CRM Case Study – Lichfield Cathedral
CRM Case Study – Lichfield Cathedral
Challenged with multiple datasets and duplicate records, Lichfield Cathedral wanted a centralised CRM system to integrate information, maximise supporter relationships and gain greater insights into campaign success. Harlequin CRM is now a central part of Cathedral life and disparate elements have joined together to give a complete picture of fundraising.
Why did you need a new charity management system?
We needed a comprehensive and cost-effective system that would unite all our data so that everyone could access a single, shared view of Cathedral life. Our £3.7M appeal to save the East End of the Cathedral was underway and a new system would help to take fundraising to the next level and also transform the wider operational efficiency of the organisation
How are your needs met?
Our East End Appeal is set up as a campaign on the system so we can monitor and report on performance; we associate grants and donations against the target, as well as our ‘Give A Lasting Gift’ supporters who sponsor images within the Herkenrode glass windows. We also manage fundraising for choir tours, as well as our events, regular givers and legacies on the software – and of course Gift Aid.
"With Harlequin we can see the campaign building and the disparate elements now come together to build a complete picture."
Why did you choose Harlequin?
We evaluated each solution on functionality, value for money and ease-of-use - and Harlequin came top. Harlequin offers the complete package in terms of the software and service they deliver. It was evident that not only is the software user-friendly, but that the people from Harlequin themselves are patient and personable. Harlequin took the time to understand our needs and what we aimed to achieve.
"We evaluated each solution on functionality, value for money and ease-of-use, and Harlequin came top."
What benefits has Harlequin brought to your organisation?
When planning events and issuing invitations, people can be in lots of categories but we now only send them one item of correspondence. Advent is our busiest time of the year for various events – the system speeds up mailings enormously. A central database has enabled us to standardise information and hold a full communication history against each record. It is essential we hold supporters’ donations confidentially and we can restrict the view of this information to selected fundraising staff only; at times it is also expedient to be able to restrict who can contact certain donors. Importantly, having contact information that all our users can access means that we no longer run the risk of offending the families of the bereaved. We work in a uniform and consistent manner and follow certain processes to maintain our contacts.
What is your experience of customer care from Harlequin?
I have confidence in Harlequin as the people I deal with own the company and understand the charity sector; they are not a large, generic, software conglomerate. If our administrator reaches an impasse, she is able to speak directly to those who designed the system, who she has met, rather than a faceless call centre. Everyone on the coalface of customer service at Harlequin is friendly, patient and informed.
What three words best describe Harlequin?
Accessible, efficient and unifying.
Case study on charity CRM and fundraising software
Patricia Collins, Director of Fundraising
Published on: February 24, 2014
Background to charity:
Lichfield is the only medieval Cathedral in the UK with three spires, representing the Holy Trinity. It is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Britain and the burial place of the great Anglo-Saxon missionary Bishop, St Chad. Many treasures are contained within its walls, including the 8th century Gospel Book known as the St Chad’s Gospels (believed to be the oldest book still in regular use for its original purpose), an 8th century carving of an angel believed to be the corner stone of Chad’s coffin, contemporaneous items from the Staffordshire Hoard, and some of the finest Renaissance Flemish painted glass in existence, the Herkenrode windows.
System use:
CRM, Campaigns, Events, Planned Giving, Major Donors, Grants, Legacies, Volunteers.
Charity information:
www.lichfield-cathedral.org
