Donor Management Software: The Complete Buyer’s Guide

Nonprofits are designed to do good in the world. Every day, nonprofit staff show up to work, ready to run right toward some of the world’s biggest problems — but to help solve those problems, and advance your mission, you need to raise funds to fuel your work.

Nonprofit fundraisers know that the golden rule of fundraising is to connect with the right donors, using the right messages, in the right mix of channels, at the right time — without getting buried in data management work. That’s why it’s so important to get the support you need from the right donor management platform: the right technology can help you save time and take on some of your tasks as you acquire donors, steward and deepen your connections with them, and retain them for the long haul. And when you can achieve those donor goals, you can fund your work and make progress with your mission.

Now, let’s get into the basics of donor management software — what it is, why organizations use it, and what features to prioritize.

The Basics of Donor Management Software

What is Donor Management Software?

Donor management software helps nonprofits effectively and efficiently administer their relationships with supporters, donors, advocates, and fellow do-gooders of all stripes. Sometimes, this is referred to as a CRM — a constituent relationship manager.

You can store all kinds of information about your supporters in a CRM or donor management software, like email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and other contact information. You can also track demographic data, like someone’s age, location, gender, and other identifiers. Another very important type of supporter data you can easily track in the right CRM is behavioral data, or the choices your contacts make and the actions they take. Tracking behavioral data in your CRM means you can see which donation appeals a donor has received, and in which channels (like direct mail, email, or SMS;) whether or not they’ve opened, clicked, or otherwise engaged with the appeals you sent them; which donation appeals of yours have successfully led to a gift or other action; and their overall donor segment.

Why Use Donor Management Software?

Nonprofits use donor management software for many reasons, but the one thing they have in common is that they help development teams raise more money for the mission, in the most efficient way. Your nonprofit might be considering a donor management software purchase to reach your goals around:

• Donor acquisition
  To raise the funds you need to carry out your work and advance your mission, you need to bring on donors! Bringing on new donors means fundraisers need the ability to easily move into new channels (both online and offline), build new programs, and make connections with new donors.
• Audience and list growth
  Your mission is important, and you want to spread the word! But you need the right platform to help you grow your number of supporters, and help you make the most of your messaging and communications plan across channels.
• Data management
  With audience growth comes the need to manage your donor data. The right donor management system can ensure you have access to accurate donor data in real time, making your donation appeals that much more targeted and effective.
• Inspiring your supporters to take advocacy or volunteer actions
  Donors often aren’t exclusively interested in supporting your mission by making gifts — because they care deeply about your mission, some of your best volunteers, advocates, or members are likely your donors! These actions can help build their affinity for your organizations and mission, which is why your donor management software should help you track each step a supporter takes with you and inspire them to further action.
• Donor retention
  Fundraisers know that funding your mission doesn’t end with acquiring enough donors — the next, all-too-important phase of the journey is donor retention. Retaining existing donors is more cost effective than starting from scratch every time, and the right donor management software can help you reach out with the right message at the right time, with automated multi-channel communication for retention and recapture.
• Stewarding and nurturing donors
  So you’ve set donor retention goals—how do you reach them? Stewarding and nurturing your donors, of course! Managing the complex networks of messages you need to send to meet your engagement goals can become more achievable with support from the right donor management software.
• Upgrading grassroots donors into mid-level and major donors
  Every fundraiser wants committed donors to grow their support over time. In the right donor management software, your nonprofit can use your supporter data to predict and recommend the most likely mid-level donors, major gift upgrades, planned giving prospects, and more.
• Managing grants from foundations and other funders
  With support from the right donor management system, your team can identify and research prospective funders, track deadlines and documents throughout the grant lifecycle, analyze your results, and manage those all-important institutional relationships.
• Better transparency and reporting
  When your nonprofit can do robust reporting, you’re able to get the most value from your donor data and improve your fundraising outcomes by analyzing your fundraising across channels and showcasing your results.

What Features to Prioritize in Donor Software

Donor management software comes in many shapes and sizes, and the features your nonprofit needs will depend on your goals, priorities, budget, future plans, and so on. Some of the features you may be considering to help you raise more funds and advance your mission include:

