Whether you are starting a nonprofit organization, yearning to switch your donation tracking system from excel, or searching for alternatives to your current software... I hope that this blog post can shine some light on potential options for your small shop nonprofit. Personally, I have used DonorPerfect, GiftWorks, and Little Green Light to manage donors, but I hope to explore other workable options. It is my goal to provide a variety of alternatives while continuing to add to this blog post as I learn and experience new donor management software.
DonorPerfect
Cost: $159 a month with unlimited users, and 2,500 constituent records.
Donor Perfect: the first donor management software that I had the pleasure of using and learning from. I explored this software inside and out, as it taught this 'new' fundraiser about tracking donor movements. I used DonorPerfect, when I was fundraising for a private school foundation, and the software made it easy to manage all kinds of constituent data (donors, prospects, volunteers, alumni, students, corporations, etc.) This software was built for fundraising, and you can manage each of your campaigns (annual giving, special events, major giving, planned giving) inside the software. The software provides you with the tools to track and manage each campaign and its results. One of my favorite parts of the software was its ability to provide reports and effective analysis that was ready to be seen by our Board of Directors. Overall, DonorPerfect is easy to learn and easy to use. Not to mention that their email, chat, and phone support is excellent.
GiftWorks
Cost: $110 a month (Must contact 'Sales' for information and add-ons)
GiftWorks, now a FrontStream program, has since evolved into a cloud-based donor and volunteer management software with built-in fundraising tools. The program allows you to track donor information, donation amounts, email communications, and other interactions. The program also allows you to build standard and custom reports. When I worked on this system, we used the desktop version which required a daily/manual backup. As previously stated, the program has since become cloud-based. Unfortunately, I can't speak to the merits of the cloud-based program. I will say that the new version of the software could eliminate the need to have separate systems that track donors, volunteers, and event participants. Skimming through the reviews from online consumers, there were mixed opinions on the actual return on investment (ROI) for this software.
Little Green Light
Cost: $39 a month with unlimited users, and 2,500 constituent records.
Little Green Light is the current system that I am using. What started as a bumpy relationship has since blossomed into a well-functioning partnership. My organization experiences a large number of memorial gifts, which means MORE one-time gifts and MORE constituent records. That means, the more we grow our donor base, the more the software costs for us (which did not quite add up to me when I first took on my role as Development Director). But, as I have learned the program, this donor management software allows me the opportunity to manage all of our organization's supporters in one place, track all communications, and manage a calendar of tasks. The software has shown to be pretty customizable with an easy-to-use 'alert' system. At first, the reports generated by the software were a bit intimidating, but after taking some time to explore the pre-loaded reports, the standard reports proved to be effective and shareable. My favorite part of Little Green Light is its built-in moves management system which allows you to manage all 'types' of donors as they flow through the relationship-building process. This donor software has an excellent Private Facebook Group that shares resources and tips, in addition to their top-notch customer service and help center.
Network for Good
Cost: $100 a month with unlimited users, and 500 constituent records.
Network for Good, a software that has served over $100,000 in small nonprofit organizations and counting. Although I have not yet used this software, I have been a donor through a variety of nonprofit organizations using the Network for Good platform. This donor management software creates a dashboard that helps visualize campaign progress and year-to-date giving. The software allows you to build filters that create donor lists based on specific giving habits. My favorite feature of Network for Good is its branded online fundraising pages. These fundraising pages are visually appealing and have a proven record of attracting new donors, increasing gift amounts, and driving monthly donors. Check out one of my favorite fundraising pages (and one of my favorite nonprofits), here. Network for Good has developed software that is user-friendly and personalized to allow your small shop nonprofit's mission to shine. But it appears that as your nonprofit grows, so do your donor management costs.
Want to learn more about a particular donor management software? Comment below.