For years, organizations have been told some version of the same advice: put everything in the CRM and make it the single source of truth.
That guidance is now being challenged for good reason.
In conversations with prospects and clients, we’re spending less time discussing how to integrate systems and more time discussing where data should actually live. What belongs in the CRM? What belongs in a centralized data hub? And how do you design a data strategy that supports real work instead of just moving data around?
The answers are reshaping how nonprofits think about their technology stacks.
Why the CRM-First Model Breaks Down
CRMs, like Revolution CRM, are excellent at relationship management. They support frontline fundraising, engagement tracking, and operational workflows. But they are not designed to store every possible data point generated across a modern nonprofit’s technology ecosystem.
As organizations add marketing platforms, event systems, payment processors, finance tools, and program tracking systems, the CRM-first approach creates predictable problems:
- Bloated data models
- Slower system performance
- Confusing user experiences
- Reporting that requires constant exports and workarounds
When staff revert to spreadsheets to answer basic questions, the CRM has stopped being a source of truth and started becoming a bottleneck.
A Better Question to Ask
Instead of asking “How do we integrate this into the CRM?” we’re hearing a better question:
Does this data belong in the CRM at all? How will it be used and by whom?
That shift in thinking is foundational to building a healthier, more scalable data ecosystem.
What Is a Data Hub?
A data hub sits between systems and acts as the backbone of a data-centric stack. It aggregates data from multiple sources, applies consistent definitions and transformations, and makes that data available for reporting, analysis, and downstream tools.
This is where Unite Analytics plays a critical role. Unite Analytics helps nonprofits unify data across platforms while keeping CRMs focused on what they do best: engagement and relationship management.
What Belongs in the CRM?
Data belongs in the CRM when it directly supports daily operational work and constituent engagement. If staff need to see it, update it, or act on it regularly, it likely belongs in the CRM.
Common examples include:
- Contact and demographic information
- Financial transactions
- Engagement summaries
- Giving indicators used for segmentation
- Tasks, interactions, and workflow-driven attributes
The CRM should empower staff to take action, not overwhelm them with unnecessary detail.
What Belongs in the Data Hub?
Some data is incredibly valuable, just not inside the CRM.
A data hub is a better home for data that:
- Is high-volume or highly detailed
- Comes from multiple systems
- Is primarily used for analysis, forecasting, or modeling
- Needs to be stored historically at a granular level
Examples include:
- Marketing engagement metrics across channels
- Website analytics
- Detailed content streaming data
- Program participation and outcome data
This approach aligns with our earlier thinking in Rethinking Nonprofit Integration Approaches in a Data-Centric Stack.
Design for People, Not Pipes
One of the most common mistakes we see is building integrations that focus on moving data rather than supporting decisions.
Effective data strategies start with questions like:
- Who needs this data?
- What decisions does it support?
- How frequently does it need to be refreshed?
- Where will it actually be used?
When data flows are designed around real jobs and real users, adoption increases, and manual work decreases.
Data Governance Gets Easier, Not Harder
Centralizing analytics in a data hub often simplifies governance instead of complicating it. Definitions live in one place. Transformations are transparent and repeatable. Reporting logic is consistent across teams.
Data Governance is the framework for managing data availability, usability, integrity, quality, and security. It ensures that data is safe, consistent, trustworthy, and understood across all systems. This is especially critical for nonprofits, where accurate donor histories, engagement records, and program data drive decision-making and impact measurement. By implementing strong data governance policies, nonprofits can reduce data errors, improve compliance, and increase overall efficiency.
Instead of each system reinventing the truth, the organization shares it.
Keep Data Where it Delivers the Most Value
The goal isn’t choosing between a CRM and a data hub. It’s deciding where each type of data delivers the most value.
A modern, data-centric nonprofit stack lets CRMs focus on engagement, data hubs focus on insight, and teams focus on making better decisions without fighting their tools. And yes, your CRM will probably load faster, too.
Looking for a guide to getting started? Check out The Data Compass – Why Nonprofits Can’t Afford to Drift Without a Data Strategy.
And if you’d like to talk with a real, live human, Let’s Talk.