• Major gifts functionalities
  Major gifts portfolio management capabilities are an efficient way to track pledges, gifts, and all interactions with major donors in one place; and your team can make sure to never miss an opportunity with automated workflows to support your major donor communications goals.
• Grants management
  Grant tools can give you the ability to monitor the entire solicitation cycle from first identification of a potential funder to final stewardship of a grant award. Your nonprofit can manage funder relationships, progress to goals, and deadlines whether you’re seeking unrestricted funds or grants with criteria that match your current programs.
• Direct response
  With support from this kind of functionality, you can segment custom audiences based on any criteria and target them with multi-channel telemarketing, digital ad, or direct mail campaigns to maximize your organization’s fundraising efforts and ROI.
• Fundraising event management
  Whether you’re managing virtual, in-person, or hybrid events, the right donor management software can support you as you schedule events, set ticket levels, and monitor your invites, confirmations, and attendance all in one place.
• Fundraising and digital reporting
  Your nonprofit’s development team, your Board of Directors, and your funders deserve to know how effective your programs are — and to see the progress you’re making in the world. That’s why donor management software can support you with functionalities like data visualization, fundraising and reporting dashboards, source tracking for gifts, report templates, and custom report builders.
• Payment processing
  Secure, reliable payment processing is an important functionality for nonprofit digital fundraising. Whether your goal is to increase conversions, optimize for mobile giving, grow or maintain a sustainer program, or guarantee security, payment processing is a critical feature to consider when choosing donor management software.
• Predictive analytics
  The future of fundraising is optimized with the power of technology — and that includes functionalities like predictive analytics, which can help nonprofits uncover the hidden revenue in their lists, surface the donors most likely to give, identify the best asks to make of them, and make data-driven fundraising faster and easier.
• Membership management
  If your nonprofit runs a membership program, you’ll want to manage it with functionalities like member self-service pages and multi-channel communications tools that will help you to easily acquire, renew, retain, and engage with members across channels from direct mail, email, social, events, telemarketing, and more.
• Fundraising and workflow automation
  Most nonprofit fundraisers want (and deserve!) to spend their time on the more strategic, creative, and person-to-person aspects of their work — not on tasks that could be managed with technology. Automated workflows are one way fundraisers can lighten their loads: leveraging data into action means donors receive personalized, streamlined communications at every step of the supporter journey.
• Email marketing
  Every fundraiser wants to send emails that catch supporters’ attention and inspire action. Donor management software functionalities like segmentation and personalization, conditional content, multivariate testing, user-friendly yet customizable email builders, and one-click donation forms can give your email marketing what it takes to stand out in your donors’ inboxes.
• Online fundraising
  As part of your donor management software, nonprofits can increase donor conversions and optimize your donors’ experience with support from beautiful, intuitive, and customizable online donation forms for your website.
• Mobile messaging
  Fundraisers can engage supporters, activists, and volunteers with broadcast text messages—all integrated directly with your donor management software. When fueled by functionalities like segmentation aligned with the contact history in your CRM, custom keywords, and automations that integrate mobile messaging in with your other channels, your mobile messaging can be that much more successful.
• Digital advocacy
  Donor management doesn’t begin and end with processing a singular gift. Fundraisers can do even more to engage donors and strengthen their connection to your mission with invitations to make calls, speak up on social media, and take advocacy actions across channels with elected officials, brands, and other decision-makers.
• Social media capabilities
  Fundraisers know how powerful social media can be when used to strengthen your donors’ bonds with your organization. With functionalities like custom target segments and tracked share activity, your donor management software can help you connect with your donors even more efficiently on their preferred platforms.
• Volunteer management
  Like digital advocacy, volunteer management functionalities in the right donor management software can help your nonprofit connect with the right supporters, and offer the right engagement opportunities at the right time for stronger and longer-term relationships. Look for tools that integrate fully into your system, like customizable, embeddable, and shareable sign-up forms and network effects to help you grow and retain your mission’s web of support.
• Event management
  Nonprofits can throw successful community events and fundraisers — and analyze that data for useful insights — with support from functionalities like online forms, integrated fundraising, and mobile check-in options that roll up into your donor management software.
• Organizing and voter contact
  Like volunteer management and digital advocacy, engaging supporters around your mission can include organizing and voter contact. In the right donor management software, nonprofits can manage canvasses, phone banks, voter registration, and more to get out the vote for your cause and build stronger supporter relationships at the same time.
• Detailed receipting and acknowledgments
  Every donor deserves to feel appreciated when they make a gift. With intuitive and accurate receipting for every kind of gift, your nonprofit can ensure supporters are thanked promptly, sincerely, and in their preferred channel — all of which supports better donor retention over time.

1. EveryAction | The Best Donor Management Software Overall

Overview of EveryAction Donor Management Software

Okay, we might be a little biased. But hear us out: the beauty of an all-in-one system is its efficiency. Engaging more supporters, across more channels, with more programs shouldn’t require more work. Our powerful unified solution is purpose built, empowering you to work smarter, not harder, by making it simple to optimize and personalize communication across all channels. The result? More money for advancing your mission and doing good in the world.

EveryAction’s mission is to empower our nonprofit partners to be more effective in your mission, by providing you with the best omni-channel platform that optimizes interactions for the best outcomes, from raising more money to building more support. EveryAction provides the most innovative engagement platform, offering nonprofit Digital, Development, and Program/Volunteer departments best-in-class features, with an easy to use modern user interface. All those features use a unified CRM, which means in one platform, you can know your supporter in their full glory—across their email click, the check they handed in at the gala, and their volunteer day.

