Impact Catalyst: CRM Expert
Role at a Glance
- Engagement type : Impact Catalyst (independent expert), engaged project by project
- Location : Remote, open to experts worldwide
- Experience : 10+ years in CRM strategy, implementation or administration
- Commitment : Flexible, based on the availability you share with us
- Focus areas : CRM assessment, selection, data migration, adoption and proposal support
- Typical clients : Nonprofits, membership bodies, humanitarian organizations and foundations
Role Overview
For most nonprofits, the CRM is where fundraising, membership, programmes and communications either come together or fall apart. Many are living with duplicate records, spreadsheets on the side, consent data nobody trusts and a system that only one person knows how to use. They need someone independent who can help them choose the right platform, move their data across safely and get their teams actually using it.
We are inviting experienced CRM specialists to join the Impact Catalyst network as CRM Experts. Youwill help shape our proposals for CRM assessment, selection, implementation and optimisation work, and lead or support delivery when we win. Our clients include membership bodies, humanitarian organisations, foundations, health networks and grassroots nonprofits in several countries.
Key Responsibilities
Shaping Proposals
● Review proposal drafts our team prepares for CRM and donor database opportunities, and strengthen the approach with what you have seen work.
● Share relevant past experience and, where you are comfortable, references for similar work.
● Advise on realistic timelines, team structure and a winning price point for the scope.
● Join client interviews and presentations when your expertise is central to the bid.
Assessment and Selection
● Assess the current CRM, data quality, integrations and how each team really uses the system.
● Gather requirements across fundraising, membership, programmes, finance and communications.
● Run vendor-neutral selection across platforms such as Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Microsoft
Dynamics 365, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT, Bloomerang, Virtuous, Neon CRM, HubSpot and CiviCRM.
● Build the business case, total cost of ownership view and a clear recommendation for leadership.
Implementation and Data Migration
● Act as the client-side lead, guiding configuration, integrations and the implementation partner's work.
● Plan and oversee data cleansing, deduplication and migration, including consent and privacy fields under GDPR, CASL and similar rules.
● Connect the CRM with tools such as Mailchimp, payment platforms, event tools, finance systems and websites.
● Set up dashboards and reports that leadership and fundraisers will use.
Adoption and Optimisation
● Design training, user guides and data governance rules suited to each team's skill level.
● Support go-live and post-launch stabilisation, and fix the habits that cause data to decay.
● Review underused systems and recommend practical improvements before a client decides to switch platforms.
Role Style and Participation Model
Impact Catalysts are independent experts, not employees. You work with us project by project, on terms agreed for each engagement.
● No minimum hours or fixed commitment. You tell us your availability and we name you on proposals that fit it.
● Proposal inputs usually take a few hours, with a 48 to 72 hour turnaround.
● Catalysts who help shape a proposal are named on the delivery team when that proposal wins.
● Engagements are fully remote unless a client needs on-site work, which is agreed in advance.
● Our team handles client relationships, proposal writing, pricing, contracting and project management, so you can focus on the expertise.
What We Are Looking For
● 10 or more years of experience in CRM strategy, implementation or administration, with at least two full selection or implementation projects behind you.
● Deep working knowledge of at least one or two major nonprofit CRM platforms, and a good grasp of the wider market.
● Strong understanding of donor, member and constituent data, gift processing, segmentation and reporting.
● Hands-on experience with data migration, deduplication and integrations.
● Working knowledge of data protection and consent requirements in the regions you have worked in.
● Strict vendor independence. We take no referral fees or commissions from any platform, and neither will you on our engagements.
● Clear writing and confident communication with executive directors, fundraisers and boards.
● Platform certifications such as Salesforce Administrator, Consultant or Architect are a plus.
Ideal Candidate Background
You might be an independent CRM consultant, a former database or CRM manager at a nonprofit, or a solutions consultant at an implementation partner who now wants to work client-side. Experience in fundraising operations, membership organisations or international NGOs will set you apart, as will work across more than one country or data protection regime.
Who Will Thrive Here
You will thrive in the network if you see a CRM project as a people and process project first and a technology project second. You can explain a data model to a fundraiser in plain language, and you are honest with clients when the problem is how a system is used rather than the system itself. You enjoy working with a small, responsive team that handles the proposal work so you can focus on the expertise.
What You Gain as an Impact Catalyst
● Involvement in CRM bids we source across the US, UK, Canada, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, without having to chase or write them yourself.
● Free personal branding through co-branded case studies, Catalyst profiles and features across Impact Beacon's channels.
● Visibility as a member of a curated, global network of senior nonprofit experts.
● Support in promoting your own offerings to our network of nonprofit clients.
● Thought leadership opportunities for senior Catalysts, including articles, webinars and speaking.
● Peer learning with experts across strategy, finance, fundraising, people and technology.
How to Apply
Send us your CV or LinkedIn profile with a short note on the CRM platforms you know best and two or three projects you are proud of. Our team will set up a short introductory call to talk through fit and how the network works.
About Impact Beacon
Impact Beacon is a knowledge partner that mission-driven organisations rely on to succeed. Through our Impact Catalyst network of more than 100 senior experts, with a combined experience of over 1,600 years, we help nonprofits worldwide strengthen strategy, fundraising, finance, evaluation and organisational capacity. Our modular solutions include:
● Donor Lifecycle Management (DLCM): Improving donor engagement and retention through systems, automation and strategic communication.
● People, Culture and Talent Systems (PCTS): Building strong, mission-aligned teams through recruitment and culture systems.
● Governance and Financial Systems Architecture (GFSA): Enabling transparent, compliant and scalable financial operations.
● Operational Continuity and Internal Systems (OCIS): Improving workflow consistency and execution support that frees leadership time.
Our model works for everyone involved: experts bring depth and local knowledge, we create livelihood opportunities for talented teams in developing countries, and nonprofits get high-quality delivery at costs that protect their budgets.