Fundraising Technology Resources
Below are links to articles and resources about donor databases, email marketing, online fundraising, spam avoidance, technology planning, and related issues.
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Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Fundraising Databases & CRMs - Vendors
Association of Fundraising Professionals: Advancing Philanthropy Fundraising Technology Roundup May/June 2008 Note: Each listing spans two pages
Campbell Rinker 2008 Donor & Member Database Survey
Heller Consulting: The New World of Donor Management Apps for Nonprofits (comparison of Salesforce-based systems)
Idealware and NTEN: 2011 Consumers Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems
Idealware: A Few Good Tools: Low Cost Constituent Databases
Idealware and TechSoup: Comparing Lower-Cost Online Integrated Applications
IT For Charities: Fundraising Databases for UK Charities
Lyric Systems: List of Fundraising Databases
Leland, Eric (Idealware/TechSoup): A Few Good Donor Management Tools
Leland, Eric (Idealware): A Few Good Association Management Tools
Mills-Groninger, Tim (NonProfit Times): The Soft(ware) Side of Fundraising Effectiveness (includes a vendor listing) (Archived version - may be slow to load.)
NTEN: 2008 Donor Management Software Satisfaction Survey (free for NTEN members, $50 for non-members)
Weiner, Robert: Donor Database Toolkit (extensive, editable list of donor databases)
Fundraising Databases & CRMs - Strategy
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Bibbo, Laura: 7 Things to Think About Before You Implement a Fundraising System
Campbell, Peter and Quinn, Laura (NTEN): How To Find Data-Exchanage-Friendly Software
Connors, Bill (Advancing Philanthropy): Being Good to Your Database
Grantsmanship Center: A User's Guide to Selecting Fundraising Software
Heller, Keith (Idealware): Do You Need New Donor Management Software?
Heller, Keith: An Organized Donor Database: The Key to Successful Integrated Marketing
Idealware: The Truth About Hosted Software Packages
Idealware: 10 Things To Consider in a CRM
Mills-Groninger, Tim (NonProfit Times): The Soft(ware) Side of Fundraising Effectiveness (Archived version, may be slow to load.)
Mills-Groninger, Tim (NonProfit Times): Build, Buy, or Rent? (Archived version, may be slow to load)
Murrain, Michelle (Idealware): The True Costs of Free and Low-Cost Software
NonProfit Times: 6 Tips For A Successful Software Demo
NPower: Selecting Donor Management Software
Petulla , Maria (Grassroots Fundraising Journal): Making Order Out of Chaos: How a Good Fundraising Database Can Help You Raise More Money (archived copy, may be slow to load)
Pustejovsky, Mary: Top Qualities in a Great CRM Administrator
Pustejovsky, Mary and Kronzak, Tracy: So You’ve Hired a CRM Administrator…
Reiss, Norman: Why Staff Aren’t Using Your New Database
Quinn, Laura (Idealware): There Ain't No Such Thing As a Free Software Package
Quinn, Laura (Grassroots Fundraising Journal): Software to Support Your Fundraising
Sage Software: A Nonprofit's Guide to Purchasing Fundraising Software
Salesforce: Achieving outstanding CRM administration
Saxten, Susie: Top Things to Consider Before Converting Your Nonprofit’s Data into a New System
Weiner, Robert (Idealware): Back Away From That Spreadsheet: Why Excel Isn't a Donor Database
Weiner, Robert (Nonprofit Quarterly): Looking for Databases in All the Right Places
Weiner, Robert (AFP eWire): Choosing a Donor Database
Weiner, Robert (NTEN Forecast): Why Building Your Own Database Should Be Your Last Resort
Weiner, Robert (CASE Currents): Recipe for a Successful Conversion
Wild Apricot: Membership Database Selection Part 1 - Defining Your Needs
Wild Apricot: Membership Database Selection Part 2 - Understanding Your Choices
Wild Apricot: Membership Database Selection Part 3 - Making Your Choice
Email Marketing and Fundraising
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Algeri, Catherine (Fundraising Success): E-mail Appends: The Good, the Bad and the Realistic
Allen, Nick: 13 tips for raising money online
Allison, Rachel: 10 steps to a great e-mail
Allison, Rachel: Testing e-mail without testing your sanity (email newsletter checklist)
Bronto Mail: E-mail Marketing 101
Bronto Mail: Email Marketing Whitepapers
Business 2 Community: 19 Boring But Effective Email Deliverability Best Practices
Campaign Monitor: Articles and Tips on Email Marketing
Convio: Integrated Marketing: The Power of Combining Online Marketing with Direct Mail
Cravens, Jayne (Coyote Communications): Tips for Nonprofits Using Email Newsletters (revised 4/10)
DMNews: Essential Guide to E-mail Marketing
dotorgEssentials: Best Practice for Email Campaigns
Email Experience Council: Wall of Questions (Q&A about email campaigns)
Lyris: Email Marketing Best Practices
eROI Resource Center: Email Marketing Guides, Quarterly Statistics, and Case Studies
eROI: Designing and Coding HTML Emails - What Works? (Free registration required)
Fuel4Arts.com: Email Promotions – How To Guide
Gilbert, Michael: The Gilbert Email Manifesto
Gilbert, Michael: Twelve Ways To Fail at Email
Gilbert, Michael: Do Your Stakeholders Think You're a Spammer?
