Your Comprehensive CSR Software Migration Checklist

Technology is supposed to make life easier, not more complicated – and while many corporate social responsibility (CSR) software options promise to simplify programs, they may not always deliver. Even if your team relies on free, ad hoc processes to track CSR goals, activities, and metrics, the operational compromises you’ll make will likely grow along with your team members and program complexities.

So, you’ve identified it’s time for a change. It’s time to switch to a CSR software tool that’s built for CSR. Even though a change is necessary, your team is probably not looking forward to transferring all the data to a new platform. By having a good, comprehensive software migration checklist, though, the process can go quite smoothly. Groundswell is here to help make the CSR software move well worth your time and resources.

Table of Contents:

• When Is It Time for CSR Software Migration?
• Before You Migrate: Setting a Foundation
• Choosing the Right CSR Platform: Things to Consider
• Create a CSR Software Migration Checklist: Bringing It All Together
• Discover the Value of Groundswell’s Comprehensive and Intuitive CSR Software

When Is It Time for CSR Software Migration?

Adding employees is one of the surest signs that it’s time to switch CSR platforms. That’s certainly not the only sign, though. Below are three circumstances that may demand a change.

You’re Spending More Time Entering Data than Volunteering

Google Sheets’ basic features may be free, but it won’t automate CSR tasks and processes like good software would. More CSR events (such as volunteering days) beget more data, and manually entering it will eventually become unsustainable. Telling robust stories from your CSR data is possible when you level up your reporting capabilities.

You Want to Add Programs to Your CSR Strategy

Just as more data can render manual systems unsustainable, different kinds of data can do the same thing. Offering donor-advised funds (DAFs), employee assistance funds (EAFs), and other newer CSR programs is difficult without purpose-built CSR software tools. Easing the administrative burden also becomes more important as your company adds programs.

It’s Getting Difficult to Engage Your Employees in Volunteering

Hitting a plateau with the employee participation rate in CSR means your workers don’t experience a net benefit from the software. The more friction employees face when using the CSR platform, the less likely they are to participate. 

Whatever the reason for the stagnant or declining employee participation rate, a scalable, intuitive software with sensible dashboards can get the CSR programs back on the right track.

Before You Migrate: Setting a Foundation

Even the smoothest software migrations produce a few headaches for HR and administrative employees. Setting your team up for success involves addressing the following areas before you begin the migration process.

To ensure the transition is as seamless as possible:

• Audit the data you currently have. Fill in missing fields and delete any duplicate entries. Make sure your existing information applies to specific CSR programs. If you don’t need to keep certain data, warehouse it somewhere else—there’s no need to needlessly widen the migration scope.
• Think about HRIS integrations. The more CSR data you have, the more it makes sense to use corporate social responsibility software with data integrations. HRIS (human resources information system) integration is one of the more notable capabilities in this area, and it can save your team a bunch of time during migration.
• Communicate with IT. Remember to keep the IT department in the loop as you consider new CSR platforms. Migrations that might seem simple on the surface can involve many moving parts. The earlier you inform relevant stakeholders, the better.
• Set a realistic timeline. Hofstadter’s Law—that complex undertakings always require more time than you believe they would at the beginning—rings true for software migrations. In setting the migration timeline, account for contingencies and reasonably expected delays.

Choosing the Right CSR Platform: Things to Consider

Every company has unique CSR needs, and you have a good amount of vendors to choose from. Applying what you know about your company to the offerings of CSR software companies will help guide you to your best option.

Accordingly, address the following considerations before making a choice.

What Do You Want to Improve Upon?

You’re making a change for a reason, and that reason is likely your legacy CSR software not keeping up with your company’s needs. 

But what, exactly, do you want the new CSR software to change? More specifically, in which metrics would you like to see improvement? Keep your intended result as your north star during the selection process.

Staff and Resource Capabilities

Automation from your new CSR software is likely to be a priority. In keeping with that theme, choose a platform that doesn’t create more work for your staff. The way some platforms distribute donations can place unnecessary burdens on administrative staff, for instance. 

Customer Service Needs

One area where many legacy CSR software providers (such as Deed, Benevity, YourCause, and Submittable) fall short is in customer service. Many have ticket-based strategies, and others take days or weeks to respond to client queries.

Groundswell prioritizes our clients’ needs and questions—especially during onboarding. We’ll be right by your side as you migrate your existing data into our all-in-one CSR platform.

Scalability

One last important consideration is scalability. If your CSR software doesn’t scale with your company, you’ll end up having to find yet another vendor sometime later. Companies encounter issues when platforms limit the number of users and administrators or charge per-user fees.

Create a CSR Software Migration Checklist: Bringing It All Together

After choosing a platform, use Groundswell’s CSR software migration checklist to prevent disruptions and ensure a complete migration.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE:

• Cleaned up, standardized, and prioritized existing data
• Confirmed WHY you need to switch platforms
• Named migration owners and decision-makers
• Provided a realistic migration timeline
• Created a contingency plan for major interruptions
• Clarified support capabilities from the vendor
• Communicated the impending change and related consequences to every employee
• Set KPIs for immediate periods post-software adoption

Discover the Value of Groundswell’s Comprehensive and Intuitive CSR Software

Once you’ve completed CSR software migration, you’ll want assurances that the new platform is exactly what your company needs.

Groundswell was created to democratize CSR programs. We believe every company, large or small, deserves access to the best CSR platform at affordable prices.

With our scalable software, you can:

• Create customized employee giving and matching programs
• Empower employees to execute and lead volunteering programs
• Manage the corporate grantmaking process from start to finish
• Offer each employee a tax-advantaged, flexible DAF that they can keep for life

Our mobile-optimized software also maximizes employee participation, helping your company realize the ROI that’s needed to justify all your CSR programs. 

Schedule a personalized demo for a glimpse into your CSR future!