CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

Interesting. No response. I am interested as well. Civi can be so complicated.

My issue is, the complexity in setup. I am having issues and there are few answers to the problem.

I think there are several issues.

The first is the appropriateness of the tool for the task. Salesforce was written first as a business CRM, where Civi has been written from the ground up for nonprofits. I know Salesforce has made modifications for their nonprofit version, but the underlying business oriented approach to the software is still there. The Salesforce UI admittedly looks a little slicker, but when you really dig into the content and processes, Civi really shines. The bulk gift entry / thank you letter creation process flow is but one good example. There are many.

The next regards setup and configuration. Yes, Civi needs a bit more effort there, but the integrated functionality you end up with  is so much greater as well. If you get a good consultant, they can help you through this phase.

Next is ongoing support. Salesforce has a tech support line, but the nonprofits I've spoken with who went to Salesforce because it was "free" have been nothing but disappointed with the support. That being said, you get what you pay for.

The fact that CiviCRM is free to download isn't the reason to go with it. The reason to go with it is that it was written for nonprofits, has incredible functionality, provides an integrated platform that saves so much time (instead of sloshing data between systems) and is getting better constantly  Also, because it's open source, you have the flexibility to make changes if you really need custom programming, without taking out a second mortgage on your home. (Ask Salesforce for custom programming and see what they want for it, if you can even get it.) It's also pretty cool knowing that you are part of a community that is working for good around the world.

If you want a nonprofit focused CRM, with real functionality, and ongoing support and training to fully utilize it, you are going to have to pay something. What is the budget of the nonprofit you are working with? Figure that out, then find a good provider who can help you put together a plan for implementing Civi that not only addresses the setup, but ongoing training and support as well. My opinion (and it's just that) is that that is the best way to guarantee a successful implementation of the software for the long term.

Best,

Guy

Thank you for your thoughtful comments.

We have selected CiviCRM and found a reasonably priced developer for help with the issues I was having.

Selecting a CRM has been hard. Salesforce does look better but still not easy. There are not many easy to use solutions out there. I also prefer open source and not relying on a proprietary solution.