Public sector and not-for-profit

Public sector and not-for-profit

How councils, public bodies, charities, schools, universities and museums use CRM and ERP, and where Microsoft Dynamics 365 fits in each sector.

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What public sector and not-for-profit organisations have in common

Councils, charities, schools and museums serve very different people, but they share the same pressures. Every pound has to be accounted for, often against a budget, a grant or a restricted fund. The people they work with expect joined-up service. And small teams are asked to do more each year.

Two systems carry most of that load. A CRM holds the relationship side: residents, supporters, students, members and visitors, with their enquiries, consent and history. An ERP holds the money side: budgets, purchasing, funds and the reporting that boards, trustees, funders and auditors ask for. When the two are connected, a service request or a donation can be traced from first contact through to the accounts.

Sectors

Guides for each sector

Each sector has a CRM guide and an ERP guide, covering what the system does, where the value sits and how to choose one.

Systems

The Microsoft Dynamics 365 systems behind them

Most organisations start with one system and add others as needs grow. All of them connect to Microsoft 365.

Articles

More on public sector and not-for-profit

Our articles on councils and local government, charities, not-for-profit finance and education, grouped by topic.

Councils and local government

How councils choose a CRM, the pressures local authorities face and practical ways to improve resident engagement and citizen services.

Charities, not-for-profits and education

Why charities need a CRM, the challenges it helps with, fund accounting for not-for-profits and how education providers use Business Central.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Most need two things: a CRM for the people they serve or rely on, such as residents, supporters, students or visitors, and an ERP or finance system for budgets, purchasing, funds and reporting. Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and Business Central cover both and connect to Microsoft 365, which most organisations already use.

Usually, yes. A CRM handles resident enquiries, cases and service requests across channels. An ERP handles budgets, commitments, purchasing and the audit trail for public spending. Running both from connected data means a service request and the money spent on it can be traced together.

Business Central can track restricted and unrestricted funds, grants and projects using dimensions, so income and spending are reported by fund without separate spreadsheets. The right set-up depends on how your funders and trustees need to see the figures.

Consent, communication preferences and opt-outs are held on each person's record with a date, so you can show what someone agreed to and exclude them from communications automatically. That matters for councils, charities and education providers alike.

Microsoft offers non-profit pricing for eligible organisations. What is available changes over time, so we check the current offers and your eligibility as part of licensing advice.

Start with the process causing the most manual work or risk, such as resident enquiries, supporter records, Gift Aid, budget reporting or grant tracking. Fixing one well gives you clean data and a foundation to add the rest.