BLOOMERANG.CO A BUYER’S GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE BY

BLOOMERANG.CO

A BUYER¡¯S GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE

BY JAY B. LOVE

H

ere at Bloomerang, we understand that shopping for

a new donor database can be a trying experience.

With so many vendors to choose from, it¡¯s difficult to know

which option is truly best for your organization. Maybe

you¡¯re struggling with your current system, or maybe

you¡¯re in the market for your first solution.

Whichever the case, navigating the fundraising technology

landscape without a guide or plan can be hazardous to

the long-term success of your organization. That¡¯s why

we¡¯ve prepared this Buyer¡¯s Guide to Fundraising

Software to help you cut through the noise.

PG 2

A BUYER¡¯S GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE

BLOOMERANG.CO

Technology is nothing. What¡¯s important

is that you have a faith in people, that

they¡¯re basically good and smart, and

if you give them tools, they¡¯ll do

wonderful things with them.

¡ªSteve Jobs

BLOOMERANG.CO

A BUYER¡¯S GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE

PG 3

Purchasing Your First Solution

Donor databases and CRM (constituent relationship

management) software programs are an integral

component of a successful development department.

The sector has come a long way from manually tracking

donor information on index cards in file cabinets. Today,

there are many electronic solutions to choose, some

online and some offline.

Having an electronic or digital solution that was made for

the sole purpose of managing donor information carries

with it many benefits over using a program like Excel or

Access. While these programs may allow you to simply

store data, a dedicated nonprofit CRM will allow you to

automate some processes, communicate with donors,

take donations and analyze data with the hope of increasing

retention. A dedicated nonprofit CRM is also more likely to

integrate with other tools that can further empower

the user.

While a low or no-cost option may be enticing, a true

nonprofit CRM has the highest potential for ROI (return on

investment) than any purchase your nonprofit will make.

A robust donor database is truly vital to an integrated

fundraising strategy.

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A BUYER¡¯S GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE

BLOOMERANG.CO

Cloud-based vs. Installed

Not only are there many vendors available to choose

from, they all operate on different platforms. Many

legacy system are offered as installations: physical

software that needs to be installed on one machine

from a disk or downloadable file. Some newer vendors

operate on the cloud. Here, there is no need to install any

software. The application is simply available through a

URL from any device with an Internet connection.

Typically, cloud vendors will set you up with a database

and a unique set of usernames and passwords. This

allows nonprofits with little-to-no technical resources to

take advantage of a fully functional donor database.

Understanding the differences between the two can

inform your decision. For example, while cloud vendors

offer universal accessibility, it¡¯s important to understand

that your data will be in the hands of a third-party. With

installed software, you control your data locally, but it is

susceptible to loss from fire, theft or hardware breakdown.

It¡¯s also important to understand if a cloud solution is truly

in the cloud. Some products tout themselves as being

cloud-based, but are really just a cloud dashboard that

accesses locally-stored data. Be sure to stay curious and

dig in when someone tells you their solution is

cloud-based.

BLOOMERANG.CO

A BUYER¡¯S GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING SOFTWARE

PG 5

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