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.
Written for whoever does the implementation. Nonprofit event platforms compared on integrations, check-in reliability, setup time, and data portability.
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Fragmented tools have a sneaky way of quietly draining your nonprofit's capacity. When your email platform doesn't talk to your CRM, your website forms dump data into a spreadsheet, and payment receipts live in a completely separate system, you're not just losing efficiency. You're losing donors, and probably some of your sanity along the way.…
Fundraising strategy is one of those things that looks great on paper until reality kicks in. You've got the campaigns planned, the donor segments mapped out, and a full-year calendar ready to go. But then the tools don't sync, your data is scattered across three platforms and someone's personal Gmail, and your team is manually…
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…
Somewhere between "we'll just export that later" and a Monday morning spent untangling spreadsheets, a lot of nonprofits quietly lose donors they never meant to let go. Not because they don't care, but because their tools aren't talking to each other. And when your systems work in silos, the moments that matter, like a first-time…
.org vs .com: Which Extension Should Your Nonprofit Use? Your nonprofit's domain name probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you're building out your digital strategy. And honestly, that makes sense. There are programs to run, donors to steward, campaigns to launch. But here's the thing: that small string of text before…
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:…
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…
What Counts as an In-Kind Donation (and Why Classification Matters) Managing in-kind donations is one of those areas where nonprofits often get by on good intentions and a patchwork of sticky notes and spreadsheets, until suddenly they can't. Goods, professional services, donated space, pro bono expertise, these non-cash contributions quietly power a huge chunk of…