Future-Proofing Donor Communications with a Unified CRM & Marketing Automation Stack

War Child’s donor communication and data setup was functional, but not scalable or cost-efficient:

‍

• Emails were landing in spam due to a damaged domain reputation.
• No CRM or marketing automation platform was in place. Mailchimp was used only for newsletters, with limited functionality.
• One team member manually sent thank-you messages after each donation.
• Donations were tracked in spreadsheets, creating inefficiencies and risk.
• As a small team, they needed to reduce manual work to free up time for strategic fundraising.
• They wanted to future-proof their workflows ahead of increasing volumes.
• As a non-profit, budget constraints were critical — they needed the right stack at the lowest possible cost without compromising functionality.

‍

War Child needed a unified, scalable infrastructure that improved deliverability, centralised donor data, enabled automation, and stayed within a non-profit-friendly budget.

1. Fixing foundations

‍

We repaired War Child’s domain reputation by configuring DMARC, DKIM, and SPF correctly and setting up deliverability monitoring. This stabilised their email infrastructure, improved inbox placement, and ensured all future communication could reach donors reliably.

2. Selecting the right stack

‍

We ran a cost-conscious RFP process, auditing their tech stack, mapping donor workflows, and defining requirements with key stakeholders. As a non-profit with strict budget constraints, finding a platform that delivered maximum value at minimal cost was essential. NGO Pro was selected as the best fit.

3. Implementing & Automating

‍

We moved all donor information from spreadsheets into the new system and organised it so it’s easy to use. We also created templates for emails and built automatic flows — such as welcome messages and thank-you emails, so the team no longer needs to send these manually. This saves time and lets them focus on more important fundraising work.

War Child’s donor communication and data setup was functional, but not scalable or cost-efficient:

‍

• Emails were landing in spam due to a damaged domain reputation.
• No CRM or marketing automation platform was in place. Mailchimp was used only for newsletters, with limited functionality.
• One team member manually sent thank-you messages after each donation.
• Donations were tracked in spreadsheets, creating inefficiencies and risk.
• As a small team, they needed to reduce manual work to free up time for strategic fundraising.
• They wanted to future-proof their workflows ahead of increasing volumes.
• As a non-profit, budget constraints were critical — they needed the right stack at the lowest possible cost without compromising functionality.

‍

War Child needed a unified, scalable infrastructure that improved deliverability, centralised donor data, enabled automation, and stayed within a non-profit-friendly budget.