Groundspring.org: Online Fundraising Handbook (chapter 3 discusses email newsletters)
Groundwire: 2012 Comparison of Email Service Providers
Holden-Bache, Adam (Mass Transmit): Best Practices for Optimizing the Email Opt-In Process
Hrywna, Mark (NonProfit Times): Subjects Matter (writing strong subject lines)
Idealware: Adventures in Email Fundraising
Idealware: Choosing Bulk Email Software to Match Your Communication Goals
Idealware: A Few Good Email Newsletter Tools
Interactive Advertising Bureau: Marketer & Agency Guide to Email Deliverability
Jennings, Jeanne: (Marketingsherpa): Making Social and Email Work Together
Lasa: Bulk Email Software Review
Lasa: Choosing Bulk Email Software
Livingston, Brian: Don't Count On Your E-Mail Being Delivered
M + R Strategic Services: Do Images Help or Hurt Email Appeals?
Mathieu, Blaine (iMedia Connection): 3 steps to superior email snippets
MarketingProfs: Top 100 words NOT to use in your subject lines
Matheson, Karen and Fox, Eve: Why open rates are dropping
Mathias, Devin, University of Michigan: Before you hit send… Guidelines for using email effectively.
Nielsen, Jakob Targeted Email Newsletters Show Continued Strength
NP Advisors: 9 Things to Test in an Email
NP Advisors: Are E-mail Recipients Better Direct Mail Givers?
NP Advisors: Guidelines for Preparing E-mail Copy
Patrick, Jeff (NTEN): An Intimate Look at a Successful Online Fundraising Campaign
Pearson, Jerold: @Stanford and Institutional Advancement
Pepperrell, Véro (Digital Web): The Seven Deadly Sins of Email Marketing Management
Pollard, Stefan (ClickZ): Crafting a Compelling Text Message
Return Path: Deliverability 101 – Getting your email into the Inbox
Roth, Wendy (iMedia Connection): 10 ways email marketing has fundamentally changed
Schwartz, Nancy: Checklist for E-News Service Provider Selection
Schwartz, Nancy: Selecting the Best E-News Service Provider
Stanionis, Madeline: Eight tests worth trying online (testing email appeals)
Stein, Michael: Growing your e-mail list
Stoner, Michael: Creating Effective Email Campaigns
SubscriberMail: The Seven Dirty Words you can't say in subject lines (plus 100 others)
SupportingAdvancement.com's collection of e-solicitations
Weiner, Robert (E-Philanthropy Review): Email Campaigns - The Technical Side
Newsletters about online marketing and fundraising
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
CharityChannel: E-Philanthropy and Technology Review
Mal Warwick and Associates: Successful Fundraising Online
Ralph Wilson: Web Marketing Today
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Affinity Resources: Comparison of Online Donation Services
Affinity Resources: The Donation Process - A Four Step Process for Online Donations by Credit Card
Ahern, Tom: Deciding What Goes Into Your Donor Newsletter
American Express: 2007 Charitable Gift Survey
Barney, Jim (from AFP's Advancing Philanthropy): How Secure Are Your Online Donations?
