Nonprofit software development
We build donor, fundraising and volunteer systems for charities and nonprofit organisations. Every dollar or pound you spend on software is money your cause doesn't get, so nonprofit software development with us starts with a plain question: do you need anything built at all?
Honest advice on whether you need custom software
Donor, fundraising and volunteer systems built to keep running costs low.
Systems we build
- Donor recordsOne view of donations and campaigns
- Fundraising and campaignsDonation pages that work on phones
- Grant managementApplications and deadlines kept together
- Volunteer coordinationAvailability, roles and checks in one place
- Beneficiary servicesCase records with proper privacy
- Impact reportingFunder figures from the data you collect
- Reply within one business day
- You own all code and designs
Nonprofit software for donors and staff
Donor records
Everything about a supporter in one record: what they've given, which events they came to and which campaigns they answered.
Fundraising and campaigns
Donation pages that are easy to use on a phone, and monthly gifts that don't stop without anyone noticing.
Grant management
Applications, milestones and reports kept together, so a funder's deadline doesn't mean a late night.
Volunteer coordination
Who's free, what they do and which checks they've passed, in one place instead of a spreadsheet and a group chat.
Beneficiary services
Records for the people you support, locked down so only the right staff can see them.
Impact reporting
The numbers your funders ask for, pulled from information you already collect.
When custom work earns its place
Most nonprofits don't need custom software. If an off the shelf product, set up properly, would do the job for a fraction of the cost, we'll tell you. Building makes sense when your programme works in a way no product expects, or when a product's licence fees add up to more than building the one part you actually use.
When we do build, we design for low running costs. You'll keep paying for hosting, maintenance and staff time long after we've handed over, so we look at the total cost over the years you'll use it, not just the build price.
Duties we build into every record
- Donor data protection. Supporter records and giving history are protected under the same rules as any other personal data.
- Gift Aid and other tax relief. Declarations are recorded correctly, because tax relief claims get audited.
- Fundraising standards. Each supporter's consent and contact choices apply on every channel, and they can change them easily.
- Safeguarding. If you work with children or at risk adults, their records are restricted and every view is logged.
- Funder reporting. Each funder gets evidence in the format they ask for, taken straight from your records.
Systems we usually connect to
Your donor database, fundraising platform and accounting package usually stay, and we connect to them. If one of them works, replacing it is a decision for your trustees to make with full information, before the project starts. To help your trustees plan the budget, read our guide to what custom software costs.
How we run a charity project
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Challenge the need
First we check whether an existing product, set up well, would do the job. If it would, we'll say so.
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Size to the budget
We cut the work down to what really has to be built and leave everything else to the tools you already have.
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Build the core
We build the part that's unique to your programme, and stop there.
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Hand over fully
You get documentation and training, so your own team can run the system and change it without calling us.
These are typical ranges, not promises. The pace depends on when your board or trustees meet to approve things, when grant money can be spent, and how much time your staff and volunteers can spare. Read about how our projects are run for the full picture.
What your team gets back
Less administration
Hours that went on spreadsheets go back into the work your organisation was set up to do.
Reporting without the scramble
Funder reports come from the records you're already keeping, so there's no end of quarter rush.
Predictable running cost
Hosting and maintenance are planned to fit your budget from the start, not left as whatever you happened to inherit.
What charities ask before they commit
Often it isn't, and we'll tell you. A ready made product, set up for you, is usually cheaper and quicker. Custom work makes sense when your programme doesn't fit any product, or when the licence fees cost more than building the part you use.
Ask us. Whatever the rate, we'll scope the work honestly, point out which parts don't need building and design the system to be cheap to run, so it doesn't become a cost you're stuck with every year.
The system is yours either way. You own the code, the data and every account from day one, and we write things down as we build, so another team or a volunteer with the right skills can pick it up.
Not sure you need custom software yet?
Tell us what your team still does by hand. We'll give an honest view, even if it isn't us.