CiviCRM
CiviCRM is a free, open source, web-based suite of computer software used to record, track and manage information about customer relationships. It is deployed in conjunction with Drupal or Joomla! content management systems and was designed specifically to meet the needs of non-profit, advocacy and political organizations and other non-governmental bodies who need to track their relationships and activities with people (e.g. volunteers, activists, members, donors, subscribers, voters, employees, clients, vendors, etc.) who are working on some type of event (e.g. fundraisers, grant applications, registrations, petitions, or other similar efforts.)
CiviCRM’s strength is that it allows people from multiple locations to track and record any interaction they have and who they have it with (e.g. phone calls, emails, meetings, etc.); execute donations and other transactions; and then centrally store it all in one, easily searchable and manageable repository over the web. In short, it makes recording and tracking information about what you do unified, organized and easy. It can be hosted either on your own server or an externally hosted one; and, as with Drupal, CiviCRM is widely used (including organizations such as Amnesty International), and well-supported.
CiviCRM's core tracks contacts, relationships, activities, groups, tags and permissions. It is then extended through its various, logically-named components, including:
| CiviContribute: | to accept contributions and track donors, offer recurring payments, and generate receipts |
| CiviEvent: | to schedule events, accept online registrations and payment, and provide exportable calendars |
| CiviMember: | to record memberships and levels in organizations, and offer bonuses and buyups |
| CiviCase: | to conduct simple case management, such as cultivating a major donor or lobbying a particular legislator |
| CiviGrant: | to track grants including inquiries, applications, and money received |
| CiviCampaigns: | to manage online publicity or lobbying campaigns, including canvassing features |
| CiviPetition: | to collect support for online petittions |
| CiviMail: | to circulate e-mail newsletters and to run bulk mailing campaigns |
| CiviReport: | to supply reports measuring the outcome of the above functions. |
We at Lattice Group have found it to be highly configurable and as a result, it customizes and integrates well with existing business practices, allowing us to automate functionality smoothly and improve workflow.
Contact us to learn more.