Blackbaud: Online Gift Donor Profile
Blackbaud: Internet Assessment Survey Responses
Blue Avocado: Comparing Cheap and Free "Donate Now" Button Services
Care2: Analysis of fundraising through Facebook Causes
Care2, Sea Change, & Free Range: The Procrastinators’ Guide to Online Fundraising
Care2: ROI Calculator for Social Network Campaigns
Christ, Rick and Fignar, Heather (AFP eWire): Shattering Online Fundraising Myths
CompassPoint: The eNonprofit: A Guide to ASPs, Internet Services, and Online Software
Convio: The Next Generation of American Giving (free registration required)
Commentary on the Next Generation study from The Agitator and Future Fundraising Now
Convio: 2011 Online Marketing (eCRM) Nonprofit Benchmark Study (free registration required)
Convio: Using the Internet to Build Alumni and Donor Relationships: Tools, Tips and Techniques for Boosting Donations (free registration required)
Convio: The Wired Wealthy: Using the Internet to Connect with Your Middle and Major Donors
DonorDigital: Perfecting Your Page: Can donation page optimization boost online giving?
EmailStatCenter: Collection of statistics and research on nonprofit online fundraising
ePhilanthropy Foundation: Code of Ethical Online Philanthropic Practices
Gaffny, Tom: Best Practices: Destination Marketing
DMA slides, January 2008 (55 MB)
Gilbert, Michael: Online Donor Cultivation: The Quest for Metrics
Groundspring.org: Online Fundraising Handbook
Guidestar: Is Mobile Fundraising the Next Frontier for Charities?
Guidestar: On-line Monthly Giving—A Review of Nonprofit Programs
Guidestar: The State of Fundraising On-line: Results of a 2008 Giving USA Survey
Howard, Don and Weber, Ken: Seeing the Internet's (Not So) Obvious Benefits
Howard, Don and Weber, Ken: Toward e-engagement: How Nonprofits and Individuals Engage Online
Kanter, Beth: Exploring Online Fundraising for Nonprofit Arts Organizations (archived version - may be slow to load)
M + R Strategic Services and NTEN: 2012 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study (free registration required)
MobileActive: Texting for Charitable Dollars: The Definitive Guide
MobileActive: Strategy Resources for Mobile Campaigns (free registration required)
National Association of State Charity Officials: Charleston Principles for online solicitations
Network for Good: The Online Fundraiser's Checklist 2.0
Network for Good: Online Fundraising Guides and eBooks
Network for Good: The Wired Fundraiser
NonProfit Times: Online payment system options abound
Org 2.0: The 59 Smartest Organizations Online
Soper, Michael: Understanding E-Relationships
Stoner, Michael: Web/Internet Strategy Must-Reads for Decisionmakers
Stoner, Michael: Making a Difference Online: What Really Matters to Potential Donors
Sumac Software: Weighing Your Options for Processing Donations Online
SupportingAdvancement.com: Survey Results: What are you doing with Web 2.0?
Target Analysis Group: 2008 Online Giving Benchmarking Analysis
Ward, Amy Sample (NetSquared): Online Fundraising, Lessons Learned
Warwick, Hart, Allen: Fundraising on the Internet
Weiner, Robert and Thompson, Chris (CASE): Analysis of CASE's 2009 survey on online fundraising
Weiner, Robert: Online Donations Checklist
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Customer Respect Group: Online Privacy - Best Practice Pays
The Direct Marketing Association's Privacy Policy Guidelines
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Andresen, Katya: What are nonprofits doing with social media? Six interesting stats
Askanase, Debra: Listening Posts: The Six Free Listening Tools You Cannot Do Without
The Bamboo Project: Using Facebook in Your Nonprofit
Barry, Frank (Blackbaud): Nonprofit Social Media Primer
Bartlett, Adrienne (TargetX): Welcome to the Social Web (social media and student recruitment)
Beaconfire: Social Media Tracking – Easy Tools to Monitor Online Activity and ROI
Blackbaud: Making Event Participants More Successful with Social Media Tools
Bridgespan Group: Tweeting For a Better World
Broitman, Robin (Interactive Insights Group): How To Grow Your Social Media Network
Boudreaux, Chris: Database of Social Media Governance Policies
Care2: Fundraising on Social Media: Slam Dunk or Snake Oil?
