10 Best Fundraising Software Platforms for Schools

Matt Schaller
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September 17, 2025

Your school likely has a bustling social media page filled with proud parents and community members who "like" and share your updates. But how often do those online interactions translate into actual donations for new playground equipment or classroom supplies? For many, there’s a huge gap between online engagement and fundraising success. This is the problem that modern fundraising software for schools is built to solve. By meeting your supporters where they already spend their time—on platforms like Facebook—you can turn anonymous followers into a community of engaged donors. It’s about building genuine, one-on-one relationships through direct messaging and making the giving process seamless, ensuring your social media efforts create a sustainable source of support.

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Key Takeaways

  • Modernize Your Fundraising with a Digital Platform: Moving your school's fundraising online helps you reach a wider audience, automates administrative work, and makes it easier for supporters to give, ultimately building a more sustainable program.
  • Choose a Platform That Solves Your Specific Problems: The right tool fits your budget, has the specific features you need for your campaigns, and is secure and simple for both your team and your donors to use.
  • A Great Tool Needs a Great Plan: Your software is only as effective as your strategy. Create a successful campaign by setting clear goals, defining team roles, and planning your communications before you launch.

What Is School Fundraising Software?

Let’s be honest: organizing a school fundraiser can feel like herding cats. Between tracking cash donations, sending out permission slips, and coordinating volunteers, the administrative work can quickly overshadow the actual goal of raising money. School fundraising software is designed to fix that. Think of it as a central hub that streamlines your entire fundraising process, from launching a campaign to thanking your donors.

This kind of software helps schools, PTAs, and booster clubs raise money more efficiently for everything from new library books and sports equipment to field trips and classroom supplies. Instead of relying solely on bake sales and car washes, these platforms let you take your fundraising efforts online. This not only expands your reach beyond your local community but also makes it incredibly easy for people to donate with a few clicks. The right tool handles the tedious parts of fundraising—like payment processing and donor tracking—so you can focus on what really matters: connecting with your community and hitting your financial goals. It’s about working smarter, not harder, to give your students the resources they need.

What Are the Key Components?

When you start looking at different platforms, you’ll notice they share a few core features. First and foremost, the software should be easy for everyone to use. If your staff finds it complicated or donors get frustrated trying to make a contribution, it defeats the purpose. A great platform also offers customization, allowing you to add your school’s logo, colors, and branding to create a trusted and professional-looking campaign page. Look for tools that can grow with your school and connect with other software you already use, which saves you from manual data entry. And don’t overlook customer support—having a helpful team to call when you run into a snag is invaluable.

How It Beats Traditional Methods

Traditional fundraising methods have their charm, but they also have their limits. A bake sale can only reach people who physically show up, and tracking cash donations can be a logistical headache. Digital fundraising platforms break down these barriers. By taking your campaign online, you can reach alumni across the country, grandparents in another state, and anyone else in your community’s extended network. This wider reach often translates into more money; in fact, online donations are often 25% larger than offline ones. Plus, the software automates donation tracking and receipting, freeing up precious time for your parent volunteers and staff.

Why Your School Needs a Digital Fundraising Tool

Beyond just raising more money, a digital tool helps you build a sustainable fundraising strategy. It creates a professional and secure experience for your donors, which builds trust and encourages repeat giving. Many modern platforms are also surprisingly affordable. Some, like Zeffy, are completely free to use, operating on a tip-based model so that 100% of every donation goes directly to your school’s cause. By meeting your supporters where they already are—online and on their phones—you make it easier for them to contribute and stay engaged with your school’s mission. This isn't just about a single campaign; it's about creating a stronger, more connected community for the long haul.

Must-Have Features in a School Fundraising Platform

Choosing a fundraising platform is a big decision, and the right features can make all the difference between a campaign that soars and one that sputters. With so many options out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Before you commit, it’s important to look under the hood and see what a platform really offers. Think of it less like shopping and more like hiring a new team member—you want one that’s reliable, easy to work with, and has the skills to get the job done right.

Your platform should simplify your workload, not add to it. It needs to create a seamless experience for your donors and provide you with the insights to grow your fundraising efforts year after year. A great tool empowers you to connect with your community, build trust, and hit your financial goals without causing headaches for your staff or volunteers. Let’s walk through the five non-negotiable features every school fundraising platform should have.

