From Overwhelmed to Optimized: CRM Best Practices for Under-Resourced Ministries

How to improve learning, reporting, and data confidence when your team is short on staff and long on tasks.

Small teams carry big missions and often face big data challenges. If reporting takes too long, numbers are not trusted, new staff struggle to learn the system, or critical information lives in spreadsheets instead of your CRM, you are not alone. Many faith-based and ministry organizations feel stretched thin when it comes to managing donor and engagement data. The good news is that CRM optimization is not a technology overhaul. It is a capacity strategy.

In this webinar, BWF and Generis will share clear and actionable best practices specifically for under-resourced ministries. You will learn how to leverage the system you already have to create repeatable routines, simplify workflows, and build trust in your reporting without adding headcount.

We will cover:

• What CRM optimization really means for small organizations.
• The essential data and reports every ministry must manage well.
• A simple framework for improving data hygiene and team adoption.
• A simple assess? Optimize? Enable model for prioritizing improvements when capacity is limited.

You will leave with a clear path to reduce overwhelm, increase clarity, and free up more time for what matters most: relationships, stewardship, and mission impact. Whether you lead advancement, manage operations, or wear many hats, this session will equip you with the tools and confidence to move from reactive data management to proactive optimization.

Jeff Hensley, Managing Director, Advancement Division, Generis

Jeff Hensley has over 20 years of experience building the fiscal capacity of nonprofits, educational institutions, and churches. His fundraising expertise encompasses nearly all development activities including annual and planned giving, strategic planning, major gifts solicitation, corporate/foundation relations, international fundraising, crowdfunding initiatives and social media fundraising, proposal writing, and capital campaign planning and implementation.

Lori Stirling, Senior Managing Vice President, BWF

As senior managing vice president at BWF, Lori specializes in optimizing CRM implementations and leading high-performing teams.