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.

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 Databases for Membership Organizations
Eight nonprofit technology professionals recommend their picks for membership databases.

Acquire

Though there are many places to acquire technologies, our TechSoup Stock product distribution service offers many popular products and services at a low administrative fee for qualifying nonprofits.

Telosa Exceed! Basic 2.0
With Exceed! Basic, users can organize donor databases, track critical donor and gift information, communicate with donors via mailings and emailings, and generate reports to analyze fundraising campaigns.

Inexpensive Donor Databases
No need to spend a lot on a donor database. Check out our list of free and 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.