Any volunteer or staff member who wishes to use VisibleResults will also need to install the Firebird database on their Windows or Linux-based computer. VisibleResults This application focuses on helping organizations store fundraising information, although it's no longer under active development. Your nonprofit will need to be running a PHP-compatible Web server and a MySQL database in order to install and use InfoCentral, but once you get it up and running, an unlimited number of users on Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems can access the data and contribute information through a Web-based interface.

Open-Source Databases with Fundraising Features InfoCentral Though InfoCentral is primarily designed for use by religious organizations, other types of nonprofits can take advantage of its donation-tracking features, tweaking the application's code to better suit their needs. If, on the other hand, you are seeking more robust functionality, you may want to investigate open-source CRM software, which not only provides tools for managing fundraising initiatives but also for storing information about your organization's affiliates and their activities. If you are simply looking for a way to keep track of fundraising information, there are a couple of open-source databases with features specifically designed to store donor information that you can choose from. Another option? Find an open-source product that you can customize on your own. One possible solution is to pay the software vendor to customize the application for you, a service that isn't always offered. Yet off-the-shelf packages may not always meet your organization's needs.

Question: Has anyone used open-source software for fundraising? This would include software to run campaigns or perform CRM (constituency relationship management) roles.Īnswer: Fundraising software, such as donor databases and CRM packages, makes it easy for your staff to access fundraising and donor information directly from a Web browser or a desktop application.

We've taken some tips generated by his original thread in TechSoup's open-source software forum and combined them with a few pieces of John's own advice to help give nonprofits a quick overview of the available options. In this installment of Ask TechSoup, CompuMentor's John Lorance - Associate Director of TechCommon's Community Engagement program - asks the TechSoup community for feedback regarding open-source fundraising programs. In our new Ask TechSoup series, our staffers and community members provide responses to your burning nonprofit technology questions.

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