If you have spent any time trying to build a modern fundraising campaign lately, you already know the feeling. You design a beautiful, deeply personalised supporter journey on paper, only to watch it collide head-first with a wall of clunky internal databases and fragmented software.
It is an incredibly frustrating place to be. But if it makes you feel any better, you are nowhere near alone.
At the recent Fundraising Everywhere conference, we sat down with Chloe Stokes, Global Director of Data, Technology and Insight at Animals Asia, to talk directly about the data hurdles holding changemakers back.
Our latest Mind the Engagement Gap research; which looked at data from over 300 charities, confirmed that tech and data challenges are officially the number one roadblock to delivering a great supporter experience.
But here is the direct, unvarnished truth we need to talk about: tech alone won't save us. If the wider internal system is disjointed, buying a new piece of software just means you've bought a more expensive version of the same old headache.
The real cost of playing catch-up
Let’s talk numbers for a second. In the commercial world, companies routinely invest about 2% of their revenue into Marketing Technology (MarTech). For an organisation bringing in £20 million, that is a £400,000 annual tech budget. Because of chronic underfunding, the charity sector simply hasn't matched that pace.
The problem? Donors don’t lower their expectations when they interact with a charity. They compare their experience with you to the last time they ordered on Amazon or opened Spotify. When 76% of people admit they get frustrated by a lack of personalisation, falling behind leaves organisations stranded on the sidelines.
But throwing money at new tools isn't the fix either. Across all sectors, MarTech utilisation sits at a dismal 49%. Organisations are effectively using less than half of the features they are already paying for.
What’s lurking in your ‘garage’?
When we look inside a charity’s tech stack, the setup usually resembles one of three chaotic garage scenarios:
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The creaking car: A rusty old banger where investment hasn't kept up with your ambition. Personalisation feels impossible, channels are completely disconnected, and making the system work is an uphill battle.
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The sprawling garage: A space so cluttered with random bikes and boxes that you can't even reach the car. Every team has gone rogue and bought their own independent tech out of sheer frustration, leaving data totally fragmented.
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The untapped supercar: You have a top-of-the-range vehicle sitting there, but you’re only using 10% of its power. The new system was implemented, but the set-up just lifted and shifted your old habits into a shiny new interface.
How Animals Asia chose pragmatism over hype
Animals Asia does incredible, vital work - from ending bear bile farming to rescuing elephants in Vietnam and China. They are a relatively young team that has doubled in size over the last eight years, powered by an incredibly loyal community of supporters who feel like family.
But on the inside, their tech suite was a classic combination of sprawling and creaking.
They had a robust, well-established Blackbaud CRM system holding all their donor history, but it had become bloated over time. Processes were convoluted, data capture was patchy, and it could take weeks of manual coordination just to get a single segment email out the door.
It can be tempting in the charity sector to swap the old system for a shiny new feature-filled CRM. But Animals Asia took a more considered approach. Together, we looked at the entire ecosystem rather than just the tool.
"Brilliant experiences designed without the technology to deliver them just stay on paper. Conversely, brilliant technology without well-designed experiences is just expensive tech."
Instead of a high-risk, disruptive system migration, Animals Asia is optimising the core tools they already have. They are keeping their Blackbaud CRM as their single source of truth and layering it with smart, fit-for-purpose engagement platforms, including integrated supporter services, streamlined automation, and predictive AI. They also brought in a dedicated CRM Product Lead to make sure the data engine keeps evolving with their team.
Four practical pillars for your next tech project
If your team is currently wrestling with a frustrating data gap, here is our advice for navigating out of the garage:
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Tech is the engine, not the destination. Software won't fix a siloed culture or messy internal habits. Always design the supporter journey first, then configure the tech to power it.
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Never underestimate change management. Tech projects don't fail because of code; they fail because people aren't supported through the transition. Bring your everyday fundraisers into the conversation early, they feel the daily friction most acutely.
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Tech isn’t a one-off purchase. There is no neat end date here. Without sustained, ongoing investment and optimisation, technical debt will creep right back into your systems.
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Audit your business rules first. Clean up your definitions, your internal processes, and your data quality before you connect a new platform to the grid.
Let’s build a better path forward
Healthy progress requires us to challenge the everyday way of doing things. By ditching the hype, focusing on real-world outcomes, and translating complex digital hurdles into practical steps, we can ensure our organisations are fully equipped for the journey ahead.
Ready to escape the tech garage?
Wondering whether your charity is dealing with a creaking car, a sprawling garage, or an untapped supercar? You don’t need a massive, budget-busting migration to start seeing real results.
Let’s figure out your next best move. Book a pitch-free, 15-minute chat to start identifying the fastest way to bridge your data gap.
Get started: Book your 15-minute strategy call
Want to explore more first?
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Download the Mind the Engagement Gap Whitepaper to explore our latest data, frameworks, and actionable insights for your team.
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Watch the full Fundraising Everywhere talk to hear from Chloe Stokes of Animals Asia and Principal Consultant for Customer Experience and Engagement, Lou Barton