An Easy-to-Use, Mobile-Friendly Interface

If a platform is complicated for your staff to set up or for parents to make a donation, it’s already failing. A great fundraising tool should have an intuitive, user-friendly interface that doesn't require a tech genius to operate. Think clean dashboards, simple navigation, and straightforward campaign creation. Most importantly, since so many people browse and donate on their phones, the entire experience must be mobile-friendly. A clunky mobile site can be the number one reason a potential donor gives up and moves on, so test the donation process on your own phone before making a final decision.

Secure Payment Processing

This one is all about trust. Your community is giving you their hard-earned money, and they need to know their financial information is safe. Any platform you consider must have secure, PCI-compliant payment processing. This is a standard feature for reputable platforms, which partner with trusted payment gateways to handle transactions. While there’s usually a small processing fee to ensure everything is handled safely, it’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind it gives your donors and your school’s finance department. Don’t even consider a platform that can’t guarantee top-notch security.

Donor Management and Communication Tools

A successful fundraiser isn’t just about a single transaction; it’s about building lasting relationships. Your software should help you manage donor information and communicate effectively. Look for features that allow you to track donor history, segment your audience, and send personalized thank-you messages. The ability to automate communication keeps your supporters engaged without adding hours to your day. Tools that facilitate 1:1 conversations can turn a one-time donor into a lifelong supporter of your school’s mission, making these features essential for sustainable growth.

Event Management Support

School fundraising is often tied to events, whether it’s a virtual 5K, an online auction, or a classic bake sale. Your platform should be equipped to handle these activities. Look for features that support event registration, ticketing, and progress tracking. For more modern campaigns, you might want support for peer-to-peer fundraising, where students or parents can create their own pages to raise money from their personal networks. A great example of this is a Facebook Challenge, which mobilizes your community around a shared activity and goal, all within a platform they already use every day.

A Clear Reporting and Analytics Dashboard

How will you know if your campaign was a success? Gut feelings don’t cut it. You need data. A quality fundraising platform will provide a clear, easy-to-understand analytics dashboard. At a glance, you should be able to see how much you’ve raised, where donations are coming from, and how you’re tracking toward your goals. These reports are invaluable for sharing results with your stakeholders and for planning your next fundraiser. By understanding what worked and what didn’t, you can refine your strategy and raise even more in the future.

10 Best Fundraising Platforms for Schools

Finding the right fundraising software can feel like a huge task, but it doesn't have to be. The best platform for your school depends entirely on your specific goals, your community, and the types of campaigns you want to run. Are you planning a big gala with an auction that requires ticketing and mobile bidding? A simple walk-a-thon where students collect pledges? Or are you looking to build long-term relationships with donors on social media? There’s a tool designed for each of these scenarios, and picking the right one can make all the difference.

Some platforms are all-in-one powerhouses that handle everything from event management to detailed donor analytics. Others specialize in one specific area, like peer-to-peer fundraising or maximizing corporate gift matching. The key is to match the features to your actual needs, not just pick the one with the longest list of capabilities. Before you start comparing options, think about how your team works, where your supporters are most active online, and what kind of giving experience you want to create for them. This list covers ten of the best options available, each with its own unique strengths, to help you find the perfect fit for your school's fundraising strategy.

GoodUnited

If your school community is active on Facebook, GoodUnited is a game-changer. It’s a conversational messaging platform built to turn your social media followers into dedicated donors. Instead of just broadcasting updates, GoodUnited helps you start one-on-one conversations with supporters directly in their DMs. This is perfect for building genuine relationships with parents and community members where they already spend their time. By meeting them where they are, you remove friction from the giving process. It’s an innovative way to handle everything from event promotion to donation drives, making your social media efforts translate directly into fundraising success and a stronger community.

OneCause

OneCause is a fantastic all-around platform, especially if your school hosts fundraising events. It’s known for its user-friendly software that supports online auctions, event management, and mobile bidding, which lets supporters participate from anywhere. Beyond events, it also has strong tools for online giving and peer-to-peer campaigns. If you need a single, reliable system to manage a variety of fundraising activities throughout the school year, OneCause is a powerful contender that simplifies the process for both your team and your donors. It brings all your efforts under one roof, making management and reporting much more straightforward.

