NEOCL Tech Update - CiviCRM

June 17, 2009 by Will Goldstein

I know, I know - from the looks of things, not much is changing on the site. But what you can't see will astound you!

Behind the scenes, I have been working very hard to install and customize the CiviCRM module (www.civicrm.org), a free, open source contact relationship management (CRM) module specifically designed for nonprofits with drupal-based websites.

What does this mean? It means that the Northeast Ohio Citizens League will be able to accept online membership registration, donations, and event registration, send out email newsletters, and much MUCH more. For those of you who know what The Raiser's Edge can do, this can do that.

Having worked with a number of different nonprofit CRM solutions, I can tell you that this is a fabulous setup for organizations such as ours. Other similar software packages cost upwards of $100,000+ just to purchase and install, and are rarely well integrated into their host websites. This, on the other hand, is 100% integrated into our site, and was free to download, install, and set up.

In addition to the day-to-day membership, events, and fundraising management that civiCRM will provide us, I am also hopeful that we will be able to customize the database system to track how our members are connected, with the purpose of enhancing collaboration in the civic arena.

So, please take time if you're interested, to read up on the www.civicrm.org website, and let me know how you think we could best customize this fabulous resource for the betterment of our organization and community.

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