We also provide network effects, like our 11 million strong pool of FastAction profiles where donors can store their credit cards (enabling higher conversion rates), and our 4 million strong pool of volunteers. EveryAction also provides world-class reliability and scaling, so even the largest nonprofits can be confident when you get your moment in the spotlight. All while keeping the security of your data top of mind.

Why EveryAction’s Donor Software Stands Out

Here’s why EveryAction stands head and shoulders above other donor management software choices:

• Reliable CRM technology
  CRM technology you and your donors can count on, from superior data security to leading email deliverability.
• Donor Management
  Deepen relationships with holistic contact records, automated workflows, and real-time dashboards.
• Digital Marketing
  Run efficient and optimized email, digital advertising, and SMS campaigns.
• Online Fundraising
  Raise more with custom donation forms optimized for increased conversions.
• Advocacy and Organizing
  Elevate your cause with grassroots advocacy and organizing, both online and offline.
• Event and Volunteer Management
  Logistics made easy with tools for recruiting new volunteers and managing virtual and in-person events.
• Network Effect
  Build community around your cause and increase conversions with our saved donor contact profiles and volunteer recruitment network.
• Predictive Analytics
  Uncover hidden revenue in your database, streamline fundraising, and maximize ROI with predictive donor modeling

Getting Started With EveryAction Donor Management Software

Get started with EveryAction by requesting a demo.

2. Salsa | Best Donor Management Software for Small- to Mid-Sized Nonprofits

Overview of Salsa Donor Management Software

One of the newest members of our EveryAction family, Salsa has a lot to offer nonprofits in the small- to medium-sized range. Salsa’s SmartEngagement Technology combines CRM and nonprofit engagement software with embedded best practices, machine learning, and world-class education and support.

Salsa’s single platform delivers nonprofit Donor Management, Fundraising, Advocacy, Event, and Marketing Automation tools for today’s nonprofits.

Why Salsa’s Donor Software Stands Out

Some of Salsa’s stand-out donor management features include:

• Rich donor profiles
  Extensive donor profiles capture every detail and interaction with supporters, including unlimited custom fields, activity timelines, notes, and touches.
• Performance Dashboards and Reporting
  Unified online and offline gift management provide a 360 degree picture of your fundraising campaigns. Advanced, customizable reports and dashboards deliver unique, actionable insights for every staff member: Understand donor retention, revenue trends, and opportunities quickly and easily.
• Email & Digital Marketing
  Visual email designer and built-in templates allow you to create customized and engaging messages. Automated email series ensure the right messages are delivered to the right people at the right time. Digital marketing reports provide detail on everything from email open rates to social media engagement levels.
• Multi-Channel Online Advocacy
  Use online petitions and targeted actions to engage your supporters. Automated advocacy campaigns, including click-to-call options, give your supporters a simple way to contact legislators and help spread your message. Updated federal, state, and local target lists are provided – and customized target lists allow for non-legislative targets.
• Peer to Peer Campaigns & Events
  Full P2P event management includes beautiful, customizable team pages; targeted donor communications; coaching and fundraiser communications; and evergreen, DIY, digital, and in-person events.

Getting Started With Salsa’s Donor Management Software

3. Mobilize | Best Donor Management Software for Volunteers

Overview of Mobilize Donor Management Software

Mobilize, a late 2020 addition to the EveryAction family, helps nonprofits, campaigns, and other mission-driven organizations manage events and recruit volunteers to unlock the full potential of their supporters — and drive more donor support, too.

Mobilize has powered more than 14 million actions since 2018, and the Mobilize network now includes over 4 million volunteers. Organizations who have used Mobilize to power their actions have seen a 30 percent increase in attendees from online signups, 5-10 hours saved weekly per staff member, over 40 percent more shifts from the Mobilize network, and more donations from engaged supporters: one organization enabled donation asks right after signup, and saw that 17 percent of those supporters initiated an average donation of $21.

Why Mobilize’s Donor Software Stands Out

Mobilize connects some of the most powerful functionalities for organizing, advocacy actions, volunteer management, and fundraising to mobilize, empower, and connect your supporters. Some of these tools are:

• Single-shift event hosting
  Start adding events right away, no technical experience required. This saves organizers time and integrates supporter data where it’s needed.
• Recurring and multiple-shift events
  Retain supporters by making sure that volunteers show up, bring friends, and come back with automated reminders in supporters’ preferred channels, post-event feedback surveys, and optimized event search and discovery with a streamlined signup process.
• Virtual, in-person, and hybrid events
  Virtual and hybrid events allow for greater accessibility for donors; options for COVID-safe activism; increased flexibility for organizations; higher levels of engagement; and larger audience sizes.
• Integrate with existing tools
  Maximize value from your existing tools by seamlessly syncing across other existing systems.
• Network effect
  Mobilize is more than just a platform; it’s a network. As a partner, you join 3,000+ mission-driven organizations and over 4.3 million supporters — this means cross-promotion between your partners and inclusion in the mobilize.us feed, growing your supporter audience for long-term impact.
• Distributed events
  Turn volunteers into event hosts with simple host recruitment across channels and straightforward approval processes and permission levels.

