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Website & Technology

Nonprofit Software: 25+ Providers to Build Your Tech Stack

Author: Sonia Urlando
November 4, 2022
Contents
🕑 12 min read

In the age of the internet, nonprofit success goes hand-in-hand with technology. Whether you’re building a smash website, updating your online member database or shining on social media, you’re going to want some tools to help you out. This is why it’s so essential to work with the best nonprofit software!

With a solid tech stack, you can bring in more money and more members, all while cutting out time-consuming tasks. However, you want to be sure the software you use is right for your organization—your toolkit should be removing stress instead of adding it.

This is why we’ve made a list of the best providers for nonprofit software that covers all your needs for fundraising, marketing, logistics and more!

Here are our top suggestions for nonprofit software that can build up your tech stack for your organization.

Top Nonprofit Management Software

Nonprofit management software is the key to the kingdom when it comes to organizing all of the information it takes to run a nonprofit.

Also known as a customer relationship management (CRM) system, this software supports things like:

  • A thorough member database
  • Relationship-tracking tools
  • Donor communications tools
  • Member directories

Think of nonprofit management software as an all-in-one solution. Ideally, you should be able to manage your members, fundraise, hold successful events and set up inspiring marketing in one secure place.

WildApricot

WildApricot has been ranked the #1 membership management software for 6 years—and there’s a reason why! This software comes with a whole suite of tools that are specifically designed for nonprofit organizations.

Beyond the basics of a member database and reporting, WildApricot also includes:

WildApricot’s toolkit can also be easily integrated with your current website. Rather than starting from scratch, we can help you fill in the gaps.

Learn more about what WildApricot’s nonprofit management software can do for your nonprofit!

Pricing: 60-day free trial, then plans start at $60/month.

MemberClicks

MemberClicks is the best nonprofit management software for associations and chambers of commerce. Software needs are different when you’re managing businesses as well as individuals, and MemberClicks has just the tools you need.

On the backend, these tools offer you smooth accounting solutions, website building and thorough reports. And when it comes to managing your members, MemberClicks takes their needs and desires into account.

Both MC Trade and MC Professional center professional development with:

  • Classrooms where members can receive certificates
  • Job board for job-hunting and networking opportunities
  • Events management for conferences, trade shows and virtual events

Pricing: Contact MemberClicks to learn more about pricing.

Top Nonprofit Fundraising Software

If your tech stack is currently missing the tools to bring in more donations, you might want to look into nonprofit fundraising software!

Read more: 200+ Amazing Fundraising Ideas Any Organization Can Try Today

Read more: 5 Tips to Boost Your Association’s Online Fundraising Efforts

Here are 6 of our top picks:

Bonfire

Bonfire is a t-shirt fundraising platform that offers all nonprofits exclusive fundraising tools. If your nonprofit is verified, their donation processing fee is reduced from 8% to 3.5%. There are no inventory costs and your organization gets to keep 100% of the profits!

Pricing: Free.

Donately

Donately is an online donation software tool which currently processes over 2 million dollars in donations a month! It offers customizable donation pages and peer-to-peer fundraising pages that were specifically designed to support nonprofits. You can use their pages either as a main donation portal or as a landing page for big fundraising campaigns.

Pricing: Plans start at $0/month with a 4% platform fee.

DonorPerfect

DonorPerfect provides a complete fundraising and donor management solution to help reduce your workload and build relationships with your constituents. Their package comes with an events management module, mobile app, online forms, auction management and constant contact email marketing.

Pricing: Plans start at $99/month.

Tatango

Tatango is a fundraising software that was initially designed for political SMS marketing. It also includes tools for nonprofits, and its A/B testing and real-time reporting gives you the analytics you need to raise more donations during SMS campaigns.

Pricing: $500/month.

Fundly

Fundly is a “Keep-it-All” crowdfunding platform that helps both individuals and organizations raise money for their cause of choice. In addition to its crowdfunding services, Fundly offers Fundly Pro, which is specifically designed for nonprofits looking to crowdfund and/or set up peer-to-peer fundraising pages.

Pricing: 4.9% platform fee + 2.9% credit card processing fee and $0.30/per transaction.

Network for Good

Network for Good is an all-in-one donation management tool that can serve as nonprofit fundraising software. Its 3 main capabilities are peer-to-peer fundraising, donation pages and donor management. It also comes with flexible, mobile-optimized event ticketing to support those fundraising events!

Pricing: Plans start at $200/month.

Top Nonprofit Software for Events

If your organization does most of its fundraising and community-building through events, you’re going to need a specific set of tools to succeed!

Read more: The Event Planning Checklist Used By Top Event Planners

Read more: 15 Virtual Event Engagement Ideas for Improved Experiences

Here are 5 options for nonprofit software that helps with events:

OneCause

OneCause is a software easy-to-use online and event fundraising solutions for nonprofits. It gives you the tools for online giving, mobile bidding and auctions, streaming events, event management, peer-to-peer fundraising and more.

