The Eventbrite Salesforce integration is more complicated than you might think, so make sure you're prepared by reading our thorough review.

Eventbrite Salesforce Integration: Our Actionable Review

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Eventbrite is a popular web-based event management app designed to simplify ticketing and registration for any type of event. Individuals, organizations, businesses, and virtually anyone else can use the platform—even Salesforce users!

If your organization uses Salesforce to manage constituent data, you’ll need to integrate Eventbrite with your Salesforce CRM in order to see all of your important information in the same place.

While an Eventbrite Salesforce integration is a viable option to manage events in Salesforce, you should be aware that the data migration and platform implementation processes aren’t always as seamless as you might think.

Before you opt for Eventbrite as your event planning tool of choice, let us walk you through our key takeaways from the Eventbrite Salesforce integration:

  1. You have options for how you implement the Eventbrite Salesforce integration.
  2. Customization can complicate the Eventbrite Salesforce integration.
  3. You’ll want a data manager to oversee the Eventbrite Salesforce integration process.
  4. The Eventbrite Salesforce integration might be costly (and time-consuming).

When you know what the Eventbrite Salesforce integration really entails, you’ll be able to decide if it’s the best path for your organization to take!

Not confident Eventbrite is the right event management software for you? Take a look at this list of excellent Eventbrite alternatives instead!

Your organization will need to determine how you want to conduct the Eventbrite Salesforce integration, either with a third-party connector app or by using the Eventbrite API.

1. You have options for how you implement the Eventbrite Salesforce integration.

Before we can dive into our thoughts on the Eventbrite Salesforce integration itself, let’s discuss how exactly you can get these two platforms to work together in order to plan your event.

Because Eventbrite was not designed for Salesforce, you’ll need to manually integrate the two systems so that you can store your event details within your Salesforce CRM.

Essentially, to integrate Eventbrite and Salesforce, your organization will need to take one of the following routes:

  • Utilizing a third-party connector app.
  • Creating a custom integration using the Eventbrite API.

Let’s run through an overview of the potential pros and cons to each path.

Eventbrite Salesforce Connector Apps

A third-party connector application essentially does the hard work for you by transferring data from Eventbrite to Salesforce.

You can find these platforms on the Salesforce AppExchange, or you can do some independent research to find the best connector tool for your specific integration needs.

It goes without saying that the major advantage to using a third-party integration platform is that they take away the need for any knowledge of coding or API. Instead, you can implement scheduled imports following preset parameters or create your own configurations using a user-friendly field-mapping alternative.

However, if you choose to go with a dedicated connector app, keep in mind that there’s always a risk when you automate any data transfer. You’ll need to pay careful attention that the data is migrating in the way you want it to, and that you’re not losing any data along the way.

Custom Integrations

If you’re especially Salesforce-savvy, you can forgo the middleman completely and perform the integration yourself.

The benefit to working directly with the Eventbrite API is that you’ll have full control over every aspect of the integration. 

Of course, in order to confidently (and successfully) pull the correct event data and send it to the right location in Salesforce, your organization will need to have a fairly robust IT department on hand to facilitate the integration.

If not, you can opt to work with a nonprofit technology consulting firm who knows their way around the Salesforce interface and can make the necessary configurations to get your team synced up to Eventbrite.

Key Takeaway: Before you can integrate Eventbrite with your Salesforce CRM, you’ll need to decide if you’ll use a third-party connector app or manage the data transfer yourself (and you’ll need to understand the challenges for each route).

The more customized your Salesforce CRM is, the more configuration you'll have to do during the Eventbrite Salesforce integration.

2. Customization can complicate the Eventbrite Salesforce integration.

No two Salesforce systems are alike, and most likely, your organization has already gone to some length to configure a CRM solution that uniquely fits your needs.

So, how does Eventbrite fit into the mix when you already have a complex CRM system? From our experience with the Eventbrite Salesforce integration, there are 3 considerations to keep in mind:

  • Connector apps may limit your Salesforce functionality. If you’re using preset formulas to dictate how to transfer your data, keep in mind that these will only work effectively if your existing CRM uses the same fields. If you’ve got highly customized fields and data relationships, the connector apps will need to be customized too, which may take some time (and trial and error).
  • You may sacrifice some custom data during the import process. Depending on how you’ve integrated Salesforce and Eventbrite, not all data may make it from point A to point B. For example, if you ask questions on your registration form that aren’t tied to a specific Salesforce field, those answers may get lost during import, leaving you with holes in your data set and more manual data entry to do on the backend.
  • You may need additional tools to manage every aspect of the event. Since Eventbrite’s functionality is relatively limited, you may find yourself integrating other apps (such as accounting tools, speaker/vendor management tools, etc) as well. Beware—the more integrations you have, the more data you’ll have in transit at any given moment, meaning you’re more likely to lose or damage information along the way.

While Eventbrite is a solid web platform for lightweight event planning, you should understand that the Salesforce integration will not suddenly turn this tool into an end-to-end event management solution. In fact, the more you try to build Eventbrite out into comprehensive, customized software, the more complicated your event management process will be. 

Key Takeaway: The Eventbrite Salesforce integration offers some customization options, but Salesforce users who need a highly robust event management solution should likely find software that’s more inherently built to support complex needs.

A data manager will need to oversee the Eventbrite Salesforce integration to keep your team on track and ensure no data gets damaged during migration.

3. You’ll want a data manager to oversee the Eventbrite Salesforce integration process.

As with any integration or data migration, your nonprofit should expect to spend some time getting to know the new system and ensuring that all aspects are working properly before rolling the product out to your whole team.

With the Eventbrite Salesforce integration specifically, we found that the best way to streamline your integration efforts is to appoint a data manager to oversee the entire process.

This member of your team will be responsible for:

  • Working with your nonprofit technology consultant or IT team to determine the best path to integration.
  • Communicating with your board to establish a feasible budget for the integration.
  • Developing a timeline for the integration.
  • Overseeing a clean-up of your database prior to integration.
  • Documenting best practices for data entry moving forward and communicating those policies to the team.
  • Testing your new processes prior to full implementation.
  • Establishing a plan for training the team on using the integration.

Depending on your resources and the extent of your integration, you may need to appoint a small committee or task force rather than an individual. That way, no one person is burdened with the entire project.

In order to effectively incorporate Eventbrite into your event management strategy, you might need to utilize other tools to get all the functions you need. If you do appoint a small committee to handle data migration, it’s important that they’re aware of any other Salesforce apps that you’re using.

For instance, if you’re hosting a silent auction during your event, you’ll need an additional Salesforce app to manage bidding and checking guests in and out. It’s important that your team knows what data needs to be migrated from which tools so that your Eventbrite data is as comprehensive and effective as possible.

Key Takeaway: Because the Eventbrite Salesforce integration can be complicated, your organization should consider appointing a team leader to guide the rest of your staff through the integration process.

You'll need to make room in your organization's budget and schedule for the Eventbrite Salesforce integration.

4. The Eventbrite Salesforce integration might be costly (and time-consuming).

Any new software is going to cost your team some time and energy—and money, of course! But let’s be honest: your organization spends a lot of time laying out a workable budget and hiring the right staff to keep your operations efficient and productive.

That being the case, one of your chief concerns going into any software purchase or integration process is going to be the amount of precious time and hard-earned funds you’ll be spending to obtain and implement your new product(s).

When it comes to the Eventbrite Salesforce integration, costs (of both time and money) will vary depending on a number of factors, but here are some considerations to keep in mind as you’re budgeting:

  • Using a custom API may require significant time and money. If you have your own IT department to handle the project, you’ll cut back on expenses, since an outside developer or consultant won’t come free. That said, a consultant can help you save on time, since they’re proficient in the systems and can walk you through the process with your timeline in mind.
  • Connector tools are an additional cost to consider. On top of Eventbrite’s fees, you’ll also have to pay for any connector apps you use. As third-party platforms, these tools have their own sets of fees that you may incur upfront or over time.
  • You may need third-party counsel or training. If your integration is especially customized or extensive, you may need a professional’s help to oversee the implementation and train you on how to get the most from your newly improved CRM. Eventbrite’s training options are limited, so you’ll most likely need to pay for a third-party consultant.

If you don’t think you have time to create and implement a custom Eventbrite solution, the alternative would be to search for a native Salesforce event management application (i.e., one that doesn’t require integration).

Native Salesforce apps are built in Salesforce, so you don’t have to consider any extra time or money spent on data migration and integration. All of your data is automatically synced in your CRM, and all you have to do is click “install.”

Native event management apps can still be customized, but since they’re designed for Salesforce, the process is much more intuitive and streamlined than any integration. You can learn more about the benefits of native Salesforce applications by reading this helpful post from Fonteva!

Key Takeaway: Any integration will cost time and money, and the Eventbrite Salesforce integration is no exception. If you want to avoid spending all of your resources fretting over integrations, turn to a native Salesforce event management app instead!

With these 4 takeaways in mind, your team should have a much clearer picture of what the Eventbrite Salesforce integration looks like. Now all you have to do is decide if it’s the best route for your organization!

For more insight into Salesforce event management, check out these additional resources:

  • Our Favorite Eventbrite Competitors. If Eventbrite isn’t for you, never fear. There are plenty of amazing Eventbrite alternatives that can help you stay on top of your events and engage your constituents better than ever.
  • 3 Reasons Eventbrite Isn’t the Best Salesforce App. Want to learn more about the limitations of Eventbrite? Read Fonteva’s in-depth examination of the drawbacks to using Eventbrite on Salesforce.
  • Top 10 Cvent Competitors. Also a popular event management tool for Salesforce users, Cvent is a widely used app—but it may not be the best one for you! See the top Cvent competitors to find out if there’s a better event management app for your organization.
  • 10 Best Salesforce Apps for Nonprofits. If you’re looking for more apps that integrate with Salesforce, check our in-depth list. We cover apps for event management, peer-to-peer fundraising, charity auctions, and much more!

Improve your fundraising strategy with Double the Donation's Fundraising Strategy Ultimate Assessment.

The Fundraising Strategy Ultimate Assessment (Free & Easy!)

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No two nonprofits are the same. All organizations have their own unique aspirations, limitations, and culture that shape the way you serve your community.

One thing all nonprofits do share? Every nonprofit could benefit from assessing (or reassessing) their fundraising strategy.

No matter how well you feel your organization is doing, it’s always worth it to take a step back and see if there’s anything your nonprofit could be doing better.

Similarly, if your nonprofit is running into roadblocks but you can’t quite identify where the trouble stems from, a comprehensive fundraising strategy assessment might help reveal your organization’s blindspots.

(Looking for some professional guidance to help your nonprofit meet its goals? Be sure to consult our list of the top ten nonprofit consulting firms to get your organization on track!)

Luckily, assessing your fundraising strategy has never been easier. In this article, we’ll cover all the areas of fundraising assessment, including:

  1. Fundraising Strategy Planning
  2. Fundraising Strategy for Communications
  3. Fundraising Strategy for Events
  4. Fundraising Strategy Evaluation

Ready to revamp your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy? Let’s explore each category in more detail. 

Assess your fundraising strategy by examining your fundraising planning process.

1. Fundraising Strategy Planning

At the heart of your organization, you need to have an intimate understanding of your nonprofit’s direction before you’re ever able to strategize the fundraising process. Before focusing on specific arms of your fundraising efforts, you need to look at the big picture of your nonprofit.

To get a better idea of the scope of your organization’s fundraising needs, here are a few important questions to ask yourself:

  • Do you have clear, realistic goals?

    Your organization should know what it wants and be able to clearly articulate what you’re trying to accomplish as a nonprofit. You’ll likely have a variety of interrelated aspirations, and by identifying them you’ll better be able to strategize fundraising. For example, you may be interested in developing goals related to:

    • Fundraising.
    • Donor acquisition.
    • Donor retention.

    Once you’ve determined your goals, share them with the rest of your team so that everyone is on the same path to realizing your objectives.

  • What is your budget?

    You should not only be familiar with how much you’ve allocated to spend on your organization in total, but also know how much you’ve set aside for individual projects. Keep your budget as detailed and forward-thinking as possible. Your budget should account for:

    • Fixed operational costs (rent, taxes, payroll).
    • One-time expenses.
    • Projected revenue.

    Your budget should also take into account unexpected circumstances so that you’re prepared for everything.

  • Do you have a gift range chart?

    A gift range chart is a diagram that breaks down amount of funding you’ll need to collect to reach a goal. The chart can illustrate:

    • The number of donors you need to reach your fundraising goal.
    • The number of individual gifts needed to reach that level.
    • A suggestion of how fundraising should be distributed among major gifts and smaller donations.

    Gift chart are often used for larger fundraising campaigns like capital campaigns, but they can be used for virtually any campaign.

  • Do you have a case for support?

    Your case for support is the elevator pitch of your organization. Why should donors care about your cause? What makes your nonprofit special? Your case should communicate:

    • A brief history of your organization.
    • Your nonprofit’s mission statement.
    • Specific, actionable goals you look to achieve.
    • A clear path toward achieving those goals.
    • A call to action for donors and stakeholders.

    If you’re not sure where to get started with your case statement, you can always hire a fundraising consultant. This professional will help evaluate your goals and determine the best way to translate them into a case for support.

  • Have you delegated responsibilities to a capable team?

    Successful nonprofits always delegate responsibility among capable team members. Identify areas where duties need to be more evenly shared, or where individual staff members need to pick up the slack. Some ways you can support task delegation include:

    • Creating subcommittees within departments.
    • Sharing your fundraising calendar across your team.
    • Using a calendar matrix to indicate task responsibility.

    Be clear when delegating tasks so that there is less confusion between team members.

    Additionally, you’ll likely need the support of your board and the assistance of your executive director. Inform them at every major step in the fundraising strategy process.

  • Have you identified fundraising channels?

    Fundraising channels determine the audience you reach when making the case for support from potential donors. Depending on trends in your constituency, you might rely on:

    • Direct mail.
    • Phone calls.
    • Events.
    • Donation pages.
    • Social media.

    Using multiple online and traditional communication methods will ensure that you’re reaching all of your supporters.

  • Have you outlined fundraising sources?

    To fundraise efficiently, you should know exactly where you’ll be focusing your fundraising efforts. You can use prospect research and wealth screening tools to determine good candidates for giving. Some fundraising sources to consider might include:

    • Major donors.
    • Corporations.
    • Foundations.
    • Grants.

    Additionally, consult your nonprofit CRM to segment your various supporters so that your outreach is effective.

  • Have you developed a calendar of fundraising events?

    To best keep track of your fundraising efforts, you need to develop a detailed calendar of fundraising activities. On this document, you should track:

    • Deadlines.
    • Allocation of resources.
    • Desired results of fundraising activities.
    • Improvements from year to year, etc.

    With an organized calendar of events, you’ll have a better idea of when to start promoting events or follow-up with donors after a campaign ends.

  • Do you have the necessary software to support your fundraising plan?

    Nowadays, fundraising software is the workhorse that nonprofits rely on to help carry out the basic functions of their day-to-day operations. Is the software you’re using helping you achieve your goals? Your nonprofit might benefit from:

    • Constituent relationship management (CRM) software.
    • Online giving software.
    • Wealth screening software.
    • Fundraising event software.

    Bonus! Take a look at our rundown of expert fundraising software resources to see what solution might be right for your nonprofit.

  • Does your board support your fundraising strategy?

    Determine if your board supports your fundraising strategy. With a supportive board, you’ll be better equipped to achieve your goals. If your board doesn’t support the way your fundraising strategy, your assessment is the time to ask why.

Takeaway: Doing a big-picture assessment of your fundraising strategy can give you an idea of where to focus any further investigations. If you’re analyzing a specific fundraising project, a feasibility study will cover all of these bases, helping you understand if your project is viable.

Assess your fundraising strategy by examining your communications process.

2. Fundraising Strategy for Communications.

Now that you’ve looked at your overall fundraising strategy, it’s time to turn the spotlight on individual arms of your fundraising efforts. In particular, the way your nonprofit approaches communications can influence the success or failure of your fundraising strategy on the whole.

You can identify areas where your nonprofit’s communications techniques need improvement by asking:

  • Have you determined viable communications channels?

    What communications channels result in successful donations? Are there lines of communication you rely on that don’t seem to connect with donors? Some ways to determine channel viability consist of:

    • Using A/B testing to evaluate channels.
    • Collecting communications preferences from donors.
    • Collecting data on which channels lead to the most donations.

    Moreover, don’t just stick to one communication method. Diversify your channels so that you can connect with as many supporters as possible.

  • Have you developed a marketing plan?

    Your marketing plan is a key tool in your arsenal that will help you successfully fundraise. If you haven’t developed a marketing plan, take the time to create one that is tailored to the fundraising needs of your organization. Your marketing plan should:

    • Target key donor segments, such as major donors, volunteers, recurring givers, etc.
    • Address donors at every stage of the donor life cycle.
    • Not only focus on fundraising, but also donor growth, retention, etc.

    Refer to your overarching goals when creating a communications plan because it will help you determine the types of content that you’ll send to donors.

  • Is your online content optimized?

    Make sure that your content is as user-friendly as possible. Most donors will interact with your nonprofit online, so it’s important to make the process seamless. Focus your efforts on:

    When your content is accessible on multiple devices, it’s not only more user-friendly but also available to a larger group of users.

  • Have you provided clear calls to action (CTAs) for donors?

    Your online content should prominently feature CTAs to direct your visitors to donate. These streamline the visitor-to-donor pipeline by making it easier for individuals to complete a donation, as well as encourage donors to give specific amounts. A strong CTA:

    • Uses action words.
    • Is concise.
    • Stresses urgency.

    Your CTAs should be specific and clearly stat what action you want supporters to take.

Takeaway: When it comes to your fundraising strategy, your communications assessment should focus on what your nonprofit is doing to ease engagement between donors and your organization.