Getting Started With Mobilize Donor Management Software

4. GiveGab | Best Donor Management Software for Giving Days

Overview of GiveGab Donor Management Software

GiveGab, now part of the EveryAction family, offers the number one digital solution for giving days and year-round giving. GiveGab empowers fundraising professionals from foundations, educational institutions, nonprofits, public media, and so much more to host fundraising events that are easy, enjoyable, and effective.

GiveGab offers advanced fundraising and supporter engagement solutions. Between giving days, community giving, Philanthropy Hub, crowdfunding, donation forms, and P2P fundraising, thousands of nonprofits use GiveGab to build awareness for their causes, engage with their supporters, and raise more for their missions.

Why GiveGab’s Donor Software Stands Out

GiveGab’s donor management software stands out for its functionalities, some of which include:

• Giving Days
  Run a 24-hour (or longer) digital fundraising event with features like live Giving Day statistics, a flexible landing page builder, integrated search engine optimization, social media integrations, and custom logo design & downloadable marketing materials.
• Community Giving
  Be the philanthropic leader for your community with features like dedicated project management from GiveGab, donor matches and challenges, site-wide matching, database for donor-advised fund distribution, donor insight and analysis tools, and a customizable interface for campaigns.
• Philanthropy Hub
  Connect your community in one central hub with tools to amplify Donor-Advised funds for the community; allow fund holders to select their distributions online; analyze data with business intelligence tools; and unite your local community with continuous opportunities for philanthropic involvement.
• Crowdfunding
  Unite your school or nonprofit’s community with tools to promote key initiatives and events year-round; connect with stakeholders and amplify their engagement; and analyze data and gather insights.
• Donation Forms
  Create your ideal donor experience with embeddable white label donation forms with customizable form fields that create a seamless donation flow that’s completely branded to your organization.
• P2P Fundraising Suite
  Take your digital fundraising and engagement efforts to the next level with templated and customizable campaigns and events – all with built-in peer-to-peer (p2p) and team fundraising, analytics, and automated thank you messaging.

Getting Started With GiveGab Donor Management Software

5. DonorTrends | Best Donor Management Software for Predictive Analytics

Overview of DonorTrends Donor Management Software

A member of the EveryAction family since 2019, DonorTrends’ Predictive Analytics capabilities help nonprofits uncover the hidden revenue in your list and make data-driven fundraising faster and easier by using time-tested donor modeling to surface the donors most likely to give and the best asks to make of them.

DonorTrends’ predictive fundraising models in EveryAction optimize donor segmentation and targeting by evaluating donors’ past behavior and highlighting your best opportunities to improve retention, increase donor value, and raise more money.

Why DonorTrends’ Donor Software Stands Out

Applying predictive analytics to nonprofit fundraising and donor management can sound complex, but it doesn’t have to be with these DonorTrends functionalities:

• Predictive Donor Models
  Target the right donors, at the right time, with the right ask using 10 unique fundraising prediction models, updated daily based on supporter behavior.
• Fundraising Optimization Guides
  Transform your data and analytics into clear action steps and tangible results with fundraising recommendations based on your donor data and built to help you start optimizing fundraising right away.
• Optimized Ask Amounts
  Increase fundraising with optimized and personalized ask amounts for each donor, without any extra effort for you.
• Fully Integrated Analytics
  Predictive donor scoring tools are fully integrated with all your other contact data for easy reporting, segmentation, and tracking. No messy uploads or integrations.
• Workflow Automation
  Set predictive donor scores as triggers for automated workflows to renew and upgrade more donors without spending extra staff time

Getting Started With DonorTrends Donor Management Software

6. NGP VAN | Best Donor Management Software for Campaigns and Elections

Overview of NGP VAN Donor Management Software

A member of the EveryAction family for many years, NGP VAN is the leading technology provider to Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations, as well as nonprofits, municipalities, and other groups, offering clients an integrated platform of the best fundraising, compliance, field, organizing, digital, and social networking products.

NGP VAN has helped Democratic campaigns and organizations raise billions of dollars in our over 25 year history. NGP is the preferred fundraising database for nearly all Democratic national committees and Presidential campaigns, including President Biden and Vice President Harris, all U.S. Senators, the overwhelming majority of members of Congress and Democratic Governors, and thousands of state and local campaigns throughout the country.