99Pledges

For schools that rely on "-a-thons" (like walk-a-thons, read-a-thons, or hit-a-thons), 99Pledges is one of the simplest and most effective tools available. The platform makes it incredibly easy for students to create their own fundraising pages and collect pledges from family and friends online. There are no startup costs or platform fees; you only pay for standard credit card processing, which is a huge plus for school budgets. Its straightforward approach removes the hassle of tracking cash and checks, letting you focus on motivating students and hitting your fundraising goals with less administrative work.

SchoolFundr

As the name suggests, SchoolFundr is designed exclusively for schools. This platform simplifies the process of creating and managing campaigns for any school need, whether it's for a sports team, a classroom project, or a new playground. It provides all the essential tools for creating campaign pages, tracking donations in real-time, and engaging with your community. Its specific focus on the school environment means its features are tailored to the challenges and opportunities that educational institutions face. This makes it a very practical and intuitive choice for teachers, parents, and administrators who are running fundraisers.

DonorPerfect

If you're looking to build a robust, long-term fundraising program, DonorPerfect is a top-tier donor management system. It goes beyond single campaigns to help you cultivate relationships with your supporters over time. The platform offers customizable donation forms, detailed reporting, and powerful tools to track every interaction with your donors, from event attendance to communication history. For schools ready to get serious about data and build a sustainable fundraising engine, DonorPerfect provides the comprehensive features needed to manage and grow your donor base effectively for years to come.

Snap! Raise

Snap! Raise is a leader in group-based fundraising, making it a go-to for sports teams, arts programs, and other extracurricular clubs. The platform empowers students to become advocates for their programs by creating personalized fundraising pages they can share across their networks via text, email, and social media. It’s built around a mobile-first experience, making it easy for supporters to donate on the go in just a few clicks. Snap! Raise is particularly effective at creating a sense of team effort and urgency, helping groups quickly meet and often exceed their financial goals.

RallyUp

If you love the idea of running different types of fundraisers, RallyUp offers incredible versatility. The platform lets you run raffles, sweepstakes, a-thons, auctions, and crowdfunding campaigns all from one place. You can even mix and match different fundraising types within a single campaign to keep your community engaged and give them multiple ways to contribute. This flexibility allows you to get creative and tailor your fundraising activities to what excites your audience most. It’s a great way to maximize participation and donations for any cause, from a simple bake sale to a complex gala.

Double the Donation

Many of your donors might work for companies with matching gift programs, and Double the Donation helps you tap into that often-unclaimed money. This platform provides tools that make it easy for donors to check if their employer will match their contribution, effectively doubling their impact without any extra cost to them. It integrates seamlessly into your existing donation forms and automates much of the follow-up process. It’s a highly specialized tool that can significantly increase your fundraising revenue by making it simple for your school and your supporters to take advantage of corporate philanthropy.

Givebutter

Givebutter is a popular choice for schools because it’s completely free to use, with no platform fees—donors can leave an optional tip to support the platform, and you only pay for standard payment processing. It offers a surprisingly robust set of tools, including customizable fundraising pages, event ticketing, and peer-to-peer capabilities. With its modern, user-friendly interface and fun features like live-streaming and supporter feeds, Givebutter makes giving feel like a community celebration. It’s an excellent option for schools on a budget that still want powerful, engaging fundraising tools.

FundlyPro

FundlyPro offers a straightforward and effective platform for running online fundraising campaigns. It’s designed to help you create beautiful, mobile-friendly campaign pages that are easy to share on social media and via email. The platform provides all the essential features you need to tell your story, process donations securely, and keep your supporters updated on your progress with a visual fundraising thermometer. For schools that need a reliable and easy-to-use tool for crowdfunding and donation drives without a lot of complexity, FundlyPro is a solid and dependable option.

What Do Fundraising Platforms Actually Cost?

Figuring out the true cost of fundraising software can feel like solving a puzzle. With different pricing models, transaction fees, and potential hidden charges, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But understanding the financial side is crucial for choosing a platform that fits your school's budget and helps you maximize every dollar raised. Let's break down the common costs so you can make a confident and informed decision.

