Free Fundraising Software

willieormandsheroes

I'm on the fundraising team for church that is aiming to raise £1.5 for a major redevelopment project. We are knocking down our community facilities as they are 100+ years old and aim to replace them with new halls, meeting rooms etc. We are at the centre of our town and local community services are being swept away by a town centre redevelopment. Our aim is to provide the town with the town centre community facilities that are being lost.

Having in the past worked with the largest UK charities I have a great deal of experience of using 'professional' CRM/Fundraising/Membership Management software - I know how they use it - and I understand the value that it provides and the importance of managing your donors, supporters and contacts properly.

There seem to be quite a few options for free software - or software as a service - but I need some guidance on what I should look at. Of course I could use spreadsheets or access databases - but not keen to try and reinvent the wheel as I know it's there. I just need to know where.

Thanks

Savvy_Sue

Not sure exactly what you're after, but CiviCRM is open source (ie free) software which will let you track supporters, donations, Gift Aid, send mailings, record activities and attendance at events.

You can also record those who give you quotes and carry out the work, and group them separately to your supporters.

What's not free is the hosting, and you obviously need a secure site to host your data, and it helps if you learn the lingo ...

willieormandsheroes

many thanks - could be just what we're looking for. And we have a secure server already set up hosting our website.. As it happens I do know the lingo - I just didn't know who'd be reading and so tried to keep it simple and rather vague to start with

But basically I want to be able to do what you have listed: contact management (uindividuals and business names addresses, roles, positions, interests, mailings, links to other contacts, relationships, suppressions, gift aid declarations), support to proper relationship management with businesses and key individuals (as opposed to simple contact management); very simple event management; stakeholder, patron, major supporter and donor management; campaign management/targetted mailings; document management in respect of comms sent to supporters and others contacts.

I don't need to go into the finance side of donor management - so not bothered about regular giving; DDs; CCCA; product selling; but might consider payment for events in some form - but probably just logging under supporter management as attended

That sort of stuff

I am not sure that I want to be able to set up projects - but actually I might well do as I'm probably going to be PM for the development; so yes - would need document management; supplier management; ITT; bid management etc.

And many thanks for your suggestion - I will go have a look.

Savvy_Sue

Sounds like it could be just what you need. I am not sure, but I think there are even options to restrict access to some parts of it to some users: I know you can restrict what people can do - as you'd expect - but I know there is an HR add-on for example, and you wouldn't want everyone able to see salaries etc. So it may be possible to keep contract details more confidential than other bits.

There is a CiviCamp in Manchester early in March: if you can get to that you'd probably find it very helpful. Post again if you can't find details and I'll get them. There's also quite a hub of activity around Bristol, also London, and probably other places too.