Donor management systems are essential to help nonprofits stay on top of their goals, keep donor relationships, connect with new donor prospects, and retain loyal ones.
In this blog, we’ll compare donor management software cost, pros, cons, and features of the 9 best donor management software solutions for nonprofits.
Top 9 donor management software for nonprofits
Zeffy - Best free donor management software for small nonprofits
Kindful - Best donor management platform for integrated donor and event management
Bloomerang - Best donor management platform for donor retention
Givebutter - Best donor management platform for user-friendly and customizable CRM
Classy - Best donor management platform for diverse integrations
Donorperfect - Best donor management platform for customization and reporting
Givesmart - Best donor management platform for donor and auction management
Funraise - Best donor management platform for automation features
Donorbox - Best donor management for basic donor management features
What is a donor management software?
Nonprofits need to keep things organized when it comes to their supporters. Instead of using spreadsheets or doing things by hand, donor management software can act as a central hub where all the information about donors is kept.
Typically, donor management software helps keep track of details like who donors are, how much money they've given, and what they're interested in. The software also helps with communication by sending emails or newsletters. It can even help organize events and keep an eye on how well they're doing.
In essence, the software helps ensure that everything runs smoothly when nonprofits connect with their supporters. It saves time and helps organizations make better decisions.
Key features to look for in donor management software
When choosing donor management software for your organization, it’s crucial to keep in mind a few important features. Mainly communication and engagement tools, activity tracking and reporting, donor management tools, and fundraising tools.
Communication and engagement tools
- Individual and mass emailing: Connect with donors through personalized emails or mass messages like newsletters or mass email campaigns
- Data tracking: View stats like open rate, clicks, and unsubscribes.
- Automated messages: Set up automated reminder emails and donation receipts to easily contact the right donors at the right time.
- Lists and segments: Easily send emails to specific groups or supporter lists.
Activity tracking and reporting
- View transaction history: Access the donation history of new donors and repeat donors (donations, purchases, tax receipts).
- Manage recurring donors and gifts: Keep track of recurring donations and reach out to lapsed donors.
- Input custom notes: Add payment details from offline transactions, update contact information, or add individual notes or tags.
- Track payment methods: Monitor giving (such as cash, cheque, in kind, and more) to help organize and simplify your reporting.
Donor management
- Filters and segments: Access different filters such as transaction date, amount donated, the campaign contributed to, etc.
- Robust donor profiles: Be sure your contact profiles include contact information, preferences, and the ability to add tags and notes. Plus, the ability to input other demographic data.
- Importing and exporting: Simple and efficient importing and exporting when it comes to data entry to save your nonprofit lots of time and energy.
- Receipt information: Easily access receipts for all of your donors.
Fundraising tools
- Pre-filled custom forms: Add your pre-filled fundraising form, with custom donation amounts, to your emails and website.
- Donation forms: Create custom donation forms that work well with your donor management software.
- Payment processing: Allow donors the option to give in multiple different ways, like through Google Pay, Apple Pay, and recurring gifts.
- Event tools: Sync up your event management software with your donor management software to centralize all of your fundraising activities and data.
- Integration with other tools: Be sure that your software works well with other important tools like accounting software and fundraising software.
Best donor management software at a glance
Best free donor management software for all nonprofits
Zeffy
Zeffy, trusted by 10,000+ nonprofits throughout North America, and rated 4.8/5 stars on Capterra, is the only free, all-in-one donor management and fundraising solution for nonprofits. Unlike other donor management software platforms, Zeffy doesn’t charge subscription or processing fees. Meaning, 100% of your donations actually go towards your mission — and not a cent less.
Designed for any nonprofit looking to better their donor relationships — especially small and medium-sized nonprofits looking for a budget-friendly solution — Zeffy is simple to use and incredibly effective. With prompt and helpful customer support and dozens of tools for managing donors, and amplifying your fundraising efforts, Zeffy’s 100% free platform can help you do more good, for less.
