CiviCRM enables Step to take giant steps forward

Step

Step is the St Albans and Harpenden Christian Education Project, a charity with a small staff team and volunteers from numerous local churches. Step works in secondary schools leading lessons and assemblies, supporting Christian Unions, running social action projects, delivering courses and mentoring.

CiviCRM has enabled Step to better manage their volunteers, communicate with supporters and organise school data into an accessible multi-user format.

Organizational focus
Education
Faith
Organization type
Educational
Non Profit
Religious

Background

To enable Step to work efficiently and effectively by consolidating key data into a single system.

Challenges

As Step had grown, it had become increasingly difficult to manage shared information between the team. There was no correlation between email lists, donor records, contact details or event attendance and some key information was not recorded anywhere but was known by long-standing staff and volunteers. Step also has multiple users working from home, needing to use the same data.

Locating all the useful data, then cleaning and consolidating it was one of the biggest initial challenges.

Solution

The initial request was simply for some form of shared address book. When Step was introduced to CiviCRM its staff quickly understood that it would not only handle all the identified needs but could provide a consolidated operating platform enabling Step to communicate better with its supporters, manage its administration efficiently and keep focussed on its mission. Instead of just helping them catch up they could see it would be a leap forward in their administration and communication.

Functionality

  • Consolidated contact details - no more spreadsheets of contacts, address lists or email lists!
  • Improved communications:

    • Weekly newsletter to supporters

    • Termly mailings to a wide support network

    • Annual fundraising initiatives

  • Managing events by the staff team
  • Recording donations

Step's Director, Chris Birch-Evans was excited by the potential impact of CiviCRM and personally championed the project.

CiviCRM implementation was by Aidan Saunders (Squiffle Consulting)