A CRM is the backbone of any fundraising shop. But on its own, it’s just a record-keeping system. The real value comes when you connect it with donor research, turning static or old records into living profiles that fundraisers can act on.

How you do that depends on your level of CRM management experience. Here’s a roadmap.

If You’re New to CRM Management: Track the Basics

Start simple. Don’t worry about complex integrations yet, just make sure research findings live in the same place you and your team already work.

• In Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, EveryAction, Tessitura, NGP VAN, or whatever you use: add custom notes or links in donor records that reference donor research you’ve done outside the CRM (e.g you found that Prospect A is the CEO of a startup).
• If your system doesn’t automatically tell you what date a note was left or who made it, write those things directly in the note for future reference.
• Make it easy for you or a future colleague to open a record and see more than just contact info.

This prevents research from getting lost in spreadsheets or emails and helps your team build habits around centralizing intelligence.

If You’re Intermediate: Sync Research Directly

Once you’re comfortable managing records and doing donor research, it’s time to reduce copy-paste.

When you do a wealth screen or export data from a donor research tool, make sure you always keep unique IDs from your CRM in your files. Then, when your import or re-import into your CRM, your records will line up cleanly without duplicates.

Standardize the process so your team sees the same format when they pull up a donor record.

This is where tools like DonorAtlas help: every one of our profiles comes with a unique ID and URL and can be linked back to DonorAtlas inside your CRM, so you never lose context.

If You’re Advanced: Think in Workflows

At the advanced level, larger teams are excellent at building workflows where the CRM and donor research tool operate as one system.

• Context without leaving the CRM: Advanced teams integrate research tools like DonorAtlas so that when a fundraiser pulls up a contact in Salesforce NPSP, Raiser’s Edge NXT, Virtuous, or anywhere else, they can see recent gifts, board seats, and cited sources right inside the CRM view.
• Bi-directional updates: Research findings flow into the CRM automatically, while key CRM updates (like a new gift entry or engagement flag) push back into the research tool, keeping both sources aligned and reducing manual work.
• Multiple lenses, one record: The CRM remains the source of truth, but research tools provide the external perspective: live wealth and affiliation signals layered on top of the official record. Together, they give fundraisers a 360° view without duplicate data entry.

Advanced fundraising shops making the CRM the cockpit where research and relationship management come together.

DonorAtlas and your CRM

Wherever you are on the journey, DonorAtlas is designed to meet you there:

• Automated enrichment that fills in missing details like bios, affiliations, and board service.
• 1:1 support from our team to make sure you’re making the most efficient workflow decisions.
• Always retaining your unique IDs when you move data through DonorAtlas.

Fundraising moves fast. Your CRM should, too.