The best donation management platforms

Donation management platforms go hand-in-hand with CRM, but can do so much more. From never forgetting a cherished donor to tracking payment patterns, donation management platforms make sense for even the smallest of charities.

 

Things to look out for when choosing a donation management platform are similar when selecting a CRM system. In addition, we believe that donor management platforms need to have analytical tools and feedback mechanisms. Ultimately for those making the leap, it’s important to link fundraising efforts with results.  

 

Here’s our round-up of the best donation management platforms.

 

 

Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT

 

Edge NXT’s fundraising and donor management software combines CRM and donor tracking capabilities in a single offering. The software helps charities and other fundraising organisations track donors. Details like names, addresses, and profiles are captured. Giving and payment information are there,  too, so fundraisers can get a holistic view of each donor.

 

Best for: Works for charities of all shapes and sizes.

 

Existing users: Wales Air Ambulance and St Ann’s Hospice.

 

 

Xledger Donation Management

 

Xledger’s superpower is payments aggregation. The donation and membership platform takes all sorts of transactions and makes easy work out the analysis. Cash, credit, debit, and cheque are methods it tracks making it simpler for finance teams to trace. Fundraising teams can also leverage the data not only from a transaction perspective, but also with the integrations with existing CRM systems.

 

Best for: Charities accepting all types of payments will want to take a look.

 

Existing users: Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

 

 

Raisely

 

For a jack-of-all-trades platform, Raisely triumphs. The donor management features include bulk edits, import and export, account management, and customisable field settings. The other functions might also make sense for charities looking to streamline operations. Marketing, payments, CRM, and bespoke reporting are also available.

 

Best for: Charities on a shoestring budget. There are lots of free options available.  

 

Existing users: Mind Devon.

 

 

Kindful

 

Kindful is for the analytical geeks. The platform bills itself as one for those looking to analyse trends to better manage relationships. The perspective here is a bit different. Kindful takes donor information and pairs that with activity, so charities get a full picture of what’s happening. The donor relationship is examined further by the addition of socio-economic details and history of giving. The trends help charities gauge whether someone is likely to give.

 

Best for: Charities and managers with a proclivity towards reporting and numbers.

 

Existing users: Habitat for Humanity.

 

 

Chariteer

 

Chariteer works across multiple operational teams. The donor management function works similarly to the other platforms listed here, and includes the usual donation history, profile, and preferences. What’s beneficial with this platform is its connectivity with marketing and finance. Mailchimp, the automated marketing system, Xero for accounting, and Stripe for payments integrate well with Chariteer.

 

Best for: The digital guru. Chariteer works with the latest payment and marketing apps.  

 

 

FundraiseUp

 

Developed in North America, Fundraise Up does have bespoke features for charities in the UK. The platform’s unique selling point is it’s AI-powered advantages. Instead of setting donation amounts yourself, the AI learns what makes sense for donors based on history and behavioural patterns. The result is that asks are customised. Other bonuses here include bespoke GiftAid and strong fraud prevention.

 

Best for: Charities who lean on tech to manage relationships

 

Existing users: Salvation Army UK.

 

 

DonorPerfect

 

For both fundraising and donor management, DonorPerfect makes sense for those looking to streamline operations. Digital workflows take charities from managing aspects of campaign communications through to the collections stage. Users can control how and when messages are sent to audiences. Fundraising tracking is also available. For those charities not as familiar with using digital, DonorPerfect operates a high-touch, 24/7 customer service line so you can get on top of problems right away.

 

Best for: All charities looking to improve operations on a limited budget. Pricing starts at £79 per month and moves up depending on additional services. A one-year subscription is also available on Charity Digital Exchange.

 

 

HiveBrite

 

HiveBrite’s multifunctional platform appeals to charities, institutions and larger non-profits. Both constituents and donors are managed on a single platform. Charity digital managers can deep dive into the aggregated data, enabling greater insight into specific geographies or trends. Bulk updates across subsets of audiences are possible. Aside from managing donors and supporters, marketing and communications are centralised.

 

Best for: Large charities with complex donor and supporter information

 

Existing users: British Heart Foundation.