Best fundraising software for nonprofits helps organizations collect donations, manage fundraising activities, and understand where their fundraising efforts are succeeding. The best choice depends on your organization’s budget, the way you raise money, and whether you need simple donation forms or a more complete fundraising system.
For U.S. nonprofits, options range from free donation platforms to paid systems with advanced donor management and campaign tools. Some platforms focus on online giving, while others specialize in fundraising events, donor relationships, or larger nonprofit operations.
This guide answers the most important questions nonprofits should ask before choosing the right fundraising solutions, including which features matter, how much it costs, and how to compare different options.
How Do You Choose Fundraising Software for Your Nonprofit?
Before comparing providers, answer three questions: How does your organization collect donations? What tasks take the most time? What can you realistically spend?
Your answers will help you narrow the options.
Should You Choose Free or Paid Software?
Free fundraising software can be a practical starting point for organizations with limited budgets. However, free does not always mean that every part of the donation process is cost-free.
Some platforms charge transaction fees, some offer paid upgrades, and others use optional donor contributions to support their services.
Paid software may be worthwhile when your organization needs advanced reporting, more extensive donor records, specialized integrations, or dedicated support.
How to decide: Estimate your expected annual donations, review all applicable fees, and compare the features included at each price level. Do not pay for advanced features your organization will not use.
What Features Do You Actually Need?
The most useful fundraising software for nonprofits should solve real problems rather than simply offer a long list of features.
Start with these essentials:
- Online donation forms: Allow supporters to donate through your website.
- Recurring donations: Let donors schedule ongoing contributions.
- Donor management: Organize donor contact information and giving history.
- Campaign management: Create fundraising campaigns for different causes or projects.
- Reporting and analytics: Review donation totals and campaign performance.
- Payment processing: Accept payments through supported methods and understand the associated fees.
- Integrations: Connect fundraising activities with your existing website and other systems.
Additional features, such as donor portals and donation kiosks, may be useful if your organization needs to support both online and in-person giving.
Choose a platform based on the features you will use regularly, not the number of features advertised.
How Much Does Fundraising Software Cost?
The cost of fundraising software for nonprofits varies according to the provider, subscription plan, donation volume, and payment-processing arrangement.
Most pricing models fall into three categories.
1. Free platforms: Some providers charge no subscription fee. Depending on the platform, processing costs may be passed to donors, covered through optional contributions, or handled through another arrangement.
2. Transaction-based pricing: Some platforms charge a percentage of each donation, sometimes in addition to payment-processing fees.
3. Subscription pricing: Some providers charge a monthly or annual fee for access to software features. Processing fees may still apply.
For example, consider a nonprofit that receives $10,000 in online donations in one month. A platform fee of 2% would equal $200, before any separate processing fees. This is an illustrative calculation, not a quote from a particular provider.
Before signing up, check whether the quoted price includes:
- Platform and transaction fees.
- Credit and debit card processing.
- Recurring donation functionality.
- Donor management and reporting.
- Additional integrations or premium features.
- Setup fees or contract commitments.
Comparing the total cost at your expected donation volume will give you a more useful picture than comparing advertised starting prices alone.
Which Fundraising Software Is Best for Small Nonprofits?
Small nonprofits generally benefit from software that is easy to set up, affordable, and simple to manage without a large administrative team.
A small nonprofit should usually prioritize online donation forms, basic donor records, fundraising campaigns, recurring donations, and straightforward reporting.
A free or low-cost platform may be sufficient if the organization primarily collects donations online. A more comprehensive system may be a better fit if the nonprofit manages several campaigns, needs detailed donor information, or plans to expand its fundraising activities.
Before choosing a provider, test the donation process on a mobile phone, review the administrator dashboard, and confirm that you can access the donation records you need.
The goal is to find a system that supports your current fundraising needs without creating unnecessary work.
What Is the Best Fundraising Software for Churches, Mosques, and Schools?
The best option depends on how each organization collects and manages donations.
Churches: Look for online giving, recurring contributions, campaign management, and convenient ways for members to support church activities.
Mosques: Consider software that can support general donations, Ramadan fundraising, Zakat and Sadaqah campaigns, building projects, and recurring giving.
Temples: Prioritize online donations and campaign tools that can support temple operations, renovations, festivals, and community programs.
Schools: Look for tools that make it easy to organize fundraising drives for educational programs, student activities, events, and school improvements.
Charities and foundations: Consider donor records, campaign reporting, recurring donations, and the ability to organize multiple fundraising initiatives.
These organizations do not necessarily need separate types of technology for every activity. A flexible fundraising platform may cover several needs, provided its features match the organization’s actual requirements.
How Can You Tell Whether Fundraising Software Is Working?
Installing software is only the first step. Nonprofits should measure whether it improves their fundraising process.
Track these five indicators:
- Total donations: How much money is received over a specific period?
- Donation completion rate: How many people who begin donating complete the process, if this information is available?
- Recurring donations: How many donors choose ongoing giving, and how much recurring revenue does it generate?
- Campaign performance: Which campaigns attract contributions and meet their goals?
- Administrative time: Is the team spending less time organizing records and preparing reports?
Review these indicators regularly and compare results over time. The purpose is to understand what is working, identify problems, and make better fundraising decisions.
A platform should help your organization manage information and fundraising activities more efficiently. It cannot guarantee higher donations, since results also depend on your audience, communication, campaign goals, and donor relationships.
Conclusion
Best fundraising software for nonprofits should make collecting donations, managing fundraising activities, and tracking results easier without stretching your budget or creating unnecessary work. Compare pricing carefully, identify the features you need most, and choose a platform that fits your organization’s size and fundraising goals.
JustBestow provides nonprofit fundraising solutions that bring essential tools for online donations, recurring giving, donor management, campaign management, reporting, donation kiosks, donor portals, payment processing, and integrations into one platform. Whether your organization is a church, mosque, temple, school, charity foundation, community organization, or small nonprofit, explore the JustBestow Solutions page to find tools that fit your fundraising needs.
Ready to simplify your fundraising process? Explore JustBestow and get started.