Choosing a donor database for a small charity

Most small charities start with a spreadsheet. It works until the day it doesn't: a donor gets two receipts, a volunteer is missed, or the person who knew where everything was leaves. A proper database fixes those things, but only if you choose one that fits the size of your organisation.

Start with the job, not the product

Write down what you need the database to do before you look at any demos. Salespeople will show you what their product does best. Your list keeps the conversation on what you need.

Hello,

[Organisation name] is a small not-for-profit looking for a donor and supporter database. We would like a quote and a demo.

About us
- Staff and volunteers who need access: 5
- Supporters and contacts to load: 1,000

What we need
- Donor records with giving history and notes
- Tax receipts for donations, issued automatically
- Easy export of all our data if we ever leave

Please tell us
- The total monthly and yearly cost for our size, including set up, support and any fees per contact, email or transaction
- Whether you offer not-for-profit pricing, and what proof of status you need
- How we can export all our data, and in what format
- Where our data is stored, and who can access it
- How we move our existing spreadsheet or database across, and what help you give
- Whether there is a minimum term, and what happens if we cancel

Thank you

Questions that save you money later

• What is the true yearly cost? Ask about set up, per-user fees, per-contact fees, email sending fees and payment fees.
• Can we get all our data out, in a normal format? If the answer is vague, think twice.
• Where is our data stored, and who can see it?
• Is there not-for-profit pricing? Ask what proof they need.
• Who helps us move our spreadsheet across, and is that included?
• What is the minimum term, and what happens if we cancel?

Common mistakes

• Buying for the charity you hope to be in five years, not the one you are now.
• Letting one volunteer set it up with nobody else knowing how it works.
• Importing a messy spreadsheet without cleaning it first. Duplicates and old addresses come straight across.
• Forgetting consent. Check your supporters have agreed to the emails you plan to send, and that every email has a working unsubscribe.

Before you load any data

1. Delete obvious duplicates and people who have asked to be removed.
2. Agree who is allowed to see what. Not everyone needs every record.
3. Check your privacy policy matches what you will really do with the data.
4. Keep a copy of the original spreadsheet, stored safely, until you are sure the move worked.

We set up connected systems with automatic follow-up, referral tracking and reporting. If you want to see what that would look like for your organisation, see our not-for-profits page.