CRM for Fundraising: How to Track Leads, Replies, and Follow-Ups Like a Pro

October 8, 2025 · Founder DIY

TL;DR — The CRM Blueprint (Copy/Paste This)

Stages that actually matter

Prospect → Qualified Fit → Contacted → Warm Intro Pending → Reply → Call Booked → Diligence → Committed → Closed (Won/Lost)

Minimum fields (keep it lean)

Investor · Fund · Role · Cheque Size · Stage Focus · Geo · Fit Score /18 · Source (Warm/Cold) · Last Touch (date) · Next Step (date) · Hook Used · Status (stage) · Notes

Daily ritual (10 minutes)

  1. Open Today’s Next Steps view.
  2. Send bumps or booking messages.
  3. Log outcomes.
  4. Move cards one stage forward—or out.

Weekly ritual (30 minutes)

  • Review Accept %, Reply %, Call-Booked %, Time-to-Meeting.
  • Fix the weakest KPI with one change (list, hook, CTA, cadence).
  • Add 5 new A-list targets; archive stale leads.

Saved views (work from these)

  • Today’s Next Steps (Next Step = today or past due)
  • A-List This Week (Fit Score ≥14)
  • Stale >7 Days (no touch in 7+ days)
  • Awaiting Intro (Warm Intro Pending)
  • Post-Call Follow-Ups (Call Booked in last 7 days)
  • Active Diligence (Diligence stage only)

KPI targets (start here, tune to your stage)

  • Accept % = accepts ÷ invites → 30–60%
  • Reply % = replies ÷ DMs → 15–35%
  • Call-Booked % = calls ÷ replies → 25–50%
  • Meetings / 100 DMs = calls ÷ DMs → 5–15

Why you need a fundraising CRM (even a tiny one)

Memory drops balls.
A pipeline doesn’t.

It shows what to do today, where deals are stuck, and which message works.

You’ll book more meetings without sending more messages.

Pipeline stages (what each one means)

Prospect
You found them. No scoring yet.

Qualified Fit
They match your stage, cheque, geo, and thesis. Fit Score filled.

Contacted
Cold DM sent or connection note sent.

Warm Intro Pending
You asked a connector for a double opt-in intro.

Reply
They responded. You owe a clear next step.

Call Booked
Invite sent with title, link, agenda.

Diligence
They asked for deck/data room, references, deeper numbers.

Committed
Soft-circle or signed terms. Track amount and paperwork.

Closed (Won/Lost)
Money in / passed. Log the reason—it improves the next raise.

Fields that drive action (minimal, not messy)

  • Investor / Fund / Role — who, where.
  • Thesis Tags — 3–5 words (e.g., “India B2B SaaS”, “SMB fintech infra”).
  • Cheque Size — range in ₹/$ that matches your ask.
  • Fit Score /18 — Stage, Cheque, Sector, Geo, Lead/Follow, Pattern Match (0–3 each).
  • Source — Warm or Cold.
  • Hook Used — portfolio adjacency, traction snapshot, thesis mirror, etc.
  • Last Touch (date) — when you last acted.
  • Next Step (date) — when you will act next.
  • Status — the pipeline stage.
  • Notes — one line. Not an essay.

Your starter sheet (paste this header row)

Investor,Fund,Role,ThesisTags,ChequeMin,ChequeMax,StageFocus,Geo,FitScore18,Source,HookUsed,Status,LastTouch,NextStep,Email,LinkedIn,Notes

Views that make you faster

Today’s Next Steps
Filter: NextStep is today or before AND Status is not Closed.
Sort: NextStep ascending.

A-List This Week
Filter: FitScore18 >= 14 AND Status in (Qualified Fit, Contacted, Warm Intro Pending, Reply).

Stale >7 Days
Filter: LastTouch is more than 7 days ago AND Status not in (Committed, Closed).

Awaiting Intro
Filter: Status = Warm Intro Pending.

Post-Call Follow-Ups
Filter: Status in (Reply, Call Booked) AND LastTouch < 7 days.

