How to tell if you need new fundraising software

How we understand our supporters as charities is changing. With the shift towards digital fundraising, and the expanding online world in which we shop and socialise, donors are more familiar than ever with what a good user experience feels like. And, fortunately, we have more data than ever to help create that.  

Fundraising software has been instrumental in helping charities use data to discover what motivates their supporters. But as donor behaviour changes, and new digital functionalities emerge, charities can very quickly outgrow their fundraising software.  

There is renewed optimism, too, in the charity sector, with more charities expecting their fundraising to grow over the next year. Charities need to ensure they have the right tools at their disposal to grasp these new opportunities and consolidate their growth, to deliver more impact and remain sustainable.  

So selecting a new fundraising tool, balancing budgets and need, is the next challenge. And it can take time to work out what capabilities charities need to take them forward. Matching tasks to software specifications is not an easy job, not least for charity professionals who have little time and lots to do to keep the organisation going.  

Given the many considerations charities need to take into account, fundraising software  providers Blackbaud have compiled a comprehensive guide to help charities with this process. The Fundraising Software Evaluation Guide features advice on what to look for in fundraising software, checklists of features and functionalities, tips for evaluating vendors, and information on how to prepare your data for your new tool.  

Whether you’re looking to replace an old donor management system or investing in one for the first time, the guide will help you ask the right questions to find the right tool.  

Below, we explore some of the recommendations included in the guide to help you find the right fundraising software to achieve your goals.  

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How to find the right fundraising software 

How to get buy-in from your team 

New tools that are pushed on teams without an explanation of why are not likely to improve efficiency. It might even cause disruption as people get to grips with the technology. So it is necessary that the people actually using the tools on a day-to-day basis are involved in choosing them, or at the very least involved in creating the shopping list.  

Blackbaud recommends meeting with internal teams to define their needs and expected outcomes: “Fundraisers, executive leadership, administrative staff, and volunteers will be motivated by different objectives: improved donor relationship tracking, reduced manual tasks, integrated online payments, AI automation, streamlined reporting, more robust analytics, predictive insights, etc.” 

The guide also advises creating a problem list to identify the most pressing challenges facing their teams. The process involves three steps: 

Creating a problem list ensures that the technology you are looking for is directly aligned with your strategic goals.  

How to identify the functionalities you need 

Once you know your strategic goals, you must then look more closely at how each tool can achieve them. What are the tasks you hope to use the fundraising software to support? What barriers need to be overcome? What are the core functionalities you need to be able to do this?  

The guidance suggests establishing core requirements for fundraising activities (such as donor segmentation or event registration) and evaluating existing tools that might work to this end. If existing tools are not an option, determine the shortcomings of your tech to discover what you need in order to grow. Use current data to inform where there is growth potential in your current fundraising strategy.  

For ease, the guide includes an “at-a-glance checklist” for establishing requirements, with nine simple steps taking charities through the process, from including stakeholders to planning for the future of technology.  

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How to know if you’re ready to grow 

It is a delicate balance, finding the right fundraising tools to support your growth while not disrupting your current processes. As Blackbaud acknowledges, “an upgrade could require migrating vast amounts of data, training staff, and committing significant resources”, so charities must be sure they can accommodate that upheaval before they adopt a new system.  

The guide offers a comparison table to help charities make the decision to leap or not. It features the specific signs of growth that indicate an organisation is ready for an upgrade, that the benefits would outweigh the costs.  

Growth signs include: 

Gauging your readiness for a new fundraising tool means that charities can be confident that their chosen tool will make a difference. This the “why” you can explain to your teams when implementing it. It means that, even if you’re not ready right now to move to a new system, you know the signs for the future. And you can start preparing for that future now.  

For more guidance on evaluating your fundraising technology, download the full guide from Blackbaud below.

Download the guide