Pricing: Contact OneCause to learn more about pricing.

99Pledges

99Pledges is a fundraising software designed for schools and teams. It’s free to set up, and offers pages for classes and teams as well as individuals. It even has the old school option of accepting cash and cheques!

Pricing: Free.

Eventbrite for Nonprofits

Eventbrite is a trusted ticketing software used by all sorts of organizations. You can set up an online event registration page in minutes and then use Eventbrite’s promotional tools for emails and social media publicity. It also gathers data through check-out questions so you can get to know potential donors.

Pricing: 2% + $0.79 per ticket.

Regpack

Want quick and effective registration? Regpack’s software offers individualized registration packages, integrated online payments and an intuitive user management platform. Other features include the ability to A/B test forms and fields, insight reporting, enhanced security and data backups.

Pricing: Plans start at $125/month + 2.1% payment processing fee.

Handbid

Handbid is a software solution designed for auctions, and offers mobile bidding and live streaming auctions. It also supports peer-to-peer fundraising, donation campaigns, crowdfunding and text-to-give. Better yet, it works for in-person, remote, AND hybrid events!

Pricing: Starts at $792/year.

Top Nonprofit Software for Marketing

If boosting your marketing efforts is your goal, we’ve got options for you!

Read more: Your Guide to Building a Membership Marketing Strategy: Tips for 2022 and Beyond

Here are our 4 top softwares for spreading the word about your nonprofit:

Mailchimp

MailChimp is a do-it-yourself email marketing service that helps you make attractive HTML emails, manage and segment your contact lists, set up subscription forms and track your results through detailed reports. It also integrates with tools like Excel, Salesforce, Highrise and more!

Pricing: Free limited account. Paid plans start at $9.99/month.

Buffer

Buffer is a social media marketing platform where you can schedule, publish and analyze all your posts in one place! Posts are shared at peak hours to make sure they reach the broadest possible audience. Whether you’re posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok or even LinkedIn, Buffer’s got you covered.

Pricing: Free limited account. Paid plans start at $5/month.

Feathr

Feathr is a marketing software designed for nonprofits, associations and credit unions. Trusted by 1200+ clients worldwide, it supports digital and email marketing and offers the analytics and reporting tools you need to succeed.

Pricing: Contact Feathr for a demo and to learn more about pricing.

Care2

Care2 is a petition software designed for activists. If your nonprofit supports issues along the lines of animal welfare, reproductive justice, environmental issues, LGBT rights, healthcare, education, immigration or civil rights, they can help you reach your audience with a strong petition.

Pricing: Contact Care2 to determine pricing based on your budget.

Top Nonprofit Software for Logistics, Operations and Research

Some of the best nonprofit software targets your behind-the-scenes daily operations.

Read more: Everything You Need To Know About QuickBooks for Nonprofits

Here are 6 options for keeping things running while you connect with new donors:

Quickbooks

Quickbooks is a cloud accounting software that allows you to access your data on any device. They offer tons of features, including: unlimited invoices, income and expense tracking, downloadable bank transactions, professional templates and more. If you’re part of a small nonprofit, Quickbooks covers a lot of financial bases in one place.

Pricing: Free 60-day trial. Plans start at $10/month.

Xero

Xero is an accounting software which supports online accounting, bank reconciliation and invoicing, project tracking, analytics and reporting, and more. It’s designed for accountants as well as small businesses, so you can trust that the software has integrity!

Pricing: Free 60-day trial. Plans start at $15/month.

File990

File990 is a nonprofit software which helps you e-file your IRS Form 990-N or 990-EZ return. You can complete and submit your current and previous year’s forms directly to the IRS in minutes without the costs of working with a professional accountant.

Pricing: $49.99 per filing for the 990-N and $84.99 per filing for the 990-EZ.

DonorSearch

DonorSearch is an AI tool which gathers detailed data on prospective donors and saves you the work of research. It has the capacity to partner and integrate with over 30 different CRM and fundraising systems.

Pricing: Free version available.

AlumniFinder

AlumniFinder is a software which updates, enhances and analyzes donor data. Though it was initially designed to help with alumni associations, it has tools for organizations all across the nonprofit sector.

Pricing: Contact AlumniFinder for details on pricing.

ClickTime

ClickTime is a project accounting software which makes it easy to track employee time against the programs and grants you manage. Thousands of organizations use ClickTime to ensure compliance, improve program management and drive increased funding.

Pricing: After a free 60-day trial, ClickTime Nonprofit is $8/user/month.

Top Nonprofit Software for Driving More Revenue

When your #1 goal is to bring in more revenue for your organization, there are all sorts of tools that can help you out.

Read more: How to Use Cause Marketing to Generate More Revenue and Grow Your Community

Read more: Increase Non-Dues Revenue and Membership Value with an Association Job Board

Here are 4 nonprofit software options to drive revenue:

360MatchPro

360MatchPro is a donation management platform designed for higher education institutions and nonprofits. Its features include donation tracking, email management, customizable branding, gift matching, donor management, automated outreach and reporting and analytics.