Automations (lightweight, tool-agnostic)

  • Auto-roll Next Step: when you change Status to Reply, set Next Step to today + 2 days.
  • Daily reminder: one email at 8:30 AM with count of items due.
  • Snippets: store your DM hooks, follow-ups, booking lines in a quick-insert library.
  • Log meetings: when a calendar event is titled “Fit Check”, auto-move to Call Booked.
  • After call: template task → “Send recap + teaser + next step by EOD”.

Operating hygiene (the rules)

  • Single owner. One person updates the CRM daily.
  • End-of-day sweep. Move stages, fill Next Step, write one-line notes.
  • Weekly review. Fix the weakest KPI with one change.
  • Change log. Note big edits (new stages, new fields) in a pinned doc.

Metrics & simple formulas (copy)

  • Accept % = Accepts / Invites
  • Reply % = Replies / DMs
  • Call-Booked % = Calls / Replies
  • Meeting Yield % = Calls / DMs
  • Time-to-Meeting (days) = MeetingDate – FirstDMDate

Track them weekly. If a number sags, use the Diagnosis Ladder:

  • Accept % low → list fit is off (stage, cheque, geo).
  • Reply % low → hook is weak (change angle; add proof).
  • Call-Booked % low → CTA is vague (offer two times; 15-min ask).
  • Time-to-Meeting high → scheduling friction (use one-touch flow).

Example: filters you can save (tool-agnostic text)

A-List New Touches
FitScore18 >= 14 AND Status IN (Qualified Fit, Contacted) AND NextStep <= TODAY()

Diligence Heat
Status = Diligence AND LastTouch <= TODAY() - 3

Won This Month
Status = Closed (Won) AND CloseDate in THIS_MONTH()

Templates you’ll reuse (paste-ready)

Post-reply → book the call
“Thanks, [Name]! Happy to do a 15-min fit check. Free [Tue 6:30–6:45 PM IST] or [Wed 8:00–8:15 PM IST]. If easier, here’s a link: [link].”

After call → recap + next step
“Great chat. [Problem → Product → Proof] in 60 seconds. Next step: [your ask]. I’ll share [deck/data room item] today; tentatively holding [day/time] for the deep dive.”

Diligence nudge
“Sharing the data room link and KPI one-pager. Added a change log at the root. Happy to walk through cohorts in 15 min [slot 1] / [slot 2].”

Closed (Lost) — learning line
“Appreciate the look and the notes. I’ll circle back after [milestone/date]. If you’re open, may I send a one-line update monthly?”

Tool choices (use what you have)

  • Sheets/Excel — fastest to start; perfect for first 25 records.
  • Notion/Airtable — great for views, tags, and simple automations.
  • Streak (Gmail) or HubSpot Free — email tracking + pipeline in your inbox.

Pick one. Don’t migrate mid-raise unless something is breaking.

7-Day Rollout (from zero → working CRM)

Day 1
Create the sheet/table with the header row above. Add stages.

Day 2
Import your first 25 prospects. Fill Fit Score and Next Step.

Day 3
Make Today’s Next Steps and A-List This Week views.

Day 4
Send 8–10 first touches. Log each send. Move to Contacted.

Day 5
Add automation for Next Step when Status = Reply. Save your message snippets.

Day 6
Review KPIs. Fix the weakest one with one change.

Day 7
Archive stale leads. Add 5 fresh A-list names. Repeat.

FAQ

Do I need a full-blown CRM?
No. A clean sheet with views beats a bloated tool you won’t update.

How many fields are too many?
If you can’t update it in 10 minutes a day, you have too many.

Should I track every DM detail?
No. Track hook used, last touch, next step, and stage. That’s enough to learn.

When do I move “Diligence → Committed”?
When you get a soft-circle or terms. Add amount and target close date.

What if a thread dies?
Two bumps max. Then set a milestone re-touch date and move on.

Final word

Run your raise like a small, calm pipeline.

Short fields.
Clear stages.
Daily action view.

Fix one number each week—
and watch meetings grow without adding chaos.

Sources

No external sources needed for this framework. It’s a tool-agnostic, stage-tested CRM workflow designed for early-stage fundraising.