Assess your fundraising strategy by examining your fundraising strategy for events.

3. Fundraising Strategy for Events.

As with communications, your fundraising strategy is intrinsically tied to your approach to hosting events. Events help anchor your fundraising efforts as well as unite your donors as a community.

To guide an evaluation of your event fundraising strategy, you should ask yourself:

  • Do you have clear goals for each event related to your overall fundraising strategy?

    Are you giving enough attention to the specific goals you’re trying to accomplish by holding your event? Depending on the type of event you’re holding, your goals may vary. For example:

    • Stewardship events will focus on donor retention and engagement with fundraising being a long-term goal.
    • Fundraising events might have a specific fundraising goal they aim to meet, focusing efforts on immediate accomplishment.

    Bonus! Improve your fundraising efforts even further by checking out our list of 113+ Amazing Fundraising Ideas.

  • Do you have a budget for each event?

    Be sure to set individual budgets for each event you hold. Know up front what each event will cost and plan accordingly. You don’t want to be caught with any surprises! Leave room in your budget for:

    • Event-specific marketing.
    • Venue costs, catering, clean-up.
    • An emergency fund.

    Your strategy should also take into account ways you can raise money for events in case you go over your budget. By raising event donations from corporations, restaurants, and individuals, you’ll be able to stay within budget (or even save money!).

    To help stay on track of your budget and manage other fundraising event details, your organization should use an event management tool. Luckily, we have a list of top providers to jump-start your search.

  • Do you have a marketing plan?

    You should draft a marketing plan specifically designed to promote your events. Your events will need special attention, so don’t just rely on general marketing efforts to get the word out. You can promote your events by using:

    • Social media.
    • Event micro-sites.
    • E-mail campaigns.

    Use the communication methods that your donors are actively using.

  • Do you have a follow-up and retention plan?

    Events can help grow your organization, but only if you follow up with your constituents after-the-fact. Keep track of the donors you engage with, and use the event as an opportunity to collect their contact information if you don’t have it already.

    You can increase retention by sending these donors thank-you letters following events, using the attendance list of an event targeted donor outreach, and requesting attendee feedback to shape how you plan future events.

  • Do you have a clear base of staff and volunteers who can run the event?

    Your volunteers and staff will be the ones who make your event a success. Be sure you know who you can count on, and keep track of them as well as you do your donors. A great way to mobilize volunteers and staff is to break them into subcommittees. At an auction, for example, one might need:

    • A procurement committee to handle the items on auction.
    • A marketing committee to promote the event.
    • A stewardship committee to follow up with donors after the event.

    Committees have clearly defined goals so that no task goes to the wayside.

  • Do you have corporate partnerships to support your event?

    Corporate partners can help bring your event to the next level, and they’re also a great source of fundraising revenue. Seek out corporate partners who:

    • Have a history of philanthropy.
    • Have ties to your community.
    • Will match fundraising.

    There are plenty of corporations that are willing to provide donations to organizations; just look at this list of companies that accept donation requests.

Takeaway: Other arms of your organization, such as marketing and fundraising, all intersect when it comes to your organization’s events, so it’s important to take the time to assess how well the moving parts work together.


Assess your fundraising strategy by reviewing how you evaluate your nonprofit's fundraising efforts.

4. Fundraising Strategy Evaluation.

Evaluation should be a core part of any nonprofit’s fundraising strategy. Without assessing how well your fundraising strategy is performing, you won’t know where to make improvements.

(With the help of nonprofit event fundraising software, your organization can collect and analyze important data to see where these improvements should be made.)

To assess how well you’re evaluating your fundraising strategy, you should ask yourself:

  • Do you have metrics to determine the success of your fundraising strategy?

    Have you been collecting performance data, and has the data been collected consistently? Tracking performance metrics will help you understand trends in your nonprofit. Some areas to track include: cost per dollar raised (CPDR), return on investment (ROI), and conversion rate. 

  • Do you have a team member in charge of revising the fundraising strategy?

    Your nonprofit should have a dedicated staff member in charge of revising fundraising strategy so they can stay focused on the big picture of your fundraising efforts. The responsability might fall on your:

    With a designated person revising your fundraising strategy, you’ll have someone that can make changes when your goals evolve.

  • Have you established milestones for your strategy?

    To see how your organization is progressing, you should establish milestones for your nonprofit to evaluate itself. They might relate to:

    • Donor growth/retention.
    • Webpage views/CTA clicks.
    • Major giving.

    These milestone will make it easier to measure the success of your goals.

  • Have you designated times in your calendar to check in with your fundraising strategy’s performance against key metrics?

    You should periodically review your fundraising performance strategy. This way, if a strategy isn’t working, you can fix what’s broken. Consider reviewing strategy:

    • Annually.
    • During campaigns.
    • Following fundraising events.

    Use your fundraising software to analyze data to gain a better picture of how your fundraising efforts are progressing and make changes accordingly.

  • Do you have a process in place for updating the fundraising strategy?

    Making regular adjustments to your fundraising strategy is an integral part of keeping your fundraising process optimized. Be sure it’s easy to correct course and that you can make changes as you go along. You might regularly consider adjusting your fundraising strategy by making evaluations after:

    • Your fundraising plan reaches certain milestones.
    • Key fundraising events.
    • The end of each quarter.

    Bonus! One surefire way to evaluate your fundraising strategy effectively? Enlist the support of a nonprofit consulting firm.

Takeaway: If evaluation isn’t a part of your strategy, your fundraising efforts are likely not as effective as they could be. Keep comprehensive, consistent data, and use that to inform how you move forward.

Now that you’ve assessed your fundraising strategy, your nonprofit is ready to get started on your next successful campaign. Use what you’ve learned to guide your strategy moving forward, and be sure to periodically assess your strategy to stay on track. Good luck!

Want to learn more about improving your fundraising strategy? Check out these additional resources to improve your nonprofit’s approach.

Check out the top Eventbrite competitors to help you save time and raise more money.

The Top 12 Eventbrite Competitors (Reviewed and Tested!)

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Let’s set the stage: your organization needs to plan a killer event that will engage your constituents and enhance your fundraising power (without causing too many headaches for your event planning team). You search for an event management solution to help you streamline the planning process, but software like Eventbrite doesn’t have the tools or capabilities to meet all of your unique needs.

If this situation sounds familiar, don’t fret! To help you find an event management solution that can meet all of your needs, we’ve taken the liberty of reviewing the top Eventbrite competitors on the market.

In this post, we’ll highlight some top solutions that are like Eventbrite, but even better:

    1. Mobilize
    2. Fonteva Events
    3. Soapbox Engage
    4. Snowball
    5. Doubleknot
    6. Regpack
    7. Ticketbud
    8. Eventbee
    9. Gather
    10. ZapEvent
    11. Fundly CRM
    12. SimpleTix

Each of these Eventbrite alternatives offers a unique take on event management, so every organization can find a solution that’s perfectly suited for their needs.

Mobilize is a leading Eventbrite competitor for nonprofits and other mission-based organizations.

1. Our Top Eventbrite Competitor: Mobilize

Product Overview

Mobilize is the leading events management and volunteer recruitment platform for mission-driven organizations.

This comprehensive solution makes it easier than ever to create new in-person and virtual events, recruit attendees, and boost engagement. Their top features include:

  • Quick and easy event creation and customization
  • Automated email and text communication
  • Seamless signup and peer-to-peer recruitment
  • Access to a growing network of over one million volunteers nationwide
  • Robust data reporting and analytics to review your performance

With a set of intuitive event management features and an impressive network of resources, Mobilize generates more value for your organization over time than single-use event registration sites. This solution will help you empower and connect with more supporters, volunteers, and event attendees.

Comparison to Eventbrite

The online Eventbrite platform can be a good choice for one-time ticketed events. However, mission-driven organizations like nonprofits and advocacy groups often have more complex, long-term needs than the typical Eventbrite user.

One major difference between the platforms is how supporters discover your events and opportunities. With Eventbrite, you send your event listing to a list of supporters. With Mobilize, you can promote your events to existing supporters and tap into a rapidly growing network of (over 1.7 million!) passionate individuals looking for their next volunteer opportunity.

This is amplified by the platform’s automated social recruitment features and cross-promotion opportunities between organizations. Organizations can also enable all-star volunteers to host events on their behalf, drastically expanding their reach.

With access to the Mobilize network and its amplification features, your organization will reach much wider audiences than if you relied on your contact list alone. Plus, plenty of CRM integrations make it easy to record new supporter details and post-event feedback, driving even more engagement over the long-run.

For mission-driven events of all sizes, Mobilize is the best choice for long-term value. Its toolset and expansive network of volunteers and partners make it a no-brainer.

Mobilize's features and network of volunteers make it a top Eventbrite competitor.

Fonteva is a fantastic alternative to Eventbrite.

2. Eventbrite Competitor: Fonteva Events

Product Overview

Fonteva Events is an all-in-one event management solution designed for Salesforce users.

With Fonteva, you’ll have access to virtually unlimited tools to plan, execute, and follow up on your event. Their all-encompassing features include:

  • Total logistics management, including event setup, speakers, vendors, and sponsors.
  • Attendee management tools such as a guest agenda builder.
  • Intuitive registration and ticketing options.
  • An event microsite generator.

Hesitant about using such a comprehensive platform? Trust us: Fonteva’s software could not be more user-friendly. Your staff will have no problem implementing the solution and actually capitalizing on all of its features.

Comparison to Eventbrite

Eventbrite was designed as an online solution, so Salesforce users who want to create Eventbrite events will need to integrate the platform with their Salesforce system.

Fonteva, on the other hand, was built explicitly for Salesforce users. Fonteva Events is a native Salesforce application, meaning there’s absolutely no integration required to sync up the two platforms; Fonteva and Salesforce work hand-in-hand!

If your organization already uses Salesforce, you can still use an external platform like Eventbrite, but you’ll be spending significant time and money to force the two solutions to work together. Why not spend that time planning your event instead?

Fonteva Events is the best Salesforce app for event management.

Soapbox Engage is a top Eventbrite competitor for its Events app for Salesforce.

3. Eventbrite Competitor: Soapbox Engage

Product Overview

Soapbox Engage offers a comprehensive suite of Salesforce apps for organizations of all sizes. Specifically, their tools are designed to help smaller organizations get up and running on what can otherwise be a complicated platform for newcomers.

Their Events app includes a number of robust features:

  • Unlimited event creation with customizable ticketing options
  • Built-in analytics tools to track traffic and registration metrics
  • Flexible options to choose your own payment processor
  • Customizable and fully mobile-optimized registration pages for your site

Most importantly, as an app for Salesforce, all of your registration and engagement data will report seamlessly from the Soapbox Engage platform into your CRM. It’s the easiest way to start making the most of Salesforce for your events.

Comparison to Eventbrite

Eventbrite is a web-based platform, making integration for Salesforce somewhat difficult. For Salesforce users, bouncing between two completely separate tools can become a major time-waster and distract your team from planning the event.

Staying within the Salesforce app ecosystem is the best way to see returns on your CRM investment, both in terms of raising more money with your event and saving more energy overall. This is especially true for smaller organizations just getting started with the platform.

Plus, as a full suite of online fundraising and engagement apps, each Soapbox Engage tool works seamlessly with the others, giving you more intuitive features and comprehensive views of your data.

The Events app from Soapbox Engage is a top Eventbrite alternative for Salesforce users.

Snowball's easy-to-use ticketing tools make it a top Eventbrite competitor.

4. Eventbrite Competitor: Snowball

Product Overview

Snowball is an easy-to-use, all-in-one platform for nonprofits. Their suite of tools is designed to help smaller organizations clear the hurdles that often stand between them and sustained growth.

For growing organizations, planning fundraising events can be particularly challenging. That’s because the costs of separate ticketing, online fundraising, text-to-give tools, and more can very quickly become overwhelming.

Snowball solves this problem by giving you a full suite of nonprofit-specific tools for an affordable price. Their tools include:

  • Event ticketing tools
  • Customizable donation pages
  • Fundraising thermometers
  • Text-to-give services
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising options

For organizations just getting started, being able to host events with efficient online ticketing and intuitive giving options like text-to-give can be a game-changer!

Comparison to Eventbrite

Using multiple separate platforms, especially for complex tasks like planning a fundraising event, is not usually a good idea. As a standalone web platform, Eventbrite will most likely operate very separately from the rest of your toolkit. For individuals planning one-time events like concerts or parties, a standalone platform could work well.

Nonprofits, though, rely on their events to accomplish a number of very important and interconnected tasks, namely engaging their guests, raising awareness for their missions, and soliciting donations. Working with a set of interconnected tools is the best way to save time and effort while also making sure no important data slips through the cracks.

Snowball’s suite of all-in-one ticketing, online fundraising, and text-to-give tools make it a powerful choice for smaller organizations. Centralizing your tools makes your job easier, creates a more streamlined experience for supporters, and gives your team fuller access to the important data you generate.

Snowball's event ticketing tools make it a top Eventbrite competitor for nonprofit organizations.

Doubleknot is an Eventbrite competitor that's perfect for museums and science centers.

5. Eventbrite Competitor: Doubleknot

Product Overview

Designed for specific types of nonprofits including zoos, museums, and retreat centers, Doubleknot offers intuitive event registration and program management tools to make event planning easier.

Doubleknot’s software comes with rich features to help you manage all types of events and programs. With Doubleknot, you can:

  • Configure a custom event with ease.
  • Build registration forms that capture all the guest data you need.
  • Manage capacities and waitlists per session or event.
  • Create unique event categories based on your organization’s common needs.

You’ll also have access to all of Doubleknot’s impressive integrated nonprofit features, such as communications and marketing, reporting and analytics, and payment processing. Everything you need will be visible in one simple solution!

Comparison to Eventbrite

Eventbrite doesn’t provide half of the program management tools you’ll gain with Doubleknot.

Because Doubleknot was created with unique organizations in mind, this software allows you to design events and programs that are truly complex. Whether you’re planning a straightforward fundraising gala or an ongoing class with multiple track options, Doubleknot can adapt to your needs—not the other way around!

 

Regpack is a great Eventbrite competitor that offers flexible registration types.

6. Eventbrite Competitor: Regpack

Product Overview

Designed as an all-in-one system for registration, email marketing, and report creation, Regpack’s software comes with a variety of amazing features to help you manage events and enrollment.

With Regpack, you can:

  • Embed your form right on your website
  • Create new registration projects with ease
  • Easily communicate with registrants
  • Create and trigger discounts
  • Offer payment plans
  • Allow one person to register multiple people for your event

You will also be able to effortlessly manage your events, with automated workflow, data filtering, dynamic reporting tools, and data backed up in the cloud.

Comparison to Eventbrite

Regpack and Eventbrite both offer the ability to duplicate events that you host each year, so you only have to set them up once. However, Regpack offers more flexibility with registration types, such as conferences, one-day events, and trips. Their software offers an easy solution for even the most complex registration needs.

Regpack also offers a dedicated support team and a project manager who can build out your system based on your needs. Take advantage of their comprehensive knowledge database, too!

Try Regpack as an Eventbrite competitor.

Ticketbud is a comprehensive Eventbrite competitor that offers event management features alongside other nonprofit tools.

7. Eventbrite Competitor: Ticketbud

Product Overview

Ticketbud is an online ticket sales and event registration platform designed for event organizers.

Its comprehensive features are perfect for nearly every single event type out there. You have a wide reach with a lot of different ways to sell tickets through these Ticketbud features:

  • Sell tickets at the door and collect card and cash payments with the Ticketbud point of sale system.
  • Sell tickets on your website and Facebook page with the Ticketbud ticket widget.
  • Track all of your marketing efforts with Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel integrations.
  • Manage collaborators and volunteers in one place.

Comparison to Eventbrite

Ticketbud has a fairly similar feature set compared to Eventbrite.

However, where they differ is that Ticketbud offers daily payouts for ticket sales, whereas with Eventbrite you have to wait until after your event to get paid. Also, with intuitive data reporting tools and customer support available by both phone and live chat, Ticketbud focuses more on the organizers and their needs.

Ticketbud's intuitive dashboards make it a strong Eventbrite competitor.

Eventbee is an Eventbrite competitor with a similar look and feel to Eventbrite.

8. Eventbrite Competitor: Eventbee

Product Overview

Eventbee is an online event management software available for any type of event, from small-scale parties to business events, festivals, or conferences.

Eventbee offers a number of features that are similar to Eventbrite, such as:

  • Online ticketing and customizable registration forms.
  • Flexible payment processing options.
  • Branded event pages on Eventbee’s website.
  • Check-in via Eventbee mobile app.

Plus, Eventbee offers event management options specific to businesses or nonprofits, so any type of event planning team can access the most useful tools.

Comparison to Eventbrite

Eventbee stands out from the crowd thanks to their flat fee pricing, making them a cost-effective alternative to Eventbrite.

They offer four distinct fee structures ranging from $1 to $3 per ticket sold. You can even use their handy cost calculating widget on their website to find out exactly how much you’ll save when you switch from Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, or Ticketleap!

 


Gather is an Eventbrite competitor for venues, restaurants, and professional event planning companies.

9. Eventbrite Competitor: Gather

Product Overview

A comprehensive event management solution, Gather can provide a robust look at all the elements that make up your event.

Designed for venues, hospitality groups, and event planning organizations, Gather includes features such as:

  • Workflow and team management tools.
  • Events calendar with past, present, and future viewing options.
  • Custom reports and data tracking.
  • Responsive web app for planning events on the go.

Gather also offers a number of useful guides and other resources to those who subscribe to their event management newsletters!

Comparison to Eventbrite

Because Gather is designed for event planning professionals, it provides a much more inclusive look at event management than Eventbrite does.

While still easy to use, Gather is a better choice for organizations and businesses who know their way around event planning software. If you’re new to event management or have only sporadic event planning needs, you might be better off choosing a more lightweight Eventbrite alternative.

