How to Choose the Right System: Lessons for Nonprofits and Small Businesses

Summary

This blog offers practical lessons for nonprofits and small businesses choosing a new system. It explains why defining your “why,” assessing existing tools, budgeting realistically, planning for growth, and picking the right rollout team are critical steps for a successful digital transformation.

Key Takeaways

• A successful system choice starts with a clear “why” to keep projects on track.

• Map out every system in use, you may find duplication, hidden costs, and opportunities to consolidate.

• Budget for both licensing and professional implementation/support.

• Choose platforms with strong integrations and scalability to avoid costly migrations later.

• Start with a rollout team that can show quick wins and build momentum across the organisation."

Introduction

When I talk with small to medium-sized nonprofits and businesses, I often hear the same frustration: “Our data is everywhere.”

Spreadsheets managed by individuals. Different systems are used by different teams. Bits of donor, customer, or operations data are scattered across multiple platforms. Everyone knows they need a single, unified place for their information, but in the age of “vibe coding” and the explosion of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), the choice can feel overwhelming. Analysis paralysis sets in.

That’s where I usually come in: helping organisations cut through the noise, clarify their priorities, and start their journey with confidence.

Before we dive in, a quick disclaimer. I am a 14x Certified Salesforce Application Architect, and I’ve built a career on the platform. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be. But I’m not welded to Salesforce. There are excellent alternatives out there like Microsoft Dynamics or HubSpot (which I’ve personally used). My advice is simple: make your purchasing decision based on your needs, not brand loyalty.

With that said, here are a few lessons and tips I share with clients who are navigating their first digital transformation.

1. Understand Your “Why”

Digital transformation is rarely quick or easy. It often takes longer and requires more persistence than people expect. That’s why having a clear, compelling “why” is essential, it’s what will keep you moving when the process gets tough.

I’ve heard many different whys, such as:

• “Our largest donor has ceased to exist, we need a platform to better manage smaller donors.”

• “We’ve outgrown our current system and need something more scalable.”

• “We’re juggling too many systems and want one central place for our data.”

• “We’re still running on paper records—it’s time to digitise.”

• “Each team member keeps their own spreadsheet, so we have no consistency.”

  
  

Your why will be unique. Take the time to dig deeper and make sure it’s the real why, not just the obvious one.

2. Hold a Systems Moratorium

Here’s a story: I once ran a five-day workshop with a US-based nonprofit to plan their migration from one CRM to another. We expected a straightforward, one-to-one migration. By day four, we were still discovering new systems that different teams were quietly using. Some teams didn’t even know what tools others had.

Why? Because their original system didn’t meet everyone’s needs, so departments found their own workarounds.

When we added up the licensing costs, we realised that by retiring just half of those systems and moving to a single platform, the organisation could save 28% a year.

That’s why I recommend this step to every client: put every system on the table. Ask where data is held, why it’s there, and what purpose it serves. Make it a non-judgmental exercise. You might be shocked by what you find, and you’ll gain clarity on what you truly need.

3. Be Realistic About Budget

A successful system implementation requires two types of investment:

• Licensing costs – the ongoing subscription for the platform.

• Implementation and support costs – the expertise needed to set it up and evolve it over time.

Most organisations will need professional help for the initial build and for major enhancements later. A good implementation partner will also enable your own team to manage day-to-day tasks and smaller improvements, keeping you self-sufficient.

My advice: think long-term. If you expect the whole organisation to eventually be on the system, it may be worth stretching your short-term budget to avoid a costly migration later. Switching platforms down the line often costs far more in time, money, and disruption.

4. Enable Short-Term, Plan Long-Term

Linking to the previous point: focus first on your short-term priorities, but make decisions with the long-term in mind.

I’m seeing more and more organisations migrate from niche platforms to larger, more scalable ones. These migrations are rarely straightforward—data mapping is often complex, and integrations can be a challenge.

The truth is, many smaller platforms do one thing well but struggle outside their narrow scope. They also often lack strong integrations with accounting or marketing systems. That’s why I encourage organisations to look for API-first platforms with wide integration support. It will make future growth much easier.

5. Choose the Right Team for Your First Rollout

Adoption is everything. The best system in the world won’t succeed if people don’t use it.

One strategy I recommend: start with a team that will quickly see value and generate excitement across the organisation. That “buzz” helps smooth the way for future phases.

But be strategic. In animal welfare nonprofits, for example, it might feel natural to start with the adoptions team, as they’re often working from spreadsheets and would immediately see huge benefits. But adoption projects can be harder to justify financially to a board. On the other hand, starting with fundraising may deliver quick, visible donor growth that unlocks more funding for the next phase.

It’s not just about who needs it most—it’s about where the early wins will have the biggest organisational impact.

Final Thoughts

Digital transformation isn’t just about picking a platform, it’s about clarity, planning, and pacing.

• Know your why.

• Put all your systems on the table.

• Be clear about budget, short and long term.

• Start small, but plan big.

• Choose your rollout team strategically.

Get these foundations right, and you’ll not only select the right platform, you’ll set your organisation up for years of success.

If you’d like some support on your own journey, I’d be happy to chat. Sometimes just having someone who’s walked this road before makes the decisions easier—and the outcomes stronger.