Charity CRM vs. Grant Management System

CRMs manage relationships; grant systems manage funding workflows and assurance—many organisations use both.

• Avoid forcing one tool to do the other’s job.
• Keep the system of record for grants in a dedicated platform.
• Sync or export data for contact histories where needed.

What each tool does best

Play to strengths to reduce friction.

• CRM: supporters, campaigns, emails and events.
• Grant system: applications, reviews, payments and impact.
• Shared: contact details and basic organisation info.

Key takeaway: Plinth focuses on grant workflows and reporting.

Integration light

Start with exports before heavy integrations.

• Unique IDs and regular sync schedules.
• Clear data ownership and permissions.
• Avoid bi‑directional complexity early on.

Key takeaway: simple flows are easier to govern.

Reducing duplication

Collect data once and reuse it.

• Applicants update profiles; reviewers access the same source.
• Reporting pulls from the grant system to dashboards.
• CRM references grants for relationship context.

Key takeaway: clarity on “where data lives” prevents confusion.

FAQs

Can a CRM run grants?

It can, but assurance and workflows are weaker; use a dedicated system.

Do we need both tools?

Often yes—start with the grant system and add CRM if needed.

How do we keep data safe?

Use secure platforms and limit access per role.