Donor Management Toolkit
To better manage information about donors, many nonprofits have turned to donor databases, specialized software applications that organize fundraising data. These programs are specifically designed to store information about an organization's donors; some also include features for generating fundraising reports or tracking members. And most can be installed on individual desktop computers or deployed across a network so that a large number of staffers can use it.
Discover
See how donor databases have helped other nonprofits and learn how to build a plan that addresses your own organization's needs.
- Donor Databases: Three Nonprofits Tell Their Stories
- Real-world accounts of how different nonprofits have successfully set up donor databases.
- Ten Common Mistakes in Selecting Donor Databases
- How to choose a donor database that will support successful fundraising.
- Do You Need a New Donor Management System?
- This easy step-by-step guide helps you figure out your organization's needs for a donor database
- NPower's Donor Management Toolkit Book (PDF)
- This guide from NPower Seattle takes you through four steps of selecting a donor-management solution.
Research
Know you need a donor database? It's time to start comparing products to see which one meets your needs and budget.
- Donor-Management Software Comparison
- This donor-management product comparison chart will help you evaluate software based on your needs.
- A Few Good Donor Management Tools
- Six experts share their tips on effective software for managing donors at any organization.
Acquire
Though there are many places to acquire technologies, TechSoup works with many partners to offers many donations for donor management for qualifying nonprofits.
- Manage Donors
- Check out the TechSoup donor partners for donor management
- Choosing a Low-Cost Donor Management System
- No need to spend a lot on a donor database. Check out Idealware's report on low-cost options.
Implement
Once you've acquired your product, find tips, workarounds, and best practices for implementing your solution efficiently and effectively.
- Database Best Practices
- It's not enough to install a system and hope for the best. To get the most out of your database, you need to consider documentation, training, standards, and conventions.
- Client Management and Outcomes Tracking Databases
- Tips for implementing your database, ways to make sure your staff gets the most benefit, and plan for the future.
Support and Sustain
Extend the benefits of your implementation.
- TechSoup's Technology for Fundraising Discussion Forum
- Stuck on a problem? Ask a question in our forums and get help from nonprofit technology consultants and other organizations like yours.
