Using a new platform to build a sustainable source of income, retain vital donors, and build relationships with new supporters can feel overwhelming. Keep reading to get our top picks for the best cloud-based CRM for your organization.
Did you know that 67% of nonprofits agree that using a CRM to track donations and manage communications is vital for their organization’s success?
A great cloud-based CRM platform should scale with your organization and take the stress out of donor management so you can focus on the work that truly matters: furthering your mission and making a lasting impact on the lives of your beneficiaries.
We’ve curated a list of seven top CRM platforms, including why we like them, what to watch out for, and how much they cost. Let’s dive in!
Donorbox CRM is a cloud-based platform designed with your nonprofit in mind. Our robust, data-driven platform can be set up almost instantly, giving you and your team access to a host of incredible features in just a few clicks.
This means you have a purpose-built command center that streamlines your operations and makes managing donor data and fundraising easier — and you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection!
We love the intuitive, user-friendly interface that makes it accessible to even non-tech-savvy users. Plus, if you’re using any of Donorbox’s existing products, our CRM seamlessly integrates with features like Peer-to-Peer fundraising and Crowdfunding while offering you a host of incredible new tools.
With Donorbox’s cloud-based CRM, the centralized donor management system updates in real time, so your nonprofit is empowered with accurate and reliable data and insights that elevate your fundraising.
Donorbox CRM is a robust toolkit for nonprofits looking to maximize, well, everything! Watch this video to learn how you can use this powerful CRM:
Donorbox CRM custom pricing plans start at just $75 a month. Current Donorbox users can get started here. New to Donorbox? Sign up today!
When it comes to nonprofit-specific CRMs, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is a strong choice! Built on the Salesforce platform, this cloud-based CRM offers an exciting selection of features tailored to nonprofits, including donor management, volunteer management, and program tracking.
One of the things we really love about Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is how highly customizable it is. They’ve made it easy for your organization to tailor the platform to your needs — something that traditional on-site CRMs struggle with due to their rigid structures. It also integrates easily with a wide range of third-party applications, so you can build a comprehensive, agile tech stack.
Plus, you’ll have access to reporting and analytics tools, so you can easily measure your impact and make data-led decisions from anywhere, without the limitations of on-site hardware.
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is an impressive platform, but it’s quite complex, with a steep learning curve. This can make it an overwhelming choice if your organization has a smaller team without a dedicated IT department — an issue less common with simpler on-site CRMs.
Again, if your organization needs extensive customizations or integrations, the costs can escalate quickly, which can become unsustainable in the long run.
Salesforce offers discounts through the Power of Us program, but costs add up quickly if you need more than the basic package or have a larger team. Take a look at their pricing here.
Bloomerang’s cloud-based CRM platform has a strong focus on donor retention and engagement. Its user-friendly design makes it easy to navigate, a distinct advantage over many traditional on-site CRMs.
One of Bloomerang’s biggest strengths is its simplicity and ease of use. While on-site CRMs often require significant IT support to create and access reports and insights, Bloomerang offers built-in donor engagement scoring, enabling organizations to easily identify their most engaged supporters.
Plus, being cloud-based, it gives you better access to customer support and resources, ensuring users can maximize the platform’s potential without needing extensive technical expertise.
While Bloomerang’s CRM shines when it comes to donor management, it doesn’t offer the comprehensive features and integrations found in larger platforms. This limitation becomes challenging as your organization grows, especially if you’re used to the capabilities of a more robust cloud-based CRM. You may also find viewing donor data to be a challenge due to a lack of customization and flexibility compared to more intuitive CRMs.
It’s also worth noting that certain features, such as fundraising and volunteer management, come at an additional cost.
Bloomerang’s CRM has a straightforward pricing model, based on the number of donor profiles you manage. Their tiered pricing makes it accessible for organizations of all sizes. Find out more about their pricing here.
Virtuous is a responsive cloud-based CRM created to help your nonprofit build personalized experiences with your donors. It offers the kind of flexibility and efficiency that self-hosted CRMs struggle to match.
We love its automated donor stewardship processes that streamline managing donor relationships, making it easier to identify new prospects — something that’s usually clunky when using on-site CRMs. Their multichannel communications tools allow you to send emails, SMS, and direct mail all from one place, eliminating the need for multiple systems. Plus, with 360-degree donor views, you can see supporter information at a glance, giving you a solid understanding of your donors.
Virtuous knocks it out of the park in so many areas, but its out-of-the-box design translates to a lack of customization that most cloud-based CRMs offer. This is a drawback if your organization needs a high level of customization.
Virtuous’ pricing is based on the number of contacts you have, with plans scaling as your nonprofit grows. They offer two pricing tiers and do not have a free trial. To find out more about their pricing, visit their website.
Neon CRM is another great cloud-based platform designed with nonprofits in mind. It offers a wide range of features, from donor and events management to memberships.
