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Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head

Kindful vs Charity Navigator

Kindful logo

Kindful

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Simple donor management and fundraising

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Charity Navigator logo

Charity Navigator

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Nonprofit intelligence and rating platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Charity Navigator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kindful kindful's own site now states that Kindful is a Bloomerang product and directs visitors to demo Bloomerang instead; 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).
  • They diverge on capability: Kindful covers Online donation forms, Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kindful and Charity Navigator actually diverge.

Attributes where Kindful and Charity Navigator differ
AttributeKindfulCharity Navigator
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20142001

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Mobile-responsive), 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 Kindful

  • Online donation forms
  • Donor segmentation
  • Recurring donation management
  • Volunteer portal
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • Google Analytics

Only in Charity Navigator

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

What people use each for

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

Kindful

  • Donor database and online fundraising for nonprofitsnot Charity Navigator
  • Running peer to peer campaigns, auctions and ticketed events from the donor CRMnot Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator

  • Business operationsnot Kindful
  • Productivitynot Kindful
  • Automationnot Kindful

Where each one falls short

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

Kindful

  • Kindful's own site now states that Kindful is a Bloomerang product and directs visitors to demo Bloomerang instead
  • The Bloomerang Giving Platform starts at $242 per month billed annually
  • Bloomerang Fundraising starts at $40 per month billed annually but must be purchased as part of a bundle with Bloomerang CRM
  • All plans are annual; there is no month to month option
  • Pricing is constituent based, so the bill rises with the size of the donor database
  • Only a starting price is published and the actual figure comes from contacting sales

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).

Pricing, plan by plan

Kindful

On request
  • Starter$50/month
    • Online donation forms
    • Donor segmentation
  • Growth$120/month
    • Volunteer portal
    • Multi-channel fundraising

Charity Navigator

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Kindful if

  • You need online donation forms.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want donor segmentation.
Kindful review

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

Questions people ask

Is Kindful or Charity Navigator better?
Neither clearly leads. Kindful starts at On request and Charity Navigator at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kindful or Charity Navigator?
Charity Navigator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Kindful and Free for Charity Navigator.
Does Kindful or Charity Navigator run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile-responsive, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Charity Navigator for free?
Yes. Charity Navigator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kindful starts at On request.
What is Kindful best used for?
Kindful is most often used for donor database and online fundraising for nonprofits, running peer to peer campaigns, auctions and ticketed events from the donor crm. Of those, donor database and online fundraising for nonprofits and running peer to peer campaigns, auctions and ticketed events from the donor crm are not what Charity Navigator is typically brought in for.
What can Kindful do that Charity Navigator cannot?
Kindful covers Online donation forms, Donor segmentation, Recurring donation management, Volunteer portal. Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Financial analysis, Donor reviews, Impact metrics. Both handle Web support, Mobile-responsive support.
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