Introduction
Abundance Canada was using a CRM add-on for their ERP system called Serenic Navigator, a solution based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV built specifically for non-profit organizations. They decided to invest in a new solution for donor relationship management based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales to access capabilities their growing foundation demanded.
"It was important for us to start making strategic planning decisions to help the business grow and the existing system could not support that need. We also required a solution that would empower us to be more flexible and provide a better day-to-day service for our donors."
An Abundance of New Capabilities
Abundance Canada’s legacy system didn’t provide the visibility they needed into the relationships they held with donors. They required a system that allowed them to track prospective donors, segment the existing donor base and maintain contact through targeted, relevant communication, and ultimately facilitate growth. They needed a system that empowered them to implement efficient processes and effectively manage data so they could report on the overall performance of the foundation.
Abundance Canada previously had problems when it came to efficiently managing data and marketing lists. They struggled to organize letters that went out to their donors and would be forced to manage the process in separate databases and with Excel or Word. They used up to five different databases which meant if someone sent in an address change then data would have to be updated in five different locations. Naturally, this resulted in a lot of inaccurate data. In the new system, data lives in a central place and the team can easily segment their donor base into different marketing lists based off their marketing requirements.
Catapult Team
The synergy of a multi-disciplined consultant team as well as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic client ultimately paid dividends paving the way for both Abundance Canada’s current as well as future needs on a platform that will scale with their organization.
Jeff Bickle , Team Lead Customer Engagement
An Abundance of Visibility
The Abundance Canada team needed a solution that could connect their sales and marketing function with finance. This was especially important due to the intensely financial nature of the donor interaction. The sales team couldn’t see contribution history for donors, take notes when on a phone call and were unable to work with a robust opportunity entity to facilitate moving donor engagements forward. Abundance Canada wanted Dynamics 365 to be the sales and marketing engine that connected with the finance side.
"The Dynamics 365 solution had to be able to integrate with Navigator. This would not have been possible without the knowledge base that Catapult was able to bring to the table from both the Navigator and Dynamics 365 side. Catapult were able to provide a tool called Scribe as the intermediary piece to translate between the two systems and that was invaluable. It would have been a non-starter if we weren't able to have that integration."
The team at Catapult have been supporting Abundance Canada’s Navigator ERP system for several years and have done a lot of work to optimize it. There was already a strong level of trust and confidence between both parties because of this. Catapult’s institutional knowledge for not-for-profits and their domain expertise led to a natural partnership.
A Multidimensional Solution
Catapult worked closely with Abundance Canada to move their sales process into Dynamics 365 and build a customized integration that met their needs. The solution design was customized by Catapult to model Abundance Canada’s unique lexicon.
Catapult worked with Abundance Canada to centralize their marketing and communication solution by integrating ClickDimensions with Dynamics 365. Catapult facilitated training with Abundance Canada’s communications team on how to effectively use email marketing and content engagement in their strategy. This empowered the team to take all of the moving pieces from within the CRM and speak to their database accordingly.
The Outcome
Abundance Canada’s goal is to grow the organization by developing and implementing customized Generosity Plans that help donors achieve their charitable goals.
Implementing Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement has allowed Abundance Canada to gain efficiencies and their business model is now much more effective and focussed. The team at Abundance Canada are able to provide a better service experience for their existing clients because the cloud-based solution is available across all their offices. The team can immediately provide clients with information about their existing Generosity Plan™, making adjustments as required. This provides for a great client experience.
"The team at Catapult are not just very knowledgeable but they are also extremely personable. I never felt like I wasn't sure where things stood or if we were moving forward appropriately. I also appreciated Catapult's willingness to take the time necessary to listen and understand us so that the product could be properly customized to truly fit our needs."
