Are all CRMs the same?

Choosing the right CRM for charities brings up a conversation that I’ve had countless times and it goes something like this:

Me: “How can I help you?”
Them: “We’re a small charity. We have no money (this always comes up early), and we want to get a CRM.”
Me: “Well, you’ve come to the right place…”
Them: (jumping in quickly) “We’ve seen XYZ and it’s free, so we’d like to use that one please. Thank you.”
Me: “Well…”
Them: “And we’d like it tomorrow by 8:37am. We’ll just email you 50 years of bad spreadsheets to import – you can just push a button for that, right?”

There’s a lot to unpack in that exchange. But let’s set aside the spreadsheets, the lack of contracts, and the mythical “magic import button.” And since I’ve already written about the true cost of free elsewhere, let’s put that to one side too.

Here, I want to focus on the difference between a fundraising CRM and a commercial (sales) CRM.

Why sales CRMs look tempting

When budgets are tight, it’s easy to be drawn to one of the many commercial CRMs, especially the ones that come with free or cheap versions. On the surface, they seem to do everything fundraising does: manage contacts, record sales/donations, track pipelines, and move opportunities forward.

That’s because fundraising does borrow from sales. If you’re managing trust applications, corporate partnerships, or major donor relationships, you’re essentially working a pipeline. These approaches were heavily influenced by the Strategic Selling model, formalised in the 1980s by Robert B. Miller and Stephen E. Heiman.

So yes, there are similarities. But that doesn’t make fundraising and sales the same thing.

Why choosing the right CRM for charities is so important

Fundraising CRMs have to handle more than just a pipeline. They need to:

• Manage one-to-many relationships (think appeals, regular giving, legacy fundraising).
• Record complex supporter journeys across different channels.
• Handle compliance, Gift Aid, and regulatory requirements unique to charities.
• Support integration with fundraising platforms, event tools, and direct marketing.

A sales CRM, no matter how good, isn’t designed for that. It’s optimised for a commercial sales cycle: leads, opportunities, deals. Useful in parts of fundraising, yes, but far from the whole picture.

To push the point further: many charities with retail arms use specialist retail systems. Those tools aren’t automatically shared with the fundraising team (even if some of the data is), because the needs are different. The same principle applies here.

The takeaway

• Fundraising isn’t sales. It borrows some techniques, but it operates in a different landscape with different demands.
• That’s why, when you’re scoping a CRM, the first step isn’t “What’s free?” It’s: What do we actually need this system to do for fundraising?
• Commercial CRMs can look tempting, especially with the promise of a free entry point. But the right CRM for fundraising is the one that supports your supporters, your compliance needs, and your long-term growth.
• Because when it comes to CRMs, “nearly the same” is not the same at all – which is why choosing the right CRM for your charities is so important.

Give me a call if you want more help!