Fundraising software refers to a wide variety of tools used to make fundraising easier, more efficient, and more intuitive for both your organization and your donors.
The software you need will depend on the scope of your organization and the campaigns you’re running.
Fundraising software can streamline your organization’s efforts and ease logistical challenges so that you can focus on building stronger donor relationships and receiving more donations for your cause.
Fundraising software is a necessity for most organizations.
What is crowdfunding software?
Crowdfunding software allows supporters to create personal donation pages on behalf of your nonprofit. With crowdfunding platforms, supporters can customize their pages, tell their stories, upload pictures and video, and collect donations in real time.
Nonprofits can also host crowdfunding campaigns, using the software to solicit donations directly.
Crowdfunding software creates a sense of urgency, as most campaigns occur on a timeline. Generally, crowdfunding software includes fundraising thermometers that fill up as donations arrive.
To capitalize on the social aspect of crowdfunding, some software allows donors to leave their name and comments once they’ve given to a campaign.
St. Gerard House raised funds with this Feed the Need campaign to enable teens and young adults with autism to gain access to the support that they need.
With Lumaverse’s crowdfunding software, the campaign creator was able to upload personal photos and a meaningful story to explain how the campaign’s funds would be used. The campaign succeeded, raising $805 more than the original goal!
KPMG Family for Literacy created a crowdfunding campaign to provide children from low income families with access to books.
Though the campaign did not meet its fundraising goal, the Lumaverse platform follows a keep-it-all model. Campaign creators get to keep whatever raise. This campaign can still help children improve their literacy, and donors can see the impact of their gifts.
What is CRM software?
Constituent relationship management, or CRM, software maintains all of your organization’s data. It allows you to streamline and organize your data for your nonprofit’s use.
Specifically, CRMs can help you:
- Manage your donor profiles.
- Send targeted communications to donors.
- Maintain membership programs.
- Manage events.
CRMs help nonprofits take care of the necessary logistics while building deeper relationships with donors. That’s why it’s important that any fundraising or crowdfunding platforms you use have CRM integrations.
Lumaverse’s CRM allows you to track donors’ information like giving history, event participation, volunteer history, and more.
Then, email and direct mail campaign offerings allow you to make the most of every touchpoint with targeted and personalized appeals.
Salsa’s CRM allows you to track donors’ information and build rich profiles filled with information like on a personal details, donation history, and previous interactions.
Plus, with Salsa, you don’t stress out organizing your reports. You can work with 10 built-in reports or create your own custom reports based on database queries.
What is peer-to-peer fundraising software?
Peer-to-peer fundraising software is similar to crowdfunding software, with a few key differences.
First, peer-to-peer software connects your supporters’ donation pages directly to your nonprofit. When supporters receive donations, they’re processed and sent to your nonprofit.
Another key difference is that your nonprofit generally provides supporters with a fundraising goal. Peer-to-peer fundraising is often paired with active events, so that only those who reach the goal can compete in a race, run, or walk, for example.
Otherwise the concept is similar: individuals or fundraising teams create personal donation pages that they customize to their liking. Then, they reach out to their personal networks to receive donations.
Lumaverse offers more than a CRM and crowdfunding platform. Nonprofits can also use Lumaverse’s peer-to-peer software to host fundraising campaigns. Nonprofits can customize their peer-to-peer campaigns with video and photos to bring the copy to life.
Lumaverse also offers a VIP package that includes 2 onboarding webinars, goal-setting analysis, phone and email support, and tailored marketing and fundraising strategies. All of these features can offer additional support for a peer-to-peer campaign!
Salsa is a unique peer-to-peer fundraising platform that offers build-in coaching for your campaign. You’ll be able to walk your fundraisers through your campaign, from start to finish, with automated emails!
You can even use Salsa’s responsive platforms year-round fundraising with the P2P Fundraising App! Give your fundraisers the option to raise on the go. They’ll be able to fundraise via email and social media, receive notifications, thank donors, and track their progress!
What is text-to-give software?
Text-to-give, text-to-tithe, or text-to-donate software allows donors to quickly and easily donate from their cellphones. In general, these platforms work by providing nonprofits with a unique phone number.
Then, donors follow these steps:
1. Donors text their donation amount to the nonprofit’s number.
2. Donors receive a link to an email.
3. Donors send the email to confirm their donations. If it’s their first time donating, they’ll be asked to fill out their credit card information first.
Text-to-give allows donors to repeatedly send in donations via an incredibly convenient medium.
Snowball provides mobile fundraising and text-to-give software that makes the giving experience easy for donors. Once they’ve entered their information, they can give from anywhere in two clicks. This quick process verifies a donor’s identity without compromising convenience.
Snowball also offers top-notch security, seamless integration, and bilingual support.
