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Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head

GuideStar vs Bloomerang Volunteer

GuideStar logo

GuideStar

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Nonprofit profile and intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
B

Bloomerang Volunteer

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Volunteer management for nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GuideStar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GuideStar guideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org; Bloomerang Volunteer bloomerang Volunteer starts at $119 per month and is billed annually, with no monthly billing option shown
  • They diverge on capability: GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Bloomerang Volunteer covers Volunteer database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GuideStar and Bloomerang Volunteer actually diverge.

Attributes where GuideStar and Bloomerang Volunteer differ
AttributeGuideStarBloomerang Volunteer
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19952012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofit & Fundraising).

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 GuideStar

  • Nonprofit profile
  • Impact data
  • Donor verification
  • Financial transparency
  • Ratings
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Mobile-responsive support

Only in Bloomerang Volunteer

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

GuideStar

  • Business operationsnot Bloomerang Volunteer
  • Productivitynot Bloomerang Volunteer
  • Automationnot Bloomerang Volunteer

Bloomerang Volunteer

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

Where each one falls short

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

GuideStar

  • GuideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org
  • Candid's own pricing page lists Candid Premium (annual) at $1,199 per year in USD, and $219 per month if billed monthly, with an Ultimate annual tier at $1,699 per year adding compliance monitoring features
  • Candid's free tier limits search results, profile views and dashboards; full grants and profile data downloads are capped even on Premium annual, at 1,000 grants downloads and 5,000 profile downloads per month

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

GuideStar

Free
  • ProfileFree
    • Nonprofit profile
    • Basic data
  • Gold$300/month
    • Enhanced profile
    • Donor verification
    • Impact reporting

Bloomerang Volunteer

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

Which should you pick?

Choose GuideStar if

  • You need nonprofit profile.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want impact data.
GuideStar 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 GuideStar or Bloomerang Volunteer better?
Neither clearly leads. GuideStar starts at Free and Bloomerang Volunteer at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GuideStar or Bloomerang Volunteer?
GuideStar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GuideStar and On request for Bloomerang Volunteer.
Does GuideStar or Bloomerang Volunteer run on more platforms?
GuideStar runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Bloomerang Volunteer runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use GuideStar for free?
Yes. GuideStar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bloomerang Volunteer starts at On request.
What is GuideStar best used for?
GuideStar is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what Bloomerang Volunteer is typically brought in for.
What can GuideStar do that Bloomerang Volunteer cannot?
GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Impact data, Donor verification, Financial transparency. Bloomerang Volunteer covers Volunteer database, Scheduling, Task management, Communication. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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