Botanical Research Institute of Texas - Fundraising & Membership With Salesforce
The Botanical Research Institute of Texas, an international scientific research, conservation and education organization was founded in 1987 to share knowledge about the plant world to enhance life for people and all living things. BRIT’s mission is to conserve our natural heritage by deepening our knowledge of the plant world and achieving public understanding of the value plants bring to life.
In addition to their membership offering, BRIT achieves its mission through a variety of programs including adult classes & workshops, E-STEM Educator Boot Camps, and family field trips.
Despite the significant impact BRIT has achieved to date, measuring that impact and surfacing meaningful fundraising metrics through their CRM has been a growing internal challenge. BRIT is looking for their CRM to be more than just a database, but instead a platform that provides insights that will guide strategy and decision-making. And with a new collaborative partnership with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on the horizon, a comprehensive CRM solution has become essential for BRIT’s ability to scale. Some of the specific challenges BRIT faced were:
Manual Rework. An inefficient integration between the online donation/membership portal and the CRM was causing a significant amount of staff time to manually update each and every transaction before it was processed. This took staff away from higher-value activities, such as stewarding members and cultivating prospective donors.
Limited Reporting. With data appearing inconsistently in the CRM depending on its source (online, manual entry, etc.), and the number of manual workarounds that were implemented to accommodate technical limitations, the data had become difficult to interpret. And the system’s inability to handle unique membership scenarios also led to a number of process workarounds contributing further to data inconsistency. As a result, BRIT started to lose trust in their data and struggled with their inability to report on fundraising and membership programs across the organization.
Complex Architecture. BRIT’s original implementation was over-architected, with a series of complex workflows and triggers to perform business processes. With such a highly customized system, it became challenging to modify, scale, or remove unnecessary customizations without unintentionally impacting other areas of the system. It also prohibited BRIT from upgrading the system without the risk of unintended consequences. BRIT’s highly customized CRM prevented them from taking advantage of third-party apps that are typically “plug and play’ in simpler systems.
Our Engagement
In early 2019, BRIT contacted OneTenth Consulting for strategic guidance in determining their path forward with a CRM solution. After a thorough assessment of reviewing the existing system, integrations, and interviewing users and leadership - OneTenth provided a detailed analysis of current challenges and opportunities, a CRM product recommendation, and a roadmap for implementation. After the assessment, BRIT opted to continue with OneTenth’s services for the CRM implementation itself.
The implementation included…
Installation of the new CRM platform
Key configurations to reflect BRIT’s terminology and processes
Data migration from existing data sources
Integration with a third-party app for online donations and membership
End-User Training, including real-time sessions and short “how-to” videos.
Post-Deployment Support, providing guidance and support throughout the “stabilization” phase
Technology and Tools
As a result of the assessment, it was decided that BRIT’s requirements for fundraising and membership would still best be served through the Salesforce platform, however, it became necessary to move off the NGO Connect (NGOC) app, and leverage the more simplified Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) architecture. It was also recommended to stay with Click & Pledge for online donation, registration, and payment as it has a more streamlined integration with the NPSP app, requiring less manual intervention.
Migrating data from the NGOC to NPSP was a critical factor for success, but was also the most challenging component, as the data models are quite different. However, with the BRIT and OneTenth teams working closely together and making key business decisions collaboratively along the way, the implementation finished on-time and on-budget with key relevant data intact, and a foundation set for future growth.
What’s Next
Adhering to OneTenth’s “crawl, walk, run” approach to CRM which implements new functionality in small but impactful phases, BRIT now has a simplified yet powerful foundation to build their fundraising and membership program on.
We are inspired by BRIT’s amazing work in supporting botanical solutions to address globally challenging problems. Through our journey with Salesforce together, we feel very fortunate to have played a small role in advancing their mission and look forward to a continued partnership - Rubin Singh, OneTenth Consulting Founder & CEO
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To support the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, please consider making a donation
OneTenth Consulting has a full range of services exclusively for nonprofits - from fundraising strategy to CRM selection, to CRM implementation and change management. OneTenth empowers nonprofits by aligning their organizational, fundraising, and technology strategies - providing the tools and insight they need to meet their goals and achieve their mission. Check out OneTenth’s services and schedule a “no pressure” phone consultation today!