Your guide to finding the best free CRM for nonprofits

A robust customer relationship management platform (CRM) is the bread and butter of nonprofit success, but CRM software can get expensive quickly. However, there are a few free options available. 

In this blog, we’ll make your shopping process easier by walking you through the best nonprofit CRM software options on the market, including five free CRMs for nonprofits. Plus, we have top tips on what to look for in a CRM platform, so you can choose the right one for your organization.

What to look for in a free nonprofit CRM

Not all free nonprofit CRM software is created equal. So when it comes to choosing the right donor management software for your organization, make sure to note which of the following features are available: 

• Donor segmentation 💰 Does the CRM make it easy to filter, sort, and search your donor data?
• Easy imports and exports 💻 Can you bulk import contacts and transactions and export the data you need in a useful format?
• Integrations ⚒️ Does the platform have built-in fundraising features, and does it integrate easily with other useful platforms?
• Customization 🎨 Does the CRM system offer custom fields, tags, filters, and notes, for organized contact management? 
• Detailed contacts 👤 Can nonprofits create personalized donor profiles with timelines, activity tracking, and year-end reports?
• Data hygiene 🧼 Are there seamless de-duplication and data validation tools? 
• Unlimited capacity 🚀 Can you import and create as many contact profiles as you need?

1. Givebutter

Givebutter is an all-in-one fundraising platform that brings together everything changemakers need to fund their missions—including a powerful nonprofit CRM. And like all of the platform’s robust fundraising features, Givebutter’s CRM is completely free. 

💰 Is it really free? Yes! While other platforms require subscriptions or charge platform fees—and even a bit extra for certain features or additional contact records in your donor database—Givebutter is completely free to use. 

With no complicated pricing plans or tiered packages (thanks to optional tips from donors), nonprofits can import unlimited contact records, export and import data, create donor segments, and send personalized emails and texts at scale—all in one place. 

📣 Standout features:

• Donation management: Organize all of your gifts in one place on the same platform where you run your fundraising campaigns and events. 
• Household management: Track important relationships between donors and household groups and see their collective giving summaries.‍
• Data hygiene: Use de-duplication tools to surface mistakes and clean up your contacts.‍
• Integrations: Sync up with 1,000+ third-party integrations.‍
• Donor segmentation: Filter, sort, and live search in your donor data to make it easy to send targeted donor communications.‍
• Customized contact management: View detailed donor history in personalized contact profiles, which includes automatic activity tracking, at-a-glance giving summaries, unique filters, tags, labels, and more.‍
• Unlimited capacity: Create and import as many contacts as you need at no additional cost.

🔥 Our take: We’re not just buttering ourselves up here. Givebutter is one of the highest-rated donor management software on G2 based on user satisfaction. With dozens of free features that work together seamlessly, Givebutter helps changemakers like you focus on the things that really matter—making the world a butter place.

2. Funraise

Funraise is another user-friendly fundraising solution that helps organizations scale and succeed. However, the platform pricing requires custom quotes, depending on how many features you need.

‍💰 Is it really free?  Funraise offers donor-covered fees in their pricing model so that nonprofits aren’t saddled with platform fees, but you’ll need to reach out for a custom quote. 

📣 Standout features: 

• Household management: Group families together to see the collective impact.
• Interaction tracking: Document donor relationship touch-points.
• Donor segmentation: Filter and save lists with ease.
• Donor portfolios: Assign staff members their own supporter portfolio and create tasks.
• Donor-facing app: Giving by Funraise gives supporters access to their donation information.

🔥 Our take: Funraise offers some solid CRM features including robust segmentation and filters. And unlike competitors, Funraise also offers some pretty unique tools like donor portfolios and a donor-facing app. However, it’s unlikely that Fundraise is really free given that nonprofits have to reach out for a quote.

3. Givelify

Givelify offers donor management tools to nonprofit organizations and their donors: for nonprofits, the software solution offers a CRM with analytics and insights as well as some key integrations. 

