Discover the best membership software for nonprofits based on our rigorous research. A great membership software solution can help you improve your member retention rate, increase donations and save time and money.
MembershipPoint is best membership software for nonprofits. MembershipPoint was designed by an engineer with a nonprofit background and built on open source core technologies and leveraging the power of the LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), resulting in affordable membership software for small to large nonprofits.
What Is Membership Management Software?
Membership management software is a solution that makes it easier for organizations, clubs, nonprofits and associations to run more effectively. In most cases, these organizations have members. It can be a challenge to handle member sign-ups, collect payments, sell additional products and services, manage events and run programs without software use. If there is no software, these tasks need to be done manually, which wastes time and resources.
Thus, many clubs and organizations choose to invest in membership management software to take care of everyday tasks more efficiently, improve organization and get more done. There are a variety of membership management software options out there, and they each offer their own capabilities and features.
These solutions can also make it easier to communicate with current members. They can help to increase engagement and to keep members happy. Finally, the right membership management software can make it easier to bring in new members and walk them through the sign-up and payment process. Membership management software can make the lives of organization staff members easier and stress-free.
Benefits of Membership Management Software
There are many reasons to consider using membership management software. It can help an organization be great. Here are some of the main benefits of this kind of solution:
- Save time. Many tasks take a lot of time when they’re done manually. With software, tasks can be automated or done quickly to waste less time and get more done a lot quicker.
- Communicate more effectively. This kind of software can make it easier to communicate with current members and prospects. The more effectively an organization can communicate, the happier its members will be.
- Stay organized. It’s easy to get disorganized when a lot is going on. This is especially true for smaller organizations that have limited staff and resources. Good software can help a company stay organized.
- Collect payments faster. It can be easy for member renewals to fall through the cracks. The right software makes it easier to stay on top of payments and collect payments faster.
- Manage events better. Events are a big part of running an organization or club. Software can make it easier to advertise events and manage payments and sign-ups so fewer mistakes are made.
Must-Have Features of Membership Management Software
Not all membership management software solutions have the same features. Choosing one with excellent features can allow an organization to get more done. Here are some of the best features that should be included:
- Payment collection. It should be easy to collect payments from members.
- Event management tools. Running organizational events takes a lot of time and work. Good software will make it easier to manage all the details.
- Easy member sign-up. The right software should make it easier to sign up new members and get them set up in the system.
- Member directory. It can be beneficial for members to have a directory of other members within the organization. This can also help an organization keep an organized running list, too.
- Automated billing and recurring billing. No one wants to chase payments. Software that includes automated billing and recurring billing solutions can help companies bring in more revenue and avoid missing payments.
- Member portal. Having a member portal is a great way for members to take charge of their membership and stay informed.
- Fundraising tools. For nonprofits, it’s especially important to have good fundraising efforts. The right software can make this easier.
- Marketing tools. Marketing tools, like email marketing solutions, can improve communication and make it easier to reach more members at once.
The Cost of Membership Management Software
The cost of membership management software can vary greatly. A lot of what goes into the price of each software option has to do with what features are offered and the size of the organizations that are using the solution. For this reason, many software companies offered tiered plans available for different needs and organization sizes.
Most companies can expect to pay at least $50 per month for membership management software. More advanced solutions with more features can cost $100 or more per month. Much bigger organizations can expect to pay $250 or more per month to use this kind of software.
There are some free membership management software options out there, but they usually have more limited features. Before investing in a solution, an organization should consider its goals and needs to ensure the software matches up well.
Many membership management software companies offer free demos or free trials to test out their features.
5 of the best membership management software for nonprofits
So here’s a list of some of the top nonprofit membership management software tools that are available today. If you have an indecisive board, considering whether it’s time to switch to software or simply explore possibilities for improving your membership management, these tools are worth reviewing.
1. Member365
Out of Ontario, Canada, Member365 helps non-profits automate membership sign-ups and renewals as well as utilize their CRM to organize volunteers, potential members, and even guest speakers or non-member networks.
Member365 also provides a way to track committees, create an online space to share documents, transcripts, and discussions. Therefore, every aspect of this membership management software is designed to help streamline and organize your lists, communication, and growth.
2. WildApricot
WildApricot is a popular solution that includes a secure and searchable online database, member login, a website builder, and even a mobile app. Everything from events to automated email sequences can be set up and managed from WildApricot. Because of its widespread use across different industries, the membership management software is designed to be user-friendly and even includes a 30-day free trial, so you can assess how its features work within your nonprofit.
3. Memberclicks
Like other software options, Memberclicks was designed to support specific membership types, including trade associations, professional associations, and chambers of commerce. The software offers a robust solution for membership management, including a personalized member website, a conference and event app, and a learning management system that allows your organization to distribute learning materials and track results. Unique to other software options, Memberclicks also provides a review panel where you can easily collect and review submissions such as whitepapers, abstracts, nominations for awards, and any other reviewable material that your nonprofit handles regularly.
4. Memberplanet
Memberplanet provides a simple, easy to use platform with one main goal in mind: to grow your organization. Every feature works toward that end, helping you communicate with and manage current members while promoting the organization and gaining new members. These features include the basics of customized onboarding, automated processes and communication, and a mobile app. Additional features that are unique to Memberplanet are creating and managing fundraising campaigns, generating polls and surveys, and even creating and easily organising different membership levels and categories.
5. EventBank
To experience membership management software that many large, for-profit organizations utilize, EventBank is a great solution. This software provides large-scale member management, event management, and marketing tools, making it a top choice for organizations such as National Geographic, Deloitte, and BP. It goes beyond member management and provides financial tools for invoicing, a built-in CRM, and email marketing tools that rival other software specifically designed for those singular tasks. If you have outgrown your software and are looking for a better solution, you can schedule a demo of EventBank’s all-inclusive membership management software.
Choosing the Right Membership Software
Membership is a primary funding source for many nonprofits. This reliance on membership means nonprofits must have the best online tools to manage, recruit, and fundraise. Here are a few essential features of choosing the right membership software for your nonprofit.
1. Customizable forms
Nonprofits should be able to create customized membership forms and add fields to ask required questions. Also, they should be able to add recurring intervals to the membership forms. That is to collect additional donations and encourage people to have regular membership that gets renewed at a set interval.
2. Automatic gift receipt
Members should be sent an automatic gift receipt with their donation. The donation receipt should be as informative as possible, meeting their tax needs. This way, you get to retain them for a long time.
3. Member management
You must manage all your members effectively in one place while also giving them a dedicated portal to manage their own donations. That makes your communication a breeze!
Donorbox’s donor management allows nonprofits to keep track of all fees, contact information, and communication with members. Members are sent a sign-up and password to manage their donations, and nonprofits receive notifications when members change, cancel, or update their memberships.
4. Fundraising and integrations
In addition to membership fees, nonprofits should be able to create online donation forms and raise funds during events with text-to-give or online crowdfunding campaigns. These options allow nonprofits to limit their reliance on membership fees and help encourage members to take a larger role in fundraising.
Also, look for software that integrates with effective nonprofit tools such as Mailchimp, Zapier, Double the Donation, website builders you’re using, Salesforce NPSP, etc. Donorbox provides all that and more. Find about our integrations here.
Example – Assata’s Daughters is a black women-led nonprofit organization that educates young black people in Chicago through various programs and activities. They have created this membership program page with 3 membership levels and a popup form for each to facilitate the process.
Conclusion
The Nonprofit membership software and online membership system is a free open source solution for issue management, project management, fundraising and membership automation. The Nonprofit membership software is easy to implement and requires no programming knowledge.