ZapEvent is a lightweight event ticketing platform and top Eventbrite competitor.

10. Eventbrite Competitor: ZapEvent

Product Overview

ZapEvent is a web-based event registration platform designed to make selling tickets simple and secure for organizations of all sizes.

With an extremely user-friendly interface, ZapEvent provides all of the following essential tools:

  • Custom event pages.
  • Social media integration.
  • Flexible ticket and payment options.
  • Preset registration and financial reports.

Not only does ZapEvent make setting up your event easy; they make pricing easy too! ZapEvent’s flexible pricing model allows organizations to choose how they’ll handle processing fees, and they provide a price calculator to make mapping out a ticket strategy that much easier.

Comparison to Eventbrite

What sets ZapEvent apart from other event apps (including Eventbrite)? Their customers would agree that ZapEvent’s exceptional customer service seals the deal on the event management experience.

ZapEvent provides a wealth of videos and other online resources to help both novice and veteran event planning teams get the job done most effectively. On top of that, their team of event specialists are available to help you personalize your event and optimize your strategy.

Fundly CRM is a top Eventbrite competitor for nonprofits who need both donor management and event planning tools.

11. Eventbrite Competitor: Fundly CRM

Product Overview

For small to midsize nonprofits who want to manage constituent data and event logistics in the same system, Fundly CRM can provide all of the tools you need to do both (and a lot more).

In this robust constituent relationship management software, you’ll have access to built-in event management tools including:

  • Customizable registration forms.
  • Event project management tools.
  • Sponsorship management.
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising tools.

Unlike some nonprofit CRMs, all of Fundly CRM’s event management tools are included with their base package, so you don’t have to break the bank to afford these fantastic features!

Comparison to Eventbrite

Fundly CRM isn’t just an event management platform; it’s an all-in-one nonprofit constituent relationship management software.

If your organization already uses a nonprofit CRM to manage supporter data, you’ll have to integrate outside event management software to use both platforms simultaneously. Because integrations can be costly (and often ineffective), it might make more sense for your organization to upgrade to a CRM that can handle all of your fundraising needs, including event planning!

 

12. Eventbrite Competitor: SimpleTix

Product Overview

SimpleTix provides an intuitive, flexible ticketing solution for any organization holding an event. SimpleTix users range from pumpkin farms to culinary festivals, from zoos to performing arts centers. It’s intuitive enough for first-time organizers and powerful enough for organizers hosting big-time events.

SimpleTix excels at reducing friction in the ticketing process by providing features that allow organizers to customize their ticket structure and remove the burden of manual administrative processes. Their top features include:

  • Instant payouts, thanks to their official partnership with Square payment processing
  • Unlimited, customizable ticket types for early bird discounts, member rates, multi-day packages, and more
  • Customers can change ticket dates and time slots on their own
  • Sell concessions, merchandise, and on-site tickets from the same platform
  • An event website builder you can try for free

The SimpleTix team constantly adds new features and refines existing ones, and its YouTube channel shows tons of tips and tricks for making the most out of the platform. The platform comes with adjacent functionality like QR code-enabled etickets and mobile scan-and-go capabilities that make it easier to keep the line at the gate moving. Though SimpleTix may be a fairly single-point solution, SimpleTix integrates widely with other apps like Zapier, MailChimp, SalesForce, to name a few.

Comparison to Eventbrite

Like most ticketing platforms, Eventbrite holds ticket revenue for days or weeks after the event is over. SimpleTix’s official partnership with Square sets it apart in this regard. SimpleTix pays out ticket revenue immediately, which lets organizers use presale revenue to finance other aspects of their event. Eventbrite is notoriously bad at facilitating refunds, but SimpleTix makes that refund instantly accessible. Organizers can even offer a refund in the form of a Square gift card, which allows the organizer or venue to keep the revenue without sacrificing attendee satisfaction.

SimpleTix provides an event website that keeps your event front and center. Unlike Eventbrite, SimpleTix’s site builder doesn’t clutter your page with branding and promotions for other events.

Now that you know your options, it’s time to start planning your event!

Check out these additional resources for more event management help:

  • Top Cvent Competitors. Didn’t find the event management solution you were looking for in this post? Check out our breakdown of the top Cvent competitors to continue expanding your knowledge of the best event management products around.
  • Salesforce Event Management Guide. If you’re planning an event using your Salesforce CRM, look no further! Fonteva has the ultimate guide for using Salesforce to plan lucrative, effective events your constituents will love.
  • Our Favorite Event Fundraising Solutions. Discover even more nonprofit event management solutions! We’ll walk you through the top fundraising software to meet any need your organization has.
Discover if Blackbaud Luminate CRM is the right donor management tool for your nonprofit.

Luminate CRM: Key Considerations Before You Buy

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Thinking about using Luminate CRM to manage your donor data? Moving to new constituent relationship management software is a big decision, especially for large nonprofits with so much data to keep track of.

Blackbaud’s Luminate CRM is a powerful tool, but it’s not the right CRM for every nonprofit. And while there are a number of resources online to help you learn about Luminate CRM’s features and benefits, it can be difficult to discern whether or not the investment is a smart choice for your organization.

That’s why we’ve come up with 5 exceptionally important considerations for you to keep in mind as you move into the Luminate CRM buying process. We’ll walk through each of the following points: 

  1. Luminate CRM was built for Salesforce users.
  2. Luminate CRM can meet multifaceted constituent management needs.
  3. Luminate CRM thrives on custom configuration.
  4. Luminate CRM is different than Luminate Online (but they can work together!).
  5. Luminate CRM requires training.

Bonus: If Luminate CRM isn’t quite your speed, consider checking out Luminate Online Marketing, a suite of online fundraising and digital marketing tools also from Blackbaud. We’ve broken down the buying process for Luminate Online in this helpful post!

Luminate CRM was built to sit on top of Salesforce, so only nonprofits who already use Salesforce CRM should invest in Blackbaud's Luminate CRM.

1. Luminate CRM was built for Salesforce users.

The first thing you need to know about Luminate CRM is that, unlike other Blackbaud products, this software was designed to work with Salesforce.

Because Luminate CRM sits on top of Salesforce, only nonprofits who are already using Salesforce as their primary CRM should consider purchasing it. You won’t be able to use Luminate CRM outside of Salesforce; instead, you can use Luminate to expand your current Salesforce functionality and gain access to rich, nonprofit-specific constituent management tools.

The fact that Luminate CRM was built for Salesforce has a few important repercussions:

  • Luminate CRM works best for large organizations. As you’re likely aware, Salesforce is a huge product with highly expansive functionality. Since Luminate CRM works hand-in-hand with Salesforce, it’s not an investment that many smaller nonprofits can afford to make, nor is it one that’s beneficial to them.
  • Luminate CRM is part of the Salesforce ecosystem. Not only will you be able to use Luminate in conjunction with built-in Salesforce features, but you’ll be able to integrate it with any other app on the Salesforce AppExchange. Luminate CRM blends seamlessly into your Salesforce infrastructure, so all of your tools can work together holistically.
  • Luminate CRM is cloud-based. Like Salesforce, Luminate CRM is completely cloud-based. That means you can access your data anywhere, anytime (as long as you’re connected to the internet). Even better? Luminate CRM also has a mobile app that enables you to more easily connect to your CRM on your smartphone!

If your nonprofit doesn’t use Salesforce, Blackbaud offers a host of other constituent management solutions that work independently.

If your organization is on the smaller side, you may need a more lightweight solution than Blackbaud or Salesforce can offer; in that case, we recommend finding a cost-effective alternative that can help you manage donor data as you grow. Sound like you? Check out @Pay’s guide to low-cost or free nonprofit CRM software to get started!

The last word: Luminate CRM was built for Salesforce and works as a part of Salesforce. Your nonprofit should only consider implementing Luminate CRM if you’re already using Salesforce (or are prepared to make that purchase as well).

Luminate CRM can help your nonprofit accomplish a variety of constituent management needs and can be further expanded through customizations and integrations.

2. Luminate CRM can meet multifaceted constituent management needs.

Because Luminate CRM was designed for larger organizations, it’s fully prepared to support a variety of data management needs for all of the constituents your nonprofit interacts with.

Like most CRM or donor management solutions, Luminate CRM offers nonprofits the ability to store and track valuable constituent data. Luminate’s data management features include:

  • Custom constituent profiles. Build dynamic portraits of each supporter based on the information that’s most important to your cause. Store contact information, engagement history, interests, wealth information, and more; you can customize the fields to meet your data needs.
  • Constituent classification. Group your constituents into specific segments based on involvement, such as major donors, volunteers, board members, or recurring givers. Then, easily use their classification to inform your engagement strategy.
  • Constituent task management. Add notes and assign tasks to specific supporter profiles or entire segments. That way, your team is always on track of important actions and project management needs. You can even upload documents that relate to individual tasks or constituents.

In addition to these vital donor management tools, Luminate CRM also equips your nonprofit with tools to tackle donation management, direct marketing, reporting and analytics, event management, and volunteer management.

And it doesn’t stop there! On top of Luminate CRM’s built-in features, your organization has the opportunity to integrate your CRM system with a variety of other platforms, including the thousands of apps on the Salesforce AppExchange, the Blackbaud Luminate Online suite, and third-party software via custom integrations.

The last word: Luminate CRM is one of the most comprehensive constituent management solutions available. By adding it to your Salesforce platform, you’ll be able to use a comprehensive view of your data to inform your overall nonprofit strategy.

To get the most from Luminate CRM, your nonprofit should work with a developer to configure the platform in a unique way.

3. Luminate CRM thrives on custom configuration.

Like many Blackbaud products, Luminate CRM is a broad platform with a number of capabilities. However, in order to maximize the software’s myriad possibilities, you’ll need to customize Luminate CRM to fit your nonprofit’s unique needs.

With Luminate CRM, your organization can accomplish virtually anything, but designing and implementing the tools to get you there takes an in-depth development knowledge that many nonprofits don’t have. Unless your team is equipped with a considerable IT department, you’ll want to call in reinforcements to set up Luminate CRM.

What does that translate to? In short, your nonprofit should seek the help of a nonprofit technology consultant to help you configure your Luminate CRM platform. 

Among their many benefits, a web consultant can help you:

  • Map out your strategy for using Luminate CRM.
  • Determine which reconfigurations you need.
  • Create custom solutions tailored to your fundraising strategy.
  • Migrate data from your existing platform(s) to Luminate.
  • Integrate third-party platforms.
  • Develop a long-term plan for maintaining and cleaning data.
  • Train your staff on using Luminate CRM.

The best part of using a consultant is that they can understand your nonprofit’s needs and give you expert counsel on how Luminate CRM fits in. Specialized developers understand the Luminate and Salesforce API and can adjust the standard features and configurations to give you the best CRM experience possible.

For example, if your organization takes advantage of matching gifts as part of your fundraising strategy (and why wouldn’t you?), you can integrate Luminate CRM with high-powered matching gift tools such as 360MatchPro.

When you integrate 360MatchPro with your Luminate system, you’ll have access to both sets of tools and data within one end-to-end system. That way, you can stay on top of your matching gift automation in the most effective way!

And if you’re not using 360MatchPro to manage the matching gift process at your organization, now’s the perfect time to pair this product with your Luminate platform. Click here to find out more!

Don’t forget: while a consultant or outside developer on-hand is vital, it’s not free. As you’re budgeting, consider their cost as part of the implementation price for Luminate CRM. Don’t be too frugal here; the up-front investment will pay off when you have a completely personalized system that helps you manage donor data and raise funds effectively!

The last word: To really see the benefits of Luminate CRM, you’ll need to devise a plan for customization. Work with a nonprofit web consultant and a developer to make sure your CRM is configured to your specific needs.

Salesforce users can reap the benefits of Luminate Online by integrating it with Luminate CRM.

4. Luminate CRM is different than Luminate Online (but they can work together!).

Another key product in the Blackbaud Luminate family is Luminate Online Marketing, a set of tools designed to streamline and enhance nonprofit fundraising and marketing strategies.

Luminate CRM is not a part of Luminate Online, and there are some key distinctions between the two solutions that you should be aware of. Chiefly, Luminate Online operates independently, so you don’t need to be a Salesforce user to utilize it.

That said, Salesforce users who want to extend their Luminate CRM product to include Luminate Online’s features can do so by integrating the two platforms. 

By integrating Luminate Online into your Luminate CRM and Salesforce system, you’ll have access to greater fundraising and constituent engagement abilities, from email marketing tools to donation form builders and more.

Not only will you be able to implement Luminate Online’s core features; you’ll also have access to their add-ons, including:

  • TeamRaiser, Luminate’s customizable peer-to-peer fundraising platform.
  • Luminate Advocacy, designed for grassroots fundraising initiatives and policy campaigns.
  • Luminate CMS, a content management platform to help nonprofits manage web content.

While not included in the base price, these add-ons can help nonprofits with specific needs take their efforts to the next level.

Did you know that Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro can be integrated into Luminate Online? Check out the integration guide! If you need help configuring Luminate Online, DNL OmniMedia’s guide to TeamRaiser configurations can put you on the right path!

The last word: Luminate CRM and Luminate Online Marketing are separate Blackbaud products. Depending on your nonprofit’s needs, you can integrate the two for the most effective fundraising and constituent management.

To understand the nuances of Luminate CRM, your organization will need to seek professional training.

5. Luminate CRM requires training.

Unlike many lightweight alternatives, Luminate CRM takes time and understanding in order to start using the platform.

You can find a number of helpful resources online, including Blackbaud forums, helpful how-to’s, and even instruction manuals for specific topics like data migration or software integration.

However, these support options aren’t comprehensive or personalized enough to be your primary form of training. Instead, you should seek out dedicated training courses or consultation from one of two sources: 

  • Blackbaud’s training team.
  • A third-party nonprofit web consultant.

Either service should help you develop a plan for using Luminate CRM and consider how your staff will make the most of the CRM long-term.

If you choose to work with a nonprofit software consultant, you can take advantage of their expertise in developing custom solutions and have them train you on implementing those customizations in your fundraising strategy. They’ll work with you to establish how Luminate fits into your overall goals and teach you how to maximize your CRM’s capabilities.

A consulting firm can also tailor your training experience in a way that ensures your staff is well-versed on the most pertinent aspects of your CRM within a time frame that fits your organizational goals.

The last word: You can work with Blackbaud specialists or a nonprofit technology consultant to get your whole nonprofit team on the same page when it comes to using Luminate CRM to reach your goals.

Now that you know if Luminate CRM is the best choice for you, it’s time to start using it to manage your constituent data!

Check out these resources for more on maximizing your Luminate and Salesforce system:

  • Luminate Online Marketing: The Nonprofit’s Guide. Get up to speed on all the essential Luminate knowledge by reading DNL OmniMedia’s guide to Luminate Online. As top-notch web consultants, they know what’s what when it comes to Blackbaud, so you can trust their insight is all you need for successful Luminate fundraising.
  • Top Salesforce Partners for Successful Events. Planning an event in Salesforce? You’ll need a high-quality event management app to help streamline the process, and there’s no shortage of software on the market! Read our reviews of the top Salesforce partners for event planning.
  • Luminate Online Migrations: 5 Tips for a Painless Process. Before you can get started with any Luminate product, you’ll need to transfer your existing donor data. Read these top strategies for conducting an effective (headache-free!) data migration.

Before purchasing Luminate Online Marketing for your nonprofit, find out if it's the right product set for your organization by asking yourself these questions.

Luminate for Blackbaud: 5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy

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Did you know that 360MatchPro can be integrated into your Luminate Online pages? Check out our integration guide!

Looking for a set of powerful, completely customizable online fundraising and marketing tools for your nonprofit? For many organizations, Luminate for Blackbaud is the only answer.

There’s a reason why so many nonprofits turn to Luminate Online Marketing for their online donor engagement needs. The Luminate Online product is expansive, adaptive, and—when configured correctly—uniquely comprehensive.

But before you assume that Luminate is the right choice for your nonprofit, think carefully. While an ideal choice for many nonprofits, the fact of the matter is that Luminate Online is not a universal fit. 

To determine if your organization could benefit from Luminate, first consider these questions:

  1. Is your nonprofit ready for Blackbaud’s Luminate Online?
  2. What are your goals for Luminate Online?
  3. Will you need Luminate Online add-ons?
  4. What integrations or customizations will you need for your Blackbaud Luminate system?
  5. How will your nonprofit get set up with Luminate Online?

In this post, we’ll cover the Luminate Online Marketing buying process. If you’re not yet familiar with the product, we recommend first taking a look at DNL OmniMedia’s guide to Luminate Online; it will give you the understanding you need to start considering Luminate for your own nonprofit.

To find out if Luminate is right for you, keep reading!

Luminate Online is designed for enterprise-level nonprofits with complex goals.

1. Is your nonprofit ready for Luminate Online?

Before you should even start looking at products and comparing prices, your nonprofit needs to understand that Luminate Online is not meant for everyone.

Let’s break down exactly who the audience for Luminate Online is:

  • Luminate Online caters to enterprise level organizations. These products were not designed for up-and-coming or mid-level nonprofits. Luminate Online is intended for those organizations who are established enough to benefit from a custom solution that can help them manage fundraising and communications for a wide donor base.
  • Luminate Online requires a financial investment. Luminate does not seek to serve nonprofits searching for low-cost software to get them started with online fundraising. Instead, Luminate is best-suited for organizations whose budgets can accommodate a powerful, top-tier solution that can meet their needs for the long run.
  • Luminate Online is designed for nonprofits with complex needs. If your organization is simply trying to accept online donations and send automated email blasts, Luminate Online will likely offer more than you’re ready to use. Because it’s designed to be customized extensively, Luminate works best for nonprofits who need a more specific set of features than those offered off-the-rack.

