It’s pretty much a given: Nonprofit organizations need software for administrative and financial work. But what kind and which specific database and accounting software should you choose — and how do you go about finding the best software for nonprofits?
Nonprofit organizations are becoming more and more aware of the need to manage their operations more efficiently. They are thus looking for the best available management software that will help them handle their operations effectively. Nonprofit database software is a valuable resource for this aspect.
SUSTAIN – BEST SOFTWARE FOR SIMPLE FUNDRAISING MANAGEMENT
THE BASICS
If your nonprofit has trouble navigating your current fundraising software (or you don’t have one!), Sustain might be able to help. Sustain is a complete solution to fundraising management that was developed to help nonprofits complete simple daily tasks with ease. This saves your entire team time, increases productivity, and streamlines the fundraising process.
NOTABLE FEATURES
With Sustain, you’ll save time and raise more money. Consider these tools and how they can help your nonprofit:
- Comprehensive constituent profiles for donor management
- Email marketing, direct mailing, and more for fundraising outreach efforts
- Online donation forms that efficiently process gifts
Sustain is a great platform for those organizations that just need the basics for fundraising management.
PRICING
Sustain’s pricing will vary depending on your nonprofit. To see if Sustain is right for you, contact them on their website.
SNOWBALL – BEST TEXT-TO-GIVE FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE
THE BASICS
With the slogan, “Do more. Spend Less,” Snowball claims to have the most affordable text-to-give platform on the market, plus a suite of other compatible fundraising tools. They have free customer service and no minimum donation thresholds, meaning you’ll collect every donation possible and have help available when you need it!
NOTABLE FEATURES
Snowball is best-known for their text-to-give platform, but they also have a ton of other features your nonprofit can take advantage of. Some of their offerings include:
- Donation pages that are customizable and mobile-friendly
- A CRM to filter and track data
- Online silent auctions platform
- Event ticketing and registration
Notably, their text-to-give tool accommodates variants and typos that your donors might make when trying to donate to your cause. Talk about thorough!
PRICING
Snowball offers a whole range of pricing options, starting at $0 per year with just a 3.9% platform fee and ¢30 per transaction. Check out their pricing page for more detailed information.
BEST FOR SMALL ORGANIZATIONSACCOUNTS from Software4Nonprofits
For small organizations like churches or community organizations, we selected ACCOUNTS as the best accounting software. It’s affordable and easy to use, with all of the necessary features you need to track income and expenses and create reports.Pros
- 60-day free trial and 30-day money back guarantee
- The standard version costs just $130 for the first year
- The program can be used for the accounting of multiple organizations (up to 5) at no additional cost
Cons
- The desktop program can only be used on Windows
- You have to purchase a separate donation program to track donors
- Only one user can do data entry at a time with the standard version
ACCOUNTS through Software4Nonprofits is a program offered by Cooperstock Software, a small company based in Canada. The company was founded by the treasurer of a religious finance committee because he had difficulties finding software that met his needs. He created ACCOUNTS as an alternative to the more expensive and complex accounting programs available at the time.
ACCOUNTS is an easy-to-use platform designed specifically for small organizations and churches who need basic bookkeeping and accounting services. The program allows you to track income and expenses, track fund balances, associate accounts with lines on your IRS tax forms, and create detailed reports.
If you’re responsible for managing the accounting for multiple organizations, such as the school PTA and your child’s sports team, you can use the software to handle the accounting for both at no additional cost.
The standard version of ACCOUNTS is $130 for the first year. After that, it costs $65 per year. You can try ACCOUNTS for free for 60 days, and you can download the free version online. ACCOUNTS also has a 30-day guarantee if you purchase the program. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase and no longer intend to use it, the company will give you a full refund.
Unfortunately, ACCOUNTS was designed for Microsoft Windows and the desktop version is only available for that operating system. However, there is a cloud-based, browser version called OnDemand that works on most platforms including Mac. Under the standard version, only one user can do data entry at a time. If you upgrade to the local network version—which costs $220 for the first year—up to five users can access the database at once.
If you want to track donations and donor information, you’ll need to purchase additional software. Cooperstock Software offers another program called DONATIONS, which is free if you have 100 donors or less per year. Larger organizations will need the paid version of DONATIONS.