Why NGP VAN’s Donor Software Stands Out

Some of the features that set NGP VAN apart from the crowd:

• 360 Degree View
  Know everything about your donors—what they see, what they do, and how your team is communicating with them. With direct integration to NGP’s online contribution, online actions and targeted email tools, you can enable a 360 degree view of your online and offline fundraising efforts.
• Call Time Mobile
  NGP’s native call time app allows callers to make calls and take notes directly on their phone with seamless integration back into NGP. Call Time Mobile puts the power to make more calls, more quickly, in the palm of your hand.
• Integrated Online/Offline
  Take advantage of Zoom integrated online contribution, and event pages that are easy to track and even easier to create.
• Easy Contribution Source Tracking
  Know where your money is coming using hierarchical source codes to help you keep track of all of your fundraising efforts. Rollup hierarchical codes provide fundraisers the ability to easily search, track, and report on your fundraising goals and performance.
• Flexible Contact Tags
  Make tagging and searching for donors, prospects, and PACs easier using hierarchical codes. Hierarchical codes allow your team to create a customizable folder-like system to stay organized.
• Custom Fields
  Create your own tailored contact and contribution fields with various value types (currency, date, text, etc.) and then use them on online pages.

Getting Started with NGP VAN

7. ActionKit | Best Donor Management Software for International Organizing

Overview of ActionKit Donor Management Software

A member of the EveryAction family since 2019, ActionKit offers tools to progressive organizations large and small to build their movement and supercharge online organizing, advocacy, and fundraising.

With best practices tested and baked in, ActionKit is easy to use: simple steps guide users through commonly used settings for quick launches of everything from new petition pages to urgent action alerts to fundraising campaigns. However, advanced options and customizations are easily enabled when an organization’s needs go beyond the basics.

Why ActionKit’s Donor Software Stands Out

ActionKit is powerful, flexible, and solid. Some of ActionKit’s features include:

• Email
  Intuitively set up and manage email with flexible targeting, delivery of up to hundreds of messages per second, scheduled mailings, delivery monitoring, dedicated sender reputations, unlimited mailing wrappers, and models and templates to simplify workflows.
• Secure Fundraising
  Set up one-time and recurring donations with micro-targeted asks; suggested amounts based on past giving; customization and personalization; matching appeals and pages; automations to notify staff of new gifts; SSL encryption for all transactions; multiple payment and currency options; integrations and APIs with other CRMs; and one-click donation options.
• Advocacy & List Growth
  Create petitions, letters, surveys, calls, letters-to-the-editor, and more with customizable, mobile-friendly templates; source tracking; custom targets; integrated tell-a-friend and sharing tools; one-click petition actions; and automated email delivery and petition drop functionalities.
• Events
  Easily set up centralized events with a complete toolset for distributed organizing and user-hosted events — recruit hosts and attendees; click-to-insert content and targeting options; built-in geocoding to provide users with an interactive map and search by city or zip to find nearby events all over the world; and analyze events with custom reports.
• Data & Analytics
  Maintain ownership of all your data with built-in reports; a sophisticated query builder; trackable activity across opens, clicks, unsubscribes, and more; customizable reports with a point-and-click query builder, or SQL for more advanced analysis; and automated, scheduled reports and emails to stakeholders.
• Cultivation and relationship development
  Manage user relationships with sophisticated user search; easily update user info via the admin interface; track online user actions and email interactions automatically; create unlimited custom user fields; boost engagement with personalized outreach; and track interactions.
• International Organizing
  Run multilingual campaigns, international events, and fundraising in other currencies with built-in translations (or add your own;) target mailings by user language; and implement a GDPR compliance plan.
• API & Developer Tools
  Customize and build off of ActionKit with robust tools for data integration and custom application development — use detailed documentation to build your own application on the existing database; and take advantage of existing integrations

Getting Started with ActionKit

8. CyberGrants | Best Donor Management Software for Corporate Giving and Philanthropy

Overview of CyberGrants Donor Management Software

CyberGrants, who recently joined forces with EveryAction, provides the best donor management software for corporate giving and philanthropy. With CyberGrants’ proven workflow engine and community of passionate innovators powering corporate social responsibility efforts, companies can respond more quickly to new and emerging needs.

The CyberGrants platform puts resources into the hands of nonprofits faster, and gives companies the tools to efficiently fund causes that deserve support. CyberGrants supports grants management, employee giving, and employee volunteering, and it’s how the world’s most respected, generous, and purpose-driven organizations deliver maximum impact.

Why CyberGrants’ Donor Software Stands Out

CyberGrants allows you to unite philanthropic efforts within a unique giving ecosystem, powered by these functionalities:

• Time saving pre-qualification
  Pre-qualification questionnaires help grantseekers self-select out of the process before they even begin, so no time is wasted finding funds for their organization.
• Real-time status updates
  Grantseekers can access the status of a grant at any time during the approval process, and track progress against special requirements such as progress reports or surveys.
• Email and phone support
  Grantseekers may access FAQs or initiate contact through a request form; CyberGrants support staff can answer their questions on your behalf.
• One login across all funding sources
  By joining the powerful CyberGrants network, grantseekers can access all their grants across all organizations through one central login and follow up on applications.
• Matching gifts
  Amplify employee engagement initiatives with matching gifts and promote the specific causes that matter to your employees.
• Payroll deduction
  Give employees the chance to support what means the most to them with payroll deduction.
• Political action campaigns
  Provide your employees a secure platform to pool resources and help their voices be heard on issues they care about.
• Charitable spending accounts
  Allow employees to set aside pretax dollars for donations, in a manner similar to popular health budget accounts.
• Employee assistance
  Show your employees that their company and coworkers have their backs. Employees can apply for financial support or employees can donate to the employee relief fund.
• Tuition reimbursement
  Encourage your employees to continue their education with a tuition reimbursement program. Scholarship programs can also be made available for family members’ education.
• Wellness programs
  Support your employees’ comprehensive wellness goals and reap the benefits of a healthier, happier workforce.
• Product/in kind giving
  Donate needed goods and services such as products, airline miles or other non-cash assets to charitable organizations.
• Board service
  Share board service opportunities to eligible team members and promote involvement.
• Employee resource groups
  Support employee resource groups and promote participation.