Care2: Top 8 Social Media Tracking Tools
Care2: Analysis of fundraising through Facebook Causes
Chronicle of Philanthropy: Social Philanthropy blog
Chronicle of Philanthropy Special Report: Face Time - Charities flock to social-networking sites
Chronicle of Philanthropy: Advice for Charities on Making the Most of Twitter
CollegeWebEditor.com: (How) Should higher ed institutions use MySpace?
Connecticut Student Loan Foundation: What is Web 2.0 for Higher Education?
Cravens, Jayne: Online Action Should Create & Support Offline Action
Cravens, Jayne: Before you jump on the micro-blogging/Twitter band wagon
Davies, Tim: Facebook groups vs. Facebook pages
Diosa Communications: Facebook Best Practices for Nonprofit Organizations
Diosa Communications: MySpace Best Practices for Nonprofit Organizations
Diosa Communications: YouTube Best Practices for Nonprofit Organizations
Dyer, Pam: Top 12 Social Media Insights for Nonprofits in 2012
.eduGuru: Setting up a LinkedIn Alumni Group for your College
Evans, Dan: Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day
Feld, Peter (Ad Age): What Obama Can Teach You About Millennial Marketing
Foster, Kristin (Ogilvy PR): The Creation of Twitter Best Practices: Round 1
Greenstein, Howard (Mashable): Facebook Pages vs Facebook Groups: What's the Difference?
Guidestar: Tips for Entering Your Nonprofit into the Social Media Environment
Harman, Wendy: Social Media Handbook for Local Red Cross Units
Haydon, John: Twitter Jump Start: The Complete Guide for Small Nonprofits
Holdridge, Heather (Care2): The ROI of Social Media
Idealware: What If Someone Says Something Bad About Me On Social Media?
Idealware: The Nonprofit Social Media Policy Workbook
Idealware: 10 Things You're Doing Wrong With Social Media
Idealware: Using Facebook To Meet Your Mission: Results of a Survey
Idealware: The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide
ifPeople: Developing a Social Media Strategy
Kanter, Beth: Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media
Kanter, Beth: The Six Signs That Twitter Isn't For Your Nonprofit
Kanter, Beth: Twitter, What's Twitter?
Kanter, Beth: What, Why, and How of Facebook Pages
Karr, John (Chronicle of Philanthropy): Getting the Most From Your Facebook Fans (case study)
Liu, Kenneth (Law For Change): Legal Risks in Social Media Use by Nonprofits
Marchenese, Kira: Social Media Guidelines for Environmental Defense Fund Employees
Martens, Jasper & Smith, Hannah: Step-by-Step Guide to Social Media Success
Matthew, David: What is the Real Value of Social Media for Nonprofits?
McLellan, Drew: Chief Marketing Officer's Guide to the Social (Media) Landscape
Miller, Kivi Leroux: Template for a Social Media Policy (in MS Word)
NetWits Think Tank: Social Media for Nonprofits (lots of sample strategies, videos, & examples)
Notes for Nonprofits: Ten Things a Nonprofit Should Do Before Setting Up Social Media
NTEN, Common Knowledge, Blackbaud: 2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report (free registration required)
Ochman, B.L. (BusinessWeek): Debunking Six Social Media Myths
Odden, Lee (TopRank Blog): Social Media Marketing Checklist
Outspoken Media: Creating Your Social Media Plan
Owyang, Jeremiah: Testing Facebook Pages
Pitman, Mark: How Twitter can transform your fundraising
Pogue, David: Twittering Tips for Beginners
Raymond, Duane: Hype vs. Reality: What digital channels are the most effective in 2010?
Rowley, Melissa (Mashable): 10 Tips for Successful Twitter Fundraising
Shandlain, Andy: In-House Online (Alumni) Communities: Good Investment?
Sociable Blog: 100 Twitter Tools to Help You Achieve All Your Goals
Social Source Commons: Building a Social Media Dashboard with Netvibes
Smarty, Ann (Search Engine Journal): Facebook Group vs. Facebook Fan Page--What's Better?
