User Adoption is the Most Overlooked Step in a Successful CRM Migration

When nonprofits take on a CRM migration, the spotlight usually falls on the technology. Leaders obsess over which platform to select, what data to migrate, and how to integrate the new system with existing tools. Budgets balloon on licenses, consultants, and data mapping. Yet, after months of work and significant financial outlay, many organisations still find themselves with a shiny new CRM that staff either don’t use—or use badly.

Why? Because the single most important step is often overlooked: user adoption.

Why User Adoption Gets Ignored

User adoption isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t come with a slick demo or a line item in the RFP. Boards and executives want to see features, integrations, and reporting dashboards. But without people using the CRM properly and consistently, the system is worthless.

Too often, leaders assume that once the CRM is launched, staff will simply log in and figure it out. That’s not how behaviour change works. A CRM is only as powerful as the people entering, maintaining, and leveraging the data inside it.

What Poor Adoption Looks Like

You can tell adoption is lagging when:

• Teams keep parallel spreadsheets instead of trusting the CRM.
• Reports are incomplete because key data never made it in.
• Fundraisers complain the system “doesn’t work” when really, they never received proper training.
• Leadership loses confidence in the data—and in the investment itself.

These are the warning signs of a migration project that succeeded technically but failed culturally.

Building Adoption Into the Project Plan

The smartest organisations bake user adoption into their CRM migration from the very beginning. This means:

• Stakeholder Involvement Early: Bring staff into requirements gathering and decision-making. If they feel ownership, they’re far more likely to adopt.
• Role-Based Training: Generic “how to use the system” training won’t cut it. Tailor sessions to what each role actually needs to do in the CRM.
• Change Champions: Identify super-users in each team to model good practice, answer day-to-day questions, and keep enthusiasm alive.
• Clear Policies and Governance: Adoption isn’t just training. It’s rules. Everyone needs to know what’s expected when it comes to data entry, coding, and record management.
• Ongoing Support: Launch day isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting point for reinforcement, refreshers, and accountability.

The Bottom Line on User Adoption

Your CRM migration isn’t a technology project—it’s a people project. Ignore user adoption and you’ll end up with an expensive piece of software that gathers dust. Prioritise it, and you’ll unlock the real value of your CRM: accurate data, consistent usage, and confident decision-making that drives fundraising forward.

The tech matters, but your people matter more. If you’re planning a migration, ask yourself this: what’s our adoption plan? If you don’t have one, you don’t yet have a migration strategy.