Focusing on constituents and mission

Now that we have a plan in place, we can move from how to set up the project to how to do CRM.

Many non-profits have processes and activities with certain types of constituents that are analogous to those in the marketing and sales areas of for-profit business. Two metaphors that are common in the for-profit arena have crossover value for non-profits. The first one is a sales funnel, which envisions a large number of unqualified (or semi-qualified) prospects entering at the top of the funnel in order to create a sufficient number of sales realized at the bottom. The second metaphor is the picture of a ladder of engagement, with contacts classified according to how many steps they have taken, such as revealing more information about themselves, or increasing involvement on the path toward becoming a client, donor, or volunteer.

In both these metaphors, the overarching goal is to increase commitment and involvement. You want the casual newsletter recipient...