Part 2 of the “Tidy, Sweep, Polish” Data Cleaning Trilogy 

In Part 1 of this blog series, we looked at how to Tidy your CRM: define what “good data” means for your school or university, set clear entry standards, and map out your retention policies. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves. 

It’s summer. The campus is quiet, the calendar a bit kinder, and the inbox (hopefully) not screaming. For advancement professionals in schools and universities, that rare breather can mean only one thing: it’s the perfect time for a CRM spa day. 

CRM improvement projects can unlock real benefits for your organisation, but only if they work as intended. That’s where User Acceptance Testing (UAT) comes in. UAT gives you a chance to try out changes in a safe, controlled environment before they go live for the entire company. It’s the final check that helps make sure what’s been built actually meets your needs.

First tabled under the previous government, the Data (Use & Access) Act 2025 gained Royal Assent earlier this month, meaning it is now law. We’ve been looking into it – here are the key points!

At its core, a CRM is both a technology and a strategy that centralises your contact information, tracks interactions, and provides valuable insights into your relationships. For mission-driven organisations, this means better donor retention, improved student engagement, and more effective community outreach.

In this article, we are going back to the start and covering what CRM is, its key features, why it matters for organisations like yours, and how to choose the right system for your needs.