Best CRM for nonprofits: a complete guide for charities

A charity CRM isn’t just for businesses - it’s vital for charities. Supporters expect personalised communication, fast responses, and secure handling of their donations. Quite rightly, too.

Without a charity CRM, many charity teams rely on spreadsheets or generic systems never designed for nonprofit work. It’s a bit like trying to run a marathon in flip-flops ... you’ll get there eventually, but it’s far harder than it needs to be! The time spent battling with clunky processes soon adds up.

Making the leap to a CRM brings benefits in more ways than you might expect. While every charity is different, here are some of the most valuable things a nonprofit CRM can help you do:

• Centralise supporter records
• Track donations, Gift Aid and campaigns (it can claim Gift Aid, too)
• Integrate with tools you already use, like Mailchimp, JustGiving, or accounting software
• Provide real-time reporting for whoever needs it - maybe your trustees, or even your funders

Above all, what most charities love is the relationship management. A good charity CRM helps you truly understand and nurture your supporter base, turning data into stronger, more meaningful connections.

Here’s some further reading on why supporter relationship management matters so much, and how to put it into practice

There isn’t a single answer because every charity’s needs are different. The best CRM for nonprofits depends on your:

• Size (are you a small volunteer-led organisation or a larger national charity?)
• Goals (are you focused on regular giving, community fundraising, or membership?)
• Resources (do you have in-house IT support or rely on self-service tools?)

That said, the most effective charity CRMs share common characteristics:

• Ease of use - intuitive for everyone who needs to use it
• Automation - handling repetitive admin like receipts and thank-you emails
• Affordability - clear pricing structures designed for the charity sector
• Security - GDPR compliance and strong data protection measures
• Scalability - able to grow with you as your supporter base expands

When you’re weighing up options, remember: the “best” CRM isn’t necessarily the one with the longest feature list - it’s the one that solves your charity’s real challenges, whether that’s managing memberships, tracking large-scale campaigns, or simply getting away from spreadsheets.

On the subject of getting away from spreadsheets, the RFU Injured Players Foundation moved from spreadsheets to Donorfy. Here's what Fundraising Manager, John Larkin, thinks of the transition:

When you're comparing charity CRMs, focus on the features that make a tangible difference to your daily work. These include:

• Fundraising and campaign management

A good CRM should support every kind of fundraising, from community events to major donor programmes. The best CRM software for nonprofits helps you plan appeals, track pledges, and see campaign performance clearly.

Explore fundraising management

• Gift Aid and compliance

In the UK, automated Gift Aid claims can add thousands of pounds a year to your income - vital whether you’re a small local charity or a national organisation. Your CRM should make sure every penny is claimed, easily.

Explore income management & Gift Aid

• Donor journey tracking

Supporter journeys matter at every scale. A nonprofit CRM should help you understand where donors are in their lifecycle and keep them engaged with personalised, relevant communication.

Explore donor management

• Membership functionality

For charities with memberships the ability to manage income and engagement in one place is essential. Look for systems designed with these needs built in.

Explore membership

• Marketing and integrations

Modern fundraising relies on a digital toolkit. Choose a charity CRM that integrates seamlessly with your existing platforms - email marketing tools (like Dotdigital or Mailchimp), donation platforms (such as Stripe or JustGiving), and finance systems.

Explore integrations

• Dashboards and reporting

Whether you’re updating trustees, reporting to funders, or planning campaigns, the right charity CRM should make reporting easy and reliable.

Explore reporting

There are many options on the market - from large-scale systems like Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, through to solutions designed specifically for charities.

Donorfy is one example of a purpose-built CRM for nonprofits. Because it was designed with fundraising in mind, it includes features like:

• Built-in Gift Aid automation
• Tools for managing donors, memberships, and events
• Integrations with platforms such as Stripe, JustGiving, Dotdigital, and Mailchimp
• Strong data security and GDPR compliance

Other CRMs may suit organisations with different priorities. For example, Salesforce and Dynamics are often used by very large charities with complex IT teams. The best CRM for a small nonprofit would be completely different.

The important thing is to match the system to your needs, and to speak to numerous suppliers. 

If you want something tailored to the charity sector, Donorfy is always a strong contender. A great way to see for yourself is with a free trial - and you can get your free trial of Donorfy here.