Pros:
- 100% free
- Integrate with other funding and event tools
- Manage donors
- Custom data reports
- Import and export transactions and contacts
- Segment and filter your contacts
- Access and re-send receipts
- Record and track offline donations
- Send emails to your supporters from your dashboard
- Create custom email lists to segment donors
- Send pre-filled forms
- Automate reminder emails
- Easy to use
- Access free support
Cons:
- Only available for registered nonprofits in the US and Canada
Best for: All types of nonprofits looking for a free all-in-one donor management platform.
Zeffy pricing: Zeffy is the only zero-fee fundraising platform for nonprofits. With Zeffy, they give $100, you get $100. With every other platform, they give $100, you get $97 or less.
Here’s how it works: When someone makes a donation on your fundraising form, they have the option (but are never obliged) to add a contribution to Zeffy. Not everyone gives every time and that's okay. Enough donors leave a contribution to cover overhead costs AND the fees of the thousands of nonprofits that fundraise on Zeffy.
Zeffy’s testimonial:
“Because we are such a small organization, when our last donor management system eliminated free accounts, we couldn't afford to continue with them. Zeffy's model is specifically for nonprofits, and they don't take a cent from any funds passing through their system.” — Susan W.
Best donor management platform for integrated donor and event management
Kindful
Kindful makes it easy to manage comprehensive donor data, organize fundraising campaigns, and manage events all in one place. It's user-friendly and allows nonprofits to customize the platform in order to fit an organization's needs. Some users say the reports are a bit tricky to figure out, but overall, it's great for nonprofits looking for a tool that does it all.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Integrated approach
- Integration with Bloomerang
Cons:
- Learning curve
- Doesn't offer as many CRM features compared to competitors
- Price
Best for: Nonprofits seeking an integrated solution that combines a donor management solution with fundraising and event management.
Pricing: $199+/month, plus 1% fundraising platform fee on all online transactions, and up to 2.2% + $0.30 in processing fees.
Best donor management platform for large nonprofits focused on donor retention
Bloomerang
Bloomerang is a popular go-to tool for nonprofits that want to track supporter relationships and donor interactions. It's designed to help nonprofits create better relationships with supporters through targeted communications and comprehensive donor data.
It's easy to use and provides comprehensive reports to help organizations understand their donors better. Just keep in mind the price might be a bit high for smaller nonprofits. But if you're all about building strong relationships with your donors and have the budget, Bloomerang could be the perfect fit.
Pros:
- Robust reporting features
- Interactive dashboard
- Constituent timelines
- Donor engagement meter
- Wealth screening
- Segmentation
- Donor communications
Cons:
- Price
Best for: Large nonprofits in need of a donor CRM that helps to boost donor retention.
Pricing: $79–$1299+ /month, 1% platform fee, and processing fees up to 2.2% + $0.30
Best donor management platform for user-friendly and customizable CRM
Givebutter
Givebutter is a well-known one-stop shop for donor management and fundraising. One of the biggest pros of Givebutter is its ease of use and setup, especially for those who love sharing their causes on social media.
While it might not have all the fancy features of bigger tools, it's perfect for smaller nonprofits that want something simple and modern. Plus, the intuitive donation management software offers event registration, online giving tools, automated reports, and more.
Pros:
- Custom filters, tags, and segments
- Detailed contact profiles
- Custom notes
- Data hygiene tools
- Reporting
- Receipts and refund tools
- Tools for fundraising events
- Email marketing tools
- Accessible on mobile devices
Cons:
- Fees
Best for: Small nonprofits looking for a user-friendly and highly customizable nonprofit CRM.
Pricing: 0% platform fee plus up to 2.9% + $0.30 in processing fees
Check out Zeffy, a zero-fee, 100% free alternative to Givebutter →
Best donor management platform for diverse integrations
Classy
Classy is a popular fundraising tool among nonprofits of all sizes. The platform is not only a powerful donor management software solution, but it also helps nonprofits run exciting campaigns and events effortlessly.
Plus, it looks sleek and works well with other tools you might use. Keep in mind that it might be a bit pricier, so it's often best for larger nonprofits that want to organize bigger events and campaigns.
