Many nonprofits new to using a nonprofit CRM may wonder about the security of their data in a system like DonorSnap. It is understandable to be cautious, as protecting your donor information and ensuring its accuracy is essential for fundraising success.

Since you depend on this data for outreach and stewardship, any compromise of donor information could harm your nonprofit’s reputation.Fortunately, with a nonprofit CRM like DonorSnap, your organization’s data is protected on several levels.

This article discusses common data security risks that nonprofits face and explains how a CRM like DonorSnap helps mitigate these risks.

Common Data Security Risks to Nonprofit Data in Spreadsheets

Most nonprofits start off keeping their donor data in spreadsheets before investing in a CRM. Although it seems like a good starting point, you might want to consider the following risks if you rely solely on spreadsheets for managing your nonprofit data. 

Limited Access Control

One of the biggest concerns with spreadsheets is that anyone with access to the file can edit, delete, or even share it. When multiple staff members are working in a shared spreadsheet, there’s no way to track who made changes or ensure that only the right people have editing permissions. Mistakes happen, and without proper controls, important donor data could be altered or even erased without a clear way to restore it. 

Lost Data

Another big risk of relying on spreadsheets is that your entire donor database could be lost in an instant. A simple mistake, such as accidentally deleting a file or overwriting data could result in irreversible data loss. While most nonprofits probably have backups somewhere, keeping these updated and accurate is time consuming and errors might go unnoticed before it is too late. 

Inaccurate Data

Managing donor data in spreadsheets comes with a high risk of errors. Updating a record or adding a donation in Excel can easily be applied to the wrong row, potentially jeopardizing donor relationships. For example, if a major gift is mistakenly recorded under the wrong donor, the intended recipient may not receive proper acknowledgment. This oversight can damage your organization’s relationship with key supporters and negatively impact donor retention.

Data Security Features to Look for In a Nonprofit CRM

While spreadsheets may have worked as a basic donor tracking system, they come with serious risks that can jeopardize your nonprofit’s data security. This is why finding a good CRM is imperative if you want to keep your data safe and secure. 

Below are security features your nonprofit should expect with a good CRM system. The great news is that DonorSnap offers all these features and more! 

Role Based Permissions

Always look for a CRM that offers role based permissions. This means when you add users to your database, you control what they do, and don’t have access to. 

With DonorSnap, your nonprofit can create unlimited users at no extra cost, and control which of those users see what. This is great for protecting data that shouldn’t be changed, or seen by certain individuals. 

With DonorSnap, you can:

• Assign custom access permissions (read-only, edit, or no access) based on user roles.
• Require password-protected logins, site IDs, and user authentication to prevent unauthorized access.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) and 12-character password requirements for even greater security.

This level of control prevents unauthorized changes and ensures that sensitive donor information stays in the right hands.

There are many reasons role based permissions are helpful. One being, if you need to give a volunteer access to your donors contact information, but nothing else, you can easily set this up. 

When you work on a large team, it is helpful they all have access to your database, but not everyone needs to see everything, and that is when role based permissions make it easy to manage your team while keeping your data safe. 

Daily Automatic Backups

To prevent lost data, look for a CRM that offers daily automatic backups. This time saving feature ensures any new changes to your database will be saved daily. If something accidentally gets deleted, you can ensure that you will be able to recover the most up to date information. 

DonorSnap offers daily automatic backups, and you don’t have to do anything. Many of the functions are built in and ensure your data is never lost, or overwritten. 

With DonorSnap, your data is:

• Backed up daily, both on-site and off-site, so nothing gets lost.
• Stored in multiple secure cloud locations, ensuring easy recovery in case of an emergency.
• Protected from accidental overwrites, meaning previous versions of your data can be retrieved if needed.

If something goes wrong, your nonprofit isn’t left scrambling—your donor records remain safe, accessible, and recoverable.

While your data is often secure and risk of loss is very minimal to begin with in a nonprofit CRM, human error can happen. This is why backups are so important. If someone accidentally makes a big mistake in your database, you can easily recover your data and continue on with your fundraising without trying to sift through data and piece it back together. 

Enterprise-Grade Security

While nonprofits might not feel like a common target for cyber attacks, hackers don’t discriminate. Your donor’s information could be at risk in spreadsheets, so you want to ensure it is secure for a number of reasons. 

DonorSnap protects donor data with built-in security measures that spreadsheets simply don’t offer. Such as: 

• SSL encryption protects all online transactions and data transfers.
• Servers are housed in a top-tier data center with professional security monitoring.
• Access is strictly controlled with secure logins, permissions, and optional two-factor authentication.

Donors entrust you with their sensitive information, so storing it in a secure database is essential for maintaining their confidence. With enterprise-level security measures in place, you can rest assured that their data is protected. This commitment demonstrates that your organization is well-managed and trustworthy.

Final Thoughts

While spreadsheets may have worked as a basic donor tracking system, they come with serious risks that can jeopardize your nonprofit’s data security. The potential for data loss, unauthorized access, and security breaches makes them an unreliable solution for managing donor information.

A nonprofit CRM like DonorSnap offers a more secure and scalable alternative, ensuring that donor records are protected, backed up, and easily accessible to the right people. With features like daily automatic backups, advanced security measures, and role-based access controls, nonprofits can confidently store and manage donor data without worrying about loss or security threats.

If your organization is still relying on spreadsheets, now is the time to upgrade. Investing in a secure nonprofit CRM not only protects donor information but also ensures that your nonprofit is operating efficiently and securely for years to come.