Your CRM Isn’t the Problem. Your Strategy Might Be.

Canadian nonprofits are investing in technology—but they’re not squeezing the value out of it. According to Blackbaud’s 2025 Status of Canadian Fundraising report, only 28% of organizations feel they’re maximizing their CRM, even though it’s a critical tool for performance, donor relationships, and fundraising targets.

And the cost of underutilization? One in five nonprofits that saw income decline say poor tech usage was part of the problem.

That’s not a software issue. That’s a strategy gap.

The Opportunity

As a marketing agency that partners with nonprofits, Hughes&Co sees this misalignment often. Organizations invest in platforms like Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, or Virtuous—but fail to operationalize them through effective training, integrated donor journeys, or aligned marketing automation. What’s missing is not features. It’s execution.

Here’s where you win:

• Turn your CRM into a campaign engine
  Too many orgs treat CRMs like a digital filing cabinet. Instead, build dynamic donor segments, automate outreach, and align your CRM with your email marketing, advertising, and fundraising calendar.
• Make data your loudest advocate
  Improved data management ranked as the top tech opportunity in the report. With the right dashboards, attribution models, and triggers, your CRM becomes a real-time fundraising intelligence tool—not a dusty backend.
• Bridge the training gap
  High digital maturity correlates directly with income growth. Investing in proper training—whether that’s internal or through expert partners—can move your organization from reactive to strategic.

The Hughes&Co Fix

We help nonprofits build strategies that connect the dots between donor data, CRM tools, and digital engagement. If your technology feels underwhelming, it’s not time to switch. It’s time to re-strategize.

Let’s turn your tech stack into a revenue driver, not just an expense line.