BEST FOR VOLUNTEER-LED ORGANIZATIONSMoneyMinder
MoneyMinder is our top pick for volunteer-led organizations. It’s easy to use, so even if you have no bookkeeping experience, you can navigate the program and take advantage of its features to manage your organization’s finances.Pros
- Low annual fee
- Includes volunteer management tools
- Remote account access
Cons
- Add-ons, such as online stores, are an additional cost
- Does not have donor management tools
- Bank integration requires additional fees
MoneyMinder is powered by Nonprofit Central and was specifically created for volunteer-led nonprofit organizations who are often overwhelmed by complex accounting programs.
MoneyMinder is a simple and easy-to-use online program that you can access anywhere. If you’re the treasurer of an organization, you can use the program to manage budgets, handle bookkeeping duties, reconcile bank accounts, and generate detailed reports.
It includes volunteer management tools, allowing you to track volunteer hours and create reports by volunteer or event. Unfortunately, donor management tools are very limited with MoneyMinder.
The basic version of MoneyMinder is free, but MoneyMinder Pro is $159 per year and well worth the added cost. Unlike the free version, you can import PayPal transactions, print checks, and store documents.
MoneyMinder does offer additional services like bank integration and MyStore, which allows you to create an online store and accept online payments. However, these services have additional fees.
Bloomerang
- What it does: Bloomerang is a donor management and donation software that allows nonprofits to organize their donor records and optimize donor engagement through tracking and reporting.
- How you can use it: Bloomerang allows you to ditch the spreadsheet and unlock your engagement potential with gift tracking, wealth screening, and smart reporting. With Bloomerang, donor communication works automatically and provides you with the information you need at the right time.
- Hidden fees or limitations: Bloomerang Lite allows you up to 250 contacts and $100k in annual revenue, which is the perfect amount if you’re just starting out. If you need more, they offer a graduated pricing scale based on the number of contacts you need.
- Kindful CRM Integration: No.
Join It
- What it does: Join It is a membership software that gives you a landing space to organize all your contacts and donors. With an intuitive and readable interface, you can seamlessly view each member’s details so you know just how to connect.
- How you can use it: Join It offers several ways to segment your members, as well as membership management features that allow you to collect donations and automate reminders. With Join It, you’ll ensure your donors are nurtured with no added stress for you.
- Hidden fees or limitations: Join It’s free version allows you up to 100 members and nonprofit discounts if you decide to upgrade.
- Kindful CRM Integration: Yes, you can integrate your Join It membership data with Kindful.
Golden
- What it does: Golden is a volunteer management software that allows you to organize, recruit, and track your nonprofit’s volunteer force. With Golden, you can start mobilizing your network toward accomplishing your goals in no time.
- How you can use it: With Golden, you can run background checks, collect signups, and measure the influence of your volunteers automatically.
- Hidden fees or limitations: Golden’s free volunteer management plan allows you to start scheduling, tracking, and programming instantly through a simple sign-up process. The free version only lets you have three user logins and limited integrations.
- Kindful CRM Integration: Yes, you can integrate your Golden volunteers with Kindful.
Salesforce
- What it does: Salesforce is a CRM software that allows you to organize and communicate with your donors and contacts. Salesforce also provides you with the marketing tools to place your message in the hands of those most likely to support you.
- How you can use it: With Salesforce, you can automatically organize your contacts, segment your audience for targeted communication, and track your data to optimize your donation campaigns.
- Hidden fees or limitations: Through the Power of Us Program, eligible nonprofits get ten free subscriptions to Salesforce’s nonprofit package and discounts on other products.
- Kindful CRM Integration: No, Salesforce is an alternative to Kindful.
Google Sheets
- What it does: Google Sheets is similar to your standard Excel spreadsheet, where you can create rows and columns for the donor information that’s important to you.
- How you can use it: While Google Sheets is a useful database tool, it doesn’t have CRM or donor management software features. The upside is that all of its functions are free to use with your Google account.
- Hidden fees or limitations: It’s genuinely free, but you limit yourself to simple data collection.
- Kindful CRM Integration: Yes, with Zapier, you can import your contacts into Kindful from your Google Sheet.
Conclusion
These days, there are a lot of options for nonprofit software. From ERP to CRM and accounting management to donor management tools, it can be a dizzying array of choices when fundraisers and administrators in the charity sector need a piece of software for their Nonprofit Software List.