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No matter what stage of growth your organization is in, there will always be a host of software options vying for your attention. Just as your work evolves, so does the technology available to support you, making it difficult to know what the best software for your organization's fundraising efforts could be.
Canadian charities and nonprofit organizations are often bombarded with marketing emails and cold calls from multinational tech companies, due in large part to the sector’s size of 8.3% Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Meanwhile, there are a plethora of home-grown solutions that are just as good or even better.
In this blog, we highlight ten of the best Canadian fundraising tools that can help your organization grow - whether you're grassroots level or nationally recognized.
Use this list to browse through pricing, categories, and real nonprofit reviews so you can access resources to help ease your workload - all while also shopping local.
Pricing Legend*:
$: $0 - $100
$$: $100 - $500
$$$: $500+
* This pricing is based from Nov 1, 2021
1. Trellis: Event Fundraising Software - $
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for many nonprofit organizations - especially those who relied on in-person events; causing many to have to pivot their efforts. Fundraising through community connection is still made possible with the interactive features of BC-based Trellis, an in-person, hybrid, and virtual fundraising software.
Trellis is an all-in-one revenue-driving platform that allows users to get creative with their online fundraising initiatives with features such as auctions, event pages, raffles, live streaming, e-commerce, and more.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Free Plan - $0
Starter Plan - $1,188/per year
Pro Plan - $3,588/per year
2. Goodszilla: Charitable Marketplace - $
Most charity shops and thrift stores can’t handle the volume of donations they receive, which can have a negative environmental and economic impact - that’s where Goodszilla comes in.
Likened to an Ebay for good, it’s a digital marketplace where users are able to sell goods and services with a percentage of each sale being contributed to important causes. They take the work out of selling by taking care of the logistics such as payment processing (CanadaHelps expedites the secure transaction) and communication while providing access to a community of like-minded conscious consumers.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Goodszilla does not charge charity fees. Proceeds are transferred to CanadaHelps where a 3.5% processing fee is applied.
3. Keela: Fundraising CRM - $
Keela has helped Canadian nonprofit organizations raise 46% more in revenue in their first year since 2016. The Vancouver-based company specializes in linking fundraising and donor communications. Store all of your contact records, send targeted stewardship appeals, and holistically manage donor relationships with Keela’s suite of easy-to-use tools that allow you to automate workflows and continue growing your company’s mission.
New to the world of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and looking for a place to start? Keela offers a free donation processing tool called Keela Starter that allows you to access core features such as donation forms, automatic tax receipts, a centralized donor data pool (and more!)
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Keela is free for organizations that have under 250 contacts. Otherwise, plans start from $99.
4. Simplyk: Fundraising Software - $
Quebec-based company, Simplyk is a 100% free fundraising software that is used to accept donations & registrations, create donation and peer-to-peer campaigns, and share ticketed forms and acquire memberships. Simplyk understands that many nonprofit and charitable organizations often cannot access beneficial technology due to lack of resources and saw an opportunity to create a platform that everyone can access. They cover all fees for you (including credit card fees) - resulting in more money from your donations being put where it matters most.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Free - no user, processing or transaction fees.
5. Geenees: Social Giving Platform - $
Geenees is a social gifting platform for families in need - a Canadian woman-led startup that is on a mission to impact those who need it most.
Nonprofit organizations can register to onboard families or individuals in the communities they serve who are then able to create wish lists of specific products and services that they need. These wishlists are seen by an army of donors looking to make a direct difference. Creating a meaningful, emotional connection between donors and recipients is made easy for nonprofits and is a new way to engage donors and facilitate contactless donations.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
30-day free trial
Organization: $199/annual
Organizations + Families: $249/annual
6. CanadaHelps: Donor Management System - $
Effectively manage your donors with CanadaHelps’ easy-to-use Donor Management System. You have access to their core features that will allow you to automate tasks such as processing donations, sending charitable tax receipts, and managing spreadsheets. Plus, reporting insights at your fingertips, robust segmentation capabilities and a powerful email marketing tool for engaging your supporters.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Starting at $99/month based on number of contacts.
7. Imagine Canada’s Grant Connect: Fundraising Research Platform - $$
Grants play an integral role in funding for nonprofit organizations, but the process of searching for grants, applying for them, then managing the follow-up stewardship and reporting can be a time suck. Grant Connect helps charities and nonprofits of all sizes find and manage grants, combining philanthropic expertise and leading technology to be an approachable solution for all Canadian fundraisers.
Access to their platform will allow you to search thousands of grant opportunities and get the best prospects with their comprehensive data managed by expert fundraisers. Grant Connect will help you to manage your grants and increase your chances of success. It will also free up valuable time for your organization and get you the funding that will continue to help drive your nonprofit goals forward.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Tiered pricing based on an organization's annual revenue. Plans start at:
1-year plan: $599
3-year plan: $1,198
Pay as you go: $85/month
8. Unbounce: Nonprofit Marketing Software - $$
Simplify your marketing efforts and grow faster at the same time with the landing page builder and platform, Unbounce. Canadian-made and the first of its kind - they work to simplify your marketing and fundraising efforts by building custom landing pages with AI-driven insights. Their software is all about working smarter, not harder.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
14-day free trial, cancel anytime.
Launch: $81/month
Optimize: $122/month
Accelerate: $203/month
9. Grant Advance: Grant Management Software - $$$
Grant Advance is a BC-based software company that helps charitable and nonprofit organizations source grants. Their intuitive and easy-to-use platform takes the headache out of grant writing and the application process all while connecting you to an extensive database of Canadian foundations. They combine smart technology and high quality donor data that helps Canadian charities and nonprofits improve their grant seeking and fundraising efforts.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
1-year prepaid: $1,826
3-year prepaid: $4,656
5-year prepaid: $5,935
10. iWave: Wealth Screening Tool - $$$
Fundraise with confidence with the fundraising intelligence software of iWave. Designed exclusively for healthcare, education, and larger nonprofit organizations - their software compiles comprehensive behavioral data to ensure that you’re targeting the best funding opportunities. iWave subscriptions include over 40 premium datasets to help find insights such as news, real estate, and other key data points on prospective donors.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Starting at $3,395/per year
Bonus!
11. FundraisingKIT: Nonprofit Predictive Analytics - $$$
KIT is a Canadian-made, fundraising analytics platform powered by artificial intelligence, that identifies opportunities within your data and delivers predictions on your donors and their giving behavior. Using KIT's technology, fundraisers will know who to reach out to, how much to ask for, and when. It's the future of making the ask.
Read the reviews here.
Pricing:
Starting at $449/month
These innovative Canadian tools will help shape the way you fundraise. With more donors choosing to give online in 2021 and beyond, utilizing these tools will help your organization meet donors and funders where they are. Adopting the right tech tools for your organization can help free up valuable resources by increasing productivity and profit while reducing expenses; all while introducing you to an audience of new donors.
Guest contributions represent the personal opinions and insights of the authors and may not reflect the views or opinions of Imagine Canada.
Taylor has always believed that knowledge is power, and the pen (or in this case; keyboard) is the sword. Philanthropy and human rights are at the core of her ethos. When she is not engaged in friendly debate, you can find Taylor training in the boxing ring, snowboarding on the mountains or running on the seawall.