If your nonprofit isn’t quite ready for a solution so far-reaching, don’t worry! There are plenty of simple, affordable nonprofit digital fundraising and marketing tools that can meet your needs immediately.

But if you think your organization is at a place where Blackbaud’s products can give you the next-level donor engagement and fundraising features you need, start mapping out your game plan, including a budget, list of goals, and an appeal for your board.

What to Know: Blackbaud’s Luminate Online Marketing solution is an exceptional product that is best-suited for large nonprofits with specific fundraising needs and a flexible budget.

Determine how you'll use Blackbaud's Luminate Online to move your nonprofit's mission forward.

2. What are your goals for Luminate Online?

Luminate Online can help your nonprofit accomplish a number of things, but it’s up to you to decide what those accomplishments will be.

Before you jump into your product search, make sure your organization is on the same page when it comes to how you’ll use Luminate Online.

As a jumping off point, get together with key staff (i.e., those who’ll be primarily using the Luminate software), and brainstorm answers to questions such as:

  • How do your current digital fundraising and marketing solutions fall short? Are you piecemealing several solutions? Are you unable to store all of your constituent data?
  • Do you require a customized online fundraising solution? How can you improve your fundraising campaigns and/or marketing efforts by taking a more specific strategy? How could your software help you achieve that strategy?
  • What specific fundraising and communication goals would you like to meet? What dollar amount is your fundraising target for the upcoming year (or multi-year period)? Do you hope to better engage supporters via email, direct mail, or social media? Do you hope to attract new donors, and if so, how many?

Your goals will be unique to your nonprofit, but no matter what, they should always be measurable and as tangible as possible.

While some targets will inherently be more abstract (such as donor engagement), you should set sub-goals that relate to a highly specific metric. For example, if your goal is to strengthen email communications, you should set specific secondary goals tied to email open and click-through rates, follow-up engagements, and lead captures.

What to Know: Before committing to Luminate, make sure your nonprofit is clear with how you’ll use the product, with specific, measurable goals in mind.

Blackbaud Luminate Online also offers add-ons to expand the product's features, so determine if your nonprofit needs access to these solutions as well.

3. Will you need Luminate Online add-ons?

Once you’ve decided that the move to Luminate Online is a wise one, it’s time to start seriously considering the product at hand and deciding which features you’ll want access to.

To recap, Luminate Online Marketing comes with the following tools as part of the standard solution:

  • Dynamic email campaign management.
  • Digital fundraising and donation processing.
  • Online donation form-building.
  • Fundraising campaign reporting and analytics.
  • Flexible event creation and calendar management.
  • Web design and campaign microsite creation.
  • eCommerce and web store management.

While those solutions can easily cover the needs of many nonprofits, if your organization needs more tailored fundraising and engagement solutions, you can also implement one (or more) of Blackbaud’s Luminate Online add-ons.

Here’s our breakdown of each additional option you can tie to your Luminate Online system:

  • TeamRaiser. Luminate’s peer-to-peer fundraising solution enables nonprofits to manage social fundraising initiatives by creating team fundraising pages, giving donors the tools to become fundraisers, and planning fundraising events.
  • Luminate Advocacy. With tools to help nonprofits grow their supporter network and turn advocates into donors (and vice versa!), Luminate Advocacy is designed for organizations leading next-level policy campaigns.
  • Luminate Content Management System. For organizations with specific web design needs, Luminate CMS provides a functional, user-friendly interface for nonprofits to create and share content online.

For organizations already using (or considering) the Blackbaud family of products, incorporating these add-ons makes more sense than seeking outside dedicated fundraising platforms. However, these solutions are not included in the initial Luminate Online Marketing feature set, so you should make sure they actually align with your nonprofit’s goals before paying extra for them.

What to Know: Blackbaud offers Luminate Online add-ons to extend their core product. If your organization uses peer-to-peer fundraising, advocacy, or content management systems to achieve your goals, consider adding these solutions onto your Luminate purchase.

Luminate Online is endlessly customizable, so consider how you'll adapt the platform to meet your nonprofit needs.

4. What integrations or customizations will you need for your Luminate system?

You’ve got your eye on the perfect product and the right add-ons to meet your needs; now it’s time to start thinking about how you can make the Blackbaud Luminate tools your own.

Arguably the greatest advantage to using Luminate Online Marketing is the full scope of customization it allows. While many fundraising software options have limited amounts of customization (such as donation form fields or reporting metrics), Luminate is a little different. Essentially, Luminate Online requires specific configuration to really meet your nonprofit’s needs.

That configuration might mean setting up custom workflows, dashboards, user-interface options, or other features that don’t come standard in Luminate. No matter how you want to adjust your platform, keep in mind that these configurations will require an in-depth IT knowledge.

What does that mean for you? Most likely, it means that you’ll need to find an outside developer to help you design and implement your customization plan. 

In addition to customizing the backend of your Luminate Online system, you might also need to integrate existing platforms into your online marketing system to get a holistic view of your entire set of fundraising and marketing efforts.

For example, you might want to integrate these solutions with Luminate Online:

  • Matching gifts. Luminate Online comes with some matching gift capabilities, but if your organization relies on corporate giving as a major form of fundraising, you’ll need to integrate your matching gift services with Luminate.
  • Prospect research. To take the most strategic approach to identifying and targeting major donors, you can integrate your prospect research or wealth-screening tools into your Luminate Online system.
  • Luminate CRM. For organizations on Salesforce, Luminate CRM provides a pathway to integration with the Luminate Online solution. (Tip: read more about how Luminate CRM differs from Luminate Online here!)

Like configurations, these custom integrations likely require the help of a nonprofit technology consultant, at least for the initial set-up and data transfer.

We’ll touch more on how these consultants can help you in the next section, but keep in mind that their services come at a price. If broad customization is necessary for your organization, make sure there’s plenty of room in your budget to find the help you’ll need to implement and use your configurations and integrations.

What to Know: To get the most out of Luminate Online, you’ll want to configure the software to fit your specific needs and integrate third-party platforms you rely on. To make this process as smooth as possible, you should enlist the help of a qualified nonprofit technology consultant.

Your nonprofit will need support and training from a nonprofit technology consultant to get set up with Luminate Online.

5. How will your nonprofit get set up with Luminate Online?

This point might be last on the list, but don’t be mistaken—understanding the Luminate Online implementation process is one of the most crucial considerations to keep in mind!

Luminate Online is not a download-and-get-going kind of product, which reinforces its standing as a solution only intended for nonprofits who are highly capable and willing to make an investment now for the sake long-term usability.

There are a few specific elements of the Luminate implementation process that you should think about before purchasing the software:

  • Data migration. Often a complicated process, effective data migration is essential so that all the donor information you’re currently storing can be used within your new Luminate system.
  • Set-up. Once you have your data in place, there will likely be additional steps (including configurations) to make sure your platform is installed and working correctly.
  • Training. While user-friendly in its own way, Luminate Online requires extensive training to get fully acquainted with the software’s tools and features.

In order to complete the first stages of your nonprofit’s long-term Luminate Online usage, you will likely require the help of a nonprofit technology consulting firm. 

Your nonprofit is just getting started with Luminate, so you don’t have to be an expert yet; however, you will need an expert on your side as you attempt to navigate the ins and outs of this larger-than-life software solution.

Consultants can help you map out your Luminate Online strategies, transfer your existing data, configure your platform, and train your staff on how to use Luminate Online to its fullest potential.

What to Know: As you dive into your Luminate Online experience, make sure you have the guidance of a Blackbaud expert to ensure smooth sailing and long-term satisfaction.

Now that you know if Luminate Online is right for your organization, it’s time to get started with your new product.

Check out these additional resources to get more out of your Luminate Online solution:

  • DNL OmniMedia’s Guide to Luminate Online. As nonprofit technology consultants and Blackbaud authorities, DNL OmniMedia can help you understand Luminate Online like no other. Read their guide to find out everything you need to know.
  • Luminate CRM: Key Considerations Before You Buy. Luminate Online isn’t the only Blackbaud Luminate product that can supercharge your fundraising and donor engagement. If you’re a Salesforce user, see how Luminate CRM can take your constituent management to the next level.
  • Luminate Online: From Consideration to Implementation. Now that you know Luminate is the best choice for your online fundraising needs, allow Fundly to walk you through the Luminate Online buying process in great detail.

Learn more about matching gifts and higher education, including top companies that match gifts to colleges and universities.

Matching Gifts & Higher Education: Companies That Match [+Tips]

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If you’ve graduated college, chances are, your alma mater has contacted you asking for a donation at some point. Perhaps this happened even before you graduated. Statistics show that many alumni actually do donate to their colleges and universities. Luckily, many of these generous gifts can be matched by alumni’s employers.

If you’d like to optimize your school’s matching gift fundraising efforts by targeting impactful corporate programs, incorporating tried-and-true best practices, and exploring examples put in place by similar institutions, this is the guide for you! We’ll cover:

Most matching gift programs began with only matching to colleges and universities. Since then, many companies have expanded their programs to include most other nonprofit organizations. However, there still remains a large contingent of companies that only match to higher education, excluding K-12 educational organizations and schools. And that means extra potential matching opportunities for your institution!

Let’s dive right in.

Here are some top companies that match gifts to colleges and universities to boost your matching gifts and higher education strategies.Top Companies that Match Gifts to Colleges and Universities

Almost all the companies you’ve heard offer matching gift programs (such as Bank of America, GE, Coca-Cola, Home Depot) will match gifts to colleges or universities, too. However, for this post, we decided to put together a list of some companies with lesser-known matching gift programs. Oftentimes, when a company only matches to higher education colleges and universities, their program flies under the radar.

If your college or university is looking to boost its matching gift revenue, be on the lookout for these popular matching gift companies!

Allstate Insurance

Allstate, a company that matches gifts to colleges and universities, that also offers volunteer grants.Allstate has an employee matching gift program completely devoted to higher education. Through the Good Hands Matching Grant Program, Allstate matches donations made to higher education institutions at a 1:1 rate. In other words, employee donations can potentially be doubled.

The company will match a range of donations from $25 to $5,000. Individuals who are eligible include employees, agency owners, personal financial representatives, and retirees.

Plus, Allstate also offers volunteer grants for employees who’d rather donate their time than money. Through the Hands in the Community Grants Program, employees and agency owners who volunteer more than 16 hours in a calendar year are eligible for volunteer grants.

The volunteer grant amount depends on the employee’s position. While regular employees are eligible for $500 volunteer grants, agency owners are eligible for $1,000 volunteer grants.

Read more about Allstate’s matching gift program.

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

ConAgra is a company that matches gifts of $25 to $1,000 made to colleges and universities.ConAgra will match gifts made to higher education between $25 and $1,000. Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible. However, retirees are not eligible. They also donate to other educational organizations, such as nutrition education programs.

To submit a request, employees either fill out a paper form or an electronic form. Unlike most companies, employees aren’t restricted to just one type of form. However, they do have to submit the matching gift request within 90 days of the initial donation. After that point, the company will no longer match the donation.

Read more about the ConAgra Foods matching gift program.

eBay, Inc.

eBay is a popular company that matches gifts to higher education as well as volunteer grants.The popular online auction site, eBay, will match employee donations made between $25 and $10,000 per year. The company increased the maximum from $500 just a few years ago, which is a substantial jump!

While full-time and part-time employees are eligible for the program, retired employees are not. In addition to matching gifts to education, eBay will also match gifts to most other nonprofit organizations. Unlike some companies, employees are urged to submit matching gift requests as soon as possible, because there’s a company-wide annual limit.

As part of its corporate philanthropy initiative, eBay also offers volunteer grants. Grant amounts are tier-based, depending on the number of volunteer hours employees finish:

  • 8-24 hours = a $100 grant
  • 25-49 hours = a $250 grant
  • 50+ hours = a $500 grant

Be on the lookout for this popular employer when developing your corporate giving strategy.

Read more about eBay’s matching gift program.

Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin Williams is a major company that offers matching gifts for colleges and universities.Sherwin-Williams offers a matching gift program where the company matches up to $3,000 in donations to a wide variety of nonprofits. This includes higher education institutions. The company’s matching gift program is open to both current employees as well as retirees.

The company matches at a 1.5:1 ratio. For instance, if a match-eligible individual donates $100 to your school, your institution will receive a $150 match, totaling $350.

In case that’s not impressive enough, Sherwin-Williams also has a great volunteer grant program. After an employee volunteers 50 hours, Sherwin-Williams provides the eligible organization or school with $200. Each employee can request up to three separate grants each year, totaling $600.

Read more about Sherwin-Williams’ matching gift program.

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, a company that offers matching gifts to colleges and universities, has a giving program dedicated to higher education.ExxonMobil is very well-known for its corporate philanthropy, specifically for its efforts toward educational institutions. The company offers two matching gift programs, the Arts and Cultural Matching Gift Program and the Educational Matching Gift Program.

Through the Educational Matching Gift Program, ExxonMobil will match donations to higher education institutions, including U.S. colleges and universities. They’ll provide up to $22,500 in matching gift funds per year. However, for cultural organizations, the company only matches up to $2,000.

Plus, the company offers two volunteer grant programs. For its individual grant program, when an employee or retiree volunteers for 20 hours, ExxonMobil provides a volunteer grant of $500. Each individual can request up to four grants per year. For its team volunteer involvement program, ExxonMobil awards a $500 grant when a team of five or more eligible participants volunteers for a combined total of at least 20 hours. While employees are limited to $2,000 in grants per year, individual organizations are limited to $5,000.

Read more about ExxonMobil’s matching gift program.

Here are some top tips for making the most of matching gifts and higher education, including partnering with companies that match gifts to colleges and universities.7 Best Practices for Matching Gifts and Higher Education

Now that you know of a few major companies that offer matching gifts to higher education institutions, let’s dive into a few ways you can incorporate them into your fundraising strategy. Let’s explore seven tried-and-true tips here!

1. Ensure your team understands the importance of matching gifts and higher education.

Before you can promote (and communicate the value of) matching gifts to your institution’s donor base, it’s critical that your fundraising team is up to speed. Be sure to incorporate department-wide meetings to explore matching gift opportunities, what that means for your institution, and how you can collect more corporate funding for your efforts.

And if you’re not sure your team understands the impact of matching gifts, consider sharing powerful statistics like these:

  • More than 26 million individuals work for companies that offer matching gift programs.
  • Over 78% of that 26 million (or approximately 20.3 million) people have no idea whether their employer matches gifts.
  • An estimated $2 to $3 billion is donated annually through corporate matching gift programs.
  • An additional $4 to $7 billion in available match funding is left on the table each year, largely due to a lack of awareness.
  • 84% of survey participants reported that they’d be more likely to donate to a nonprofit if their employer was matching the donation.
  • 1 in 3 participants stated that they’d likely make a larger donation if it was being matched.

Then, once they’re on board, you’ll likely want your development and fundraising staff to be familiar with top companies that match gifts to colleges and universities, common matching gift program guidelines to look out for, and how to assist donors as they walk through the process of requesting their employer matches.

And that’s just the beginning! As you continue to develop your matching gift strategy to direct more corporate dollars toward your school, it’s essential that everyone stays on the same page.

2. Enlist multiple methods for collecting alumni employment information.

Your alumni are likely some of your school’s most dedicated supporters. As they move on from your institution and begin their careers in the real world, make sure you have a process in place for collecting and tracking graduates’ employment information. This will enable you to screen donors and alumni against some of the most generous matching gift companies, such as those mentioned above.

More than likely, your alumni employment data search will include some combination of the following:

  • Matching gift software
  • Email domain screening
  • Employer appends
  • Alumni outreach

But you don’t have to pick just one method, either! The more you know, the better. Our research shows even that incorporating more than one approach for identifying matching gift eligible donors results in 77% more identified potential matches. So perhaps you might leverage domain screening and donor outreach, then utilize an employer appending service to help fill in any remaining gaps. You can even attend fundraising conferences to uncover new techniques for determining matching gift eligibility.

3. Screen donors and prospects for employers with matching gift programs.

Once you’ve located donor and alumni employment data, you can utilize the information to identify matching gift eligible donors. Here are a few best practices you can follow as you do so:

  • Check out top matching gift programs from well-known companies like these.
  • Emphasize companies that match gifts to colleges and universities.
  • Explore additional matching gift companies with a comprehensive database.

Studies show that more than 26 million individuals work for companies that offer some form of matching gift program. More than likely, that’s a significant portion of your school’s donors⁠—you just have to figure out which ones are eligible and where to go from there.

4. Communicate the value of matching gifts and higher education impact to donors.

Donors love participating in their employers’ gift-matching programs because the initiatives enable them to make a larger impact through their initial donations. Because this is one of the top motivating factors for participation, it’s a good idea to place a significant emphasis on doubled (and sometimes even tripled!) benefits that a matching gift can bring.

For example, let’s say a donor contributed $500 to provide 100 books for your newly built library. Be sure to highlight that, should that individual secure a match for their already-generous donation, they can essentially provide 200 books to make twice the impact⁠—all without having to reach back into their own wallets.

5. Follow up with donors on match-eligible gifts and provide employer-specific guidelines.

Your school’s online donation process should gather ample information about your donors as they complete the giving process⁠—including their employment status. After the transaction is complete, your fundraising team can (and should) leverage those collected insights in order to drive more matches to completion.

Picture this: Let’s say Donor Johnny entered his employer’s name in your donation page search tool, and you see that he works for the Home Depot. Afterward, you’ve collected that information, along with the data on the $1,000 gift that he made, to determine that his donation is matching gift eligible. But Johnny might not know that himself!

That’s why we recommend that you follow up with donors post-transaction to share whichever insights you’ve collected about their employers’ matching gift program availability. This should include minimum and maximum match amounts, match ratios, types of qualifying donors and organizations, and submission deadlines. And in order to really seal the deal, you can even equip donors with direct links to their employers’ matching program online submission forms!