Giveffect is another platform that offers text-to-give fundraising software as part of their giving solution. Giveffect’s comprehensive text-to-give feature allows donors to give through text with the help of a keyword.
Giveffect is great for nonprofits who are looking for a comprehensive text-to-give and giving solution.
What is auction software?
Auction software is specific to charity auctions and is incredibly important if you want to pull off one of these lucrative fundraising events. Auction software allows nonprofits to streamline the auction process with features such as:
- Event management.
- Mobile bidding.
- Online auctions.
- Item and package management.
- Online ticketing.
- Reporting and analytics.
Auction software manages the technical aspects of the event so you can focus on presenting items, engaging with donors, and raising more funds.
Charity auction software can help your nonprofit keep track of your event from the planning to registration to bidding. If you’re interested in finding more software providers, check out this list. Or take a look at our top two picks for charity auction software:
OneCause centralizes all the auction information you’ll need into a singular location, allowing nonprofits to manage event planning, checkout, mobile bidding, and registration in one platform.
OneCause helps your organization smoothly run your auction and collect information on your donors for long-term success at the same time.
EDGE ASI specializes in automobile auction software. This niche software can be extremely helpful for an upscale, large nonprofit auction featuring cars.
This platform is partnered with IBM, ensuring responsive servers and reliable item tracking. Inventory and accounting features consolidate all aspects of your auction in one place.
What is matching gift software?
Matching gift software helps connect your supporters to information on how they can see their gifts matched by their employer’s matching gift program.
In matching gifts programs, small businesses and corporations alike offer to match the charitable donations of their employees.
Every year, millions of dollars of corporate donations are left on the table simply because employees are unaware of their company’s matching gifts program.
With matching gift software, nonprofits make it easy for supporters to discover their matching gift eligibility before, during, and after donation.
Once donors discover their eligibility, this software can help direct them in successfully completing their matching gift request.
In addition, nonprofits can use matching gift software to segment their lists of supporters by matching gift status and use that information to tailor their engagement strategy.
Matching gift software can not only help your organization market matching gifts through a centralized database but also keep your requests organized in one location. Check out our top two recommendations:
Double the Donation provides a database of companies that match donations.
With this matching gift software, your nonprofit can create a matching gift page hosted on Double the Donation’s website, or you can embed a matching gift plugin on your own site.
Double the Donation works well for small or mid-sized nonprofits.
This comprehensive matching gift software offers a complete matching gifts solution.
Nonprofits can automate matching gift identification across their organization and receive actionable insights from their matching gift data.
360MatchPro is great for larger nonprofits and higher education.
What is church giving software?
Church giving software is designed to help members strengthen their connections with God and their church community by making it easy for them to support the programs that have been instrumental in their spiritual development.
Because church members often choose to make recurring gifts, church giving software provides members with the option to automate their giving.
For larger churches with multiple campuses, church giving software allows members to support the specific campus at which they worship.
With church giving software, your church can manage gifts arriving via multiple channels and organize gifts according to the project at which they are directed.
Church giving software facilitates your church’s growth and gives your members the opportunity to support the community and programs that have benefited them. While there are plenty of top church giving tools for your church to consider, we encourage you to check out our top recommendation:
With Vision2, your congregants can give online, via mobile and text-to-give, or using traditional methods such as cash and check.
Vision2’s multi-site capabilities, ideal for larger churches, make it easy for your church to manage donations even when they are arriving from multiple campuses.
Manage multiple campaigns at once so that your church can continue and expand the good work you do through all of your initiatives.
What is payment processing software?
Payment processing software is necessary for nonprofits who want to collect donations online. A payment processing company manages a donor’s debit or credit card information so that the transaction can be completed successfully.
Payment processing software uses payment gateways to verify a donor’s credit card information. Then, the donation is transferred to the merchant account, and your nonprofit gains access to the donor’s information so that it can be uploaded into a CRM.
Payment processing software can ensure that your organization follows Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance. PCI compliance keeps a donor’s valuable payment information secure. Additionally, failure to oblige these guidelines can result in penalties for your nonprofit.
iATS is a nonprofit-specific payment processing platform.
With iATS’ expertise, small and mid-sized nonprofits can accept credit cards and ACH Direct Debit payments on several different types of donation pages. Your nonprofit can accept online donations while working with a team familiar with the philanthropic field.
Hybrid Business Solutions offers nonprofit payment processing with a focus on accessing more donors.
This software also provides discounted rates for nonprofit web design and app development. This secure solution accepts all major payment types over online channels.
What is accounting software?
Nonprofit accounting software or financial software keeps track of all of your donations and expenditures. Accounting software provides insight into the amount of money raised that goes directly to your cause. It also allows your nonprofit to better plan for future expenses.
Accounting software ensures that your organization is meeting federal reporting standards and that your financial records are accurate.
Additionally, accounting software can help your organization identify unnecessary or excessive expenses so that you can use donors’ funds more efficiently.
