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Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head

Salesforce for Nonprofits vs Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Salesforce for Nonprofits logo

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Enterprise CRM for nonprofit organizations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge logo

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Enterprise-grade donor management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Salesforce for Nonprofits has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Blackbaud Raiser's Edge pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation
  • They diverge on capability: Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Campaign tracking, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Gift tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salesforce for Nonprofits and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge actually diverge.

Attributes where Salesforce for Nonprofits and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge differ
AttributeSalesforce for NonprofitsBlackbaud Raiser's Edge
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Desktop, Mobile
Founded19991981

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 Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Campaign tracking
  • Volunteer management
  • Program tracking
  • Google Analytics
  • Slack
  • Tableau
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Only in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Gift tracking
  • Prospect research
  • Campaign management
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce
  • QuickBooks
  • Desktop support
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Donor management
  • Advanced reporting
  • Stripe
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Nonprofit constituent CRM covering fundraising, programs, outcomes and volunteersnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • Consolidating donor, grant and program data on the Salesforce platformnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Donor management and gift processing for nonprofitsnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Major gift portfolio management for fundraisersnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Campaign and appeal trackingnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Prospect research and wealth screeningnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • Fundraising reporting for boards and fundersnot Salesforce for Nonprofits

Where each one falls short

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

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

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation
  • Aimed at mid-sized and large nonprofits with dedicated development teams rather than small charities

Pricing, plan by plan

Salesforce for Nonprofits

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

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

On request
  • Standard$200/month
    • Donor database
    • Gift tracking
    • Reports
  • Premium$500/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Prospect research
    • Custom reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Salesforce for Nonprofits if

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

Choose Blackbaud Raiser's Edge if

  • You need gift tracking.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want prospect research.
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge review

Questions people ask

Is Salesforce for Nonprofits or Blackbaud Raiser's Edge better?
Neither clearly leads. Salesforce for Nonprofits starts at Free and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salesforce for Nonprofits or Blackbaud Raiser's Edge?
Salesforce for Nonprofits has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Salesforce for Nonprofits and On request for Blackbaud Raiser's Edge.
Does Salesforce for Nonprofits or Blackbaud Raiser's Edge run on more platforms?
Salesforce for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Salesforce for Nonprofits for free?
Yes. Salesforce for Nonprofits has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request.
What is Salesforce for Nonprofits best used for?
Salesforce for Nonprofits is most often used for nonprofit constituent crm covering fundraising, programs, outcomes and volunteers, consolidating donor, grant and program data on the salesforce platform. Of those, nonprofit constituent crm covering fundraising, programs, outcomes and volunteers and consolidating donor, grant and program data on the salesforce platform are not what Blackbaud Raiser's Edge is typically brought in for.
What can Salesforce for Nonprofits do that Blackbaud Raiser's Edge cannot?
Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Campaign tracking, Volunteer management, Program tracking, Google Analytics. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Gift tracking, Prospect research, Campaign management, PayPal. Both handle Donor management, Advanced reporting, Stripe, Web support.
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Related pages

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