Internet-Based Software Suppliers: a Sampling
June 14, 2001 | Read Time: 5 minutes
ALSO SEE:
Some Tips for Charities Looking to Lease Software
A Guide to Technology Resources for Charities
Nonvirtual Reality Hits Giving Sites
MULTIPLE-PURPOSE SYSTEMS
4charity (San Francisco)
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1998 as a charity shopping site by two Stanford M.B.A. students. Switched focus to online applications in summer 1999.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 25
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Allow charities to add interactive features to their Web sites: accept online donations, sign up volunteers, register participants for events (including selling tickets), offer electronic greeting cards, and use e-mail for marketing.
PRICES: Event-registration application has a $500 set-up fee per event; other applications have a monthly fee of $50 to $75, plus a per-donation, registration, or e-mail charge.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 100
(Austin, Tex.)
BACKGROUND: Founded in April 1999 by two former executives at Trilogy Software, which develops e-commerce systems for large corporations.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 70
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities develop Web sites, manage special events and donor information, process online donations and sales, and coordinate e-mail use for advocacy and marketing.
PRICES: System set-up fees start at $5,000, and monthly fees start at $1,500.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 18
(San Diego)
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1999 by two technology entrepreneurs and a lawyer.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 70
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities manage special fund-raising events, use e-mail for marketing, and accept online donations.
PRICES: $600 a month, plus a fee of either $3 per transaction or 10 percent of gifts raised online.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 50
(San Francisco)
BACKGROUND: Founded in November 1998 by two former managers at Intershop, a San Francisco company that develops e-commerce software systems.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 8
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Allow charities to accept online donations, use e-mail for marketing, manage special events, conduct online surveys, update membership profiles, and maintain membership directories.
PRICES: Set-up fees, which include one year of technical support, start at $698. Monthly fees range from $75 to $2,100.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: More than 100
(Seattle)
BACKGROUND: Founded in May 1999 by a nonprofit consultant who also publishes Nonprofit Online News.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 11
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities manage e-mail communciation with donors and others, and add interactive features to their Web sites, such as online surveys and registration for volunteers. Also enable charities to run their own networks that employees can use to communicate with one another and share documents online.
PRICES: Monthly fees start at $99 for the e-mail and Web application and $149 for the network application. Pricing depends on number of donor records or network users.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 240
(Poolesville, Md.)
BACKGROUND: Founded at the end of 1995 by two software developers.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 8
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities develop Web sites, manage donor records, and use e-mail for marketing and advocacy.
PRICES: Set-up fees for basic package start at $6,000; fees for most sophisticated package start at $50,000. Monthly leasing fees start at $250.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 40
DONOR-RECORD MANAGEMENT
3rdSector.Net (Allentown, Pa.)
BACKGROUND: Founded in October 1999 by two software developers.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: n/a
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities manage donor information, track gifts, and automate mailings, faxes, and e-mail messages to donors. Application scheduled for release this month will help charities account for their funds.
PRICES: Set-up fee of $60 per user. Monthly fees start at $60 for first user and are based on the number of donor records.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 25
(Falls Church, Va.)
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1981 by a marketing-database developer.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 45
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Allow charities to maintain information about their donors, track contributions, and generate reports about their fund-raising activities.
PRICES: Set-up fees start at $3,000; monthly leasing fees start at $1,000 and are based on the number of records in the database.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 16
(Indianapolis)
BACKGROUND: Founded in September 1999 by two software executives — including the former head of Master Software Corporation, which was purchased by Blackbaud in 1997 — and two database developers.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 40
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities manage donor and gift data, communicate with donors via e-mail, and record other requests for information.
PRICES: Free to charities with fewer than 500 donor records. Monthly charges for groups with 500 records or more range from $30 to $399. Extra charges apply for additional users, training, data conversion, and other services.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 1,000, including about 250 that pay no monthly leasing fee.
(Getzville, N.Y.)
BACKGROUND: Fund-raising software company founded in 1987.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 60
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities manage donor and gift data, accept online donations, allow donors to register for events online, and communicate with donors via e-mail.
PRICES: Set-up fee and other charges vary; declined to provide specific information.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 15
(St. Paul)
BACKGROUND: Formed in March 1999, originally as part of Response Group, a fund-raising consulting company.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 8
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Allow nonprofit organizations to maintain information about donors and track giving. Additional modules help manage Web-site content and coordinate e-mail use for marketing.
PRICES: Monthly charges start at $99.95 for two users and fewer than 2,500 records. Set-up fee is equal to first month’s fee. The cost for additional modules is generally 10 percent of base monthly fee.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 82
OTHERS
GetActive Software (Berkeley, Calif.)
BACKGROUND: Founded in April 2000 by Environmental Defense under the name LocusPocus; spun off as a for-profit venture in November 2000. Environmental Defense still holds minority ownership interest in the company.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 17
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Help charities manage information about their members, send e-mail advocacy alerts, and provide a way for activists to contact policymakers via e-mail or fax.
PRICES: Declined to provide specific pricing information; charges set-up and monthly hosting fees.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 35
Interactive Applications Group
(Washington)
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1994 by a media entrepreneur.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 35
WHAT THE PRODUCTS DO: Allow grant makers to create private networks where employees, grant recipients, and other grant makers can work together online.
PRICES: Set-up fee of $10,000; monthly leasing fees of $400.
NUMBER OF CHARITY CLIENTS: 7