Getting Started With CyberGrants Donor Management Software

9. Social Solutions | Best Donor Management Software for Case Management

Overview of Social Solutions Donor Management Software

Social Solutions, another platform who recently joined forces with EveryAction, is the leading cloud software provider for public sector and nonprofit social service organizations and the best choice for case management and effort-to-outcomes software. Social Solutions develops technology to support the entire social good community — including nonprofits, public sector agencies, philanthropists and ultimately, the people they serve. They help organizations collect, organize, and interpret their data to better understand and communicate their impact.

Founded by social workers who saw the potential of technology to reduce manual paperwork and drive social change, Social Solutions develops their products in collaboration with their clients. Working with people who work in the field helps them solve their most urgent challenges.

Why Social Solutions’ Donor Software Stands Out

Social Solutions stands out among other donor software for case management with these functionalities:

• Case Management
  Eliminate duplicate data, keep reporting at your fingertips, and ensure data integrity with the right platform capabilities.
• Participant Connection
  Allow people to remotely apply for services, saving you hours of data entry and countless paper forms; inspire engagement and empower your participants to self-serve with a participant portal; and easily communicate with participants about schedule changes, updates, or action requests with direct messages.
• Data Analytics
  Make data-fueled decisions and empower case managers to plan early interventions for at-risk individuals — uncover trends; identify potential gaps and address challenges using data insights and dashboards; report comprehensively on outcomes to prove impact and secure long-term funding; and collaborate effectively with a unified set of measures and effective data sharing.
• Community Network
  Offer unprecedented visibility into progress, outcomes, and impact across your community with functionalities like census data integrations, referral networks, and a library of proven forms and reports to help guide workflows and deliver outcomes and insights.
• Security
  With software that’s secure by design, you can focus on your mission: Social Solutions meets current HUD Domestic Violence, HMIS and Social Security Administration data management and security protocols, as well as required FERPA and HIPAA standards. This also includes continuous monitoring with redundant infrastructure to maintain uninterrupted operations; and data that’s automatically encrypted while in transit between your computer and our servers — as well as while at rest.

Getting Started With Social Solutions Donor Management Software

10. WealthEngine | Best Donor Management Software for Wealth Screening

Overview of WealthEngine’s Donor Management Software

WealthEngine helps nonprofit fundraisers manage major giving programs by delivering wealth insights to find your next best prospect. WealthEngine integrates with EveryAction and empowers giving officers to know their prospects, donors, and customers better than they ever thought possible.

The WealthEngine 9 platform applies machine learning to half a trillion data points, creating 250 million pre-scored profiles with over 5 million refreshes weekly to give fundraisers detailed insights into an individual’s propensity, capacity, and intent to engage with your organization.

Why WealthEngine’s Donor Software Stands Out

According to WealthEngine, their platform leads the market in delivering the best wealth intelligence and prospect research, with features like:

• Search
  Data becomes actionable through WealthEngine’s intuitive, nationwide search with in-depth, pre-compiled WE Profiles and advanced research capabilities. Accurately and quickly segment potential donors to optimize your time when it comes to engaging your next best prospects.
• Screen
  A nonprofit’s own data combined with WealthEngine’s provides a more robust picture of existing donors. Find the hidden potential within your donor management database when you combine WealthEngine’s wealth and lifestyle data with what you already know to illuminate under-performers quickly and accurately.
• Prospect
  Build ultra-segmented audiences of potential donors who are most likely to connect with your nonprofit based on specific propensity, capacity, and intent attributes. From there, you can build rich, wealth-aware campaigns to cultivate awareness with those most likely to engage.
• Analyze
  Evaluate the patterns within your audience and uncover actionable insights through WealthEngine’s predictive lead scoring. Compare trends of those who already donate with others who have the propensity, capacity, and intent in order to find your next best lifelong donor.
• Model
  Apply advanced data science to create a picture of your ideal donor, and then use that model to find prospects who “look” like your best. Quickly score a new list to see how similar they are to your best supporter based on attributes you determine.
• Integrations
  Through WealthEngine APIs, your nonprofit can quickly access customer information in the context of an online transaction, and consistently enrich your data to improve campaign efforts. With effective integrations to nonprofit systems of record, like EveryAction’s unified nonprofit CRM, WealthEngine seamlessly integrates wealth intelligence into your environment.