Subscription vs. Pay-per-Campaign Models

Fundraising platforms typically fall into two main pricing categories: subscription-based or pay-per-campaign. A subscription model involves a recurring fee—usually paid monthly or annually—for continuous access to the software. This is a great fit for schools that run multiple fundraisers throughout the year and want predictable costs. On the other hand, a pay-per-campaign model charges you a fee for each individual event you run. This can be more cost-effective if your school only hosts one or two major fundraising drives annually. Many companies offer these kinds of fundraising services, so it's worth comparing which model aligns best with your fundraising calendar.

Processing Fees and Transaction Costs

No matter which pricing model you choose, you will still need to pay standard credit card processing fees. These are unavoidable costs charged by payment processors like Stripe or PayPal to securely handle online donations. These fees are typically a small percentage of the donation plus a flat fee per transaction. For example, some platforms might charge a transaction fee of 3.49% + 49 cents per donation. While it seems small, this can add up, so it’s essential to factor it into your budget. Always look for a platform that is transparent about its processing fees and any additional platform fees it might charge on top of that.

Hidden Costs to Look Out For

The sticker price isn't always the final price. It’s important to read the fine print and ask questions to uncover any potential hidden costs. Be careful of platforms that require minimum fundraising amounts, take a percentage of your earnings, or seem free but make you pay for important features. Some "free" platforms place the burden on your donors by asking them to "tip" the platform at checkout, which can sometimes feel awkward for your community. Other hidden costs might include setup fees, charges for premium customer support, or extra costs for integrating with other software your school already uses.

How to Budget and Calculate Your ROI

Once you have a clear picture of the costs, you can determine if a platform is a worthwhile investment. Calculating your return on investment (ROI) helps you see if the money you spend on software is leading to more donations. A simple way to think about it is: (Funds Raised - Total Costs) / Total Costs. A positive ROI means the platform is helping you generate more revenue than it costs. When budgeting, it's also helpful to maintain a healthy balance. The Florida PTA suggests a "3-to-1 Rule," advising that for every one fundraiser you plan, you should also plan at least three other programs that don't raise money. This ensures you're focused on community building, not just fundraising. Ultimately, a great platform saves you time and helps you build stronger donor relationships, which delivers value far beyond the initial price tag.

How to Choose the Right Platform for Your School

With so many options available, picking the right fundraising platform can feel like a huge task. The truth is, there’s no single “best” platform for every school. The right choice depends entirely on your specific goals, your community, and your team’s capacity. Think of this as a long-term partnership. You’re not just buying software; you’re investing in a tool that will become a central part of your fundraising efforts and your relationship with donors.

Before you even look at a demo, it’s helpful to get clear on what you truly need. A platform that works wonders for a large university’s alumni campaign might be overly complicated for a local elementary school’s fun run. The key is to find a solution that solves your current problems while also giving you room to grow. By taking the time to assess your needs, review the technical details, and plan for implementation, you can confidently choose a platform that empowers your team and helps you build stronger connections with your supporters. This process ensures you find a tool that simplifies your work, not one that adds another layer of complexity.

Assess Your School's Unique Needs

First things first: what problems are you trying to solve? Before you get swayed by flashy features, take a step back and evaluate your school’s specific situation. Think about the types of fundraising campaigns you run most often—or the new ones you’d like to try. Are you focused on peer-to-peer events, online auctions, or year-round giving? Make a list of your must-have features versus your nice-to-haves.

Consider your team’s needs as well. Where do they need the most support? Is it managing donor data, promoting events, or processing payments? Finally, be realistic about your budget. Understanding these core requirements will give you a clear scorecard to measure each platform against, making your decision much more straightforward.

Review Security and Compliance Standards

When you’re handling donations, security is non-negotiable. Your families and supporters are trusting you with their sensitive financial information, and it’s your responsibility to protect it. Any platform you consider must be PCI compliant, which is the industry standard for securing credit card transactions.

Look for platforms that clearly state their commitment to security and use encryption to keep data safe. This information should be easy to find on their website, often in an FAQ or security section. If it’s not, don’t hesitate to ask their sales team directly. Choosing a platform with robust security not only protects your school from liability but also builds essential trust with your donor community.