6. Integrate matching gifts in your university’s Giving Day strategy.

Hundreds of higher education institutions host annual Giving Days as a way to drive engagement with their schools each year. These efforts are often particularly effective fundraising campaigns, with many schools collecting the majority of their revenue in a short, 24-hour period.

With such high levels of traffic interacting with an institution’s donation forms in that time-frame, it makes sense to use the opportunity to promote employer matching gifts. And doing so enables donors to double (or sometimes even triple!) their impact on your school.

Matching gifts and giving days

If you’re planning an upcoming Giving Day for your school, we recommend getting up and running with innovative matching gift software beforehand—which brings us to our next tip!

7. Streamline your efforts with matching gifts and higher education software.

By adding a matching gift database like Double the Donation to your tech toolkit, you significantly boost your fundraising potential without putting a ton of added work on your team members’ plates. This fully automated matching gift platform identifies more match-eligible donors, automatically follows up with them, and even creates an automated match plan for you.

Not to mention, you can easily integrate Double the Donation’s matching gift automation tool⁠—360MatchPro⁠—across higher education fundraising channels such as GiveCampus, Anthology, Almabase, Ellucian, and more. Thanks to available matching gift and higher education software partnerships, institutions like yours can quickly raise more by adding company gift-matching functionality to their existing fundraising systems!

Take a look at these examples of using a matching gift tool to pinpoint companies that offer matching gifts to colleges and universities. Boost matching gifts and higher education!

Matching Gifts and Higher Education: Examples to Follow

Hundreds of schools and universities have successfully implemented these strategies to effectively promote matching gift fundraising opportunities to donors, alumni, and their overall communities. Let’s look at a few examples of how the right matching gift solutions can help boost your college’s funds!

Flagler College’s Dedicated Matching Gift Page

If alumni are looking for different ways to support their alma mater, well-designed matching gift pages can offer helpful information about multiplying their contributions. Check out this example of a dedicated matching gift page from Flagler College!

Some colleges and universities promote matching gifts and higher education companies on a dedicated matching gift webpage.

Flagler College’s web page provides alumni with instructions on how to obtain a matching donation from their employer. Plus, they’ve embedded the search tool and encouraged donors to look for more in-depth information about their employers’ matching gift programs. Not to mention, they offer vital contact information in case donors have additional questions.

Eckerd College’s Donation Form

Donation forms are another great way to start the conversation about matching gifts. At this stage, Eckerd College knows its users are ready to give and will be more motivated to multiply their contributions without reaching back into their own pockets.

Check out this example of this school’s donation form and how it promotes matching gifts:

Eckerd College example - matching gifts and higher education donation page

In addition to the other donation options on the page, Eckerd College offers donors the chance to look into their employers’ matching gift programs with a searchable database tool (specifically through Double the Donation!).

University of Utah’s Ways to Give Page

Many institutions have a Ways to Give page on their university or alumni website—the University of Utah being one of them. In order to drive fundraising efforts, this school includes different donation methods (e.g. online with a credit card or through the mail) through which donors can contribute. And the University of Utah also knows that its Ways to Give page is a key location to promote corporate matching gift programs!

Here’s what this school’s Ways to Give page looks like:

Some higher education institutions promote matching gifts on their Ways to Give pages to elevate their matching gifts and higher education strategies simultaneously.

This school not only shares general information about matching gift programs but also provides donors with Double the Donation’s embedded search tool to learn more about their specific employer’s gift matching policies. The more ways a donor or prospect knows to support your institution (including corporate gift-matching), the more likely they are to follow through with the process!

Matching gifts are a valuable resource, so ensure that your institution is taking advantage of all available revenue. In fact, the colleges and universities that have the most matching gift success incorporate matching gifts throughout their broader fundraising efforts. It won’t take much, but, as you can see from the corporate guidelines sampled above, a little goes a long way with matching gifts.

This list, while helpful, doesn’t come close to covering all matching gift opportunities. Rather, it’s a sampling of well-known companies with matching gift programs. While these major companies do offer generous matching gift programs for educational institutions, they aren’t the only companies that do. Make sure to stay up-to-date with your donors’ employers. That way, you can maximize your revenue potential!

Watch the video below to hear how University of Lynchburg leverages 360MatchPro to boost matching gift revenue.

University of Lynchburg- Matching Gift Success with 360MatchPro from Double the Donation on Vimeo.

Interested in learning more about matching gifts for colleges and universities? Check out these educational resources:

  • Top Matching Gift Companies. For more matching gift companies (most of which match gifts to higher educational institutions), go over this list of some standout opportunities. Then, see if your alumni or donors work for these businesses!
  • 12 School & Higher Ed Fundraising Platforms That Grow Matching Gifts. Looking for top software that will help you grow matching gifts and higher education fundraising efforts? Check out our list of twelve fantastic solutions.
  • Marketing Matching Gifts. Learn how to promote matching gifts for higher education with this Double the Donation guide. Ensure your school doesn’t miss out on revenue opportunities by incorporating these practices.

Matching gifts and higher education can benefit from Double the Donation's software.

Check out the top matching gift software vendors for nonprofits and companies!

Matching Gift Software Vendors: The Comprehensive List

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Whether your company is managing a corporate giving program or your nonprofit is seeking matching gift revenue, corporate philanthropy can be tricky to master.

For businesses, creating an effective matching gift program entails substantial hard work that will ultimately pay off. For nonprofits, it takes ongoing research to acquire much-deserved matching gift revenue. Nonetheless, corporate social responsibility is a growing, impactful phenomenon.

Matching gift programs are naturally complex, but fortunately, there are several technology solutions on the market. To kick off your research, let’s go through each of these major areas:

  1. Top software providers for nonprofits
  2. Top software vendors for companies

If you’re not already familiar with these philanthropic programs, take a look at this comprehensive guide on corporate giving. Otherwise, let’s jump straight into the top matching gift software providers!
When constructing your fundraising strategy, consider these matching gift software vendors for nonprofits.

1. Top Matching Gift Software Providers for Nonprofits

Corporate giving represents a major revenue opportunity for nonprofits, but researching your donors’ employers can be fairly difficult and time-consuming. Plus, for nonprofits, this process never ends.

Once you initially gather information on local companies’ matching gift programs, your team has to stay up-to-date on the changes made within these programs. You also have to be constantly on the lookout for new employers each time a donor submits a gift. 

This may be doable for very small nonprofits, but as their donor bases grow, staying updated without effective software is virtually impossible.

Why It’s Important for Nonprofits to Use Matching Gift Software

Many donors don’t know how to navigate their employer’s corporate giving process—and some are unaware that their employers even offer matching gift programs at all. For that reason, nonprofits tend to leave a substantial amount of revenue on the table every year.

In fact, an estimated $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed annually.

Matching gift software not only helps spread awareness around matching gift programs, but also helps guide donors through the process in an easy and intuitive way. Any size nonprofit can benefit from a matching gift database—no matter how small or large. Without a comprehensive system, your nonprofit will inevitably overlook these major revenue opportunities.

So how do you choose the right matching gift software? Be sure to invest in a solution that’s frequently updated, comprehensive, and easy to use, such as the leading matching gift solution: 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.

360MatchPro by Double the Donation is the leading matching gift software vendor for nonprofits.

360MatchPro by Double the Donation

360MatchPro by Double the Donation is the complete end-to-end matching gift solution that automates the majority of the process. The platform pulls directly from Double the Donation’s extensive matching gift database, giving you the most comprehensive coverage of matching gift programs.

Here’s how it works to simplify corporate giving for nonprofits:

  1. An individual submits a donation. When donors enter their information into your donation forms, the platform automatically identifies their matching gift eligibility by searching for the details they provide in a database of corporate philanthropy programs. This may include email domains or employer information. 
  2. 360MatchPro automatically follows up. Depending on the donor’s eligibility, the platform automatically triggers customizable follow-up emails to these donors. If they’re eligible for a matching gift, they will be prompted to submit a request. If their eligibility is unknown or they are ineligible, they will be prompted to double check using the search tool.
  3. The platform tracks matches to completion. 360MatchPro enables customizable tracking so you know where your donors are in the match process.

360MatchPro by Double the Donation is the leading matching gift software vendor for nonprofits.

Benefits of using 360MatchPro by Double the Donation include:

  • More matching gift opportunities. 360MatchPro allows you to automatically determine matching gift eligibility among your donors, which means more matching gift requests will be successfully submitted.
  • More matches driven to completion. The platform directs donors to their company’s matching gift forms right after the donation has been made and continues to follow up afterward. This means more submissions will be completed and bring in exponentially more matching gift revenue for your organization.
  • More time to focus on top opportunities. Because 360MatchPro automates every matching gift opportunity, big or small, your organization can focus its efforts on the most valuable match-eligible donations.
  • Closer relationships with corporate partners. Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro is also the only matching gift software that offers custom matching gift program management functionality (where a company commits to matching donations made by employees to a specific nonprofit). This feature empowers organizations to facilitate unique or one-off match opportunities directly with the companies in their network, and the ease with which the programs are managed from both sides leads not only to more matching gift opportunities but to increasing donor reach, positive fundraising outcomes, and deepening long-term partnerships!
    *As a note, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—360MatchPro does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.
  • Less effort for donors to get involved. Donors love elevating their giving impact with matching programs, but complicated processes can lead to eligible matches going unclaimed. 360MatchPro helps simplify the experience for qualifying donors, including with new streamlined auto-submission functionality.

Check out our one-page matching gift auto-submission guide

360MatchPro by Double the Donation will ensure your organization doesn’t leave large sums of matching gift revenue on the table. The platform essentially serves as your own matching gift team, automating the process so your staff can focus on the most important thing: serving your mission.

What to look for: Fundraising integrations

Unlike many matching gift software solutions for nonprofits, 360MatchPro integrates with more than 50 of the leading fundraising platforms. In other words, if your organization already leverages specific donation or CRM software, you won’t have to worry about transferring your donor data between platforms.

The system also has state-of-the-art security (as illustrated by its SOC 2 Type II Compliance) that will protect all of your donors’ data and help your team gain better insight into your revenue opportunities.

360MatchPro’s integrations include:

  • CRMs, such as Blackbaud (Raiser’s Edge NXT) and Salesforce
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising platforms, such as Classy and DonorDrive
  • Donation software, such as Luminate, Convio, Funraise, and iModules
  • Corporate giving software, such as Millie, POINT, and Selflessly

These integrations allow you to continue using the fundraising software you already leverage while also sending the data through 360MatchPro’s platform so you can automatically identify new matching gift opportunities.

360MatchPro is the next evolution of advanced matching gift tools for nonprofits. If your organization isn’t using dedicated matching gift software, there’s no doubt that you’re missing out on major opportunities.

Interested in learning more about smart matching gift fundraising and best practices for leveraging 360MatchPro to your greatest potential? Check out Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Academy here!

These are the benefits of using 360MatchPro, the top matching gift software vendor for nonprofits.Explore 360MatchPro matching gift case studies

There are several major matching gift software vendors for companies.

2. Matching Gift Software Vendors for Companies

If your company doesn’t already have a philanthropic program in place, there’s no time like the present to get started! After all, there are innumerable benefits to having these programs, including heightened employee engagement and a positive company reputation.

If you already have a match program in place, your company may be considering switching to an electronic matching gift system. Not only does that save valuable time, but it also ensures there aren’t any gaps in your guidelines.

Let’s go through each of the leading software vendors for companies:

These vendors deliver everything a company needs to outsource the employee matching gift administration process, volunteer grants, disaster relief, and broader workplace giving programs. And for your convenience, we’ve separated them out based on a key distinguishing factor⁠—whether they offer auto-submission functionality.

Image of badge indicating that an organization is a certified leader in matching gift automation (CLMA)

What to look for: Is the matching gift software CLMA-certified?

For the best results, companies in the matching gift software buying process should prioritize CLMA-certified solutions in order to provide optimal encounters for their employees and the organizations they support. What does that mean?

Platforms with the official CLMA Certificate have been deemed Certified Leaders in Matching Automation, providing the most streamlined and intuitive matching gift experience for their users. This, in turn, encourages higher rates of employee participation and reduces the administrative burden for companies and nonprofits alike.

What to look for: Does the matching gift software offer auto-submission?

Traditionally, donors looking to participate in matching programs have been required to submit their donation to a nonprofit organization, then complete a separate request process with their employer to secure the corporate match. This separate request often asks for information about the receiving organization, specific donations, and even the employee themselves, and it’s often a critical roadblock keeping employee donors from completing their matches.

Today, many companies are rolling out matching gift auto-submission abilities, which allow donors to submit their match requests directly from their favorite organizations’ donation confirmation pages with a single click.

How matching gift auto-submission works How matching gifts without auto-submission

Let’s take a look at some of the breakthrough matching gift software providers that are empowering companies and their employees with this functionality;

Millie is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

Millie

Image of badge indicating that an organization is a certified leader in matching gift automation (CLMA)

Millie provides workplace giving tools for all by allowing companies to create simple and flexible social impact programs on a budget. Their platform brings the power of a giving wallet to everyday donors by providing financial tools that allow for easy, simple, and strategic giving.

Millie allows companies to:

  • Match employee donations
  • Manage employee volunteerism by creating events and tracking impact
  • Build giving campaigns
  • Gift charitable dollars to employees and customers

Millie’s workplace giving platform is designed to provide a comprehensive and affordable solution for companies of all sizes so that reaching CSR goals is achievable for all. Plus, they integrate with Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro to offer innovative auto-submission for their corporate clients.

Millie DTD corporate giving vendor partnership - Donor Amplification

Learn more about Millie on their website here or check out our case study to see their matching gift auto-submission in action!

POINT is one of our favorite matching gift software vendors for businesses.

POINT

Image of badge indicating that an organization is a certified leader in matching gift automation (CLMA)POINT is the ready-to-go social impact platform for companies serious about impact. Manage employee volunteering, giving, and nonprofit partnerships on one platform employees actually want to use.

As an innovative corporate giving provider, POINT enables businesses to:

  • Manage matching donation campaigns and initiatives
  • Manage employee volunteerism
  • Organize virtual volunteer opportunities
  • Co-host volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits
  • Fulfill tangible nonprofit needs through in-kind giving
  • Automatically track volunteering and giving statistics and reporting
  • Track impact of workplace giving initiatives

Plus, when companies purchase a subscription to POINT, they can gift the nonprofit POINT platform to nonprofits for free. Companies can collaborate with nonprofits on the same platform and give nonprofits the tools they need to find and manage volunteers seamlessly, saving them up to 15 hours per week.

Not to mention, POINT now offers matching gift auto-submission to make matching gifts as simple as possible for companies, donors, and nonprofits alike.

Learn more about POINT!

Selflessly is one of our favorite matching gift software vendors.

Selflessly

Image of badge indicating that an organization is a certified leader in matching gift automation (CLMA)Selflessly is a comprehensive matching gift and corporate philanthropy management software. Developed in 2018, they aim to provide small and mid-sized businesses with the resources needed to launch and maintain their philanthropic initiatives effectively.

Selflessly helps businesses:

  • Donate to millions of local and national charities
  • Provide simple employee giving processes
  • Match employee donations
  • Report on giving and impact
  • Promote employee engagement
  • Locate and manage volunteer opportunities
  • Track volunteer time off

If you’re looking for a powerful yet affordable matching gift solution for your business, Selflessly is a great way to go. As an added bonus, they even partner with our matching gift automation tool, 360MatchPro, to further streamline the giving and matching processes for employers and employees alike through matching gift auto-submission abilities!

Learn more about Selflessly on their website here or read our case study to see how this matching gift vendor is changing the game with auto-submission!

Does Not Yet Offer Matching Gift Auto-Submission

These other CSR platforms can offer excellent features and functionality regarding matching gift program management for companies, though they have not yet built out auto-submission capabilities with Double the Donation. This means that employees will be required to complete separate request processes to participate in their companies’ giving initiatives.

However, matching gift auto-submission is the future of corporate gift-matching, so keep an eye out as more of these providers shift to automatic submissions as well.

America's Charities is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

America’s Charities

America’s Charities offers an entire suite of tools for companies. Their most comprehensive solution, Engage, is an end-to-end giving and corporate social responsibility (CSR) solution that offers a holistic view of your global impact.

The platform provides a comprehensive and flexible solution to help your company streamline community programs and maximize your social investment. Best of all? You can manage all of your corporate philanthropy and giving programs from one place.

Engage helps organize:

  • Corporate philanthropy, grants, and sponsorships
  • Donation matching
  • Employee workplace giving
  • Employee engagement
  • Volunteer programs

You can also track your goals easily and share eye-catching reports and dashboards using real-time data. Unfortunately, however, Engage does not currently offer matching gift auto-submission capabilities.

Learn more about America’s Charities!

Benevity is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

Benevity

Originally founded in Canada in 2008, Benevity has rapidly developed a major presence with companies based in the United States as well.

This workplace giving platform strives to create compelling corporate giving programs that help companies attract, retain, and engage employees. In addition to a matching gift program, the vendor allows businesses to implement other philanthropic programs, such as volunteer grants and charitable gift cards to motivate employees to generously give.

Through Benevity, corporations can evaluate their success in making a positive impact on their communities. That way, they can adjust their efforts to create the best possible giving program. However, Benevity has yet to offer matching gift auto-submission functionality.

Learn more about Benevity!

Bright Funds is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

Bright Funds

Bright Funds is a leading provider of corporate giving software as a service for workplace giving, volunteering, and grants management. With nearly a decade of experience, Bright Funds helps companies of all sizes multiply their impact through an intuitive, comprehensive corporate social responsibility platform.