For donors, the Givelify app is built to help users search for nonprofits, give easily, and centralize all their philanthropic efforts. Despite being free, however, Givelify’s CRM has very little customization capabilities and limited integrations.

‍💰  Is it really free? This minority-owned FinTech-for-Good company really is free to use without any sign-up or platform fees. The only charges organizations see is the standard payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 applied to each donation made through the platform.

📣 Standout features: 

• Custom donor profiles: Track communications with donations automatically.
• Donor insights with Givelify Analytics Studio: View AI-powered stats like giving frequency and giving styles.
• Built-in donor messaging: Create custom donor messages and send quick replies.

🔥 Our take: Givelify’s best CRM features are its analytics and insights tools, which are powered by AI. Givelify is a great option for organizations that want to supercharge their donor analysis. However, as far as free CRMs for nonprofits go, Givelify falls short of some basic features: limited payment methods, lack of customizations, and few integration capabilities, which can restrict organizations looking for something a bit more powerful.

4. DonorDock

DonorDock is designed to help nonprofits streamline and organize all of their fundraising initiatives and data in one central place. Sleek and intuitive, users report great functionality and little to no glitches or bugs. 

While DonorDock is a great solution for organizations looking for secure data and donor management, access to their full suite of CRM features comes at a hefty price.

‍💰 Is it really free?  This highly-rated tool does not offer a free plan—users must sign up for a paid plan. Regardless of the subscription tier, DonorDock does not charge platform fees, but they do charge processing fees, which donors can cover. 

When donating, supporters are asked to cover 5% + $0.30 of their transaction. If they choose to cover these fees, DonorDock will give 2.2% + $0.30 to the charity to cover their Stripe processing fees.

📣 Standout features: 

• Unlimited contacts: Create as many profiles as you need.‍
• Task management: Get automatic task notifications and reminders to connect with donors.‍
• Integrations: DonorDock integrates with thousands of popular platforms, like Classy, MailChimp, and more.‍
• Free training and support: DonorDock offers free assistance with data migrations. 

🔥 Our take: DonorDock is a good option for new nonprofits looking for a simple, easy-to-set-up, free CRM that offers access to data importing assistance, live training, and more. But, like most of the competitors, this tool isn’t really free—nonprofits need to pay for a subscription in order to get access to the full suite of integrations and CRM features.

5. Bitrix24

Though Bitrix24 isn’t specifically designed for nonprofits, they do offer e-commerce tools and features that are geared towards charities, like its free CRM for nonprofits. 

From grant management to campaign organization, Bitrix24 is a basic solution for nonprofits looking to consolidate their data in one central place.

‍💰  Is it really free? Yes! Bitrix24 pricing includes paid plans and one unlimited free plan specifically for nonprofits—no platform or processing fees are listed.

📣 Standout features: 

• Volunteer management and coordination: Organize supporters and their duties.‍
• Contact management: Consolidate donor data.‍
• Project and team management: Assign tasks to team members.‍
• Built-in communication channels: Use social network integrations and instant messaging tools.

🔥 Our take: Though nonprofits can use Bitrix24’s free CRM, it’s not specifically designed for charity work. In other words, the free tool lacks in some fundamental areas, including customization capabilities and segmentation. Plus, free users don’t have access to data hygiene tools, analytics, contact exports, and integration with marketing and engagement tools.

6. Bloomerang

‍

Bloomerang is a cloud-based donor management software solution that’s designed specifically for nonprofits. The platform offers cutting-edge CRM tools, like an interactive dashboard, donor histories, marketing automation, and in-depth reports.

💰  Cost: Bloomerang pricing is based on the number of records you have, starting at $125/month.

📣 Standout features: 

• Wealth screening
• Unlimited users
• Engagement scoring
• Zapier integration
• Open API
• Data hygiene tools

🔥 Our take: Bloomerang’s integrations and inclusion of advanced features like wealth screening and engagement scoring make it the best nonprofit CRM for organizations that want to take their donor relationships to the next level. Given the price, however, Bloomerang is not well-suited for small, grassroots organizations, but rather larger nonprofits interested in some of their next-level functionality.