Check for Integrations with Your Existing Systems

A new fundraising platform should make your life easier, not create more work. That’s why it’s so important to check if it integrates with the other software your school already uses. Think about your accounting software, student information system (SIS), or email marketing tools. A platform that connects seamlessly with your existing systems prevents you from having to manually transfer data back and forth, which saves time and reduces the risk of errors.

When a platform works well with your other tools, you get a more complete picture of your fundraising efforts and donor activity. This allows you to manage everything more efficiently and keep your data organized in one central place.

Look for Quality Support and Training

Even the most intuitive software comes with a learning curve. A great platform is backed by a great support team. Before you commit, find out what kind of customer support and training they offer. Do they have a dedicated advisor who can help you get set up and answer questions? Is support available through phone, email, or live chat when you run into an issue?

Look through their customer stories and online reviews to see what other schools say about their support experience. A platform with a responsive and helpful team is an invaluable resource, ensuring you can get the most out of your investment and troubleshoot any problems quickly.

Plan Your Implementation Timeline

Once you’ve chosen a platform, the final step is planning how you’ll roll it out. A smooth implementation sets your team up for success from day one. Work with the platform’s team to create a realistic timeline. This should include key milestones like setting up your account, importing any existing donor data, and training your staff and key volunteers.

Don’t forget to plan the launch of your first campaign on the new system. Having a clear plan in place reduces stress and ensures everyone on your team feels confident and prepared. A well-managed rollout will help you start seeing a return on your investment sooner and build positive momentum for your future fundraising campaigns.

How to Launch a Successful Digital Fundraising Campaign

Choosing the right software is a huge step, but it’s the launch that sets the tone for your entire campaign. A well-planned launch turns a great idea into a successful fundraiser that hits its goals and engages your community. It’s about creating a clear roadmap that your team, students, and supporters can follow from day one. By focusing on a few key areas before you go live, you can build momentum that carries you all the way to the finish line. Let's walk through the essential steps to get your digital fundraising campaign off to a strong start.

Build Your Digital Strategy

Your strategy is your game plan. It’s not just about picking a platform; it’s about how you’ll use it to connect with your community and achieve your goals. The right fundraising platform can make managing events and marketing much simpler for your school, but only if it fits into a larger plan. Think about how this campaign connects to your school's overall mission. Will you be running a peer-to-peer event, a direct donation drive, or something else? Your strategy should outline the channels you'll use, the story you'll tell, and how your chosen software will support each step. A clear fundraising strategy ensures every action you take is purposeful and effective.

Set and Track Clear Goals

To know if you've succeeded, you first need to define what success looks like. Vague goals like "raise money" won't cut it. Get specific. Ask yourself key questions: What problems is your school trying to solve with this fundraiser? Are you aiming for $15,000 for new tablets or 200 participants for your fun run? Setting a clear, measurable target gives your community something concrete to rally behind. Most fundraising platforms have dashboards that let you track progress in real-time, which is great for sharing updates and keeping motivation high. This transparency helps everyone see how their contribution is making a difference and pushes you closer to your ultimate fundraising goal.

Define Team Roles and Responsibilities

A successful campaign is a team effort, and every player needs to know their position. Before you launch, clearly outline who is responsible for what. Who will manage the platform? Who is in charge of writing emails and social media posts? Who will thank donors? When everyone understands their role, things run smoothly and nothing falls through the cracks. Modern fundraising platforms make this easier by allowing you to add students, parents, or other participants to your fundraiser. Giving each person their own fundraising page empowers them to take ownership and contribute directly to the campaign's success, turning your core team into a network of active fundraisers.

Plan Your Communication and Promotion

You can have the most compelling campaign in the world, but it won’t go anywhere if people don’t know about it. Your promotion plan is how you'll spread the word. Start by mapping out a schedule for emails, social media updates, and other announcements. A great way to build momentum is by encouraging peer-to-peer fundraising, where students and families ask their friends and family for donations. As one expert notes, "Telling friends and family about your campaign on social media" is a crucial step. You can also create deeper connections by using direct messaging to share personalized updates and thank supporters individually, making them feel truly valued and part of your school's community.

