In Use:
Funraise is a “collection of nonprofit fundraising tools designed to make raising…more effortless.” Using tools such as donation pages, automation, and reporting they have helped nonprofits such as Action Against Hunger, Invisible Children, and The American Lung Association with just a click.
Understanding that every charity has unique needs, they offer both a free option and an Enterprise subscription that starts at $2,500 per year. While the hefty fee may work for some larger nonprofit organizations - many nonprofits can benefit from the free version. Features in the free version include recurring donations, donation pages and forms, automated emails, and both the donor portal app and the Funraise app. A charity can manage their donations and supporters, while also managing ticketing and events. For $2,500 - nonprofits can add peer-to-peer fundraising, robust reporting, text engagement, and multiple integrations that aren’t available through the free version.
Technology Used:
Funraise leverages technology to build the tools within their software. Included in both the free and Enterprise versions - Funraise offers the Funraise mobile app where charities can collect payments as well as the Donor Portal App where donors can access their donor information and their giving history. If a nonprofit opts for the Enterprise subscription they also get access to Funraise’s API and all of their integrations such as, Salesforce, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Paypal and Zapier.
Ease of Use:
Many nonprofits agree that they like Funraise mainly in part to their easy-to-use dashboard and user experience. Many nonprofits take advantage of the widget button that allows them to collect donations right on their website.
Recap:
A digital fundraising platform - Funraise has a variety of tools and features that can help charities raise funds. The platform connects such features as donation pages, email automation, and reporting to allow a nonprofit to seamlessly manage donor giving from one platform.
The software has two different subscriptions. One is free and comes with commendable features such as donation management, subscription management and donation pages. The free version also comes with modest reporting and integration features to get a nonprofit started. The Enterprise subscription which starts at $2,500 per year adds more robust integrations and reporting along with migration services, premium support and text engagement.
Advantages:
- Free version with an arsenal of features
- Donation widget that nonprofits can put on their website to collect donations with just a click
- Recurring donations
Disadvantages:
- Minimal reporting capabilities for the free subscription
- Minimal integrations for the free version
- Enterprise subscription is too expensive for the average nonprofit
My Opinion:
I’m always supportive of nonprofits that have a free version - and Funraise’s version comes with a lot of different features that can help the average charity get the most out of the fundraising platform. I think it’s unique that they offer both an internal app and an app for their donors to see their giving history within the free version.
While it would be nice to have more integrations and reporting in the free version - I think the capabilities are robust enough that the average charity can get the most out of the features. I don’t think that a small to medium nonprofit needs to integrate Salesforce into their fundraising platform or needs extensive reporting ability.