Social Media Today: Best Practices for Facebook Pages
Stelzner, Michael A. (MarketingProfs): The Dark Side of Twitter: What Businesses Need to Know
SupportingAdvancement survey: What are you doing with Web 2.0?
Washington Post: To Nonprofits Seeking Cash, Facebook App Isn't So Green
We Are Media Project: The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits
Wild Apricot: Best Practices for Nonprofits' Use of Facebook
Wild Apricot: Get Started Right with Your Nonprofit on Twitter
Worthwhile Films: Collection of Social Media Networking Groups for Non-Profits
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Brown, Alexandria: 20 Words That Kill - At Least When It Comes to Spam Filters
The Direct Marketing Association: CAN-SPAM summary and FAQ (archived version - may be slow to load)
Email Tools: How To Get Off An Email Blacklist
Guidestar: What Nonprofits Need to Know about CAN-SPAM
Lucid Images: Stop Spam Harvesting
Nonprofit Navigator: CAN-SPAM Act Could Affect Charities
Nonprofit Navigator: Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam: How to Win Friends and Avoid Blacklisting
Rimmer, Steven: Death to Spam - A Guide To Dealing With Unwanted E-Mail
Schwartz, Nancy: Avoiding Filters - 11 Tips for E-Newsletter Success
SpamLinks: Everything You Didn't Want to Have to Know About Spam
St Sauver, Joe: Winning the War on Spam
Summary of State Anti-Spam Laws
Templeton, Brad: Origin of the term "spam" to mean email abuse
TidBits: Spam Filtering – Killing the Killer App
Web Marketing Today: 20 Ways Opt-in E-Mailers Can Outsmart Spam Filters
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Benton Foundation: Technology Literacy Benchmarks
Melnikow, Paul: Technology assessment toolkit
Nonprofit Times: Making Technology Work For, Not Against You
NPower: Selecting the Right Technology Vendor
NPower: Technology Guide for Nonprofit Leaders: Arts and Culture
NPower: Technology Guide for Nonprofit Leaders: Community Development
NPower: Technology Guide for Nonprofit Leaders: Education Services
NPower: Technology Guide for Nonprofit Leaders: Health and Human Services
NPower: Total Cost of Ownership Calculator
Description of TechAtlas from TechSoup
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
Association of Advancement Services Professionals
Capaciteria : Links to peer-reviewed capacity resources, including technology, fundraising, legal, accounting, communications, HR, and volunteer management.
Charity Village : An extensive array of nonprofit resources.
Consultant Resources : Resources for nonprofit consultants, from a presentation at NTEN's 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference.
FUNDSVCS.org : A listserve for Development Services professionals, where a variety of back-office issues are discussed. Typical topics include IRS regulations, records management, policies, and systems. It also offers a file sharing area for exchanging manuals, policies, forms, etc.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy's Technology Guide
Innovation Network's Assessment and Evaluation Tools
Marcinko, Jake: The Questions Every Nonprofit Should Ask About Sensitive Data
Nonprofit FAQ : The long-standing Nonprofit FAQ seems to have been shut down, but Idealist.org has an extensive collection of resources.
Nonprofit Good Practice Guide : Information on evaluation, advocacy, fundraising, governance, management, technology, and more.
Putnam, Kris: So, You Want To Be A Philanthropy Consultant? (part 1) 5 questions to ask yourself before starting out as a consultant, plus resources.
Putnam, Kris: So, You Want To Be A Philanthropy Consultant? (part 2) 15 tips for new consultants.
R I Arlington Information on Advancement Services, systems, job postings, and survey results.
SOFII: The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration : Described as "a comprehensive, easily accessible archive of the best fundraising creativity from around the world." (free registration required)
SupportingAdvancement : Links to a wide variety of Development Services resources, including a collection of job descriptions.
Third Sector New England: Information Technology Resources for Nonprofit Organizations : Links to resources to help nonprofit executives, managers, staff and “accidental techies” use technology effectively.
Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Vendors | Fundraising Databases & CRMs-Strategy | Email Marketing | Newsletters | Online Fundraising | Online Privacy | Social Media | Spam | Technology Planning | Other Resources
