There's no question that cloud-based services have taken off and, in this growing space, cloud CRM has proven among the most popular services. Cloud CRM has the benefits of being cloud-based, alongside the primary benefit of helping businesses better understand their customers, making it especially attractive to smaller and mid-sized businesses.

Recently, Sage Business Solutions launched Sage CRM Cloud, which is being offered at all levels, allowing small, medium and large to access customer relationship management software. Mid-size not-for-profit agencies specifically can find much to like about Sage CRM Cloud.

As Sharna Aquilina, a bequests officer with the Kidney Support Network (KSN), said in a statement, "We have few IT capabilities in house and rely on a volunteer for help. Therefore, cloud software appealed because if there ever was a problem with the system, it would be someone else who had to deal with it."

Since not-for-profit organizations have limited funds and resources to work with, price is obviously a large factor when considering implementing cloud solutions. After all, while an on-premises solution may have a greater cost upfront, it's cheaper in the long run than a subscription. But is it really?

As Aquilina pointed out, the time and cost saved not having to deal with issues already more than make up for this as managing and maintaining on-premises solutions is typically costly. Upgrading to new version of on-premises software is also costly and time consuming, whereas with a cloud-based solution, the customer again doesn't have to worry about this. With a more effective solution that allows all members of a mid-size not-for-profit focus on the task at hand, organizations can better connect with customers and donors.

Sage isn't the only company offering flexible solutions to mid-size not-for-profits, though: BlackBaud offers free trials and actually focuses specifically on helping not-for-profits fundraise, while SproutSocial has taken a similar approach with free trials. In other words, mid-size not-for-profits have a number of viable options in terms of cloud CRM.