Want to dip your toe into the waters of what CiviCRM is like? Spark is the starter kit and ultra low cost option for CiviCRM onlookers.
Here’s how the DIY approach stacks up against those 8 key factors I mentioned rated on a basis of very low to very high (1-5).
Control – 2
Spark is essentially a SaaS product, that’s quick to spin up and you just sign in. There is no other overhead; it’s all done in your browser. That means it comes with a certain set of commonly used extensions. You do not get website with it but that also an increasingly common approach to split a CMS and CRM anyway.
This allows you to get beyond an address book and start managing relationships and communicating with mass email and SMS your contacts.
Curiosity & Patience – 2
You just want a tool where you signup and get going. If you have very little desire to customize, then the built in constraints are a non-issue that fit the most common needs of nonprofits. You’ll still need to get familiar with CiviCRM and it’s feature set but you just need to put in a little time.
CiviCRM just launched CiviAcademy, which helps to get new users up to speed on the most common setup and functionality questions for an out of the box type setup.
Technical Skills – 2
There are no technical skills needed other than being moderately proficient with a computer. Having some basic concepts of how a CRM generally works in the browser will get you further.
OTC Affordability – 5
There is no one time setup cost, it’s just a monthly subscription ranging from $15 to $50.
ARC Affordability – 5
You can pay anywhere from $180 to $600 per year which is extremely affordable. The basic plan doesn’t offer much since you can’t email so selecting the $30 is in reality what you’ll probably need to start out.
Risk Level – 2
Choosing CiviCRM Spark is not a risky proposition at all. If you happen to outgrow it, you can get an export of your MySQL database and upgrade to your very own CiviCRM instance. CiviCRM Partners can help you make this upgrade to the full version a smooth experience. And they also offer a risk free 30 day money back guarantee!
Speed of Project – 4
Since it’s a SaaS, you can get going in a matter of a couple days. You’ll still handle importing your data and setting up in-browser configuration like your contribution pages and custom fields. It’s important to remember that moving systems is an opportunity to modernize and re-evaluate processes, what data you’re needing to collect and why.
Ongoing Support – 3
Besides the documentation online and community support, you can opt to get outside support if you want, for a fee. Also note there is a CiviCRM Spark Mattermost channel you may be able to get your questions answered.
Here’s the deal:
If you meet the checklist below then give CiviCRM Spark a try!
- You have a contact list under 10,000
- You’ll send less than 50,000 recipient emails per month
- You don’t need website integration
- You don’t need custom user levels
- You don’t need customization to the look and feel of your forms
- Your use of a CRM is straightforward with very little customization needs
- You just want to start out simple and see if CiviCRM is right for you
If you don’t have a CRM and just want to try one out, Spark is worth considering without much hand-wringing. It’s bound to be an upgrade from spreadsheets and disconnected systems where everyone was doing there “own thing”. If you have next to no budget or time, then give CiviCRM Spark a try.