Fewer people are giving, supporters expect more and AI is changing how charities work – and how people choose which causes to back. Now in its 16th year, Adapta’s ‘CRM and cake’ offers senior leaders a supplier-independent view of the CRM market and the technologies around it, alongside first-hand stories from peers. Expect frank insight and, as ever, very good cake. 

About the session 

We open with Adapta’s state-of-the-market review: who is investing, who is consolidating and what recent shifts mean for you – from platform retirements such as the Raiser’s Edge database view to the AI agents now built into the major CRMs. We then look beyond the CRM to the giving, marketing, data and analytics tools that shape the supporter experience, and explain why the way they connect matters as much as any single system. 

Two organisations will then share where they are on their journey, where they have struggled and how they found a way through. Both have invested in tools alongside their CRM, and both will be open about how this has redefined the role of the traditional ‘CRM’ – and the skills and governance needed to make it work. 

What will you gain? 

You will leave with: 

• An up-to-date, independent read of the CRM market and its partners, so you can plan your next move with confidence. 
• A clear-eyed view of where AI is earning its keep in fundraising and engagement, where it overpromises, and how supporters’ own use of AI may change what reaches them. 
• A simple way to map your wider engagement estate – the front door, the memory and the understanding – and spot the gaps in your own. 
• Practical ideas for keeping the supporters you recruit, from joining up data across channels to making the most of the charitable soft opt-in. 
• Lessons from peers further along the road: what they would repeat, what they would avoid and what they wish they had known at the start. 
• Time to compare notes with senior colleagues facing the same pressures – and contacts worth keeping long after the cake has gone. 

Who should attend? 

Engagement no longer belongs to one team, and neither does this conversation. We are inviting senior leaders from fundraising, marketing and communications, membership, services, finance, HR, data and IT – whether you are reviewing your CRM, mid-implementation or simply want more from what you have. 

The programme

14.00 - Arriva and welcome

Adapta Consulting

Welcome, introductions and an overview of the afternoon ahead.

14.10 - CRM and digital engagement - the state of the market in 2027

Adapta Consulting

A snapshot of the non-profit CRM market – platforms, partners and costs – and the wider technologies driving income and engagement. 

14.30 - Case studies

Lessons from your peers

Practical stories from organisations at different stages of their CRM and engagement journey, including the advice they would give anyone just starting out. 

Case study 1

TEA, COFFEE AND CAKE - time to compare notes with peers

Case study 2

15.45 - Discussion and feedback

All

Round-table discussion – put your questions to the speakers and explore the issues that matter most to you.

16.30 - 17.00 - Review and close

Register your interest

Limited to 2 places per organisation, this event is free to attend and open only to charities, membership organisation and NFPs.

Event registration will open shortly. To log your interest in attending this event email us at [email protected] with your name, position and organisation.