7. Neon One

Neon One is a beloved fundraising software solution for nonprofits that offers a robust CRM, plus some other pretty sweet tools like peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, event management features, and more.

💰  Cost:  Neon One offers a few different pricing plans that range from $99–$399+/month depending on your nonprofit's annual revenue and the number of features and integrations you need.

📣 Standout features: 

• Custom fields 
• User-friendly dashboard
• Engagement timeline
• Pre-built and custom reporting
• Radius search tools
  

🔥 Our take: For organizations that value customer service when it comes to choosing the best nonprofit CRM, Neon One might just be the answer. While all of their CRM tools are pretty standard, their highly-rated support is what makes them stand out.

8. Salesforce

Salesforce is one of the most well-known names in sales and CRM software. Their NonProfit Success Pack (NPSP), specifically designed for charities, offers a lot of functionality, including access to a 360-view of fundraising efforts, donor insights, real-time reports, and an intuitive dashboard.

‍💰  Is it really free? 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofits in the U.S. are eligible for up to 10 free licenses to the Nonprofit Success Pack.

📣 Standout features: 

• AI-powered insights 
• Detailed donor insights 
• Access to other Salesforce tools 
• Reporting and analytics

🔥 Our take: While Salesforce has some powerful tools, users on G2 note a steep learning curve, increased fees as nonprofits scale, and hard-to-reach customer service. For large organizations that want the power of Salesforce, already have a grip on their donor information, and don’t mind taking the time to learn the platform, this nonprofit CRM could be a great match. 

9. Guided Fundraising

Guided Fundraising, which is Network for Good's new name since becoming a part of Bonterra, is an all-in-one fundraising software (like Givebutter) that offers nonprofits several tools for success—including a CRM. Easy to use and highly rated, this platform's CRM offers quite a few stellar features.

💰 Cost: Guided Fundraising does not publicly list its prices. Potential customers must contact a Bonterra sales representative to receive a quote.

📣 Standout features: 

• Interactive dashboard
• Automated data hygiene tools
• Free onboarding specialist
• Personalized coaching
• Pledge management

🔥 Our take: Guided Fundraising has an excellent reputation for being a reliable, easy-to-use CRM that seamlessly integrates with other essential fundraising tools. However, without any public pricing information, this might not be the best crm for small nonprofits— they might be blindsided by a big bill. For organizations prepared to pay for the features they need, including a personal fundraising coach for an additional fee, Bonterra Guided Fundraising might be the perfect match.

10. Virtuous

Virtuous is trusted by several big-name organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Rainforest Foundation to help keep all of their donor data updated and organized. Plus, they offer email and communication tools, volunteer mobilization features, and a whole lot more.

💰  Cost: Virtuous lists a few plans on their website, but nonprofits will need to reach out to the Virtuous Sales team to get a custom quote.

📣 Standout features: 

• Task automation
• Forecasting
• Custom gift ask pipeline
• Suggested gift asks
• Best next-call reporting

🔥 Our take: One of the biggest draws of Virtuous CRM is the platform’s future-esque automation and prediction tools. For organizations that are in need of a platform that will speed up their workflows and cut down on friction, Virtuous might be the right choice. 

11. DonorPerfect

Like other nonprofit CRMs on this list, DonorPerfect offers more than just a place to house detailed donor profiles. This software solution comes with fundraising event functionality, donation forms, and some pretty sweet automation tools.

💰  Cost: DonorPerfect doesn’t list any of its pricing publicly.

📣 Standout features: 

• Robust integrations
• Automated monthly giving options
• DonorPerfect mobile app
• Custom filters 

🔥 Our take: For organizations that already have a few tools that they don’t want to part with, DonorPerfect is a great fit. With lots of seamless integration—like Constant Contact, Quickbooks, and more—nonprofits can take their beloved software solutions and bring them all into one place.