Getting Started With WealthEngine’s Donor Management Software

11. Direct Mail Processors | Best Donor Management Software for Direct Mail

Overview of DMP Donor Management Software

Direct Mail Processors (DMP) helps nonprofit fundraisers manage their direct mail program by combining personalized, high-touch, client-focused service with advanced technology to deliver the best possible solutions, specific to each client’s needs and requirements.

DMP integrates with EveryAction, and their nonprofit services include caging, data capture & imaging, exceptions handling, acknowledgement & fulfillment, sustainer management, and online donation & e-commerce. DMP helps organizations increase donations and build stronger individual donor relationships.

Why DMP’s Donor Software Stands Out

Some of the functionalities that help DMP stand out include:

• Caging
  From mail pickup to processing, DMP follows your business rules and focuses on the speed and accuracy of donations processing. With same- and next-day electronic deposits, DMP incorporates PCI DSS & CISP credit card guidelines for the most secure and efficient process available.
• Data Capture and Imaging
  DMP is a pioneer in high-speed scanner processing and utilizes advanced technology, intelligent recognition software, and high-production equipment to meet clients’ data capture & imaging requirements. Offline and direct online keying into client database systems is also available.
• Exceptions Management
  Some donor responses require special attention. DMP’s experienced Donor Relationship Team is dedicated to “high touch” services and follows your business rules for identifying, handling, and processing exceptions.
• Acknowledgment and Fulfillment Solutions
  DMP’s Acknowledgement & Fulfillment Team assures that your nonprofit’s core donors are recognized and rewarded, to maintain focus on donor satisfaction and retention.
• Online Donation Processing
  DMP provides comprehensive digital services. Accept online and mobile donations with customized solutions that meet your needs and complement your direct mail campaigns.
• Sustainer Management
  Sustainer programs grow recurring gifts, assure planned donations, and deepen relationships. DMP’s comprehensive sustainer services provide processing from all channels: mail, phone, and online.
• Customer Care Center
  DMP provides comprehensive inbound customer care and telemarketing solutions that incorporate all channels of communications — including phone calls and emails.

Getting Started With DMP Donor Management Software

12. DonorSearch | Best Donor Management Software for Donor Prospecting

Overview of DonorSearch Donor Management Software

DonorSearch helps nonprofit fundraisers connect giving aspiration to giving capacity by helping gift officers identify donors with the capacity to give and an affinity for your cause; expand your prospect list with a philanthropy-focused prospect search database; predict a prospect’s giving capacity with accurate, secure giving intelligence and data; and ultimately connect with donors.

DonorSearch gives fundraisers actionable insights, giving history, and wealth intelligence that connects more people to your cause — which improves development teams’ efficiency and accuracy.

Why DonorSearch Donor Software Stands Out

DonorSearch stands out among other donor prospecting platforms with these functionalities:

• ProspectView Online
  Build prospect lists, plan outreach, and connect with donors by exploring the world’s largest philanthropic database for the proven charitable giving of individuals, organizations, or foundations.
• DonorSearch Aristotle
  Proprietary AI algorithms and intuitive visualization tools make fundraising smarter, and help fundraisers find, segment, and connect with the best prospects in real time.
• Marketing Lists
  Create and build donor marketing plans and access hundreds of wealth, giving, and demographic attributes of over 160 million households to build prospect lists that will grow your donor pipeline.
• Integrations
  Take the guesswork out of whether or not your donor data is accurate and connected between systems. DonorSearch integrates with many CRMs, including Salsa, to ensure that your database of record is up-to-date and easy to use.
• Wealth Screening
  Don’t rely on wealth metrics alone to predict your gift pipeline. DonorSearch’s wealth screening tool takes giving history into account for more actionable insights.
• Data Appends
  Improve ROI and gain stronger donor insights by safely and securely submitting your nonprofit’s current data for DonorSearch to add demographic information and improve the detail in your list.

Getting Started With DonorSearch Donor Management Software

13. Boardable | Best Donor Management Software for Board Relations

Overview of Boardable Donor Management Software

Nonprofit boards of directors are not only critical to operations, but they’re also important resources for fundraising — whether they’re making gifts or making asks. Boardable helps nonprofits activate their board’s power with more effective meetings, paving the way for greater efficiency around and more resources toward fundraising.

Boardable was established by mission-driven founders to serve community organizations. Their mission is to increase board member engagement with a software platform and a purpose-driven company that serves those who serve their communities.

