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Nonprofits · head to head

Blackbaud Grantmaking vs Bloomerang Volunteer

Blackbaud Grantmaking logo

Blackbaud Grantmaking

Nonprofits

Grants management for foundations and corporate givers inside the Blackbaud ecosystem

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
B

Bloomerang Volunteer

Nonprofits

Volunteer management for nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blackbaud Grantmaking no pricing is published at any tier, and Blackbaud contracts commonly run multiple years, so a foundation that finds the fit wrong is locked in past the point where switching is cheap.; Bloomerang Volunteer bloomerang Volunteer starts at $119 per month and is billed annually, with no monthly billing option shown
  • They diverge on capability: Blackbaud Grantmaking covers Online application portal, Bloomerang Volunteer covers Volunteer database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blackbaud Grantmaking and Bloomerang Volunteer actually diverge.

Attributes where Blackbaud Grantmaking and Bloomerang Volunteer differ
AttributeBlackbaud GrantmakingBloomerang Volunteer
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Blackbaud Grantmaking

  • Online application portal
  • Due diligence checks
  • Board dockets
  • Payment scheduling
  • Grantee reporting
  • Financial Edge integration
  • Reporting and dashboards

Only in Bloomerang Volunteer

  • Volunteer database
  • Scheduling
  • Task management
  • Communication
  • Reporting
  • Bloomerang CRM
  • Slack
  • Google Calendar

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Blackbaud Grantmaking

  • A private foundation already running Blackbaud Financial Edge that wants grant liabilities to post to the ledger without manual journalsnot Bloomerang Volunteer
  • A community foundation managing hundreds of donor advised funds with separate grant recommendationsnot Bloomerang Volunteer
  • A corporate giving programme needing documented US charity status checks before every paymentnot Bloomerang Volunteer
  • A foundation whose board approves grants by docket and needs a repeatable, auditable packet processnot Bloomerang Volunteer

Bloomerang Volunteer

  • Recruiting, scheduling and tracking nonprofit volunteersnot Blackbaud Grantmaking
  • Messaging and communicating with volunteer shiftsnot Blackbaud Grantmaking
  • Linking volunteer records to donor records in the same CRMnot Blackbaud Grantmaking

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Blackbaud Grantmaking

  • No pricing is published at any tier, and Blackbaud contracts commonly run multiple years, so a foundation that finds the fit wrong is locked in past the point where switching is cheap.
  • Implementation and data migration from a legacy GIFTS or Access database are separately priced professional services and regularly exceed the first year licence.
  • The interface carries a long lineage and feels dated next to newer grants platforms, which shows up as training time for programme staff and reluctance among occasional users.
  • Value depends heavily on being inside the Blackbaud stack; a foundation running Sage or NetSuite for accounting loses the integration that is the main commercial argument for the product.
  • Blackbaud disclosed a ransomware incident in 2020 affecting customer backups and later settled with US regulators, so due diligence teams at some funders now require additional security review before approving the vendor.

Bloomerang Volunteer

  • Bloomerang Volunteer starts at $119 per month and is billed annually, with no monthly billing option shown
  • It is sold as one product in the Bloomerang Giving Platform, which starts at $242 per month billed annually when combined with fundraising and CRM
  • The published figure is a starting price and the page directs buyers to Get Personalized Pricing rather than listing tiers
  • No free tier or trial pricing is published on the pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Blackbaud Grantmaking

On request
  • Blackbaud Grantmaking$undefined/year
    • Grant application, review and award management
    • Applicant and grantee portals
    • Payment scheduling and liability tracking

Bloomerang Volunteer

On request
  • Standard$75/month
    • Volunteer database
    • Scheduling
    • Reporting
  • Premium$125/month
    • Mobile app
    • Advanced communications
    • Integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Blackbaud Grantmaking if

  • You need online application portal.
  • You also want due diligence checks.
Blackbaud Grantmaking review

Choose Bloomerang Volunteer if

  • You need volunteer database.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want scheduling.
Bloomerang Volunteer review

Questions people ask

Is Blackbaud Grantmaking or Bloomerang Volunteer better?
Neither clearly leads. Blackbaud Grantmaking starts at On request and Bloomerang Volunteer at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blackbaud Grantmaking or Bloomerang Volunteer?
Blackbaud Grantmaking starts at On request and Bloomerang Volunteer at On request.
Does Blackbaud Grantmaking or Bloomerang Volunteer run on more platforms?
Blackbaud Grantmaking runs on Web. Bloomerang Volunteer runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is Blackbaud Grantmaking best used for?
Blackbaud Grantmaking is most often used for a private foundation already running blackbaud financial edge that wants grant liabilities to post to the ledger without manual journals, a community foundation managing hundreds of donor advised funds with separate grant recommendations, a corporate giving programme needing documented us charity status checks before every payment, a foundation whose board approves grants by docket and needs a repeatable, auditable packet process. Of those, a private foundation already running blackbaud financial edge that wants grant liabilities to post to the ledger without manual journals and a community foundation managing hundreds of donor advised funds with separate grant recommendations are not what Bloomerang Volunteer is typically brought in for.
What can Blackbaud Grantmaking do that Bloomerang Volunteer cannot?
Blackbaud Grantmaking covers Online application portal, Due diligence checks, Board dockets, Payment scheduling. Bloomerang Volunteer covers Volunteer database, Scheduling, Task management, Communication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blackbaud Grantmaking: Is this the same as GIFTS Online?

Yes, in lineage. It comes from MicroEdge GIFTS, which Blackbaud acquired in 2014, and has been rebranded and reworked since.

Blackbaud Grantmaking: What does it cost?

Blackbaud does not publish grantmaking pricing. Expect a quoted annual subscription plus a separate implementation and migration fee, and expect a multi-year term to be proposed.

Blackbaud Grantmaking: Do we need Financial Edge to get value?

No, but the general ledger integration is the strongest single reason to choose it. Without Financial Edge, compare it more carefully against Foundant and SmartSimple.

Blackbaud Grantmaking: Does it verify charity status automatically?

Yes for US grantees, using charity status data as part of due diligence screening before payment.

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