Companies can build a culture of giving and grow their employees’ impact with a matching gifts program on Bright Funds. Matching rules can be set up with a single click from the admin dashboard. The platform automatically enforces matching rules and budget limits, while ensuring that employees can only donate to vetted, eligible organizations. That gives companies more time to focus on engaging employees to participate and give back to the causes they care about.

With Bright Funds, companies can scale their impact from a single, flexible platform that includes:

  • Employee giving (one time and recurring donations)
  • Support for 1.8 million global nonprofits and 100 countries
  • Donation matching
  • Employee engagement
  • Full volunteer program management with a preloaded list of over 8 million opportunities
  • Integrated grants management
  • Managed donations disbursement
  • Real-time impact reporting
  • Integrations with many payroll, HRIS, volunteering, and other systems

Empower today’s purpose-driven workforce to do good through Bright Funds’ all-in-one corporate responsibility platform. As of yet, however, Bright Funds has not established an auto-submission functionality.

Learn more about Bright Funds!

Charityvest is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

Charityvest

Charityvest simplifies the giving process for both donors and charities alike. By allowing users to create personal charitable giving funds, donors can securely and freely donate stock and cash to charities without losing a percentage to transaction fees.

Charityvest for Workplaces provides employees with tax-deductible giving accounts and unlocks automatic charitable matching, reporting, and administration for companies. Their workplace giving programs are trusted and utilized by companies nationwide.

With Charityvest for Workplaces, your company can implement fully automated, rules-based grant matching, provide employees with unlimited zero-fee giving to millions of charities, and view real-time reporting on charitable impact. In the future, Charityvest for Workplaces may develop auto-submission functionality, but for now, employees are resigned to partake in manual submission processes.

Learn more about Charityvest!

CyberGrants is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

CyberGrants

For over 20 years, CyberGrants has been a leader in the online grantmaking space. Over time, the company has recorded many firsts through its initiatives, including:

  • Developing the first online application
  • Providing the first online grants administration tools
  • Creating the first online workplace giving and volunteering systems for corporations

A few years ago, CyberGrants merged with the JK Group, which owned the Consiva and Easymatch platforms. Today, it manages employee giving programs for many global companies.

As a flexible philanthropic software platform, CyberGrants provides numerous innovative ways for companies to develop their workplace giving programs. CyberGrants has yet to roll out auto-submission features, still relying on manual requests from employee donors through the system.

Learn more about CyberGrants!

SmartSimple is one of the top matching gift software vendors for companies.

SmartSimple

SmartSimple offers companies robust tools for grant management, employee giving, matching gifts, volunteer management, and more. 

When companies use SmartSimple to manage their workplace giving strategies, they can:

  • Approve matching gift requests while following their company guidelines
  • Manage volunteer programs and award grants
  • Manage in-kind giving
  • Monitor impact through detailed reporting

SmartSimple streamlines nearly every aspect of your company’s workplace giving program, making it incredibly easy for employees to participate and boost your CSR impact in the greater community. However, they’ve yet to offer auto-submission functionality, which may be enabled in the future.

Learn more about SmartSimple!

Matching Gift Software Vendors YourCause

YourCause

Through its dedicated corporate social responsibility platform, YourCause helps corporations of all sizes. This platform, called CSRconnect, is a customizable community tool that centralizes employee engagement.

When businesses invest in the CSRconnect platform, they can enable year-round matching gifts, annual pledge campaigns, and more. Additionally, the platform leverages peer-to-peer fundraising. In other words, employees will raise money on behalf of the nonprofits they care about, and companies can match those donations⁠—though they’ve yet to establish a process for matching gift auto-submissions.

As a business professional, you’ve likely heard of the leading CRM platform Blackbaud. YourCause integrates with this major CRM software, meaning you won’t have to spend time transferring your employees’ data. If that’s not convincing enough, the customizable software allows companies and employees to access 300,000+ global nonprofits from 170 countries!

Learn more about YourCause!

For nonprofits and companies alike, corporate social responsibility is highly influential and catching on rapidly. From the nonprofit perspective, corporate philanthropy means boosting revenue. Not leveraging a matching gift database equates to not fulfilling your matching gift potential.

From the business perspective, corporate philanthropy means developing a brand, promoting a generous workplace, and giving back to the community. However, developing and maintaining a giving program is nearly impossible without the right software.

Now that you know more about specific software solutions, start leveraging this technology in your corporate giving strategy today!

Additional Resources for Nonprofits

Additional Resources for Corporations

  • Announcing New Matching Gift Auto-Submission Functionality.  Make the most of your company’s matching gift programs by enabling auto-submission functionality! The easiest way to do so is by partnering with a corporate giving software provider that integrates with Double the Donation. The simpler the process, the more likely your employees are to get involved.
  • Matching Gifts: The Definitive Guide for Employers. A surprising number of companies have not yet started a matching gift program, even though these programs are proven to help retain and engage employees, showcase CSR, and make a positive impact in the community. This guide from America’s Charities will break down the basics and benefits of matching gift programs, explain how to set one up, offer advice from America’s Charities’ team of experts, and more. Take advantage of their years of experience, research, and expertise, and download this guide!

Find out how to drive corporate philanthropy at your company!

How to Pick a Fundraising Consultant for Your Annual Fund

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If you’re looking for ways to amp up your annual fund, then you should consider hiring a nonprofit consultant. Fundraising consultants are professional advisers that can offer your nonprofit effective solutions to improve your annual fund.

Since there are so many different nonprofit consulting firms out there, the search may seem like a daunting task. However, with a few strategies, you can find the right adviser for your nonprofit.

Let’s take a look at six strategies you can use to start your search on the right foot.

  1. Set up clear and actionable goals.
  2. Determine what services you need.
  3. Find a firm with annual fund experience.
  4. Work with a consultant that can connect often.
  5. Consider the cost of a consultant.
  6. Narrow down your picks and request proposals.

If you’re looking for more strategies to improve your annual fund, check out this helpful guide.

How to pick a nonprofit consultant for your annual fund - Set up clear and actionable goals

1. Set up clear and actionable goals.

Before you can start searching for the right nonprofit consulting firm, you need to come up with your goals. Your goals can be anything from a timeline of when you want to have a nonprofit consultant hired to what you want to achieve once you hire someone. Create as many goals as you need to create a clear picture of what you want to gain. 

Goals are important because they not only help you see what you’re trying to achieve, but they also help your fundraising consultant figure out the best solution. If you can’t give your adviser a clear idea of what you want, he or she doesn’t know what direction to take.

Setting goals helps you point out the areas in your fundraising you need help with and gives your nonprofit consultant somewhere to start when coming up with solutions.

While improving your annual fund may be your overall goal, it’s not specific enough. If you want assistance that’s tailored to your nonprofit, you’ll need to be as detailed as possible.

To figure out your goals, you should start by determining where you need the most support. Your nonprofit may need help:

  • Honing in on what makes supporters give.
  • Creating a plan for your year-end fundraising.
  • Writing an impactful appeal.
  • Finding unique ways to interact with donors.

The important part is to figure out where you need the most help so that the professional can focus on those areas.

The takeaway: Goals set the groundwork for what you need. They give you more than just a way to measure success. Goals help your nonprofit consultant figure out what direction to take so that you can reach the best possible outcome.

How to pick a nonprofit consultant for your annual fund - Determine what services you need

2. Determine what services you need.

Now that you’ve got your goals, it’s time to assess how a nonprofit consulting firm can help you. By knowing what services you need, you can narrow down your choice to those that only offer what you need. In order to know what services you want, it’s important to know what a fundraising consultant can do.

That way, when you do hire someone, you can both start your project on the same page and with the same expectations.

In general, every firm offers slightly different services. We’ll cover some of the nonprofit consulting services you can expect to see among most firms:

  • Conduct research on your donors’ giving behaviors.
  • Create fundraising strategies.
  • Assist you with hiring nonprofit professionals.
  • Motivate and educate your staff on all things concerning fundraising.

In addition to the services mentioned above, many consulting firms specialize in a particular aspect of fundraising. For instance, digital fundraising consultants can design and develop customized fundraising solutions to meet your nonprofit’s needs.

Let’s say your organization is using Luminate, a fundraising tool created by Blackbaud; you might hire a digital consultant to customize your Luminate system to help track and market matching gifts to boost your annual fund.

Once you have a better idea of what a consultant firm can offer, you can start figuring out which services align best with your needs. You may need just one service or a combination of all that the firm has to offer.

The takeaway: The more you know about what a nonprofit consultant offers, the better idea you’ll have about whether or not you need their services.

How to pick a nonprofit consultant for your annual fund - Find a firm with annual fund experience

3. Find a firm with previous annual fund experience.

While a nonprofit consultant can’t guarantee you success, working with someone that has previous experience planning annual fund strategies gives you a higher chance of having positive results.

We’ll take a look at three things that your fundraising consultant should be knowledgeable in.

A. Matching gift programs.

As you are probably aware, matching gift programs can help you double your donations. Matched giving requires a lot of promotion and education in order to encourage donors to submit a request to their employer.

You want to hire a fundraising consultant that has prior experience working with the various matching gift programs.

If you choose a nonprofit consulting firm that already has knowledge on this subject, they can help you figure out how to best incorporate matching gifts into your appeals. They might even be able to suggest different services that can help make matching gift promotion easier.

B. Online donation software.

Optimizing your online donation forms is key if you want to encourage donors to participate in recurring giving and gift matching. Find a fundraising consultant that can suggest online donation form best practices.

Additionally, you want to find a firm that is familiar with donor abandonment and how to avoid it. The more your consultant knows about donors’ giving behaviors, the better he or she can guide you on how to make your forms better.

C. Unique ideas for communicating with supporters.

You should look for a nonprofit consultant who can offer you a new perspective on how to approach your annual fund.

For instance, if your nonprofit’s past annual fund communications have been largely through direct mail, in-person events, and phone calls, you could consider bringing someone on with a background in online marketing and fundraising to give your next campaign a new edge. The consultant could help coach you through a complete digital strategy from email to social media.

Essentially, you want to find a consultant who can help you both improve upon what you’re already doing and add new skills and approaches to your repertoire.

With new ideas, your consultant can help you discover different, unique ways to communicate with donors and build those long-lasting relationships. Ultimately, lasting relationships with your supporters will help motive them to give regularly.

The takeaway: When you find someone with the right skills and prior knowledge on annual funds, you don’t have to spend time explaining concepts and can start working on solutions right away.

How to pick a nonprofit consultant for your annual fund - Work with a consultant that can connect often

4. Work with a consultant who can connect often.

Communication is key to working successfully with a nonprofit consulting firm. Establishing communication from the beginning means that there will be less confusion later.

Connecting often with a consultant is important because your nonprofit can:

  • Get regular updates on your annual fund plan and strategies.
  • Communicate your concerns promptly so that the consultant can make changes early on.
  • Explain all your needs and what you hope to achieve.

Depending on your nonprofit consulting needs, you may want to choose a local consultant.

Finding a local fundraising consulting firm will help to ensure that you both are familiar with your nonprofit’s donor community and outreach.

This regional bond can help your nonprofit feel more comfortable with a fundraising consultant and spend more time developing in-depth strategies that target your local demographic’s needs and interests.

That being said, finding a firm that’s close by isn’t always feasible. Plus, remote nonprofit consultants present their own strengths that can be extremely beneficial.

Since remote consultants won’t have the luxury of dropping by your office at the drop of a hat, they’re more likely to stay on schedule (and ensure that your nonprofit does, too!). Additionally, remote consultants can bring a fresh perspective and a different frame of reference to the table.

If you’re considering nonprofit consulting firms that are further away, always make a note to ask them how they communicate with their clients. For instance, having the majority of interactions via email might not be the most ideal approach seeing as some messages might get misinterpreted or overlooked.

Instead, make the effort to have more direct communications with non-local firms through regular phone or video chat sessions.

It’s also a good idea to meet with your nonprofit consulting firm in person as often as you can, especially early in the process so that you can clearly explain all your needs and gain a solid understanding of what plan they have in place for your nonprofit.

The takeaway: Connecting regularly with your nonprofit consultant is important because it allows you to know immediately how things are going to be planned. Plus, you can voice your concerns as soon as they arise.

How to pick a nonprofit consultant for your annual fund - Consider the cost of a consultant

5. Consider how much a consultant will cost.

Not every nonprofit consulting firm will cost the same, and there are no set guidelines on how a consultant is paid. Some may charge by the hour or day while others may charge per project. Additionally, you might be charged food, travel, hotel fees, and other expenses. It all depends on the firm that you decided to work with.

As you consider the price of a nonprofit consultant, ask yourself what’s most important. Do you want: 

  • Someone that meshes well with your nonprofit’s culture?
  • A consultant with lots of experience handling similar nonprofits?
  • A firm that can offer creative and unique suggestions for your annual fund strategy?

Once you’ve figured out what is crucial for your nonprofit, you can start to narrow down your options. Perhaps paying a little extra for the skills and characteristics you need won’t seem like such a bad thing in the long run.

The takeaway: The cost of a fundraising consultant is inevitable; make sure that you get the best return on your investment. Consider what services or skills you want from your firm and then compare prices.

How to pick a nonprofit consultant for your annual fund - Narrow down your picks and request a proposal

6. Narrow down your selection and request a proposal.

Before you make your final choice, it’s a good idea to request a proposal or ask your top firms to pitch their suggestions. A proposal will give you a better idea of what each nonprofit consulting firm suggests you do to improve your annual fund. In other words, it will give you a taste of what to expect.

The proposal can be a formal, in-person presentation or a document that firms send to you with their suggestions. Either way, you should request the same type of proposal from all your top picks to be consistent.

When you request your pitches, give the nonprofit consultant some time to really come up with solutions. If you give them too little time, they’re likely going to send you general pitches that aren’t specific to your nonprofit’s needs. Give them at least 3 weeks to submit their solutions.

After every firm turns in their proposal or presents their pitch, take some time to consider every firms’ suggestions. As you take each one into consideration, make sure you ask the following questions:

  • Did the firm offer you solutions specific to your nonprofit’s goals?
  • Were they confident in their solutions?
  • Did they offer any statistics to back up their suggestions?

Of course, you can add to this list with other questions that are important to you.

Now it’s time to make your choice! Use all the information you’ve gained about each firm to help you decide which one is best for you.

The takeaway: Requesting a pitch is one way to get a better understanding of what each nonprofit consultant suggests your nonprofit do to improve your annual fund. Use this step as a way to narrow down your options and pick the best solution.

With these tips, you can start searching for the fundraising consulting firm that best fits your needs. Look for a firm that meshes well with your nonprofit’s culture and has prior experience working with similar organizations.

If you would like to learn more about hiring a fundraising consultant, check out these helpful resources: 

  1. 11 Top Fundraising Consultants. Now that you’ve got tips to help you hire a fundraising consultant, it’s time to start your search. Check out this list of our top consultants.
  2. Top 10 Fundraising Consulting Firms.  As you begin looking, you might realize that not every consultant offers the same services. Check out these consulting firms to find one that meets all your organization’s needs.
  3. Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas. Looking for more ways to boost your annual fund? Get our full list of fundraising ideas to help you raise even more funds this year!
  4. Nonprofit Tools and Best Practices. In addition to consultant tips, 501 Commons provides resources that every nonprofit organization can take advantage of. Check out what they have to say about choosing a consultant, plus more.
  5. Top Fundraising Consultants in Ohio and Indiana. If you think that hiring a local consultant is the best option for your nonprofit, check out our list of consultants located in the Midwest.

In this guide, you’ll discover more than 10 online fundraising ideas to bring in revenue for your nonprofit.

10+ Online Fundraising Ideas: Raise Money in the Digital Age

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We all know that online fundraising is quickly taking the nonprofit world by storm. More people than ever are making their charitable contributions via online avenues. That’s why we’ve compiled 11 of the best online fundraising ideas that can help your nonprofit raise more money in the digital age!

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

  1. Crowdfunding
  2. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
  3. Matching Gift Drive
  4. T-Shirt Fundraising
  5. Gift Card Fundraisers
  6. Online Donation Forms [Free or Paid]
  7. Online Giving Days
  8. Text-to-Give Campaign
  9. Online Auctions/a>
  10. Viral Fundraising Campaign
  11. Online Cashback Websites
  12. Donation for a Vote

Tools mentioned:

Let’s take a look at each of these online fundraising ideas in more detail.

Online Fundraising Idea #1: Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is proving to be one of the most popular ways for nonprofits and individuals alike to raise money for causes, projects, or events that they care about.

For those new to the term, crowdfunding essentially makes use of a nonprofit’s or individual’s existing network of supporters, friends, family members, coworkers, peers, and even acquaintances.

Nonprofits and individuals can set up crowdfunding pages and then share those pages on social media sites and via email.

A typical nonprofit crowdfunding page looks like this:

Fundly's crowdfunding pages make online fundraising quick and simple.

Most crowdfunding platforms allow nonprofits to:

  • Upload images and videos.
  • Write a detailed description.
  • Post updates and comments.
  • Share the campaign across social media sites and email.
  • Set up giving levels or tiers.
  • Send out automatic acknowledgements to donors.
  • Track metrics like number of donors, average donation amount, and total amount raised.

If you want to make the most of your nonprofit’s crowdfunding campaign, follow these best practices:

  1. Interact with your supporters: Your donors want to know how your online fundraising campaign is going! Keep them in the loop by posting updates and responding to their comments on your crowdfunding page.
  2. Post at least 4 photos or videos: Media gives your donors some context and allows them to see exactly what they’re donating to. Make sure that your photos look professional and highlight the people, animals, or communities that your nonprofit serves.
  3. Set up giving levels: Including donation tiers or giving levels on your campaign page allows donors to select the one that they prefer. To create an even bigger impact, you can list out the specific actions that your nonprofit can accomplish with each donation amount.

Main Takeaway: Crowdfunding is one of the best online fundraising ideas for nonprofits. Most crowdfunding platforms enable you to get up and running in just a few minutes, and you can start raising money from your supporters in no time!

