A webinar was held for the representatives of NGOs, non-governmental organisations and charitable foundations. During the webinar, we looked at practical examples of how the Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM system can improve the interaction between donors and supported organisations.
The participants discussed the importance of automating interaction processes with donors and recipients of aid, and the role of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM system in improving the NGO efficiency. Speakers shared their experience of using the system to automate business processes and improve communication and notifications between teams and donors.
“In today’s rapidly changing context, it’s crucial not only to respond to the needs of donors, but also to build stable, long-term relationships with them. That is why it is important to ensure transparency and efficiency at all interaction stages,” said Andrii Borenkov, Head of Advisory at BDO in Ukraine.
In his speech, Andrii spoke on the benefits of the unified ecosystem and the importance of complying with the GDPR principles. He explained that personalisation is not intrusive in this case, but is carried out in compliance with all necessary privacy requirements. He emphasised that the system has built-in tools to automatically block data processing without the user’s consent, as well as the ability to withdraw consent, which provides dynamic control over personal data.
Andrii shared his experience of automating processes at KMA Alumni. The main problem was the manual administration of contributions, which made monitoring difficult and resulted in missed payments. The solution was to implement an application processing system and integrate LiqPay to track payments, control access through SharePoint and provide automatic notifications.
Transparency as a strategy: how reporting opens the door to donor funding.
Liliya Chernysh, Key Audit Partner, discussed the importance of transparent financial reporting for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) amid growing grant funding. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, she noted, the international community has significantly increased its support for Ukraine, leading to an influx of grant funding. Consequently, the number of civil society organisations operating in Ukraine has increased, as have donor requirements for transparency and compliance. She emphasised that many of these new organisations lack auditing experience and do not understand the importance of proper financial reporting. She added that it is crucial for donors to verify that the funds are being used appropriately and in line with their internal policies. Auditing is becoming a necessary tool for meeting such requirements, including quality verification of resource management and ensuring compliance of financial reporting with international standards.
Liliya also emphasised the importance of implementing internal control systems and document retention procedures to avoid potential issues in the future. She advised new organisations to pay particular attention to proper accounting, as well as to implementing the required policies and procedures.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM system for effective NGO work
Following the theoretical section, the team of automators — Evelina Shved, Mykhailo Atamanov and Yegor Terekhov — presented a practical demonstration of the system’s capabilities for NGOs. They demonstrated how the system can automate interactions with donors and recipients of assistance, saving time and making processes more transparent and efficient. 
Evelina began the demonstration by showing how donor data is automatically filled in through special forms, eliminating the need for manual data entry. As soon as a donor completes a form, all the data is instantly entered into the system, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of information. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors that often occur with manual data entry.
Mykhailo then spoke about how the document management system centralises document storage and facilitates both access control and history tracking. He also noted that linking files to contacts or requests provides quick access to the documents. The system optimises collaboration by enabling multiple users to work together without duplicating efforts, while status tracking of documents simplifies process monitoring.
Yegor also emphasised the importance of tracking expenditure and automatically updating beneficiary data. Thanks to the ability to create reports and charts, organisations can accurately assess their financial situation at any time, helping them to make informed decisions based on up-to-date information.
“The system is convenient because it allows you to automatically collect information from various sources, store it in a single database, and build a complete document flow from application to contract. This greatly simplifies internal communication and process control,” added Andrii Borenkov.
Copilot in Microsoft 365: your new digital assistant
The demonstration also included a separate presentation on Copilot, which is an intelligent assistant integrated with the entire Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem. Copilot can automate routine tasks such as creating draft documents and presentations, and even performing data analysis. This significantly reduces the time spent on these tasks and improves work quality.Copilot Studio, a separate platform in the ecosystem allowing users to create their own chatbots to solve specific tasks, was also discussed. The platform does not require in-depth technical knowledge — a clear understanding of the intended use is sufficient. For instance, a chatbot can be integrated with documents, filtered, and used to provide users with useful information, such as details about grant programmes.
Andrii Paios, Head of IT, concluded the meeting with a speech. He emphasised that BDO in Ukraine is a Microsoft Gold Partner with deep expertise in implementing solutions for non-profit organisations. He noted that it is important to combine all Microsoft services into a single ecosystem to make organisation management as convenient as possible. He also mentioned that Microsoft provides free licences for non-profit organisations, and recommended contacting BDO in Ukraine for more information and assistance with implementing Microsoft solutions.
In today’s environment, the activities of non-profit organisations and charitable foundations (NGOs) depend heavily on effective, transparent and systematic interaction with donors and recipients of assistance. High-quality communication and well-established processes form the basis for implementing socially important initiatives and establishing long-term partnerships.
Donor support is not only about funding; it is also about earning trust. To achieve this, organisations must demonstrate a high level of organisation, accountability and efficiency in their interactions with all parties.
In this context, a CRM system is an indispensable tool. It enables the automation of key stages of work, from application receipt and approval to recipient support, documentation maintenance and donor communication. A reliable CRM platform, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, provides the transparency, control and flexibility that modern NGOs need to operate effectively.
If you are looking to optimise your organisation’s performance, ensure effective financial management and strengthen your donor relations, please contact BDO in Ukraine. We are ready to help you implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions and successfully automate all your processes.
