civ:lab
CivLab partnered with MA Impact Partners (MAIP) to operationalize their fundraising systems by integrating and customizing Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). Through a targeted engagement focused on CRM infrastructure, data hygiene, and team training, MAIP helped CivLab transition from siloed spreadsheets to a streamlined, collaborative fundraising operation.
Organization Snapshot
Based in: New York, NY
Sector: Civic Innovation / Social Impact
Reach: National
KEY ELEMENTS
MAIP worked with CivLab to design and implement a custom Salesforce architecture tailored to moves management and grant-seeking strategy. We delivered:
A fully mapped and imported donor pipeline
Custom fields and scoring systems (AAA: Access, Affinity, Ability)
A structured moves management system using industry-standard pipeline stages
A dashboard and reporting suite to track progress and drive weekly meetings.
Our engagement helped CivLab shift from a scattered system of spreadsheets to a unified CRM, enabling real-time visibility, collaboration, and accountability in donor cultivation and stewardship.
how we helped
✓ Strategic Planning
✓ CRM & Dashboard Buildout
✓ Fundraising Capacity Support
✓ Coaching & Training
✓ Custom Services: AAA scoring system, dashboard configuration, and moves-management workflow design
the background
CivLab is a mission-driven organization supporting inclusive innovation and public interest technology. As their programs and funder network grew, the team realized that their manual systems couldn’t keep pace. Their existing donor data lived across multiple spreadsheets with limited visibility into next steps or relationships. They sought a flexible CRM system that could house research, log interactions, and drive collaboration across team members.
The Challenge
At the time of engagement, CivLab faced:
Fragmented donor and partner data
Lack of a centralized system to manage cultivation and asks
No defined workflow for tracking donor stage, readiness, or stewardship
Time-consuming back-and-forth communication on internal updates
Team members reported they had to “call everyone individually just to debrief” after meetings and struggled with “too many Salesforce features and fields” without clear usage rituals .
THE SOLUTION
MAIP deployed Salesforce NPSP using a phased approach
Created key data objects (Account, Contact, Opportunity) aligned to real-world entities.
Implemented CivLab-specific custom fields: Shared Focus Areas, AAA Scores, Status Detail .
Built validation rules (e.g., require Amount & Close Date for “Ask Ready” stage) to ensure data quality.
Delivered custom how-to videos and live training sessions led by MAIP and CRM expert Taylor Mills.
Established three core team rituals:
Post-call logging: All meeting notes entered in Salesforce and tagged by funder and internal team members.
Email capture: Using Gmail plugins to tag donor interactions directly into the CRM.
Contact reports: Sharing summaries org-wide to ensure information alignment and reduce duplication of communication .
These were codified into SOPs and Slack workflows to drive adoption and consistency.
Developed dashboards to track FY25 progress, stage-by-stage pipeline, AAA-ranked prospects, and pending next steps.
Introduced status-driven automations using Engagement Plans (e.g., follow-up tasks auto-created for “Ask Ready” donors).
The impact
In less than 30 days, CivLab went from a static spreadsheet-based system to a dynamic, live CRM integrated with team habits and fundraising workflows. Outcomes included:
Centralized donor history and engagement records
Live pipeline visibility using dashboards and reports
Structured meetings with clear priorities and ownership
Increased team coordination, reducing meeting debrief time and reliance on memory
Foundation laid for automated stewardship and scaling major gifts strateg
FEATURED QOUTE
During a live Salesforce training session with MAIP, Allie from the CivLab team reflected on how this experience differed meaningfully from previous implementations led by other consultants. She highlighted that MAIP’s training—especially Taylor’s walkthrough—was uniquely digestible and immediately actionable, contrasting with the complexity and confusion she had encountered in the past:
“We’ve had a few Salesforce people who walked us through things, and I have found it very confusing—and this was so clear.”
— Allie, CivLab Chief of Staff
This feedback underscores the value of MAIP’s approach: breaking down complex systems into accessible, repeatable rituals that the entire team can adopt with confidence.
FEATURED TEAM MEMBER
TAYLOR MILLS, Salesforce Implementation Lead
“Working with CivLab was a rewarding experience—they were open to rethinking systems and brave enough to commit to real behavior change. We didn’t just plug in Salesforce; we built habits and infrastructure that support long-term growth.”