How to Integrate Auction Software with a Donor CRM

Integration saves you the headache of juggling data between five (or even ten) different fundraising platforms. Your CRM is the center of your fundraising data, so your auction data should naturally flow toward this center.

Integrating auction software with a CRM helps you:

• Bring donor data & donation data into one platform for analysis.
• Segment your donors.
• Make donor outreach easier.
• Reduce data errors.
• Cut back on hours spent on data transfer.

But how do you sync auction data with your donor CRM? 

We’ll cover 3 simple options:

1. Native CRM integration
2. Automation tools
3. Bulk spreadsheet imports

What Auction Data Should You Sync with Your CRM?

Not everything has to be synced up from your auction software. Choose which data to sync based on what you track in your CRM. Here are our suggestions:

Data to sync: 

• Donor contact information
• Non-bidding registrants contact information
• Donor preferences (i.e. preferred contact method)
• Donation amounts 
• Ticket sales
• Total revenue
• Event costs
• Basic event details (including name and date)
• Engagement metrics

Data to skip:

• Full bidding histories
• Minor event details
• Item catalog & item descriptions
• Shipping statistics

Native CRM Integration 

Sometimes, your auction software and donor CRM already integrate with each other. It’s easy to miss among the dozens of features on your software.

With a direct CRM integration, your two software platforms speak directly to each other—with no work required on your end. 

When to Use Native CRM Integration:

• Your auction platform and CRM have built-in integrations with each other. 

How to Check if Your Platform has Native CRM Integration:

• Search for integrations on your auction platform’s website.
• Check for your CRM under a “CRM” or “Integrations” tab in your auction software.
• Check for your auction software in an “Integrations” tab in your CRM.

Steps for Native CRM Integration:

1. Select your CRM within your auction software’s integrations, if available.
2. Or contact your auction platform to access their integrations.

Automation Tools

When your software doesn’t come with its own integrations, you can still integrate through an automation tool. These tools also let your software platforms speak to each other, and through this communication, you can automate data transfer tasks to sync auction data.

The automation tool that’s most likely to integrate with your platforms is Zapier. With Zapier, you'd set up a trigger task from your auction software (like "new winning bid") that automatically triggers a task in your CRM (so in this case, updating your donation records).

When to Use Automation Tools:

• Your auction software and CRM are supported by the same automation tool.
• You have a lot of event data to sync.
• You host multiple fundraising events per year.
• Manual transfers are time consuming.

How to Check if your Platform Integrates with Automation Tools:

• Check if your auction software and CRM are listed in Zapier’s supported apps list.
• Or check the list of apps on your selected automation tool’s website.

Steps for Using Automation Tools:

• Watch this short Zapier tutorial.
• Explore this example of a Zapier integration.
• Or follow your automation tool’s procedures.

If you’re using a paid plan with Zapier, don’t forget to ask for a nonprofit discount!

Bulk Spreadsheet Imports

If you can’t integrate your platforms, you’ll have to manually transfer your data—but you can do this in bulk. Export auction reports as spreadsheets, then import them into your CRM. This works universally for all auction software and CRMs.

When to Use Bulk Spreadsheet Imports:

• Your platform has no direct integrations and no automation tool integrations.
• You don’t have much event data to export.
• You don’t host events often.

Steps for Bulk Spreadsheet Imports:

1. Download your auction reports from your auction software.
2. Map your fields (i.e. edit your spreadsheet column headers to match their corresponding CRM fields).
3. Convert your spreadsheets into CSV files (if not already in CSV format).
4. Upload your CSV files into your CRM via its import data feature. 

The basic steps are the same for importing data across any CRM. Here are more detailed tutorials for some common donor CRMs:

• Salesforce data import tutorial
• Hubspot data import tutorial
• Donorbox data import tutorial
• Bloomerang data import tutorial
• Bonterra data import tutorial
• Blackbaud (Raiser’s Edge) data import tutorial
• DonorPerfect data import tutorial
• Neon One CRM data import tutorial

ALWAYS preview your bulk import before submitting it into your CRM. Oftentimes, your import can’t be undone. Your CRM will ask you to review your data before uploading it.

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly, TEDx speaker and CEO of CharityAuctions.com, helps nonprofits raise millions through auctions and AI. He hosts The Million Dollar Nonprofit podcast and inspires leaders to live their legacy, not just leave it.