Bonus: Start your crowdfunding campaign today!

Online Fundraising Idea #2: Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising or virtual events are a type of fundraising that many nonprofits pair with fundraising events like walkathons, marathons, and in-person events that need to be transitioned to virtual.

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns typically follow this structure:

  1. A nonprofit sets a goal, determines a timeline, and plans a peer-to-peer event.
  2. The nonprofit reaches out to loyal supporters and asks them if they want to participate in the fundraiser.
  3. If supporters are willing to participate, they then set up their own online fundraising pages (with the nonprofit’s help). These individual pages link up to the nonprofit’s main peer-to-peer fundraising page.
  4. Individuals reach out to their networks to ask for donations on the nonprofit’s behalf.
  5. Supporters’ friends and family members make donations via the individual’s peer-to-peer fundraising page.
  6. The nonprofit collects the donations, acknowledges and thanks supporters and donors, and hosts the (typically active) event.

This individual peer-to-peer fundraising page is linked to the nonprofit’s primary fundraising page.

This peer-to-peer campaign follows a few best practices that we’re a huge fan of:

  1. They include several images: Both the nonprofit’s main page and the individual’s campaign page have images and videos that allow supporters to see exactly what their donations are going toward.
  2. They describe what the contributions will help accomplish: Each page highlights the need for homes and volunteer time in Austin. Both pages have giving tiers that describe what a donation amount will be able to buy. For example, $300 will buy a stove, while $500 will buy a roof.
  3. Each description is detailed: A good peer-to-peer campaign description is the key to encouraging people to donate to your cause. Without it, people won’t know why you’re raising money! This campaign has listed out the reasons for fundraising and lets people know why building homes in Austin is important.

Main Takeaway: Peer-to-peer fundraising is a type of online fundraising that enables your nonprofit to raise more money and acquire more donors. As your supporters reach out to their networks, your nonprofit can introduce more people to your cause and mission.

Bonus: Check out the top priorities you should be looking at as you evaluate the various peer-to-peer fundraising platforms!

Online Fundraising Idea #3: Matching Gift Drive

Take online giving one step further by encouraging your donors to search for the matching gift programs for which they might be eligible. Companies of all sizes will often match (or more than match) their employees’ donations to nonprofit organizations!

There are even useful tools you can embed directly onto your websites or campaign emails. Here’s how the National Audobon Society incorporated a user-friendly search tools directly into their ways to give page:

Check out how the National Audobon Society incorporated matching gifts tools into their site.

For a fundraising campaign, create some buzz by asking a local company or major donor to match donations made on a particular day. Time sensitive drive campaigns work well because they create urgency, a good motivator for supporters. Plus, since each donation goes twice as far, donors will be more likely to participate.

Best of all, and unlike ongoing corporate matching gift programs that apply to eligible employees, matching gift drives don’t have restrictions on who can participate!

The key to a prosperous matching gift drive is promotion. Get the most people to participate by sending emails to your donors on the days leading up to the event. 

Social media is also an effective place to promote your online fundraiser. If your museum is running a matching gift drive, for example, you can publish posts on Facebook and Twitter that tell donors any tickets purchased or contributions made during your drive will be doubled by your sponsor.

Also, let donors know about the many ways they can contribute. Provide your donors convenient ways to give, such as:

  • Donation pages.
  • Text-to-give.
  • Mobile-responsive forms.
  • Crowdfunding pages.

The more fundraising options donors have, the more likely they are to make a donation.

Additionally, if you’re hosting a giving day, but only accept donations through a form on your website, this limits the number of people that can contribute to your cause. 

Always ensure that you have a variety of ways to collect donations before launching your matching gift drive.

Main Takeaway: Knowing that their gifts will double for a limited time is a great motivator for donors. Use that knowledge to your advantage and host a matching gift drive.

Bonus:  For matching gifts year-round, check out another example of how Mercy Corps helps their supporters determine if their employer matches donations on their branded matching gifts page from Double the Donation.

Online Fundraising Idea #4: T-Shirt Fundraising

Another effective way for nonprofits to fundraise online is by selling t-shirts. Your nonprofit can deisgn t-shirts as merchandise for your organization and sell them online to your supporters.

T-shirt fundraisers are a fun, engaging way to raise money for your nonprofit because they allow supporters to show their love for your organization while still getting something back in return.

For supporters who many not be able to donate as much as they would like due to financial limitations, t-shirt fundraisers offer them the opportunity to contribute to your cause without breaking the bank.

Your nonprofit can get started by promoting t-shirt sales in conjunction with different fundraising campaigns. For example, you might sell holiday-themed t-shirts during year-end giving to capitalize on the seasonal spirit.

Even further, the t-shirts you sell can double as marketing materials for your nonprofit’s brand. When people see their friends wearing your organization’s shirts, they may get inspired to start contributing to your nonprofit.

T-shirt fundraising is a great way to raise money quickly.

When choosing an online host for your t-shirt fundraising initiative, select one that:

  • Offers plenty of t-shirt customization options.
  • Allows you to upload original designs for your shirts.
  • Gives you the freedom to set your own t-shirt prices.
  • Charges a low-overhead fee so you can keep more of your profits.
  • Gives you the ability to customize your nonprofit’s t-shirt sales page.

As your organization starts selling t-shirts, remember that customization is key! Supporters are more likely to buy your organization’s shirts if they feel the product (and sales process) reflects the brand they have come to know and love.

Bonus: Learn more about selling t-shirts to raise money for your nonprofit with Bonfire!

Online Fundraising Idea #5: Gift Card Fundraisers

What if you could raise money by having supporters do something they were probably going to do anyway? Gift card fundraising is an innovative way to bring in revenue online, and it’s convenient for supporters because they get to contribute to your cause simply by buying a gift card for a friend or family member.

Digital gift cards tend to work best for these types of fundraisers, as they can be delivered to supporters’ inboxes within minutes of their purchase. Then, supporters can forward their email to the loved one they want to give the card to as a gift.

Every time someone buys a gift card through your fundraiser, a percentage of the sale automatically goes back to your nonprofit. The exact amount varies depending on the retailer who provided the gift card, but it’s often around 5.5%. However, these contributions add up over time to make a major difference for your organization!

To launch a gift card fundraiser through a gift card fundraising platform (like ShopRaise), follow these three easy steps:

This is a screenshot of the landing page for ShopRaise's gift card fundraiser, a convenient online fundraising idea.

  1. Register your organization. The experts who run your fundraising platform will walk you through a simple onboarding process, answer any questions you may have, and provide the app your supporters will use to purchase their gift cards.
  2. Spread the word. Marketing is essential to a successful gift card fundraiser. Leverage all of the communication channels your nonprofit uses to make supporters aware of your fundraiser and provide instructions for getting started. The platform you partner with may be able to provide some marketing materials to help you with this step.
  3. Track results. Your organization’s dashboard will display real-time fundraising data to help you thank your top supporters individually and encourage them to continue buying gift cards to support your cause.

Consider starting your gift card fundraiser at a time of year when people are likely to be buying a lot of gifts. For instance, you could launch in November to prepare for the holiday season or in April as your supporters start thinking about Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, peak wedding season, and upcoming graduations. Just make sure to leave your fundraiser open year-round so supporters can buy gift cards for their loved ones’ birthdays in between these busy seasons.

Main takeaway: Gift card fundraisers are an easy virtual idea that can be run year-round. They’re free for your organization to launch and convenient for supporters as they can contribute to your cause by buying gift cards they were going to purchase anyway.

Bonus: Explore the ins and outs of gift card fundraising with ShopRaise!

Online Fundraising Idea #6: Online Donation Forms

One of the most traditional ways to raise money online is through the tried-and-true online donation form. In many cases, donation forms allow you to brand your page and create special fields to capture specific, related information.

Best of all, online donation forms can be mobile-friendly so even more of your supporters have access. 

Since there are many customization capabilities available, your organization can create a form that is completely unique to your brand.

There are many vendors available that offer both free donation forms and paid donation forms.

Here is an example of what your online donation form could look like:

Optimized online donation forms are key to success in digital fundraising.

As you can see, the Water Project does a lot of great things with their donation form:

  • First, the donation form has preset giving buttons, making it easy for the donor to choose a gift amount.
  • Secondly, donors have the option to set recurring gifts.
  • Last, the option to share contributions on Facebook and Twitter is predominantly displayed.

All these features not only help boost your awareness and funds, but they also make the giving process convenient for your donors.

Of course, if your organization wants all of these features (and more!), you’ll have to choose an excellent fundraising software provider.

Look for a vendor that has a responsive technical support team and an easy-to-use interface; you shouldn’t have to be an expert in CSS and HTML to create a professional-looking form. With a simple donation form builder, your organization should be able to drag and drop the elements you want to use and customize them to fit your needs.

If you’re using a fully customizable platform, you’ll be able to create a form that is unique to your organization or recruit a technology consultant who can design a form catered to your needs.

When creating your online donation forms, be considerate of your donors’ time and keep your donations quick and simple.

Main Takeaway: Creating a convenient and beautifully designed donation page starts with finding the right software. Find a provider that offers the features that will make donating quick and easy.

Online Fundraising Idea #7: Online Giving Days

The most common online giving day is #GivingTuesday, a national day of charitable giving started a few years ago by the 92nd Street Y in New York.

While your nonprofit might already participate in #GivingTuesday, that doesn’t mean that you can’t organize your own online giving day for your supporters!

Just so we’re clear, an online giving day is a 24-hour period where a nonprofit tries to raise as much money as possible from its supporters.

An online giving day has to have a lot of digital promotion and advertising to make it effective. Reach out to your supporters:

  • With emails.
  • Over social media.
  • Via text message.
  • On your website.
  • With videos.

These digital outreach methods should contain information about your giving day such as the time, ways to donate, what the funds will go toward, and how supporters can get more involved.

Here’s an example of an animal nonprofit that promotes #GivingTuesday on Twitter:

Of course, Twitter has character limitations, so this tweet had to be short and sweet. Your other digital promotions for your giving day can go a bit more in-depth and include more specific information about your online fundraiser.

Whatever route you take, make sure that you explain what the funds are going toward and provide supporters with a link to your online donation page.

Main Takeaway: An online giving day can be an energetic and fast-paced way to raise money for your cause. Electrify your donor base with lots of digital promotions and encourage them to give as much as they can in just 24 hours!

Bonus: Take a look at these #GivingTuesday promotional resources.

Online Fundraising Idea 7: Text-to-Give Campaign

Text-to-give came on the scene as a digital fundraising method in 2010 when millions of dollars were donated to the American Red Cross to support victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Since then, text-to-give (or text-to-tithe for churches) has become a mainstream way to raise money for any organization or cause!

Today, text-to-give tends to work like this:

  1. A donor will text a keyword to a specific number that has been assigned to a nonprofit.
  2. The donor will receive a link as a text message.
  3. The link takes the donors to a mobile-responsive donation page where they can make a contribution.

It’s that easy!

When choosing a text-to-give tool, look for a provider that is PCI-compliant, which means the company follows strict rules to ensure a high level of security.

Ease of use and integration are also vital characteristics to look for in a text-to-give tool. You want the giving process to be quick and simple for donors as well as have a way to export data to your CRM.

Many nonprofits, schools, and churches use text-to-give technology as an online fundraising avenue throughout the year, but it’s also a popular donation method during fundraising events. One of your speakers can make a live appeal and ask people to give with their cellphones (all of your attendees will likely have their phones in their pockets or purses!).

Main Takeaway: Text-to-give is quickly becoming one of the most popular online fundraising ideas. Don’t get left behind by this fundraising trend!

Bonus: Check out the ultimate guide to text-to-give.

Online Fundraising Idea #9: Online Auctions

Online auctions are essentially digital silent auctions that are more cost-effective and are open to all your supporters, increasing fundraising potential even more.

For your digital venue, you can opt to use auction software or an online marketplace like eBay to host your online auction. 

Just like with any charity auction, you’ll need to procure items and experiences that excite your guests and encourage them to place bids.

Look for unique items that your guests won’t be able to find anywhere else. Look at the following suggestions to help you get started:

    • Sports memorabilia.
    • Backstage passes to a concert.
    • Tickets to an exclusive museum exhibit.
    • And so much more!

Generate excitement before your event by creating an auction catalog with images and a description of each item (or experience) and teach registered guests how to place bids to prepare them for the big day. Plus, with dedicated auction software (like OneCause) you can track the progress of your online auctions in real time:

Online charity auctions make it easy to engage your donors and raise funds.

Main Takeaway: Online auctions make it possible for supporters from all over the world to participate and are cost-effective so that you can raise the most money from your event.

Online Fundraising Idea #10: Viral Fundraising Campaign

You’ve likely heard of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, but you may not know just how successful that particular viral fundraising campaign was.

In just a month and a half, the ALS Association was able to raise $115 million (and tons of awareness!) for ALS research by asking people to pour cold water on their heads.

Another example of a viral fundraising campaign is “Movember.” For this viral campaign, men grow out their facial hair during the month of November and make donations in support of men’s health.

These are just two of the many viral fundraising campaigns that nonprofits have started. Why not start your own?

Keep these tips in mind before trying to launch a viral fundraising campaign. And remember, it might take a few months or even more than a year for your campaign to go truly viral.

  1. Don’t ask for too much. You aren’t going to receive a ton of donations if you ask for $500 every time. Instead, ask people for small contributions like $5, $10, or $20. Once a campaign goes viral, all of those little donations will add up!
  2. Create a memorable hashtag. Hashtags help group your social media posts and make your nonprofit’s message easier to find on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Create a memorable and punchy hashtag. Use it in all of your social media posts and encourage your supporters to use it, as well!
  3. Get to the point. A viral campaign has to be focused and targeted. It’s not the time to explain every single detail of your nonprofit’s mission. Instead, boil down your vision to a few key points and use them interchangeably throughout the duration of your campaign.
  4. Make use of all of your digital channels. Post on Facebook. Tweet out a promotional message. Snap a picture and post it to Instagram. Start a Pinterest board. Send out emails. Use every digital communications channel at your disposal!

Main Takeaway: It might take time to get a viral fundraising campaign off the ground, but if you can do it, your nonprofit’s mission and vision will be made known to supporters across the country and even around the world!

Online Fundraising Idea #11: Online Cashback Websites

Online cashback sites can be used by nonprofits as well as individuals who are looking to raise a little extra money while doing something that nearly everyone loves: shopping online!

Let’s break down how most online cashback websites work:

  1. Someone in your nonprofit needs to buy office supplies or something else online.
  2. The staff member begins their search for office supplies at an online cashback site.
  3. Once the items have been purchased, a percentage of the total amount is deposited into a cashback account.
  4. Your nonprofit can withdraw the cashback amount at regular intervals (typically monthly or quarterly).

Common cashback sites include:

 

While cashback sites aren’t going to help your nonprofit break any fundraising records, they are an easy way to raise more money from online shopping. Signing up for most of these cashback sites is easy, and everyone in your nonprofit can participate!

Main Takeaway: Online cashback sites can supplement your existing fundraising efforts. If your staff does a lot of online shopping, sites like Ebates and Amazon can be an easy way to raise extra funds!

Online Fundraising Idea #12: Donation for a Vote

The donation for a vote online fundraising idea gets your supporters engaged in a silly challenge in return for their contributions.

Here’s how this fundraiser works:

  1. Create a list of silly challenges that your staff or volunteers are willing to complete.
  2. Create a poll, asking your supporters to vote (with a donation) for the challenge they’d like to see your team complete.
  3. At the end of the poll, record your team completing whatever challenge received the most votes and post it on social media.

The challenges you pick should be interesting and if possible, related to your cause in some way.

In the video, thank your supporters for their contributions, and mention how the funds will be used to further your cause.

Supporters will get a kick out of seeing you do a silly task, and you’ll raise more money for your cause!

Not only will donors like seeing a hilarious video, but they’ll also appreciate that you want their opinion and input. Plus, supporters will encourage their peers to vote so they can see their favorite challenge win. 

Main Takeaway: Donation for a vote is a fun (and potentially viral) way to raise money for your cause. Makes sure to choose your challenges and continue to encourage your supporters to vote.

We hope that these online fundraising ideas have inspired you to go out and try some different fundraising techniques.

For more ideas and tips, check out these helpful resources:

  • 80+ Fundraising Ideas. Couldn’t find what you were looking for with our online fundraising ideas? Check out our full list of ideas. You’re sure to find the perfect fundraiser for your cause!
  • Church Fundraising Ideas. If you’re looking for ways to raise money for churches and other faith-based organizations, we’ve got a list of ideas that will help you reach your goals.
  • School Fundraising Ideas. Schools need to find family-friendly ways to raise money and engage their students. Check out this list of top ideas from Fundly to get started!
  • Top Online Donation Tools. If you want to start fundraising online, you’ll need software to accept donations. Use this list of top tools to find online donation software for your organization!

Check out our 13 tips to avoid mistakes when choosing a donor database.

Choosing a Donor Database: 13 Tips to Avoid Mistakes

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With so many platforms and vendors out there, choosing the right donor database for your nonprofit is no easy feat.

But when you consider how crucial your donor database is to the success of your operations, it couldn’t be more important to choose the right one.

With the right platform on your side, you’ll be able to get a comprehensive picture of your donors and more efficiently manage your efforts to see better fundraising results.

Unfortunately, many nonprofits go into the buying process unprepared. Without having done their research and knowing the right questions to ask, these organizations fall into many mistakes that can hurt their operations and limit their success.

Luckily, these mistakes are completely avoidable if you know what to expect when shopping for a new nonprofit CRM.