Pricing: Schedule a demo to get a pricing estimate.

FreeWill

FreeWill is a unique software which offers a bequest tool, a qualified charitable distributions (QCD) tool, and support for stock gifts and crypto gifts. If you’re looking to explore the bequest gift niche, FreeWill is the tool for you!

Pricing: Request a demo to get a pricing estimate.

Infinite Giving

Infinite Giving is a tool that can help your organization with investment, stock donations, gift endowment and cryptocurrency donations. It curates portfolios to help you save and build your revenue behind the scenes.

Pricing: Pricing starts at $0.65% of your annual fee.

DonationMatch

DonationMatch is a social good platform that enables exempt organizations in the U.S. and Canada to apply for in-kind donations. It comes with a network of companies that you can reach out to with one common application in a shopping-like experience!

Pricing: Comes with a free option.

Crash Course: 10 Steps to Build Your Nonprofit Toolkit

Okay, so now that we’ve spoiled you with nonprofit software options for your tech stack, you might be wondering about how to get building it out!

Don’t worry—we’ve broken it down into 10 easy steps.

#1: Audit your current tech stack

Take a look at what you’re already working with. Which tools do you have in place for backend operations? How about for front-facing member management? Identify the gaps, and decide which ones you’d like to fill in.

As you make a list of what you already have, make note of how it’s working for you and your team. If there’s a collective groan every time you open it up, that’s a pretty clear sign that a change is due!

Don’t fix what isn’t broken, though—if a tool feels great for you, let it set the standard for the new software you’re hoping to adopt.

#2: Identify wants, needs and priorities

With the wealth of options in front of you, it’s essential to identify your organization’s specific wants, needs and priorities.

Ask yourself:

  • What are our non-negotiables?
  • What would raise our quality of life?
  • Which needs to come first for the rest to succeed?

Lay out what is urgent versus important, and make your choices from there.

#3: Determine your nonprofit’s tech budget and timeline

While there are lots of free options for nonprofit software, the one you want most might come with a cost! No matter how much you like it, you’ve got to check if your budget can actually support it. After all, you don’t want to be losing money on what’s supposed to be a solution.

This is where urgency comes back into play. How soon do you need to implement these softwares? When it doubt, time it out and make a plan with goals you can hit.

#4: Begin exploring your options online and through referrals

Read through the websites’ details, but also look for off-site reviews! If you stick to the customer testimonials, you’ll only see what the software companies think will make them look best. It’s important to get the full picture.

Seek out the opinions of organizations with a similar mission and set-up to yours. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them directly! A word of mouth recommendation is worth its weight in gold, and sometimes those organizations can get referral perks.

#5: Develop a standard way to compare software

You don’t want to accidentally end up comparing apples and oranges. Make a list of your needs, write down your must-have and nice-to-have features and get comparing.

Once you find a couple of organizations that suit your needs, then you can take things like pricing into account.

Because the next step is to…

#6: Make your picks and discuss details with providers

Request a demo or a call with your top three software choices. This is an opportunity to see how their customer service suits you, and to figure out if there are any good deals you can strike.

This call is about gathering information, but it’s also about seeing how you feel! If you come out of it more confused than before, then this software provider likely isn’t for you.

Take the information you have, run it by your team (including your Board of Directors) and make your pick.

#7: Outline an implementation plan

Choosing a software is the first step—now you’ve got to plan on how you will implement it. Decide who is responsible for leading the implementation. It helps to have a go-to person who can support the team in learning how things work.

Determine how fast you’d like things to roll out. For example, if you have a big fundraising campaign planned a few months from now, you’ll want to make sure your team feels solid with your fundraising software!

#8: Work with outside tech experts if needed

Don’t be afraid to consult some experts, especially if you have the funds to do so. You don’t know what you don’t know, and there are always improvements you could discover along the way.

#9: Lay out a full adoption strategy

Strategy is everything when it comes to adopting new tech! No matter how great the software is, it won’t do much good if it’s intimidating your team.

Make the process easy by:

  • Informing them early about the change
  • Building excitement for what it has to offer
  • Leaving room for questions
  • Testing it out and troubleshooting
  • Officially launching once you have confident feedback

If everyone feels comfortable with the new software, you can use it to its greatest potential.

#10: Keep tabs on performance and adoption over time

The perfect product in theory should always be examined in practice! Gather some data—for example, if this is an event management software, how many new attendees have you gotten? How is the feedback on your post-event surveys?

Check in with your team and with your members. If you ask them how things are going, they’ll be sure to tell you!

Moving Forward With Your New Nonprofit Software

Now that you know all of your options for the best nonprofit software, all there is to do is get going on it! With the right tools in your tech stack, your organization will run more smoothly than ever.

If you’re still feeling uncertain about all of the software options, go with the nonprofit management software that does the most all-in-one. WildApricot can streamline your organization’s needs and reduce the need for multiple overlapping tools.

Sign up for your 60-day free trial to see how it works for you!

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