Best CRM for fundraising: Choosing the right nonprofit fundraising software

The best CRM for fundraising varies depending on what type of organisation you are. For example, a local animal shelter will have completely different needs to that of a university alumni office. From talking to lots of lovely charities over the years, it’s clear they don’t all operate in the same way. Knowing this, at Access Not For Profit, our nonprofit fundraising software solutions align to three main categories:

General charity fundraising, which focuses on diverse supporter bases and income streams, multiple campaign types and complex donor journeys spanning years or decades. This covers most of the charities in the UK – and is where Donorfy charity CRM enters the chat.

Alumni fundraising revolves around educational milestones, reunion cycles and relationships that can span 50+ years from graduation to legacy giving. This is where Alumni CRM shines.

Membership-led organisations need to balance ongoing member happiness and value with other charitable appeals, while managing time-consuming membership processes. Hello Membership CRM.

Each of the above needs purpose-built features that generic business CRMs simply can't (easily) provide. If you’ve ever tried to create a fundraising database from a standard CRM, you’ll know the pain of shoehorning donor stewardship and campaign segmentation into a system designed for sales pipelines!

With that said, let's dig deeper into the CRM solutions mentioned above.

For traditional charities, community groups and nonprofit organisations, Donorfy consistently ranks as one of the most recommended CRMs in independent UK charity surveys – including this one by Charity Excellence – and typically scores highly for functionality, ease of use, user recommendation and sector knowledge.

Built by people who understand nonprofit fundraising software

What really makes Donorfy the best CRM for fundraising? It was designed by people who've actually worked in charities. As Rich Bee, Donorfy's Product Manager explains:

"I still remember how frustrating it is when systems don't work as they should, or as you need them to. Many of my colleagues at Donorfy have a charity or fundraising background and understand the challenges, too."

This experience shows in practical features like automated Gift Aid processing, donor management that actually makes sense for charity work, and reporting that answers the questions boards and trustees actually ask.

The pricing structure follows the anti-one-size-fits-all theme too. Donorfy is priced based on the number of constituents you have in your CRM, starting from just £39/month.

Try Donorfy for free! 

Real-world results

The Huntington's Disease Association switched to Donorfy in 2021 after struggling with a fragmented CRM system. According to John Gandy, their Data Manager:

"Donorfy's made everything we do feel more straightforward. It's made our data more visible, and that's helped us improve supporter experience."

The charity now benefits from:

• Complete donor profiles accessible in one place
• Streamlined workflows through integrated platforms (MailChimp, Xero, JustGiving, Stripe)
• Real-time reporting and income generation snapshots for better decision-making
• Improved GDPR compliance with better consent management

Imagine trying to track a relationship that begins when someone is 18 and continues until they're making legacy gifts in their 80s. Now multiply that by thousands of graduates across multiple decades, each with different career paths, family connections to the institution and varying capacity to give ... that’s why generic CRM software often falls short for schools.

With unique fundraising needs, alumni CRM systems are considered the best CRM for fundraising when it comes to universities and colleges managing decades-long relationships.

Understanding educational fundraising

Take Sarah, who graduated in 1995 with a modest first job and no capacity for major gifts. Fast-forward 25 years and she's now a successful business owner whose daughter is applying to the same university. Her giving potential has transformed. The best CRM for fundraising in educational settings needs to track not just her donation history, but be customisable enough to log other important details, like potential family connections, to recognise a change like this.

This is hard in generic CRM software, which typically assumes donors have straightforward relationships with you. But alumni fundraising is layered with complexity. Your "donor" might also be a former sports team member, current parent, occasional guest lecturer and potential legacy giver. The best CRM for fundraising in education understands – and shows you at a quick glance - that your 1985 graduate isn't just an individual donor, but has a deeper supporter story.

Real world results

Take the University of Roehampton. They’ve used specialised nonprofit fundraising software to identify high-value donors, enhance engagement with alumni via targeted interactions and measure graduate outcomes, too. Read their story.

Membership-based charities, especially large ones, need nonprofit fundraising software that balances ongoing member value with other fundraising activities.

If you've ever worked for a membership organisation you might recognise this conundrum: your members pay subscription fees for services and benefits, but you also want to engage them in charitable giving for your wider mission. How do you know if someone who's already paying £200 annually for membership is likely to contribute another £50 to your charity appeal - and see the value enough to not feel double-charged? Read on ...

The membership-fundraising balance

If your organisation has a membership-based model, your nonprofit fundraising software needs to understand that a member might be perfectly happy with their subscription value but resistant to additional asks - or vice versa. The best CRM for fundraising in membership contexts helps you navigate these nuanced relationships. Knowing your supporters inside out is critical – and this is where Membership CRM software really shines.

The need for a specialised system deepens when you consider that membership renewals and charitable campaigns need coordination too – and that takes time and resources, and usually lots of both. The best CRM for fundraising for membership organisations manages these unique tasks with features such as:

• Automated renewal management: that handles membership renewals with automated reminders, online self-service portals and flexible payment options.
• Member engagement tracking: that monitors participation in events, webinars and other member benefits to identify highly engaged prospects for fundraising (and those at risk of lapsing.)
• Tiered membership models: that manage different membership levels with varying benefits, fees and fundraising expectations.

Now you’ve been introduced to the multiple nonprofit CRM solutions we offer at Access, let’s summarise: the best CRM for fundraising is the nonprofit fundraising software that understands your specific organisations needs. Purpose-built solutions will always outperform generic alternatives.

Remember, the right nonprofit fundraising software doesn't just manage your data - it enables the relationships that drive your mission forward. Choose the best CRM for fundraising that speaks your language, and you'll find fundraising becomes less about wrestling with technology, and more about building meaningful relationships that advance your amazing work.

The connected future of nonprofit fundraising software

It’s worth noting that, increasingly, the best CRM for fundraising isn't just about the CRM alone - it's about how it connects with your other systems. Modern charity technology is moving toward integrated ecosystems where your CRM, accounting software, email marketing, volunteer management and website all communicate.

This includes cross-product AI, that can learn from your entire software portfolio, providing insights impossible with isolated systems. Watch this space!

Still not sure which direction is right for your charity? Our team includes former fundraisers who've been exactly where you are now. Get in touch for a chat, we'd love to help you find the right fit.