonprofit, the allure of a free option was hard to resist.

However, they quickly discovered that Salesforce was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It required extensive customization, which came with additional fees that were simply impractical for their budget. Shelly, despite being fairly tech-savvy, found herself out of her depth. "Salesforce is just really not meant for nonprofits," she explained. "It's a CRM for business. Even though they have a nonprofit interface with it, it's just way too much."

“Salesforce is just really not meant for nonprofits. It's a CRM for business. Even though they have a nonprofit interface with it, it's just way too much."

This is a familiar pain point for many nonprofits. They dive into Salesforce with high hopes, only to hit a wall when the need for over-customization turns managing it into a full-time job. And let's be honest, hiring a Salesforce specialist isn't always in the cards for a nonprofit budget. “It was free, but if you wanted it to be customized to really work for you, that’s where there were additional fees,” Shelly said.

“It was free, but if you wanted it to be customized to really work for you, that's where there were additional fees. And so I thought this isn't really working.”

The search for simplicity

Recognizing the need for a simpler, more affordable solution, SWWC went on the hunt for something new. They needed a system that was user-friendly, so others could easily jump in and assist when needed.

As they were just getting started with building a donor base, they also needed a solution that didn’t limit their prospective donors list. At SWWC, they wanted the ability to include all prospects, regardless of their depth of connection to the nonprofit. It was important to Shelly that her donor database wasn’t capped. “I wanted to be able to import a ton of contacts to be able to reach people. If I can only import a thousand people, which thousand am I going to pick? Not having a cap was a key thing to me, especially trying to build a donor base. I wanted to have a lot of people in there and representing a lot of different areas,” Shelly shared.

“If I can only import a thousand people, which thousand am I going to pick? Not having a cap was a key thing to me, especially trying to build a donor base. I wanted to have a lot of people in there and representing a lot of different areas”

The DonorDock Transformation

DonorDock was a game-changer for SWWC! With DonorDock, they were able to import thousands of donor and prospective donor contacts without worrying about limitations or caps. This flexibility was crucial as they worked to expand their donor base and build relationships across diverse communities.

Plus, the team could send emails directly through DonorDock and track immediate results, such as donations received, shortly after a campaign. These streamlined processes saved Shelly time and eliminated the need for juggling multiple systems like MailChimp or Constant Contact.

"It’s nice to have things that just work and it's a simple process to get it to work," Shelly shared. "And that's what DonorDock is. It's a system with a lot of features, but it's easy enough and simple enough for staff to figure out and be able to work with."

"That's what DonorDock is. It's a system with a lot of features, but it's easy enough and simple enough for staff to figure out and be able to work with."

An intuitive interface

Shelly also praised DonorDock’s intuitive user interface. She found it easy to navigate, manage tasks, and stay on top of donor relationships. With DonorDock’s ActionBoard, nonprofits are able to create tasks for themselves or others. This customizable task feature helps Shelly efficiently track action items, ensuring she never misses a follow-up with a donor or partner.

With the ability to create and assign tasks, add deadlines, and mark them complete, DonorDock helps SWWC know what needs to be done and see when it is completed. "I have a lot of different buckets that I work in, so when I can log into DonorDock and see, ‘oh I need to be working on this and this,’ that is helpful."

"I have a lot of different buckets that I work in, so when I can log into DonorDock and see, ‘oh I need to be working on this and this,’ that is helpful."

With customer support that actually supports you

Beyond functionality, DonorDock stood out for its outstanding customer support. When SWWC requested a feature to get a reminder to send donor-versary emails celebrating the anniversary of a donor’s first gift, the DonorDock team quickly implemented it. This responsiveness and commitment to improvement created a partnership SWWC could rely on.

"When I started, I wanted to be able to send donorversary emails to people on the anniversary of their first gift. And they were like, ‘oh I like that idea.’ Then they implemented it very quickly. And I thought, ‘they're listening to what people want.’"

“...And they were like, ‘oh I like that idea.’ Then they implemented it very quickly. And I thought, ‘they're listening to what people want.’"

At DonorDock, it’s a priority to always be improving and moving towards simplicity and empathy for nonprofits. Shelly found reassurance in the exceptional customer support provided by DonorDock. While issues were rare, whenever they did arise, the support team was prompt and efficient in resolving them.

Shelly appreciated the swift response and the dedication to finding solutions. This level of service made her feel valued and confident that any concerns would be addressed without feeling like an inconvenience. The reliability of DonorDock's support team allowed Shelly to focus on her mission, knowing that technical challenges wouldn't stand in the way of SWWC's success.

“It's so nice to not feel like you're bothering someone but that they're ready to take care of the problem, fix it."

A CRM designed with you in mind

Thanks to DonorDock, SWWC was able to achieve growth and efficiency without breaking the budget. The platform met their needs without complexity, making it the perfect solution for a smaller organization seeking both simplicity and sophistication.

DonorDock delivers a donor management system that’s user-friendly, cost-effective, and designed with their unique needs in mind. It's a testament to how the right tools can empower nonprofits to focus on what truly matters—making a difference in their communities.

Ready to see how DonorDock can help your nonprofit reach the next level? Schedule a demo today!

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