It’s so versatile, making it suitable for organizations of any size. We love the reporting features that allow you to track performance across various KPIs in real-time, a capability that’s much more streamlined in a cloud-based environment compared to the often complex processes you’ll face with on-site CRMs.
Even though Neon CRM has a broad range of features, this functionality comes with a steep learning curve. Many users might find the interface a lot less intuitive compared to other cloud-based CRMs. It poses a challenge, but the trade-off is the platform’s ability to integrate and evolve without the need for the costly and time-consuming upgrades typical of self-hosted systems.
Neon CRM offers tiered pricing based on the number of records your organization needs and the features you’d need to enable. Add-ons like event management and email marketing come at an extra cost, making it potentially more expensive than CRMs with similar offerings. Find out more about their pricing here.
HubSpot is a household name in the marketing and business world, and its cloud-based CRM platform stands out as a great free, scalable option for your nonprofit. Hubspot’s CRM is a powerful marketing tool with great flexibility. It’s a compelling choice, even though it hasn’t been designed specifically for nonprofits.
It’s free, making it accessible while still managing to offer decent CRM tools like contact management, email tracking, and basic reporting. If your organization is on a budget, this cloud-based option is a great choice. The scalability of HubSpot’s platform also ensures that, as your nonprofit grows, your CRM can easily grow with you.
Because HubSpot CRM is not designed with nonprofits in mind, it will require additional customization to meet your organization’s unique needs. This can be a hurdle if you lack technical skills. Plus, its more advanced features, like automations, are only available in the paid versions.
These costs add up as your organization grows, making it more expensive than other cloud-based CRMs in the long run.
HubSpot CRM offers a free version, which is good for small nonprofits. However, to unlock more advanced features, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan. Find out more about their pricing here.
Blackbaud has a long-established reputation as a trusted brand in the nonprofit tech space. Its CRM platform can meet the needs of large nonprofits, as well as educational institutions. With a wide range of features, ranging from donor management to fundraising and even alumni engagement, it’s a solid choice for larger organizations.
Blackbaud’s CRM is incredibly scalable. It’s perfect for managing the complex needs of large nonprofits. This cloud-based platform allows you to seamlessly access updates and integrations that traditional on-site CRMs struggle to match. Offering impressive analytics and reporting features, Blackbaud’s CRM enables you to track performance and make data-backed decisions with ease.
It’s a complicated and costly option, which is a considerable roadblock for some organizations. The features have a significant learning curve and lack the ease of use found in more intuitive cloud-based CRM options. You might also need to make extra investments in staff training to fully benefit from the system.
Blackbaud doesn’t offer standardized pricing. To find out more about the costs associated with their CRM, you’ll need to contact them directly.
The right cloud-based CRM platform should align with your organization’s goals, budget, and your team’s capacity to manage it.
Donorbox CRM is the perfect option if you’re looking for a platform that’s easy to adopt and designed specifically with your nonprofit in mind. It also includes powerful intuitive tools to scale your fundraising! Its innovative design, seamless integrations, and focus on donor management make it an ideal choice for small, medium, and large nonprofits looking to streamline their operations and enhance donor relationships.
Get started here if you’re already a Donorbox user or sign up today!
If you’re looking for more fundraising tips, insights, and tools, check out our Nonprofit Blog.
Cloud-based CRMs come with many great benefits that help nonprofits thrive. They give your team accessibility from any location where the internet is available, whether you’re at a fundraising event and need to access a donor’s data quickly or working from home and are interested in seeing how an appeal is performing. Cloud-based CRMs designed with nonprofits in mind scale as your organization grows, have lower costs than on-site CRM platforms, and have automatic software updates.
While costs vary from company to company, cloud-based CRMs for nonprofits usually have lower fees than traditional CRMs. Costs are often subscription-based and determined by the number of constituents or donors your organization has, features you need, and additional integrations you might need to add. Some companies offer all-in-one packages where features don’t come at an additional cost, while others have feature-based tiers.
The implementation process is usually quick. Once you’ve selected the perfect cloud-based CRM for your nonprofit, simply navigate to the website, set up your organization’s profile or account, import your existing data, and link or integrate any necessary features. Your organization’s internal adoption will depend on the platform you choose, how easy its interface is, and how receptive your staff is to training and using the new system.
While data loss may be a concern when using any cloud-based software, most software companies that design nonprofit-specific CRMs understand this. This is why cloud-based CRMs for nonprofits include regular backup and extensive data recovery features.
Cloud-based CRMs deploy automatic updates and upgrades as their system grows and new features are added. Software companies handle these updates and upgrades, allowing you to relax and focus on your mission, knowing your CRM is always performing optimally!
Nicole’s professional background is rooted in the nonprofit sector, where she’s honed her skills in communications, marketing, and fundraising. She has extensive experience in various fields, such as social media, content strategy, public relations, and more. Nicole has a deep passion for writing, editing, and gaining knowledge about the many causes that tirelessly advocate for essential societal change.
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Nicole Human