Why Boardable’s Donor Software Stands Out

From the planning stages to the day of a Board meeting, Boardable’s software stands out with these functionalities:

• Agenda Builder
  Templates for quick agenda building, dynamic PDFs delivered via email, and agenda landing pages with private annotation help simplify meeting planning.
• Meetings Center
  Meeting scheduling automations help save time, free your board from distraction, and refocus time together on governance and strategy.
• Boardable Spotlight
  Tools to meet virtually or in person, collaborate seamlessly, and document decisions in one place.
• Document Center
  File organizing and distributing functionalities so board members can collaborate anytime, anywhere, without the need to dig through email attachments.
• E-Signatures
  Tools to legally sign and approve documents without the hassle of traditional paper signatures by managing the uploading, signature request, and status of signatures all in one place.
• Task Manager
  Create, assign, and manage action items during and in between meetings to increase productivity and accountability.
• Reporting
  View and download a variety of reports to quickly identify accomplishments and areas of improvement.
• Goal Tracking
  Track and measure the success of your organization’s goals and board initiatives. Set benchmarks to keep your board informed and engaged on the progress of key performance metrics.
• Polls + Voting
  Develop active, contributing board members and highlight important decision-making items in an efficient way.

Getting Started With Boardable Donor Management Software

14. Foundation Directory Online | Best Donor Management Software for Foundation Funder Prospecting

Overview of Foundation Directory Online Donor Management Software

Foundation Directory Online (FDO) by Candid helps nonprofit fundraisers navigate the foundation funder prospecting process in order to win more grants and make a bigger difference.

According to FDO, 90% of U.S. foundations don’t have websites. With Foundation Directory Online, you can put Candid’s extraordinary database and fundraising expertise to work for your organization, project, or client, while uncovering information on all 240,000 U.S. foundations.

Why FDO’s Donor Software Stands Out

To win grants, your nonprofit needs the most up-to-date, complete information you can get about grantmakers and the grants they’ve made. Three levels of search tools from FDO make their comprehensive database stand out:

• FDO Professional
  The most exhaustive and up-to-date knowledge and insight on the social sector to fuel any fundraising mission. Expanded, in-depth profiles of each grantmaker, plus inside looks at the grants they’ve actually made keep your organization operating at peak effectiveness. Includes 240,000+ expanded grantmaker profiles; 2,200,000+ recipient profiles; 1,100,000+ key decision makers and leaders; searchable 990s and 990-PFs; and more.
• FDO Essential
  The quickest, least expensive way to identify the grantmakers that will fund you — and get in-depth profiles that help you write your winning proposals. Includes 110,000+ expanded grantmaker profiles; 300,000+ key decision makers and leaders; searchable 990s and 990-PFs; and more.
• FDO Enterprise
  For foundations, academic institutions, and large organizations. Give your entire organization unlimited access to Foundation Directory Online at a special rate with an Enterprise Solutions subscription.

Getting Started With FDO Donor Management Software

15. OneCause | Best Donor Management Software for Auction Events

Overview of OneCause Donor Management Software

The last thing any nonprofit needs when running an auction or raffle is a disorganized event — especially during the busy year-end fundraising season. OneCause helps nonprofit fundraisers by supporting and streamlining important revenue-driving events, to help you raise more for your mission.

With OneCause, nonprofit event managers and fundraisers can seamlessly manage silent auctions, live auctions, and online auctions to add fun and excitement to your events.

Why OneCause’s Donor Software Stands Out

According to OneCause, you can maximize your charity auction or event with these functionalities:

• Ticketing
  Sell tickets; manage RSVPS; manage custom tickets packages, coupon, and discount codes; allow attendees to make seating requests; and add donations at ticket purchase.
• Flexible Events
  Create events anytime; copy event data from previous events; and analyze year-over-year stats.
• Tables and Seating
  Manage table assignments and seating; quickly determine guest count at each table; assign guests to tables based on requests; group tables by captain or sponsor; and determine VIP seating.
• Social Media
  Enable donors to share items, donations, and bids; boost engagement; and build excitement.
• Donor and Bidder Management
  Generate auction solicitation requests; create custom post-event thank yous; and send receipts.
• Auction
  Manage items and packages; sell raffle tickets and fixed priced items; and use scoreboards to engage donors.
• Donation Appeal
  Automate paddle raises and create competitive giving.
• Mobile Bidding
  Paperless bidding allows guests to bid straight from their phones so your organization receives more bids and simplifies event execution.
• Do-It-Yourself and Full Service Options
  One size doesn’t fit all, and that’s why OneCause offers a Do-It-Yourself solution as well as Full Service packages that include onsite event and technical expertise.

Getting Started With OneCause Donor Software

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Wrapping Up

It’s clear: nonprofits can raise more money for their mission, more effectively and efficiently with support from the right donor management software

To help you evaluate your organization’s strategic needs, and choose the right platform not just for now, but for the future as well, download our complete Buyer’s Guide, produced with two of our expert partners in CRM selection and implementation.

Want to learn more about how the right person-to-person support can help you successfully choose, implement, and get the most value out of your donor management software? Check our EveryAction’s CRM implementation services, and our support and training resources.

Lastly, if you’re interested in learning more about how EveryAction’s donor management software can help your nonprofit engage more supporters, with more programs, across more channels, to raise more and advance your mission — all without needing to add more staff — get a demo today.