Don't waste hours sifting through the databases available. This blog post will help you choose the best database for your organization to use.
We all know that choosing the right software for your organization is a big job. There are so many options out there—many of which you pay for in data entry, time wasted learning software, and frustration! Even if you have the right solution in mind, you may be overwhelmed by the number of options available.
Further complicating your choice is that most of those options are not scalable once your nonprofit grows. It can be overwhelming to compare the dozens of options and signing up for trials or demos from every company you come across. I've created a list of the best nonprofit databases available based on your organization's needs.
Here are a few questions to consider when choosing a database for your nonprofit:
What relationships are you tracking? Many nonprofits are interested in tracking multiple relationships such as donor, volunteer, board member, staff, contractor, committee, etc.
What information are you tracking for each person? Some nonprofits are interested in tracking join date, multiple addresses, donations, events, ticketing, etc.
Do you need to create custom reports? Some built-in reports in databases don't allow for much manipulation so it is important to know what types of reports your organization is interested in pulling from the information in the database.
Do you need to integrate your database with other software? Nonprofits use a variety of software including accounting, event, and marketing software. Some databases integrate with outside vendors while others do not making additional work of having to input that information manually.
How many contacts do you need to store in the database? Many databases base their pricing structure off of the number of active contacts in the system.
What is your budget for your database implementation and monthly cost? Setting up a database, importing information from a variety of places and the monthly/yearly cost associated with the database needs to be at the top of mind when deciding which software will work best for your organization.
How many users will be using the database? Based on the size of your organization, perform an audit of the number of people and departments that will need access to the database as well as the level of permissions.
Does your database need to be able to grow with your organization? Often when organizations are choosing their databases they are only considering their current needs and not strategically planning for the future growth of staff, donors, or volunteers. Preparing for this could save time and money on a future change of the database when your organization outgrows the original database.
Based on your answers from the above questions above, I've listed my top three database choices for your nonprofit. This list is based on over 15 years of working for nonprofits and implementing multiple databases over the course of my career. Be sure to consider your nonprofit tech stack that should include payment processor, email platform, donor database, and fundraising platform.
Top Choice: Salesforce - Nonprofit Cloud
This software is completely customizable for any type of nonprofit. It can track unlimited relationships, users, contacts, integrates with other software, features custom reporting, and easily scalable for future growth.
Price: Free (for first 10 licenses through The Power of Us Program)
Level of Difficulty to Implement: Hard (but worth it!)
The Power of Us Program This "includes 10 free subscriptions of Sales & Service Cloud Enterprise Edition for all eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Organizations transacting only in U.S. dollars can also receive the Salesforce.org Elevate* Power of Us Edition for online fundraising with no upfront costs, and fees based on funds raised per transaction. All other pricing is heavily discounted for Nonprofits from Salesforce business pricing. Find out if your nonprofit is eligible and apply" (Nonprofit Cloud CRM Pricing, n.d.).
Application Process
Take the readiness survey to see if you have done the planning and have the leadership approval for a new database.
Sign up for a free Nonprofit trial of Salesforce based on your organization type. Once the organization is approved the trial will convert to a permanent Salesforce org.
Gather your eligibility documents for the application, which includes your tax ID number/EIN and your 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) tax determination letter from the IRS.
Lastly, submit your application within 30 days of starting your trial.
Salesforce has consulting partners which are part of a network of Salesforce certified experts that are able to be hired to implement, train, and customize your new database (Power of Us, n.d.).
Next Choice: Network for Good
Network for Good CRM is easy to use and intuitive. It's an all-in-one platform where you can collect donations, send targeted email campaigns and host events. "Collect information about individual donors so you know when and how to send your next appeal. Then, use built-in filters to find contacts and create groups based on shared characteristics such as demographics, giving history, and communication preferences" (All-In-One Fundraising Software for Nonprofits, n.d.).
"Your nonprofit can rely on our software to maintain an organized database. It automatically identifies and removes duplicate records, giving you accurate insights for better fundraising results" (All-In-One Fundraising Software for Nonprofits, n.d.).
Price: $100 per month+
Level of difficulty to implement: Easy
Next Choice: DonorPerfect
DonorPerfect has a lot more pricing levels based on the number of constituent records and features needed. Included in every package is free setup, unlimited users, live chat support, DonorPerfect mobile app, merchant services account, automatic nightly address refresh (free for the first year), custom export templates, donor and constituent CRM database, unlimited live training webinars, custom report builder, API access and documentation, reporting and dashboard analytics, integrated online donation and event forms, and advanced gift batch entry (DonorPerfect, n.d.).
Price: Lowest tier is Lite and starts at $99 per month for 1,000 records
Level of difficulty to implement: Easy
When it comes down to it, the best database for you and your nonprofit really does come down to how your organization works and what problems you face in your everyday operations. While you are initially looking for a database that will make it easy for you to manage your contact information, don't be afraid to consider what data your organization may need to keep track of in the future. You never know when a good database will morph into something more robust as your organization grows and changes.
Start by thinking of the number of contacts you currently have and how many you expect to be added in the next year. From there, look for a database that will support your needs now and into the future, since many databases cap the amount of contacts they can hold. The number of fields you can track is also a consideration, as is whether you want to include any additional details like donor comments and gifts made. Once you have identified your current needs, consider what other features are important to your nonprofit such as tracking programs or mailings. With so many options available, think about what you value most when choosing a contact management system for your organization.
References
All-in-One Fundraising Software for Nonprofits. (n.d.). Network for Good. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from
https://www.networkforgood.com/all-in-one-platform/
DonorPerfect. (n.d.). Fundraising Software for NonProfit Donor Management by DonorPerfect. Retrieved February 13, 2023,
from https://www.donorperfect.com/
Nonprofit Cloud CRM Pricing. (n.d.). Salesforce.org. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.salesforce.org/?
nonprofit_product=nonprofit-editions-pricing
Power of Us. (n.d.). Salesforce.org. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.salesforce.org/power-of-us/
Comments