QuickBooks is an accounting software platform that can work for nonprofits of all sizes. Nonprofits can create budgets and reports that can be used for board meetings or tax reports.
QuickBooks offers integration with current software. Alternatively, nonprofits can use QuickBooks online and forgo integration.
MIP Fund Accounting is a flexible accounting platform that works well for nonprofits of any size, from tracking various income sources to preparing for tax audits.
MIP Fund Accounting’s features include payroll, income and budgetary tracking, and customized report forms.
What is tax form filing software?
Tax form filing software does the hard work for your nonprofit when it comes to filing your organization’s 990-N or 990 EZ form. This IRS autorized e-filer prompts you to answer a series of questions about your nonprofit for a faster, easier form filing process.
Ultimately, tax form filing software is designed to help your nonprofit maintain its tax-exempt status with a consistently correct and timely form filing process.
Plus, the bank-level security used with tax form e-filers ensures that your nonprofit’s information is kept safe and sound.
File 990’s IRS authorized e-filer pulls information directly from the IRS database using your nonprofit’s EIN to get you started with the tax exemption form filing process.
When you file with File 990, you’ll receive instant reminders of accepted returns and can track those that fail.
Express TaxExempt makes it easy for you to see past filings. You can even download and email them with just a few clicks!
The expert assistance from their Premium Support will help guide you through any questions you have during the e-filing process.
What is fundraising hardware?
Nonprofit fundraising hardware consists of physical technologies that can help your organization solicit and accept donations in person or on-site. Since many donors tend not to carry cash or checks on them, fundraising hardware options provide yet another way to reach donors where they are so that they can give.
Many fundraising hardware technologies offer additional functionality, such as performance tracking and report generation, to provide your nonprofit with more useful and actionable insights into donor behavior.
Additionally, fundraising hardware can usually be integrated with your organization’s existing software, such as your nonprofit CRM, to yield a more holistic view of your donors.
Doubleknot’s extensive online giving solutions can help your organization encourage donors to give anywhere and at any time!
Doubleknot offers multiple hardware options including a POS device that accepts both cash and credit cards! They also offer card readers for mobile devices and barcode scanners.
Enabling your donors to give through their favorite, most convenient methods is even easier with OneCause’s software on your side!
Their SmartPay Anywhere solution allows nonprofits to re-register credit card information for guests onsite. Plus, their check-in process can be powered completely through their iPads so your process is mobile and simplified.
What is planned giving software?
Planned giving software enables nonprofits to generate sizable gifts from donors who may not be able to give right away. In short, a planned gift is a contribution that’s arranged now and allocated at a future date. Often, these are donated through a will or trust and are granted once the donor has passed away.
These donations come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing remains the same: your organization needs to include planned giving in your fundraising strategy.
Planned giving software is designed to help nonprofits locate these donation opportunities and create a more sustainable fundraising plan.
Features vary from platform to platform, but they have a few common base functions. At its core, this software helps organizations keep track of hundreds of prospects, gifts, and so on. Additionally, these tech tools provide visual and written information to help organizations and prospects review planned giving scenarios.
MarketSmart’s solutions help nonprofits of all sizes secure planned and major gifts.
Through comprehensive surveys, donors will tell you why they care, how they prefer to give, and much more. The system will compile prospective donors’ interactions with your website and assign each prospect a unique engagement score. This way, you know where your biggest planned giving opportunities are.
MarketSmart puts a major focus on qualifying, cultivating, and prioritizing major and legacy donor prospects in an authentic way, so you can produce real results.
DonorSearch gathers an abundance of wealth analytical data on prospects, including past giving history, business affiliations, real estate, and more. It leverages the nation’s largest philanthropic database with 150+ million records, giving you insight you won’t find anywhere else.
To assist in your legacy gift endeavors, DonorSearch developed a unique Planned Giving Prospect Identification score that helps you determine what type of gift your organization should be asking for and when.
Gain a better sense of who your donors are, so you can be sure you’re engaging with the most promising prospects at the right time.
Many nonprofit organizations believe that in order to get a great fundraising software, you have to be prepared to spend some serious money.
Luckily, that’s not always the case!
Take a look at Snowball’s handy resource covering the best free and low-cost fundraising software options out there for your organization.
The next step after finding the perfect fundraising software for your organization is putting to the test.
Feeling stuck on ideas for your next great fundraiser? We’ve got you covered!
Get some inspiration from our comprehensive list of easy and effective fundraising ideas.
Even with the best fundraising software, sometimes nonprofits need a little extra help with their fundraising efforts.
If this sounds like you, you might want to consider hiring a fundraising consultant.
See how fundraising consultants can help your nonprofit better achieve its goals with this article.
Fundly is dedicated to providing you with the tools you need to raise money for whatever your cause may be.