“Who should we get to manage our CRM?”

I got this great question yesterday from someone at an organization that’s just now launching their new CiviCRM system:

Our team is not especially technical, and we’re completely unfamiliar with CiviCRM. Who should we get to manage our CRM? Is that something we can hire you or someone else to do?

That’s paraphrased from memory, but it’s pretty close.

My answer:

This is a job for a staff member: One person, internal to your organization, who can build mastery of your CRM system and, if needed, coordinate the work of others to fit your organization’s goals.

Sure, sometimes you’ll need specialized technical help. Big complicated problems, creation of new features, strategic consultation on how best to leverage CiviCRM’s broad feature set. That’s a good time to think about hiring an outside specialist.

On a day-to-day basis, it’s a different story. The person who should be managing your CRM day-to-day is someone who first of all understands your organization.

The CRM is just a tool. A skilled person can make it perform very well for a very wide variety of needs.

But deciding how it should be used requires someone who really understands your programs, your policies, your people, your business goals, your funding model, your mission priorities.

Will they be a CiviCRM genius right out of the gate?

No. But a system like CiviCRM is designed to be manageable by non-technical folks. It’s a skillset they can learn. People do it every day. (I know. It’s my job to help them do it.)

On the other hand, will an outside provider ever come to know your organization’s dynamic, unique, intricate needs as well as someone who’s internal to your team?

That’s just not very likely.

Here’s the thing:

Technical skill is neither uncommon nor unatainable.

It’s also not a substitute for personal care and intimate organizational knowledge.

Given a choice between two people who have one or the other, you can either:

• Teach the technical skills to the person who knows and cares for your mission; OR

• Teach the nuances of your mission work and organizational culture to the person who has the technical skills.

I believe you’re far better off with the first option.

All the best,
A.