How to Measure and Improve Fundraising Performance

Launching your campaign is just the start. The real magic happens when you start tracking your results, learning what works, and making smart adjustments. A great fundraising platform doesn’t just collect money; it gives you the insights you need to build momentum and create even more successful campaigns in the future. By focusing on the right data and adopting a few key practices, you can turn every fundraiser into a valuable learning opportunity that strengthens your school’s financial future.

Track These Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Your fundraising software should have a clear dashboard that puts your most important metrics front and center. Instead of getting lost in vanity metrics like page views, focus on the numbers that actually impact your bottom line. Key performance indicators like donor acquisition cost, donor retention rate, average donation size, and overall campaign return on investment (ROI) will tell you the true story of your performance. Tracking these fundraising KPIs helps you understand not just how much you raised, but how efficiently you did it and how likely your supporters are to give again.

Make Data-Driven Decisions

Once you have your data, it’s time to put it to work. The numbers tell a story about what your community responds to. Did your walk-a-thon bring in more new donors than the online auction? Did a specific social media post lead to a spike in giving? Use these insights to shape your future strategy. The right platform makes it simple to see which channels and messages are most effective, allowing you to double down on what works and refine what doesn’t. Reading through customer stories can also spark ideas for how other organizations have used data to fine-tune their fundraising efforts and achieve incredible results.

Optimize Your Platform for Better Results

A clunky or confusing donation process is a surefire way to lose supporters. Your goal should be to make giving as simple as possible. Use your platform’s tools to analyze the donor journey and identify any points of friction. Is your donation page mobile-friendly? Are there too many fields to fill out? Small tweaks can lead to big gains in conversion rates. By engaging supporters with direct messaging, you can answer questions in real-time and guide them through the giving process, removing barriers and making them feel personally connected to your cause. Always prioritize a smooth, secure, and quick experience for your donors.

Adopt Best Practices for Long-Term Success

Technology is a powerful tool, but it works best when paired with a solid strategy. One of the most important practices is simply listening to your supporters. Ask them what kinds of fundraisers they enjoy and what motivates them to give. You should also balance your fundraising asks with non-monetary engagement. A good rule of thumb is the 3-to-1 rule: for every one fundraiser, plan at least three other communications that simply share stories, say thank you, or show impact. This builds a strong community relationship that isn’t purely transactional. For more strategic ideas, a comprehensive fundraising playbook can provide a framework for building a sustainable, long-term program.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is "free" fundraising software actually free? This is a great question, and the short answer is yes and no. When a platform says it's free, it typically means they don't charge a subscription or platform fee. However, you will always have to pay standard credit card processing fees, which are charged by companies like Stripe or PayPal to handle transactions securely. Some free platforms also ask your donors for an optional tip at checkout to support their services. So while you can avoid platform costs, there are still small, unavoidable transaction fees to budget for.

Our school has always used cash and checks. How do we get our community on board with online giving? Transitioning your community takes clear communication. Start by highlighting the benefits for them: it’s faster, more secure, and they get an instant receipt for their records. For the school, it means less administrative work and more time focused on the students. You don't have to go all-in at once. Consider running a hybrid campaign where you accept both online and offline donations, which can help ease everyone into the new process. Once people experience how simple it is to give online, they rarely go back.

We're a small school with limited staff and tech skills. Is this kind of software too complicated for us? Not at all. Most modern fundraising platforms are specifically designed for people who aren't tech experts. They focus on having clean, simple dashboards and straightforward campaign setup processes. The key is to look for a platform known for its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. A good support team can walk you through every step and make you feel confident, ensuring the software saves you time instead of causing headaches.

What's the difference between using a platform for a Facebook Challenge versus just putting a donation link on our Facebook page? Think of it as the difference between having a conversation and shouting into a void. A simple donation link is passive; you post it and hope people click. A managed campaign, like a Facebook Challenge, is an active experience. It uses peer-to-peer energy to get your community involved in a shared activity, creating excitement and a sense of teamwork. It also allows you to build real relationships through direct messaging, which turns followers into a connected community of supporters.

How much time does it really take to manage one of these campaigns? There is an upfront time investment in planning your strategy, setting up the campaign page, and creating your promotional messages. However, once the campaign is live, the software takes over the most time-consuming administrative tasks. It automates donation tracking, processes payments, and sends receipts instantly. This frees you from hours of manual data entry, allowing you to focus on engaging with your donors and celebrating your progress.