Fundraising Systems – Aren’t They All Really the Same?

Keith Collins

14th June 2007

How many fundraising systems can you name?

The Raiser’s Edge

Progress

Care

Integra

ThankQ

Donor Strategy

Donorflex

Ascent

How many fundraising systems can you name?

IMIS

Advantage Fundraiser

KISS Contacts

E-Tapestry

Engino

Harlequin Fundraising

CHARITease

Are there differences between them?

Yes!

What are the key differences?

Scale and robustness of supplier

Innovation

Customer care

Sub-sector expertise

Sub-sector functionality

Scale and Robustness of Supplier

Big companies with lots of clout

• Blackbaud• Ciber• Computer Software Group,• ASI Europe

Scale and Robustness of Supplier

Smaller UK-based software houses

• Fisk Brett• ESiT• Donor Strategy• Care Data Systems• Redbourn Business Systems

Innovation

Big Guys have large systems development teams

• Longer lead time for innovations• Often worth waiting for – The Information Edge• Responding to broad sector trends – Gift Aid,

social networking, direct marketing• UK-led innovations may not be prioritised with

US-based companies

Innovation

Small Guys listen

• Easy to get the ear of the MD – Robin Fisk, Jonathan Air

• Quicker decision making process• UK-customer led• Smaller teams to make the innovation reality

Customer Care

Harder to differentiate

• Some smaller suppliers – more responsive and flexible, more aware of importance of word-of-mouth

• Bigger suppliers – some complacency among more established players

Sub Sector Expertise

Horses for Courses?

• Membership organisations – Integra• Universities – Raiser’s Edge, Donor Strategy• Fundraising organisations – Progress, Raiser’s

Edge• Volunteer management – Raiser’s Edge• Hospices – Donorflex

Sub Sector Expertise

Merging of market

• Some solutions and suppliers have wide breadth of experience – i.e. Raiser’s Edge – fundraising, membership, alumni management

• Others have very limited experience and credentials in some areas – i.e. Ascent – little to offer by way of membership or alumni management

Sub Sector Functionality

• Some solutions – broad breadth of functionality• Some solutions – glaring gaps in some areas• Some solutions – supplier has non-profit sector

experience, solution has next to nothing by way of specific functionality in key areas

The Key Players – Here to Stay

• Blackbaud – Raiser’s Edge, Information Edge, NetCommunity

• CS Group – Integra, Care

The Key Players – Serious Players

• Fisk Brett – Progress – growing fast, increasing market share, increasing client base

• Ciber – Ascent CRM – winning enterprise-scale clients, sometime as a CRM ‘layer’, some teething problems in early projects?

• ASI Europe – IMIS – predominately membership based, good web tools

The Key Players – Good Credentials

• Donor Strategy – growing fast, increasing market share, innovative, fundraising and alumni specialities

• ESiT – ThankQ – good reputation, reasonable client base, some impressive clients

What to watch out for over the next few years

• Consolidation• Commercial CRM – Microsoft CRM, Salesforce

Foundation• Non-profit products based upon Microsoft

CRM?• Lower Prices for software• Database facilitated social networking