Top Software for Donor Management, Grant Management, and Project Management
In the previous blog post, I discussed research provided to us by Instrumentl revealing the busiest grant deadline seasons. In the particular report cited, relative to busy seasons and deadlines around grant applications, the research also covered grant management. This is right up our alley today as we explore my favorite software for donor management, grant management, and project management. As some of you may know, my background…..
This is going to be quick and to the point. Let’s dive right in!
Project Management Software
Asana. This is one of my favorite, top project management software because of how easy it is to learn and to use. It is simply one of least complicated project management software out there. While learning project management software is not a bore or a hard task for me, the thing that makes Asana so great is that it is easier to teach to anyone who’s new to project management software or who has limited experience. So, it’s the best place to start to get your “feet wet” and get familiar with PM software features. There’s also not only a free trial offer, but a free account version where you’ll get all of the basic features, for free, forever. If you want more features, Asana has low-cost options as well.
Airtable. OMG, I love Airtable! I love it for how flexible it is with varying options. I actually use this to create forms as well and for program management to some extent. You can do nearly everything with this software. Airtable is a collaborative workspace that allows you to create to-do lists, create sign-up forms, which can then automatically create databases, manage projects, manage marketing campaigns, content planning, inventory management, and more! And, the great thing about it is that it is fairly easy to learn!
Microsoft Lists doesn’t actually seem to be very well-known or talked about, but I found it and used it during my time as a Director of a program. It was just as good as any other project management software. It’s definitely worth checking out if you are already particularly using Microsoft or 365/OneDrive programs.
Grant Management Software
Instrumentl. There’s none like this software. There’s a ton of valuable features here with Instrumentl. It’s used for grant research, grant management, and report management, and more. This is a great tool to help you with your grant management planning as well. It’s easy to use and navigate. And, while the pricing have changed since I first used it a few years ago, they do have a free trial so you can see how great and useful it is, and it comes with excellent training.
Donor Management
Bloomerang. I’ve worked with a number of donor management software programs in my career, even within a short time span over a few years. Once I was introduced to Bloomerang, nothing has been better (although one, which I’ll mention shortly, has come close). First and foremost, it’s the ease of use, but also the common sense and necessity of features. If I recall, this specific software was created by a team of fundraising professionals who were just sick and tired of using programs that were created by people who knew how to build tech systems but had no idea what fundraisers really needed in their day-to-day work with donor management systems. So, Bloomerang is specific for managing individual donors, including major gift donors, and fundraising projects, such as campaigns, events, and even volunteer management. You get all the good stuff like forms, reports, and payment processing.
*Honorable Mentions for donor management: Donor Perfect, DonorBox, and Little Green Light. Because I haven’t personally used these extensively before, I can’t add them to my personal suggestions list.
Overall Fundraising Management (Donors, grants, campaigns, etc.)
Alright, are you ready for this last one?! For donor management, grant management, campaign management, and more, we have….
Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT
Did you know that there are $0 transaction fees using Raiser’s Edge? Honestly, I did not know that! In case you don’t realize it yet, that’s a big deal. 😂😂 Let’s talk about features in Blackbaud/Raiser’s Edge. You get your CRM database for donor management. You get donation forms, annual fund workflows, event management, including registration, email marketing, proposal tracking, giving and pledge management. You can also try Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT® for grant management. Raiser’s Edge Nonprofit CRM Fundraising Software | Blackbaud
All of these programs have unique integrations that you also want to look into when you research their websites. Be mindful of what other tools you want to use collaboratively with each software. Think about the ones you use the most.
So, that’s it, that’s all, folks! If any of these software interests you, take a deeper look into researching them and let me know which ones you’re thinking about using. If you have experience with any of them, surely leave a comment and let me know what that experience was like.
If you need professional assistance...
If you need assistance with grant research, a funding strategy, and/or grant writing, visit The Strategy Huddle to secure a free consultation to talk about your grant writing goals and find out how we can be of the most assistance to your organization. The Strategy Huddle also assists with Data Collection and Management, which includes reviewing your data management systems and processes.
One response
This is great. Thank you for sharing. I’ve never heard of Airtable before. I do like that most of the options have free versions too. Thnx.