All Salesforce donates a lot of software to nonprofits. It's genuinely one of the more generous vendors out there. But here's the thing: "10 free licenses" tends to get translated in leadership's head as "the CRM is basically free," and that assumption has a way of unraveling right around year two, when extra seats, a consultant…
PayPal is basically the Kleenex of online payments, right? Everyone knows the name, tons of your donors already have an account, and honestly, that makes it worth offering. But here's where things get dicey: knowing the name and building a fundraising strategy around it are two very different things. So that's what we're digging into…
All Most CRM switches stall on migration fear. Bloomerang alternatives ranked on how the move actually goes, plus a migration sequence that does not break things.
All Written for whoever does the implementation. Nonprofit event platforms compared on integrations, check-in reliability, setup time, and data portability.
Salesforce donates a lot of software to nonprofits. It's genuinely one of the more generous vendors out there. But here's the thing: "10 free licenses" tends to get translated in leadership's head as "the CRM is basically free," and that assumption has a way of unraveling right around year two, when extra seats, a consultant…
PayPal is basically the Kleenex of online payments, right? Everyone knows the name, tons of your donors already have an account, and honestly, that makes it worth offering. But here's where things get dicey: knowing the name and building a fundraising strategy around it are two very different things. So that's what we're digging into…
Most CRM switches stall on migration fear. Bloomerang alternatives ranked on how the move actually goes, plus a migration sequence that does not break things.
See 4 real nonprofit dashboard examples, from donor retention to sustainer MRR to campaign attribution, plus the KPIs every team should track and how to build your own.
Why "Set It and Forget It" No Longer Works Let's be honest. A lot of nonprofits treat digital marketing like a seasonal chore: sprint around GivingTuesday, overhaul the website every few years, refresh the email template only when open rates crater. Sound familiar? The problem is that donor behavior, platform algorithms, and device trends shift…
Fundraising galas have come a long way. We're not talking about the old days of paper bid sheets and hand-written guest lists anymore. Today's events run on connected technology that ties together your auction, your check-in flow, and your payment processing into something that actually feels smooth, for your guests and your team. And yet,…
PayPal is basically the Kleenex of online payments, right? Everyone knows the name, tons of your donors already have an account, and honestly, that makes it worth offering. But here's where things get dicey: knowing the name and building a fundraising strategy around it are two very different things. So that's what we're digging into…
Most CRM switches stall on migration fear. Bloomerang alternatives ranked on how the move actually goes, plus a migration sequence that does not break things.
If you've ever stared at a list of Microsoft products and thought "okay, but which ones actually matter for my nonprofit?", you're not alone. The Microsoft ecosystem is massive, and figuring out where to start, what's free, and what's actually worth your time can feel overwhelming. The good news is that there's a lot here…
Salesforce donates a lot of software to nonprofits. It's genuinely one of the more generous vendors out there. But here's the thing: "10 free licenses" tends to get translated in leadership's head as "the CRM is basically free," and that assumption has a way of unraveling right around year two, when extra seats, a consultant…
Why Journey-Based Personalization Is Worth the Effort Most nonprofits treat email like a megaphone. Send a blast, hope something sticks, repeat next month. But there's a better way, and honestly, it's not even that complicated once you see how the pieces fit together. It's called behavior-driven, hyper-personalized supporter journeys , and it's the approach quietly…
Why Your CRM Choice Carries More Weight Than You Think Picking the right CRM for your nonprofit can feel a bit like choosing a new team member. It needs to show up reliably, play well with everyone else, and not cost you a fortune in the process. And yet, so many organizations end up locked…
1. Define the Scope of Your Migration Before you export a single file, there are three questions worth sitting with, because the answers will shape every decision downstream: full history or summary balances? Will you migrate every transaction from prior years, or enter past fiscal years as summarized journal entries? (Alignmint), which tracking dimensions will…
Audit season. Just those two words can make a nonprofit finance team collectively hold their breath. And honestly? That reaction makes total sense. Between tracking restricted funds, prepping IRS Form 990, and navigating federal Single Audit requirements, what should be a routine financial review can spiral into weeks of spreadsheet chaos. But here's the thing:…
Hiring your first paid staff member is a huge deal. It means your charity has grown beyond what volunteers alone can sustain, and that's worth celebrating. But it also means stepping into a whole new world of payroll taxes, compliance requirements, and recurring costs that nobody really warns you about. So let's walk through it…
Written for whoever does the implementation. Nonprofit event platforms compared on integrations, check-in reliability, setup time, and data portability.
Picking software for your shelter shouldn't feel like shopping for a car based on cupholder count. The tool with the flashiest feature list isn't necessarily the right fit. What actually matters is whether it matches your shelter's size, intake volume, staff bandwidth, and fundraising goals. For most US shelters and rescues, we've found the sweet…
Nonprofit governance has a reputation for being complicated, expensive, and honestly, a little exhausting. But here's the thing: it doesn't have to be any of those things. In 2026, there's a genuinely rich ecosystem of free and low-cost tools that can reshape how your board meets, decides, and follows through, without adding a single line…
Every dollar lost to processing fees is a dollar that never reaches the people or causes your nonprofit exists to serve. And yet, fee structures are one of those things that can quietly drain your budget for years before anyone runs the numbers and has that "oh no" moment. The good news? There's a lot…
Mobile giving isn't some futuristic trend your nonprofit needs to "prepare for someday." It's already here, already reshaping how donors engage, and already separating organizations that are thriving from those quietly wondering why their fundraising numbers feel stuck. The shift has happened, and it happened on a tiny screen. In this piece, we're walking through…
Fundraising is one of those topics where everyone has opinions, but the real-world practice is messier, more human, and honestly more interesting than most guides let on. Whether you're refreshing a strategy that's gone a bit stale or building something from scratch, the landscape in 2026 looks genuinely different from even a few years ago.…
If you run a nonprofit, you've probably heard at least a whisper about Google for Nonprofits, and in 2026, there's more reason than ever to pay attention. Google has quietly built out a genuinely impressive AI layer on top of its free nonprofit program, and we figured we should do a deep dive into whether…
Here's something we've seen play out in nonprofit work over and over again: organizations doing genuinely transformative work, but struggling to show that impact in ways that move people to act. Boards want clarity. Donors want proof. Grantmakers want both, and they want it fast. That's where data visualization comes in, and specifically, where Tableau…
Tight budgets and ambitious tech goals don't exactly make great teammates, especially in the nonprofit world. But here's the thing: the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program exists precisely to close that gap, offering eligible 501(c)(3)s real cloud resources without the price tag that usually comes with them. And if your org is running data-heavy fundraising platforms,…
Most donors meet your organization for the very first time through an email. Maybe it's a newsletter, a donation receipt, or a quick reply to a question they had. Either way, that inbox moment is basically your nonprofit's front door, and what donors see there shapes how much they trust you before they've even read…
If your nonprofit's entire Venmo strategy is a handle in your Instagram bio and a QR code taped to a table at your gala, congrats, you're collecting money. But you're losing data. And data is kind of the whole point these days. Here's the better move: put Venmo directly on your online donation form, so…
Here's something we've noticed talking to nonprofit teams: collaboration tools used to be the thing you'd add "if there's budget left over." Not anymore. Whether your folks are spread across time zones, wrangling volunteers in the field, or sharing donor data off one laptop between three people, the tools you pick end up shaping your…