Pros:
- Integrations and open API
- Recurring donation management
- Secure
- Built-in campaign and event management
- Robust reporting tools and analytics
- Marketing automations
- Filtering, segments, and giving histories
- Peer-to-peer fundraising tools
Cons:
- Price
- Learning curve
Best for: Large nonprofits looking for an all-in-one solution that offers diverse integrations.
Pricing: Custom quote required
Check out Zeffy, a zero-fee, 100% free alternative to Classy →
Best donor management platform for customization and advanced reporting capabilities
Donorperfect
DonorPerfect is incredibly customizable. Nonprofits can make it work exactly how they want it to. Because of this, the platform is great for nonprofits that have specific needs.
But, some say it might take a bit of time to get used to. All in all, if you're all about having a tool that fits your unique requirements and gives you detailed reports, DonorPerfect could be your perfect match.
Pros:
- Advanced batch entry
- Open API
- Automatic data refresh
- Integrated payment processing
- Integrated marketing and engagement tools
- Event and fundraising features
Cons:
- Price
- Learning curve
- Interface
Best for: Nonprofits seeking a customizable solution with advanced reporting capabilities.
Pricing: Custom quote required, starting at $99/month
Compare Zeffy (100% free) to Donorperfect →
Best donor management platform for donor and auction management
Givesmart
Givesmart is great for multitasking. That platform can help nonprofits with everything – online fundraising efforts, managing donors, running events, and even auctions! It's super easy to use, but it might cost a bit more, especially for smaller nonprofits.
Pros:
- Reporting and analytics
- Custom fields and tags
- Easy activity tracking
- Integration with event and fundraising tools
Cons:
- Price
- Learning curve
- Limited customization
Best for: Small nonprofits seeking an all-in-one solution for all your data, communications, and auction management.
Pricing: Custom quote required
Compare Zeffy (100% free) to GiveSmart →
Best donor management platform for automation features
Funraise
Funraise's donor management system makes fundraising fun and easy with intuitive software tools. It's not just about managing donors; it helps you raise money online and plan events with style.
It's simple to use, with great features that help you set up custom fundraising campaigns too. While it might be a bit more expensive for bigger nonprofits, it's perfect for those who want a modern tool that's easy to navigate and helps automate tasks.
Pros:
- Donor portal app
- Custom segmentation
- Household management
- Activity tracking
- Detailed donor profiles
- Easy data migration
- Integrates with salesforce
- Automated tasks and supporter communications
Cons:
- Price
- Limited free plan
- Poor mobile optimization
Best for: Nonprofits seeking a modern, user-friendly donor management platform with robust automation features.
Pricing: Custom quote required
Best donor management platform for basic donor management features
Donorbox
Donorbox is an easy-to-use platform for nonprofits, especially for organizations that rely on online donations. It's simple, affordable, and perfect for smaller nonprofit organizations too.
While it might not have all the fancy features of bigger tools, it's great for managing donors and collecting donations online. If you're a small nonprofit looking for a straightforward and budget-friendly option, Donorbox could be just what you need.
Pros:
- Custom donor communication tracking
- Custom alerts and notifications
- Donation receipts
- Recurring donation management
- Access to other fundraising and event features
Cons:
- Price
- Limited free plan
- Additional fees per member
- Costly add-ons like a data migration fee
Best for: Smaller nonprofits in need of a donor management platform with basic features.
Pricing: 0–$139+/month, 1.5% platform fee, up to 2.2% + $0.49 in processing fees
Check out Zeffy, a 100% free alternative to Donorbox →
Which donor management software should you use?
When it comes to donor management, nonprofits need a reliable, feature-packed solution that fits within their budget and needs. While some platforms offer more features than others — and some offer cheaper or more expensive pricing packages — only one platform offers a true, free solution with lots of tools for managing donors and beyond.
Zeffy, the only free donor management software and online donation platform for nonprofits, lets nonprofits do everything all in one place — without paying a cent in fees. Organizations can track donors, create detailed profiles, communicate with supporters, plus so much more. With peer-to-peer fundraising tools, flexible payment methods, and even the ability to open an online store, Zeffy is designed to make fundraising easy, fun, and simple — and completely free.
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