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Nonprofits · head to head

Charity Navigator vs Salesforce for Nonprofits

Charity Navigator logo

Charity Navigator

Nonprofits

Nonprofit intelligence and rating platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce for Nonprofits logo

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Enterprise CRM for nonprofit organizations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Charity Navigator charity Navigator is a free 501(c)(3) nonprofit service funded by donor donations rather than charging the charities it rates, so it has no vendor pricing model to compare (own about-us page).; Salesforce for Nonprofits the Power of Us free grant covers only 10 Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Sales/Service Cloud licences; every licence beyond that is paid
  • They diverge on capability: Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Donor management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Charity Navigator and Salesforce for Nonprofits actually diverge.

Attributes where Charity Navigator and Salesforce for Nonprofits differ
AttributeCharity NavigatorSalesforce for Nonprofits
Pricing modelfreesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20011999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Charity Navigator

  • Nonprofit ratings
  • Financial analysis
  • Donor reviews
  • Impact metrics
  • Fundraising data
  • GiveWell
  • BBB Wise Giving Alliance
  • Mobile-responsive support

Only in Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Donor management
  • Campaign tracking
  • Volunteer management
  • Program tracking
  • Advanced reporting
  • Stripe
  • Google Analytics
  • Slack

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Charity Navigator

  • Nonprofit evaluation and researchnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Charitable giving decisionsnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Donor due diligencenot Salesforce for Nonprofits

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Nonprofit constituent CRM covering fundraising, programs, outcomes and volunteersnot Charity Navigator
  • Consolidating donor, grant and program data on the Salesforce platformnot Charity Navigator

Where each one falls short

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

Charity Navigator

  • Charity Navigator is a free 501(c)(3) nonprofit service funded by donor donations rather than charging the charities it rates, so it has no vendor pricing model to compare (own about-us page).

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • The Power of Us free grant covers only 10 Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Sales/Service Cloud licences; every licence beyond that is paid
  • Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise is $60 per user per month billed annually and Nonprofit Cloud Unlimited is $100 per user per month billed annually
  • The free licences require passing Salesforce eligibility criteria for the Power of Us program
  • Most Salesforce products are sold on annual contracts
  • Some products must scale together when you add or upgrade, which requires going through an Account Executive

Pricing, plan by plan

Charity Navigator

Free
  • Free ProfileFree
    • Nonprofit profile
    • Ratings
    • Financial data

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Free
  • Nonprofit CloudFree
    • Donor management
    • Campaign tracking
    • Volunteer management
  • Professional$150/month
    • Advanced reporting
    • API integrations
    • Customization

Which should you pick?

Choose Charity Navigator if

  • You need nonprofit ratings.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want financial analysis.
Charity Navigator review

Choose Salesforce for Nonprofits if

  • You need donor management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want campaign tracking.
Salesforce for Nonprofits review

Questions people ask

Is Charity Navigator or Salesforce for Nonprofits better?
Neither clearly leads. Charity Navigator starts at Free and Salesforce for Nonprofits at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Charity Navigator or Salesforce for Nonprofits?
Charity Navigator starts at Free and Salesforce for Nonprofits at Free.
Does Charity Navigator or Salesforce for Nonprofits run on more platforms?
Charity Navigator runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Salesforce for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Charity Navigator for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Charity Navigator best used for?
Charity Navigator is most often used for nonprofit evaluation and research, charitable giving decisions, donor due diligence. Of those, nonprofit evaluation and research and charitable giving decisions are not what Salesforce for Nonprofits is typically brought in for.
What can Charity Navigator do that Salesforce for Nonprofits cannot?
Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Financial analysis, Donor reviews, Impact metrics. Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Donor management, Campaign tracking, Volunteer management, Program tracking. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Charity Navigator: Is Charity Navigator free to use?

Yes, Charity Navigator provides completely free access to its database of charity ratings, donor education resources, Giving Basket donation tool, and AI-powered charity recommendations.

Source
Charity Navigator: How does Charity Navigator make money if its services are free?

Charity Navigator operates through donations to the organization itself. The site includes a 'Support Charity Navigator' link for users who wish to contribute.

Charity Navigator: What information can I access for free on Charity Navigator?

Free access includes searching and rating charities, using the Giving Basket donation tool, accessing donor education materials, and using Horizon AI Search for personalized charity recommendations.

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