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Nonprofits · head to head

Get Connected vs GiveSmart

Get Connected logo

Get Connected

Nonprofits

Volunteer management and community engagement

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GiveSmart logo

GiveSmart

Nonprofits

Mobile bidding and event fundraising for charity auctions and galas

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Get Connected no commercial pricing model published; platform appears to operate as a non-profit educational organization; GiveSmart licensing is annual while many buyers run a single event a year, so the effective cost per event is far higher than the annual figure makes it look.
  • They diverge on capability: Get Connected covers Volunteer database, GiveSmart covers Mobile bidding.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Get Connected and GiveSmart actually diverge.

Attributes where Get Connected and GiveSmart differ
AttributeGet ConnectedGiveSmart
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web, IOS, Android), 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 Get Connected

  • Volunteer database
  • Scheduling
  • Communication tools
  • Impact tracking
  • Reporting
  • Google Calendar
  • Email
  • Zapier

Only in GiveSmart

  • Mobile bidding
  • Auction management
  • Ticketing and check in
  • Text to give
  • Paddle raise and appeals
  • Payment settlement

What people use each for

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

Get Connected

  • Business operationsnot GiveSmart
  • Productivitynot GiveSmart
  • Automationnot GiveSmart

GiveSmart

  • A hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auctionnot Get Connected
  • An organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event nightnot Get Connected
  • A charity running several auction events a year that can amortise an annual licencenot Get Connected
  • A team wanting bidding, check in and payment settlement handled by one system on the nightnot Get Connected

Where each one falls short

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

Get Connected

  • No commercial pricing model published; platform appears to operate as a non-profit educational organization

GiveSmart

  • Licensing is annual while many buyers run a single event a year, so the effective cost per event is far higher than the annual figure makes it look.
  • Pricing is not published, and quotes commonly separate the licence, payment processing, hardware and event night staffing, so the first number a buyer sees is rarely the total.
  • On site technical support and equipment are usually extra, and organisations that decline them discover that event night is the worst possible time to be self supporting.
  • It is event software rather than a donor CRM, so guest and bidder data has to be pushed into the CRM afterwards or the relationship built at the gala is not retained.
  • Consolidation under Community Brands means several nominally competing products share an owner, which reduces the negotiating leverage a buyer thinks a shortlist gives them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Get Connected

On request
  • Essential$80/month
    • Volunteer database
    • Scheduling
  • Advanced$160/month
    • Custom reports
    • Mobile app
    • Advanced features

GiveSmart

On request
  • GiveSmart$undefined/year
    • Quoted as an annual licence rather than per event
    • Payment processing charged separately on funds raised
    • On site staffing, hardware and additional event support quoted as add ons

Which should you pick?

Choose Get Connected if

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

Choose GiveSmart if

  • You need mobile bidding.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want auction management.
GiveSmart review

Questions people ask

Is Get Connected or GiveSmart better?
Neither clearly leads. Get Connected starts at On request and GiveSmart at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Get Connected or GiveSmart?
Get Connected starts at On request and GiveSmart at On request.
Does Get Connected or GiveSmart run on more platforms?
Get Connected runs on Web, IOS, Android. GiveSmart runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Get Connected best used for?
Get Connected is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what GiveSmart is typically brought in for.
What can Get Connected do that GiveSmart cannot?
Get Connected covers Volunteer database, Scheduling, Communication tools, Impact tracking. GiveSmart covers Mobile bidding, Auction management, Ticketing and check in, Text to give.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Get Connected: Is Get Connected a paid service?

Get Connected appears to operate as a non-profit organization focused on educational workshops and community initiatives. No commercial pricing structure is published on their website.

Source
GiveSmart: Is GiveSmart priced per event?

It is normally an annual licence, so organisations running one event a year carry the full cost against one night.

GiveSmart: Who owns GiveSmart?

Community Brands, the private equity backed nonprofit and association software group that also owns MemberClicks.

GiveSmart: Does it replace our donor database?

No. It captures bidders and guests at an event and needs to feed a CRM afterwards.

GiveSmart: What is the actual benefit over paper bid sheets?

Bidding continues across the room and payment settles before guests leave, which is where paper auctions lose money.

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