When it comes to launching a successful nonprofit membership program and managing and growing your membership, your nonprofit membership software can be one of your biggest assets.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- What is nonprofit membership software?
- The advantages to having a nonprofit membership software.
- What to look for in your software.
- 6 nonprofit membership management software options.
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What is nonprofit membership software?
Nonprofit membership software helps nonprofits to track, manage, and connect their members to the organization and (often) to one another. This means that there are often two parts to membership software for nonprofits:
- Member management: For member lists, payment information, membership status, contact info, and other tools to effectively manage member lists.
- Member connection: Communication software for connecting to members and connecting members to one another. This could include email, messaging, discussion forums, event hosting, etc.
Every nonprofit needs some of these features. Membership management software is always important for tracking membership status and keeping a directory. And your nonprofit may or may not need member connection tools. They become most useful for connecting members virtually.
Examples of tools for member management
- Contact information database
- Automatic renewal reminders
- Building different membership plans
- Storing payment information
Examples of tools for member communication
- Discussion forums
- Online community features
- Chat and messaging
- Virtual events
Why does a nonprofit need membership management software?
Having membership management software for your nonprofit does a few things. Here are some of the benefits of a nonprofit membership management software:
- Simplify your administration: Most nonprofits have a thousand things to do and not enough time to do them. Administrative tasks can take up a lot of time and energy. The right software can free up time to let you focus on what matters.
- Organize member touchpoints: When it comes to member engagement, software can simplify and automate your touch points–whether it's sending a billing reminder or organization updates.
- Self-service tools: If members can manage their own profiles and billing settings, it makes for happier members and less stress for your staff.
- Access to a knowledge base: If your nonprofit has a knowledge base, a membership management software can store and let members access it.
- Member-generated content: Nonprofits can host conversations and benefit from member-generated content, letting members connect and share ideas and challenges.
- Build networks: Software can connect members and help them to network.
What to look for in nonprofit membership software
Different nonprofits need different things from their software. Some need membership databases. Some need close-contact with members. Some need to facilitate members’ contacts with each other. Some need billing. Some need email.
It’s important to understand what your nonprofit needs to help members thrive. Here are some of the most common pain-points that a nonprofit membership can address.
- Member management: Look for the features you need to build a member database and track memberships.
- Member communication: Look for the tools you need to communicate with members: messaging, email, chat, etc.
- Event integration: If you’re hosting events, look for the features you need in your nonprofit membership software including planning and hosting an event, managing registrations, and collecting payments.
- Payments & processing: If you charge membership fees, look for processing and the ability to set autorenewals and bundles.
- Reporting and analytics: These tools tell you what’s working, how your members are behaving, and where they spend their time.
- User interface: Look for software that’s easy to use, both for your Hosts and also–if applicable–for your members.
- Apps and access: A modern membership management software needs ways for Hosts and users to access it anywhere–this means apps!
Nonprofit membership software
1. Mighty Networks
Mighty is a community and membership platform that works perfectly as a nonprofit membership software. It mixes a flexible set of tools for member management with G2’s top-rated community management software.
Here's what you get with Mighty:
- Member management tools: Member profiles, directory, bundles and plans + auto-renewal and self-serve administrative functions.
- Member communication: Chat & messaging, polls & question generator, and a ConvertKit integration built-in for email.
- Virtual events: Multi-speaker, in-event chat, RSVP, and event landing pages, plus event payments
- Payment options: Automate and collect member payments and dues, bundle with different kinds of features, and charge in 135 different currencies.
- AI member tools: With Mighty Co-Host™ get automatic member profiles, smart connections, instant landing pages, the “make it better” text editor, and more.
Mighty gives you everything you need manage your nonprofit members and grow your impact.
2. Mighty Pro
Mighty Pro gives you the membership power of Mighty Networks, and deploys it on your own branded apps. That means that it’s your brand members see in the App Store and Google Play Store–not someone else’s.
Mighty Pro gives you:
- Premium apps under your brand in the App Store and Google Play Store.
- The features of a Mighty Network: Discussions, courses, livestreaming, live events, chat & messaging, and member management.
- Work with a team of dedicated account executives and community strategists.
- Advanced analytics and reporting.
- VIP support before, during, and after launch.
- Mighty handles your migration (if applicable).
We’ve built apps for Cambridge University, TED, Fortune, and more. Book a call with us and we’ll show you what we could build together.
3. Hivebrite
Hivebrite is an alumni management platform with several features that make it a good nonprofit membership software. Here are some you should know about:
A CRM that lets you organize and follow members and their status, track payments, and use analytics. It also has a Salesforce integration.
Good membership directory functions.
Divide members into different categories and subgroups.
Email is built in and you can get Hivebrite apps.
Hivebrite’s strengths are its member tracking and organizing functions. But it’s not as strong in community and member engagement functions. The UX can feel outdated at times. And the platform is missing native video and livestreaming, which limit its usefulness for high-impact member communication.
4. Join It
While the others on this list have member-facing tools, Join It is strictly for internal member management. This makes it a useful admin tool, especially for a nonprofit that only wants a backend membership tool.
Here are some of the features Join It has:
- A membership database that can sort members into different groups and needs, and create categories.
- A self-serve member portal that can issue digital membership cards via the app.
- Manage recurring and one-time payments and set up autorenewals (or cancellations). It also automates renewal reminders.
- Build a membership website–and link it to your existing website if applicable.
- Download membership lists and analytics.
5. MemberLeap
MemberLeap is another nonprofit membership software that has tools for member management and events.
Here are some of the best features of MemberLeap:
- A CRM for tracking all your touchpoints with your members.
- Easy to sync between local databases and member info with a national database. This is useful for managing regional chapters.
- Handle payments, including automated billing and renewals.
- Event tools for registration, with virtual event integration (exhibit booths, CFPs, etc.).
MemberLeap is best for the backend membership database features. It’s missing features of a community platform, but does have a simple message board. It’s app also is primarily only functional for live event ticketing and itineraries.
6. Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot is a member management platform that was built for nonprofits, and it has a good suite of tools for simplifying and automating common needs.
Here are some of the features Wild Apricot comes with:
- A website builder that can create drag-and-drop online sites for a nonprofit, or even sub-sites for regional chapters.
- It’s useful for live events, for managing the schedule, badge printing, and registration.
- Has a mobile app that can be used for both conference participation and membership management.
There are two main downsides to Wild Apricot. It isn’t great for communities. It has minimal forum features with extremely skeleton content options that aren’t fit for hosting a member-led content space. And while virtual events are possible with Wild Apricot, the platform isn’t really robust enough to handle multi-faceted events.
Ready to start?
If you’re ready to get started with nonprofit membership software, give Mighty a try! It brings memberships together with powerful database features and G2’s top-rated community management software. And it’s free to try for 14 days–no credit-card required.