How to choose the best nonprofit CRM for your organization

Now that you’ve got seven great CRM platforms to consider, you’re probably wondering how to narrow down your options. Here’s what you need to consider any time you’re comparison shopping for the best nonprofit CRMs:

Priorities ❗‍

When considering the best nonprofit CRM for your needs, consider your short-term and long-term organizational goals and must-have features in order to make the shopping process smoother. 

Users 👤

When looking for the perfect CRM fit for your nonprofit, it’s crucial to consider the people that will be interacting with it, including:

• Team members: How many team members will use the CRM, if they have technical experience? Which team members will use your CRM the most? How much technical expertise do they have?
• Donors: What does the donor-facing side of the software look like? Is it user-friendly and intuitive?

Existing tools ⚒️

Before jumping into a new software solution, be sure to audit your current tools. How many can you integrate or replace with the CRM system you’re considering?

Budget 💰

Generally, the more contacts you need to store, and the more features you need, the more expensive your plan will be. Before creating an account or pressing “buy,” consider these potential fees:

• Monthly costs: Many nonprofit CRMs charge a monthly fee based on your annual revenue or the number of contacts you have. While the monthly cost is often what’s listed on a CRM’s pricing page, it may not be the total cost you’ll pay for the platform. This cost is often in addition to platform and payment processing fees.
• Platform or payment processing fees: If you use your CRM to accept any funds, you may be charged platform or payment processing fees for each transaction. Some fundraising platforms, like Givebutter, let your donors cover these costs so you receive 100% of their donation.
• Setup and training: Many CRM vendors include a couple of free setup and training sessions, but if you think you’ll need more help, ask each CRM vendor if they charge extra.
• Data migration: Software vendors may help you migrate your data to their CRM from whichever CRM or spreadsheet you’re using. However, there is usually a flat-rate fee or hourly fee for this service.
• Number of constituents: CRM plans typically include a set number of contacts and charge a small fee per additional contact. If you need to house a large number of donor profiles, make sure you choose a CRM built for large organizations.
• Number of users: Similarly, the number of users, locations, or devices your organization has can affect the final price of your CRM.

Customization needs 🎨

The best CRMS for nonprofits will offer lots of tailored options to help your organization create one seamless donor management experience, including custom segments, filters, notes, tags, fields, reports, and dashboards.

Extras ✨

Every CRM for a nonprofit organization is different. Some are specifically designed for a few niche purposes, while others can take care of everything. When shopping for a nonprofit CRM, you might see tools aimed at:

• Donor management: Organize contact details, track donors' giving history and interactions, and generate reports.
• Donation management and fundraising: Tools for accepting payments, tracking donations, and monitoring overall fundraising process.
• Grant management: Research organizations and help you track the grant application process.
• Event management: Sell tickets and host virtual, in-person, or hybrid events.
• Volunteer management: Recruit and schedule volunteers.
• Advocacy efforts: Communicate with key individuals and groups.
• Program management: Monitor programs and funnel donations.
• Customer support: Contact a dedicated staff member for assistance whenever you need it—at no extra cost.
• Integrations: Sync up with email marketing software, a fundraising platform, text-to-donate tools, etc. 

Before you go comparison-shopping, ask yourself where your organization is heading and how your fundraising CRM will help you get there. It’s up to you to decide which of these features are must-have for your organization or simply nice to have.

Sign up (for free!) for the best CRM software for nonprofits 🧈

Givebutter is one of the highest-rated and most loved all-in-one fundraising and CRM nonprofit software.

Easy to use, sleek, and simple—and packed with tons of other free features like auction and event management tools, text-to-donate capabilities, and a whole lot more—Givebutter helps changemakers like you make more impact for less and takes the cake for best CRM for nonprofits. 🎂

Create your account today and see why Givebutter is the most-loved donor management software.