To prevent you from falling into the same traps, we’ll take you through the top 13 tips to keep you from making mistakes when choosing a donor database:

  1. Don’t shop for the wrong type of software.
  2. Put thought into your reasons for buying.
  3. Select a platform that supports all of the users you need.
  4. Find a platform that has room to accommodate all of your constituents.
  5. Give your organization room to grow.
  6. Choose a platform that supports all of the necessary functionalities.
  7. Make sure the database can be integrated with the necessary third-party platforms.
  8. Explicitly ask about price.
  9. Make sure your platform doesn’t require difficult data migration.
  10. Your platform must be secure.
  11. The platform should come with enough training.
  12. Make sure your organization will receive sufficient support.
  13. Consult a second opinion.

By the time we’re done, you’ll be prepared to pick the perfect donor database. Let’s get started!

Need a refresher on buying software? Check out Salsa’s infographic before diving in.
Don't shop for the wrong type of donor database for your organization.

Donor Database Tip #1: Don’t shop for the wrong type of software.

Fortunately for nonprofits everywhere, there are tons of different fundraising software solutions to help organizations optimize the fundraising process.

Unfortunately, this multiplicity only complicates the buying process.

When shopping for a new nonprofit donor database, you’ll first want to make sure that a donor database is actually the type of software you need.

To refresh, nonprofits use donor databases to house all of the important information they receive about their donors throughout the span of the donor’s’ relationship with the organization.

You can track virtually anything, like:

  • Biographical information and demographics
  • Contact information
  • Households and relationships
  • Donation and volunteer history
  • Interests and affinities
  • And much more!

Donor databases allow organizations to track all donor data centrally, so all data sources can communicate with each other to give nonprofits a 360° view of their donors.

All different types of nonprofits rely on databases to keep track of constituent information and daily operations. There are general, all-purpose nonprofit databases as well as specialized, industry-specific solutions such as museum management tools or camp databases. If your nonprofit has highly specific needs, make sure you search for software that supports those goals!

For all nonprofits, creating a centralized system for storing all of the information you collect from donors and other supporters is one of the first steps to developing more targeted fundraising and engagement strategies. Learn more about what goes into effective data management by reading this post from DNL OmniMedia.

The takeaway: There are many different types of fundraising software out there. If you’re shopping for a donor database, make sure it’s the best solution to fit your needs.

Put though into your organization's reasons for buying a donor database.

Donor Database Tip #2: Put thought into your reasons for buying.

If you’re considering a new donor database, it’s probably because your organization needs a change.

Maybe you’re limited by the incomplete insights you’ve been receiving from housing your donor data in multiple platforms.

Maybe you’re tired of wasting so many man hours cleaning up your data.

Maybe you’re already using a platform that’s too expensive, and you just want something a little more affordable.

Point is, there are many reasons why nonprofits shop for a new (or their first!) donor database.

While we couldn’t possibly list out all of the reasons organizations shop for new software, here are a few of the most common:

  • To gain a more complete understanding of their donors.
  • To achieve more efficient or seamless operations.
  • To free up staff time.
  • To better organize their data.
  • To better oversee staff and volunteer efforts.
  • To switch to a platform that’s easier to use.
  • To upgrade to a platform that’s larger or more scalable.
  • To switch to a platform with a more comprehensive feature set.
  • To find a platform with better support or training.
  • To change to a platform that’s more cost-effective.

While all platforms will provide similar benefits, some platforms will be better at providing certain functionalities than others.

That’s why it’s important to determine exactly why you’re shopping for a new nonprofit CRM. That way, you can make sure that the platform you end up buying actually aligns with your reasons for shopping.

The takeaway: Going into the buying process aware of why you’re shopping will ensure that your organization finds a solution that can address the areas you’d most like to improve.

Select a donor database platform that supports all the users you need.

Donor Database Tip #3: Select a platform that supports all of the users you need.

To accommodate nonprofits of all sizes, donor database vendors usually price their software partially based off of how many people can use it.

Unfortunately, many organizations go into the buying process unaware of this fact and end up buying a solution that can’t support all of the users they need.

That means at least one important staff member won’t have access to all of the tools and information required to help them do their job as well as possible, limiting the greater success of the organization.

Luckily, this mistake is super easy to avoid. All you need to do is determine how many staff members will be using the software before you buy. This way, you can select an interface that gives you the right number of users for your organization, like DonorPerfect:

Make sure your platform can handle all of the necessary users.

While some organizations with small staffs only need access for one or two users, large organizations might need a platform that supports dozens. It all depends on the needs and makeup of your organization.

The takeaway: Don’t buy a solution only to find out that all of the necessary staff members don’t have access to it. Think about how many users you’ll need from the beginning to find a donor database that’s the perfect size for your organization.

Find a donor database platform that has the room to accommodate all of your constituents.

Donor Database Tip #4: Find a platform that has room to accommodate all of your constituents.

The price of donor databases is also usually influenced by the number of constituent profiles that it allows.

And it makes sense! Nonprofit donor databases are donor-centric, so it’s only natural that their price would be determined by the number of donors they can accommodate.

As such, you’ll want to check (and double check!) that the nonprofit CRM you’re considering can hold the entirety of your donor base.

If not, you won’t be able to track all of your donors’ important information, leaving you with little to no insight into a portion of your base.

Check out DonorPerfect’s donor database software to see what a comprehensive product looks like for your constituent profiles. Below you’ll see a list of donor profiles:

Make sure you can accommodate all of the constituents your organization has in your donor database.

Considering that one of the main benefits of using a donor database is to give your organization the most complete picture of your donors available, buying a platform that’s too small would totally defeat the purpose of buying new software.

The takeaway: Find a platform that’s the right size for you so that all of your donors will be housed comfortably in your new donor database.

Give your organization room to grow within your donor database.

Donor Database Tip #5: Give your organization room to grow.

On that note, when determining how many supporter profiles your new nonprofit CRM should hold, you’ll also want to look towards the future.

Chances are, your nonprofit is growing and changing quickly. And with the help of your new donor database, your growth should skyrocket!

Your donor database shouldn’t just support the number of donor profiles you have right now; it should also give you room to grow.

Buying a scalable solution ensures that you can continue accommodating all of the new donor information you receive as your base expands. If you buy a solution that’s too limited, you’ll only be buying a new donor database sooner.

However, be wary. While you want to dream big, you also don’t want to buy a solution that’s too large, or else you’ll be wasting money on something you don’t need.

The takeaway: When determining how many donor profiles your new database should support, consider the foreseeable future. You’ll want to strike the perfect balance by finding a solution that can grow with you but that still fits your current needs.

Choose a donor database platform that supports all of the necessary functionalities.

Donor Database Tip #6: Choose a platform that supports all of the necessary functionalities.

While most donor databases will have a similar set of basic functionalities, some are more comprehensive or specialized than others.

Because features vary from platform to platform, you’ll need to determine whether or not the provider you’re considering has all of the functionalities you need to execute your efforts.

For example, if you’re buying software with the main goal of making your operations more efficient, you’ll want to find a donor database with as many automated features as possible, such as generating donation receipts after supporters submit their donations online.

In addition to automation features, to get the most out of your CRM, you should look for the following capabilities:

  • Detailed constituent profiles. Not only is it important for you to track a donor’s basic information and past giving history. To get a complete picture of each donor, you should be able to add custom fields to your profiles to track a donor’s interests and past interactions with your nonprofit.
  • Gift management and custom webforms. When you have a CRM that can process donations and build forms, you don’t have to worry about transferring your donor data; it will already be integrated with your donor database.
  • Email Communications. Collecting donor data can be used to improve your communications and provide donors with the most relevant information. With that said, having the ability to send out mass and automated emails through your CRM can make the process seamless. For instance, your segmented list of donors can easily be linked to your automated communications so that you can send targeted emails.
  • Reporting and analytics. Another piece of your CRM should be focused on analyzing the data from your donor profiles and donation forms to provide you with reports on giving habits, as well as preferred donation methods. This information can help you improve your online fundraising efforts. Check out Salsa’s reports:

Check out Salsa's reports.

If the base platform you’re considering doesn’t have all of the functionalities you need, these gaps can often be addressed by compounding your donor database with expansions.

Expansions simply refer to other software solutions that have been developed by the same vendor and, as such, are easily integrated with your donor database.

For example, because Salsa specializes in CRMs, they provide excellent donor management software that can be integrated with your CRM to provide a more comprehensive set of features.

Whether you’re supplementing your donor database with expansions or just need the base software, make sure that your platform of choice will support all of the features you need.

If not, it’s time to look at a different solution!

The takeaway: Buy a donor database that has all of the required features so you can most effectively manage your fundraising efforts.

Make sure the donor database can be integrated with the necessary third-party platforms.

Donor Database Tip #7: Make sure the platform can be integrated with the necessary third party platform.

If the platform you’re looking at doesn’t have all of the features you need, you might still be able to supply those features with integrations.

Integrations are similar to expansions in that they can be added onto your donor database to provide additional functionality.

The only difference is that these platforms that have been developed by a third-party vendor, so incorporating them into your donor database might prove a little more difficult.

Some common donor database integrations include:

  • Matching gift services
  • Accounting
  • Email marketing
  • Social media management
  • Wealth screening and prospect research services

Make sure that your donor database can support any integrations you need to fill in the features you’re missing.

If you’re already using a third-party platform to supply these missing functionalities, this will be as simple as asking your vendor if the software can integrate with your current platform.

Check out Salsa Labs’ donor database integrations with both Double the Donation’s matching gift tools below:

Check out Salsa's integration with Double the Donation's tools.

Salsa integrates with DonorSearch’s prospect research tools, too:

Check out Salsa's integration with DonorSearch.

It will be much more difficult (and potentially detrimental to your operations) if it turns out that the third-party platform you’re using isn’t integratable with your new donor database.

Switching to a new platform will require more data transfer and time, since you’ll have to learn a new interface. In other words, it will only detract from your fundraising efforts.

The takeaway: Your new donor database should support all of the integrations you need to provide all of the features that will set you up for success!

Explicitly ask about the price of your donor database.

Donor Database Tip #8: Explicitly ask about price.

Considering that price is one of the biggest anxieties that nonprofits have when shopping for new software, you’d be surprised by how many organizations don’t ask about price.

It’s an all-too-easy mistake to make. The organization goes onto the vendor’s website, sees the list price, and automatically assumes that’s what they’ll be paying.

While we would all like to hope that any donor database vendor would be transparent and spell out the costs, unfortunately that won’t always be the case.

That’s why it could not be more important for your organization to ask about the costs outright.

Donor databases are highly customizable tools. Thus, even the same platform can vary drastically in price.

The list price (that displayed on the pricing page of the vendor’s website) usually only accounts for the number of users, the number of donor profiles, and the basic feature set.

However, there are many other factors that can influence the price of your nonprofit CRM, such as:

  • Expansions and integrations.
  • Costs associated with training and IT support.
  • Payment processing fees.
  • Data transfer and clean-up.
  • Updates to your software as technology advances.

Make sure your donor database actually fits into your budget by asking about costs at the beginning of the buying process.

The takeaway: The price of donor databases can be impacted by many different factors. Ask your vendor explicitly about costs to make sure your purchase won’t strain your organization fiscally.

Make sure your donor database platform doesn't require difficult data migration.

Donor Database Tip #9: Make sure your platform doesn’t require difficult data migration.

In order to get up and running with your new donor database, you’ll need to transfer over all of the donor data you already have.

Unfortunately, data migration will always come with difficulties. It’s a long process that requires:

  • Cleaning up your existing data (as to only transfer what’s relevant).
  • Exporting it from the old platform.
  • Importing it into the new platform.
  • Going back over your data to ensure that it was correctly transferred.

Just how difficult this process is will depend on how compatible your current systems are with your new donor database and how much support the vendor provides.

With some platforms, data transfer will be much more involved. While this might not seem like a big deal, choosing software that requires an especially difficult data migration process is a big mistake.

Not only will this be a headache for your organization, but it can also put a dent in your operations.

Think about it: the longer it takes you to transfer your data over, the longer it will be before you can start using your new software to improve your fundraising.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should jump right in and do it yourself. Data migration is a complex process, and each platform is different. The best vendors will assess your data and provide you with assistance, if necessary.

Remember that your constituent data is the most valuable data your organization has — importing it right the first time will ensure your organization can raise more and be more efficient in the long run.

The takeaway: Data migration is a huge part of getting your donor database set up. Find a vendor who will provide you with the support you need so that it won’t be hassle.

Your donor database platform must be secure.

Donor Database Tip #10: Your platform must be secure.

Your donor database will be home to all of your donor data, including your donor’s sensitive information.

That being the case, you’ll want to be absolutely sure that the donor database you’re considering has the proper security measures in place to protect this information.

One of the main features your donor database should include is advanced control over permissions. This feature will allow you to give only certain staff members access to information, so that only the people who absolutely need access to confidential information will have it.

Additionally, if your donor database comes with online fundraising tools (or you’re otherwise accepting donors’ payment information), you should make sure that the database is PCI-compliant. Being PCI-compliant simply means that the platform’s payment processing tools are in keeping with the security standards set out by the Payment Card Industry.

Failing to ask about security could mean that you’re putting your supporters’ confidential information in jeopardy.

If that information were to fall into the wrong hands, not only would you be damaging the trust you’ve so carefully built up with your donors, but you might also face legal repercussions.

Secure your peace of mind by asking your vendor about security!

The takeaway: Handling sensitive information requires the right precautions. Asking your vendor about security is the only way to ensure that your donor database can properly protect your donors.

Your donor database platform should come with enough training.

Donor Database Tip #11: The platform should come with enough training.

Let’s be honest—many of us aren’t as savvy with technology as we’d like to think.

While we hope that your donor database will be relatively intuitive for your staff to use, learning how to use any new platform will naturally require some training.

Without the proper training, you and your staff might be able to use your donor database, but you definitely won’t be able to utilize it as effectively as possible.

Get the most out of your new software by making sure it comes with the level of training you need.

Most vendors offer a couple of different options for training to accommodate for a range of budgets.

The most basic option is usually a free, pre-recorded training video you can watch on the computer. While this will give your staff a general idea of the platform’s interface and functionality, training won’t be adjusted to fit the unique needs of your organization.

If you’re willing to splurge a little bit, you can pay to receive custom training. With this option, someone will walk your staff through the platform with a specific focus on the modules you’ll be using most. Training can either be done online or on-site, and staff will have the opportunity to ask any questions that might come up.

Whether or not customized training is worth it to you will depend on the needs and resources of your organization. But if you need it, make sure it’s a viable option.

The takeaway: The proper level of training will allow your staff to make the most out of the new donor database to see the best fundraising results.

Make sure your organization will receive sufficient support from your donor database provider.

Donor Database Tip #12: Make sure your organization will receive sufficient support.

Your working relationship with your vendor won’t just end the minute they’ve set up your donor database and taught you how to use it.

You’ll be using your platform for years to come (at least, we hope so!). Chances are, at some point during these many years, you’ll run into some technical difficulties.

If your vendor provides excellent support, this will be no big deal. They’ll quickly field your problem and get you back on track before you’ve strayed too far.

Now imagine the other scenario: your donor database suddenly crashes, and you can’t get a consultant on the phone. You try to contact them by email, but still no luck. Days go by before—finally—you hear something back.

After days of waiting, it looks like your problem is going to be resolved. But once you have that consultant on the phone, they’re inattentive and unhelpful, and it still takes them a week to fix the issue.

Meanwhile, your organization has been missing out on a countless number of fundraising opportunities. Who knows how many dollars you’ve lost or how many new donors you’ve missed out on.

Point being, it could not be more important to make sure that your platform comes with sufficient support. Your vendor should be readily available to help you with any issues that come up and should be able to address these issues with little turnaround time.

When it comes to your fundraising, it could make all the difference!

The takeaway: Buying a donor database with insufficient support can be detrimental to your fundraising. Make sure your software is always running at top speed by choosing a donor database with support that’s attentive, efficient, and available.

Consult a second opinion before you purchase donor database software.

Donor Database Tip #13: Consult a second opinion.

Say you’re making a big purchase like a car or a mattress.

You’re shelling out your hard-earned dollars, so you wouldn’t just go into the purchase blind. We’re willing to bet that you’d probably go online or flip through Consumer Reports first to see if you could find any reviews that would help you make your decision. You might even ask one of your friends for their advice on which product they like best.

So, why wouldn’t you do the same when shopping for your donor database?

Second opinions not only attest firsthand to the value of the product you’re considering, but they can also give you that extra boost of confidence you might need before going through with the purchase.

In other words, consulting a second opinion will help you decide if the platform you’re considering is really the right one for you.

For the best advice, turn to current users.

While you can likely find reviews online, you should also ask your vendor if they can refer you to any of their other clients whose organizations are similar to your own.

The advice of current users will be invaluable. They use the platform every day, likely to assist with efforts similar to your own.

Nobody better understands the day-to-day difficulties that nonprofits face, so they’ll be able to give you a well-rounded view of the platform’s strengths and weaknesses.

It never hurts to ask, so don’t be shy about requesting references from your vendor. If they have happy customers and a truly great product, they’ll want to put you in touch!

The takeaway: A second opinion will give you the assurance and insight you need to decide if the new donor database you’ve been considering is the perfect fit for your organization.

There are a lot of considerations that go into choosing the right donor database for your organization. With so much to think about from fundraising to constituent profiles, it’s no wonder that nonprofits can run into so many obstacles.

However, if you go into the buying process prepared, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to avoid these mistakes.

Now, start the search for your perfect donor database!

For more information on donor databases, take a look at these additional resources:

  1. Nonprofit CRM Software. Check out our guide on CRM software for all the tips and helpful pointers your organization needs.
  2. Donor Database Software: Top 10 Nonprofit Platforms. Take a look at out top 10 donor database platforms for nonprofits to get your search started.
  3. Salsa’s 7 Tips to Convince Your Board to Invest in Fundraising Software. If you need help convincing your board to invest in fundraising software, check out Salsa’s tips to win them over.