Effective Relationship Management Systems

Relationship management is important to the health and growth of fundraising organizations — today more sophisticated prospect management systems are necessary. For prospect management or research staff, this frequently means creating a new system or refining an existing one. System development can get mired in an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach, creating an overly complex system that often misses the mark. This session demonstrates how clear framework for developing effective relationship management systems is achieved by focusing on identified desired outcomes. Methods discussed are how to evaluate process, policy and database needs — including how to audit current operations for strategic planning purposes. Development and implementation challenges will be identified, along with solutions best practices. Case studies and practiced techniques are shared to develop a relationship management system that best guides fundraising efficiencies, resource deployment and campaign planning.