When it comes to donor management platforms, the sheer variety of software choices can be a bit overwhelming. Some platforms offer versatile, feature-rich solutions while others are designed more for basic contact management. With the right set of features, you can deepen donor relationships and engage more easily with constituents. With the wrong program, though, you’ll face cost creep, frustrations, and poor communication.
This donor management software comparison will go over the features of some of the most popular options so you can make the right choice for your organization. Let’s take a look.
Top Donor Management Software Comparisons
All the platforms listed below are trusted as some of the top donor management options among nonprofits and associations. Breaking down their specific features will help you understand how good a fit each might be for your organization.
Neon CRM
Neon CRM is a platform designed to deepen your donor connections and improve your workflows. With our help, you can use data and prior donor interactions to personalize your messages and elevate donor engagement.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Donor tracking and insights Engagement timelines User-specific dashboards Intuitive, customizable reporting Flexible fields Automated workflow and communication tools Email management Flexible donation pages and forms | Revenue-based billing Personalized communications Comprehensive management Automated tools | Large organization support Initial ease of use Simultaneous live/virtual event management |
Who it’s best for: We work with organizations from small grassroots movements to large multi-state associations. Our typical clients are small to midsized nonprofits who are looking for a donor management platform that will grow with them. Our revenue-based pricing model makes us a particularly desirable option for rapidly growing organizations.
EveryAction
EveryAction is a comprehensive platform designed for nonprofits and associations. It’s particularly noted for its Political Action Committee (PAC) compliance features, making it great for managing political contributions.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Top-tier PAC support Payment gateways Email and mobile messaging Event management Canvassing support Phonebanking Automated tools and predictive analytics | Ease of use in data management PAC-compliant Customizable workflows Automated tools | Difficult to use more advanced features Integration limitations Little custom template support Complex, click-heavy system |
Who it’s best for: EveryAction is a platform that’s best used by those managing a lot of records. It serves a wide range of large nonprofits and has a complex feature set that makes it a great comprehensive option. It’s also highly suitable for PACs with built-in compliance support. However, smaller and midsized organizations may find it’s a bit complex for their needs.
Kindful
Kindful is owned by nonprofit CRM provider Bloomerang, bringing a lot of industry-specific expertise. It offers the basic features of a donation management platform with few bells and whistles.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Email management Donor database tools Automated donor receipts Mail merge support Workflow management General reporting Engagement tracking Historical communication records | Ease of use Good basic features Strong customer service Cost-effective | Integration dependent Limited reporting Few customization options Data upload difficulties |
Who it’s best for: Kindful is a great solution for small nonprofits needing a simple and cost-effective database management tool. However, its limited features may not be appropriate for rapidly growing organizations that need more support.
Network for Good
Network for Good provides both software and coaching for nonprofits. This is a comprehensive solution to donor management that has grown beyond tracking donations to support the entire organization’s activities.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Donor database tools Custom forms/surveys Duplicate records management Donation tracking Donation receipts and emails Simple reporting | Strong onboarding process Comprehensive solution Multi-media support | User-friendliness Data transfer problems High costs for upgrades Limited integrations |
Who it’s best for: Network for Good is a comprehensive solution that targets its services to small nonprofits that won’t need a large number of complex integrations. As it bills by contacts, costs may not scale over time, especially for rapidly growing organizations.
DonorPerfect
DonorPerfect is based in Montreal, Canada and is a software provider that serves a wide range of nonprofits, with a specific focus on Canadian markets. It’s another more comprehensive tool for nonprofits, with features that can be used for the management of the entire organization.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Automated tools Engagement tracking Donor database management Payment processing Reporting and analytics Online donation forms and templates Integrations | Cost-effectiveness Ease of use Clear, simple user interface Fast rollout and onboarding | Limited customizability Few default reporting features Inefficient database tools Poor duplicate records support |
Who it’s best for: DonorPerfect is good for small to midsized organizations who can keep a close eye on their data cleanliness, although some large organizations report challenges with data merges. It’s also favored by some Canadian nonprofits looking for a domestic company to provide support.
Oracle NetSuite
Oracle is, of course, much more than a CRM. It’s an enterprise that provides just about anything you can find in the cloud, including the clouds themselves. For donor management software, it offers Oracle NetSuite Social Impact.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Financial management Reporting tools Relationship management tools Efficiency tracking Compliance and regulatory tools Community access and support Integrations | No-cost options Comprehensive management Robust features Built-in compliance | Difficult to learn Focused on resource management Reporting limitations Minimal campaign support |
Who it’s best for: Oracle NetSuite Social Impact is an application-based program where some users may be eligible for no-cost activation and a donation of its basic-level platform. This may make it a good solution for nonprofits that are just starting out. The program is also an ERP (enterprise resource planning) application, meaning it is more focused on operations than donor management.
Give Smart
GiveSmart is another platform that’s a small part of a much larger brand—specifically, Community Brands. GiveSmart is the donor management segment of its suite of products.
| Features for Donor Management | Benefits Reported by Users | Challenges Reported by Users |
|---|---|---|
| Custom fields One-click report sharing Payment management Intuitive search technology Mobile payments Integrations Implementation support | User-friendly interface High customizability Virtual auction support Simple reporting | Printing problems User permission issues Few custom query options Expensive for service offered |
Who it’s best for: Many users touted the benefits of this platform specifically for its auction and live event management functions. This platform’s fundraising tools are much more robust than its donor management tools, but organizations that depend largely on in-person events for donations may find the features of this platform particularly helpful.
How Neon CRM Stands Out in Donor Management
As you can see from the above donor management software comparison, there are a lot of different features to consider as you evaluate your options. Picking the one that best suits your organization’s needs will help you get the most out of your investment without taking on too much additional work or expense.
Neon CRM stands out in our donor management software comparison because it’s truly built with scalability in mind. We know how quickly records needs can change, especially for nonprofits that are concentrating on expanding their base of potential supporters. That’s why we designed our billing and platform to grow with your nonprofit. Want to learn more about how Neon CRM can help you reach your goals? Contact us to schedule a demo!
Join the discussion in our Slack channel on connected fundraising
