Inexpensive Donor Databases

It must seem like something of a Catch-22 to small organizations: You need to increase your funding, and fundraising software could help you manage your efforts. But the software packages you've heard of cost thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you could afford that, you wouldn't need to worry about raising funds in the first place.

When your organization is desperate to bring in money, spending a lot for a donor database may not be possible. But it's still important to track donors and their gifts, even if you can't spend much money doing it.

Fortunately, you can find software that costs less than $500, and there are even free packages. Of course, don't forget to consider the total cost of ownership  when making decisions about acquiring new technology. A free database isn't really free if it doesn't do what you want to do, requires too much effort to use, or comes from a company that disappears when something goes wrong or you need an upgrade.

(See TechSoup's other Databases articles for more information about databases and nonprofits.)

Donor Databases for Less Than $500

For this price, you'll usually get a license that allows one user at a time to use your database. You may also be limited in the number of records you can store. Some of these products are designed for particular types of organizations, such as churches or clubs.

Keep in mind that TechSoup is not endorsing the software listed here. You need to make sure the software products -- and the companies behind them -- are right for your organization.

• Donation Solutions
• DonorAccess
• DonorPerfect Online
• Donor Records from Executive Data Systems
• Easy Gift from Summit Software
• Easy-Ware
• eTapestry (eTapestry is also available to qualified organizations for a small administrative fee)
• Exceed! Basic from Telosa (also available on TechSoup Stock to qualified organizations for a small administrative fee)
• FileMaker Donations
• FundRaiser Basic
• GiftWorks from Mission Research
• LifeLine from Straight Forward Software
• Membership Director from Advanced Data Solutions
• Membership Management System from Linked Software
• MemberTies from Myrro International

Free Fundraising Software

So what do you do if you can't even spend $100? Don't despair, you still have choices. The following products are free:

• BasicFunder from Jellyware
• The Compleat Angler from Schoolbench
• eBase from GroundSpring (free for one user; also available bundled with FileMaker from TechSoup Stock for qualified organizations)
• eTapestry (free for up to 500 records)
• InfoCentral (Open Source)
• Metrix (developed by the Fund for the City of New York)
• Microsoft Access Donor Database
• Organizers Database
• Salesforce.com (10 user licenses free to qualified nonprofits)
• VisibleResults (Open Source)
• Willow Mountain Giving database

Choosing the Right Database

Now for the hard part -- picking a product. Whether software is free or not, it must do what you need it to do. Try itemizing and prioritizing your needs. Then, after watching an in-depth demonstration of each one you're considering, you can compare your needs with what these packages deliver.

You also need to be comfortable with the level of technical support available for the product. With some of them, you'll be completely on your own. With others, you can pay the vendor or a consultant for support.

Some of these companies (particularly the ones that sell products instead of giving them away) will release upgrades and bug fixes for their software. With others, what you see today is all you'll ever get. If the product isn't being enhanced, you need to decide whether it will support your growth over the long-term.

Be sure to look at the documentation and training materials that are available for the product, and make sure that they'll meet your needs. A database can do more harm than good if you can't figure out the software and train your staff to use it properly. You should also look into whether there is a community of other users that you can network with and get help from.

Finally, check references for the vendor, assuming there is one. Ask about training, documentation, technical support, and general follow-through.