Use this section to create a shared understanding of where your organization is today — across systems, workflows, and pain points. This grounding is essential for internal clarity and external alignment as you evaluate platforms and define what “better” looks like.
Fragmented Systems & Manual Processes
Many nonprofit teams face a patchwork of digital tools that were added over time without a unified strategy. If your systems don’t talk to each other — or require workarounds and spreadsheets to connect the dots — you’re not alone.
Before issuing an RFP, it’s helpful to document where fragmentation exists. Manual data transfers, disconnected forms, and repetitive workflows often result in lost time, data errors, and frustration. These challenges usually signal it’s time to unify systems and streamline operations. Your RFP can frame the upgrade as an opportunity to reduce staff burden, improve data quality, and unlock a more integrated donor experience.
Evaluating Your Current Technology Stack
Take time to list the core systems currently in use. Vendors will need to understand what you’re working with in order to evaluate compatibility or offer more consolidated alternatives. Here are typical areas to assess:
- CRM: For example, Salesforce NPSP, Nonprofit Cloud, or Microsoft Dynamics. The new platform must integrate cleanly with this system — ideally in real-time and bi-directionally.
- Payment Processors: Such as Stripe, Cybersource, or BluePay. Your future platform should support your existing processor or offer a clear migration plan.
- CMS (Website): If your site is built on platforms like Drupal or WordPress, make sure the giving platform allows seamless embedding of forms or widgets.
- Email & SMS Tools: Platforms like Mailchimp, Pardot, or ActiveCampaign should be accounted for. Some nonprofits choose to consolidate these functions into their giving platform if supported.
- Custom Apps & Integrations: Note any bespoke systems you’ve built that interact with online giving workflows. These may require specific APIs or be candidates for replacement.
This section helps establish integration expectations and highlights where vendor flexibility or technical sophistication will be necessary.
Identifying the Pain Points That Matter
Many nonprofits pursue platform upgrades because of persistent friction in these areas:
- Donor Experience: If your forms aren’t mobile-first, intuitive, or accessible — or your donor portal lacks self-service capabilities — you’re likely losing both donations and trust.
- Data Silos: When tools don’t share data, staff must fill in the gaps manually. This makes it hard to get a unified donor view, undermines reporting, and introduces errors.
- Reporting Gaps: Are you struggling to track campaign ROI, donor behavior, or reconcile donations against deposits? That’s a common signal that your current system lacks flexibility or depth.
- Staff Burden: Repeated manual tasks, confusing interfaces, or unreliable automation can drain hours from your team every week. Highlight these inefficiencies so you can measure future time savings.
- Scalability Limits: Year-end giving surges or urgent campaigns often reveal where your system hits its limits. If you can’t spin up a branded donation page in hours, or the system slows under volume, vendors need to know that.
- Missing Functionality: Some platforms fall short on things like dynamic ask arrays, modern payment methods, recurring gift optimization, or donor communication features. Call out the functionality that matters most to your strategy.
- Security & Compliance: If your system lacks PCI-DSS alignment, fraud detection tools, or privacy safeguards (GDPR, CCPA), this is the time to flag it. These are non-negotiable in modern fundraising tech.
