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Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head

Kindful vs GuideStar

Kindful logo

Kindful

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Simple donor management and fundraising

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GuideStar logo

GuideStar

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Nonprofit profile and intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GuideStar 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; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Kindful covers Online donation forms, GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kindful and GuideStar actually diverge.

Attributes where Kindful and GuideStar differ
AttributeKindfulGuideStar
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20141995

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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

Only in GuideStar

  • Nonprofit profile
  • Impact data
  • Donor verification
  • Financial transparency
  • Ratings
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • 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 GuideStar
  • Running peer to peer campaigns, auctions and ticketed events from the donor CRMnot GuideStar

GuideStar

  • 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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Kindful

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

GuideStar

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

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 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

Questions people ask

Is Kindful or GuideStar better?
Neither clearly leads. Kindful starts at On request and GuideStar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kindful or GuideStar?
GuideStar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Kindful and Free for GuideStar.
Does Kindful or GuideStar run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile-responsive, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use GuideStar for free?
Yes. GuideStar 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 GuideStar is typically brought in for.
What can Kindful do that GuideStar cannot?
Kindful covers Online donation forms, Donor segmentation, Recurring donation management, Volunteer portal. GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Impact data, Donor verification, Financial transparency. Both handle Google Analytics, Web support, Mobile-responsive support.
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