<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Hope you're doing well!&nbsp;</p>

<p>As CJF grows we're working more and more to get a complete, organised overview of all our supporters and donors so that we can effectively leverage&nbsp;the network for fundraising. To do this I've recently been researching potential CRM platforms for us, and across the board Salesforce seems to come out on top (even for NGOs), so we've signed up for the free trial of the NPSP (Nonprofit&nbsp;Success Pack) and I've been testing it out over the past few days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I just read in Skateistan's annual&nbsp;report from&nbsp;2017 that you're using this platform, and so I thought I'd reach out to you to ask some questions about Salesforce and your view on its value for a skateboarding NGO of our size. As a small skateboarding NGO, the main concern I have about Salesforce for us has to do with cost, both in terms of time and money.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While 10 subscriptions (users) for the NPSP can be attained for free (through the Power of Us programme), I am wondering whether this pack alone provides the functionalities required to make Salesforce an effective tool for a relatively small NGO, or whether it would be necessary to pay for packages such as Marketing Butt (which would allow for automated emails, personalized&nbsp;journeys, etc.). What are your thoughts on this? Is Skateistan only using the free NPSP or are you using additional packages as well? Considering the time costs, is the NPSP package valuable and effective as a standalone CRM front?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>I've also read online that for NGOs to successfully and effectively use Salesforce it is imperative that it is configured specifically to that organisation. And that this requires either a) a monstrous amount of time to self-learn and implement; or b) that configuration be outsourced to a Salesforce professional, which would be costly. Considering we are in a position where we have not even begun to pay ourselves (and thus little extra time and money), what are your thoughts on this? Is it worthwhile for us to start using Salesforce even though we won't necessarily be able to configure it in the best of ways now when we start off?&nbsp;</p>

<p>More generally, do you have any recommendations on how we should approach the transition to a CRM platform, and how to make the most effective use of it?</p>

<p>Sorry for the long question. And I hope you have a great week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kind regards,</p>

<p>Troy</p>
