Mightycause vs GiveSmart: Which Is Right for You?

Quick Takeaways

• Mightycause offers a $0/month subscription model, making it accessible for any budget, while GiveSmart requires an annual contract, representing a significant upfront investment.
• Mightycause includes a full-service Donor Management CRM for free, providing essential tools out of the box. GiveSmart offers its CRM as a separate or bundled module, which implies an additional cost.
• Mightycause is the ideal choice for small to mid-sized nonprofits seeking a powerful, all-in-one, and budget-friendly fundraising suite.
• GiveSmart is better suited for larger organizations with the budget for annual subscriptions and paid add-on services for implementation and event support.

Introduction

Small and mid-sized nonprofits often struggle to find powerful “all-in-one fundraising suites” that don’t break the bank. The search involves balancing advanced features with affordable pricing, a challenge that highlights the core differences between platforms like Mightycause and GiveSmart.

This decision comes down to a choice between two philosophies: the budget predictability and freedom of a mission-driven pricing model versus the high upfront costs and potential hidden fees of an enterprise-level contract.

Mightycause provides a comprehensive, subscription-free platform, whereas GiveSmart operates on an annual contract model with a suite of paid, add-on services.

This guide breaks down the key differences to help you decide which platform is the right fit for your mission.

Feature & Pricing Comparison: Mightycause vs GiveSmart

Mightycause Overview: Fundraising Platform, Donor Management CRM & Analytics

Mightycause is a comprehensive fundraising platform built to provide nonprofits with a full suite of professional tools without any subscription fees. It combines powerful campaign features, integrations, and robust donation tracking and management software in one place. At its core is a complete Donor Management CRM, empowering organizations to build stronger supporter relationships at no extra cost.

Strengths

• $0/month Subscription Forever: Access a complete suite of fundraising tools with no monthly fees, allowing more of your budget to go directly toward your mission.
• Price Guarantee: With a fee cap of 1.99% + $0.30 per transaction, your organization gains budget certainty and protection from unpredictable costs.
• Free Built-In Donor Management CRM: The Contacts donor management system is included at no cost, offering advanced segmentation, communication, and reporting tools.
• Powerful Integrations: Seamlessly connect your data with native integrations like Salesforce, MailChimp, HubSpot, Slack, Google Analytics, Facebook, and Zapier.
• Software with Integrated Email Outreach: Engage supporters directly from the platform with built-in tools designed for effective donor communication.

Considerations

• Mightycause is built specifically for nonprofits seeking a comprehensive digital fundraising solution without the high overhead of enterprise software.

GiveSmart Overview

GiveSmart, part of Momentive Software, serves over 8,000 nonprofits and schools and has helped its partners raise over $8+ billion. It helps organizations centralize year-round fundraising efforts across various channels, with a strong focus on large-scale events. The platform supports a wide range of activities, including events, online campaigns, and donor relationship management.

Strengths

• Comprehensive Event Tools: The platform excels at event management with features for mobile bidding, silent and live auctions, ticketing, and guest management.
• Extensive Support Options: All users receive 24/7 customer support, with the option to purchase paid add-ons for personalized implementation and live event support.
• Versatile Campaign Types: GiveSmart supports a variety of fundraising styles, including online, virtual, hybrid, and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.

Limitations

• Cost Structure: The platform requires an annual subscription, which can be a significant upfront cost and a barrier for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
• Escalating A La Carte Costs: The base subscription is just the starting point. Essential functions like GiveSmart Implementation, Donor CRM Implementation, and Data Import require separate, paid add-ons, turning the initial price into an unpredictable and escalating expense.
• Dependency on Paid Support: The extensive menu of paid implementation and event support services suggests the platform is not designed for intuitive, self-service use. This creates a dependency on costly expert assistance that small nonprofits cannot afford.
• Complex Donor Management: The Donor CRM is a separate module that must be bundled or purchased, unlike platforms where it is a free, core feature. This limits access to “automated donor communication workflows” without an additional purchase.

The Core Difference: An Included CRM vs. a Costly Add-On

When it comes to tools for donor segmentation and targeting, the primary difference between Mightycause and GiveSmart lies in accessibility and cost. Mightycause provides a powerful, built-in CRM for free, allowing nonprofits to create detailed segments based on giving history, engagement, and demographics right out of the box. This ensures that every organization, regardless of budget, has the tools to run sophisticated, targeted campaigns.

In contrast, GiveSmart offers its Donor CRM as a paid module that can be bundled with a fundraising package or purchased as a standalone solution. While it provides similar tools for donor management, this structure means that access to advanced segmentation and automated communication comes at an additional cost. The key difference is clear: Mightycause believes a CRM is a core necessity that should be included free, while GiveSmart positions it as a premium, add-on product.

Why Many Nonprofits Choose Mightycause Over GiveSmart

Mightycause delivers a complete, enterprise-level fundraising suite without locking organizations into expensive and lengthy contracts. By avoiding mandatory annual contracts, you ensure that more of the funds you raise go directly toward fulfilling your mission.

FAQs: Mightycause vs GiveSmart

How do Mightycause’s fees compare to GiveSmart’s pricing model? Mightycause offers a $0/month subscription model with a Price Guarantee that caps total transaction fees at 1.99% + $0.30. In contrast, GiveSmart operates on an annual subscription contract with fixed pricing, plus additional costs for hands-on implementation and support services.

Does GiveSmart include a free CRM? No, GiveSmart’s Donor CRM is not included for free. It is offered as a separate module that can be bundled with a fundraising package or purchased as a standalone solution, implying it comes at an additional cost.

Which platform is better for a small nonprofit with a limited budget? Mightycause is designed for small to mid-sized nonprofits with limited budgets. It provides a complete fundraising and CRM suite with no monthly subscription fees, making it a highly cost-effective solution. GiveSmart’s required annual contract and paid add-on services are a better fit for larger organizations with more substantial budgets.

Final Verdict

Mightycause emerges as the clear and superior choice for small and mid-sized nonprofits seeking a powerful, truly all-in-one fundraising suite without the high cost and commitment of an annual subscription.

Its combination of zero monthly fees, a built-in CRM, and a Price Guarantee provides unmatched value and budget certainty, lowering the total cost of ownership for fundraising.

GiveSmart, while powerful, is better suited as an enterprise solution for larger organizations that have the budget for annual contracts and require the extensive, hands-on support services it offers as paid add-ons.

Ready to Decide?

Start fundraising free with Mightycause.

Related Nonprofit Fundraising Guides

• Nonprofit Donation Page Solutions for Every Budget
• How to Know Whether a Fundraising Subscription Plan is Right for Your Nonprofit
• How Donor Management Software Fuels Nonprofits
• What is a CRM?
• Mightycause vs Blackbaud: Which Is Right for You?
• Mightycause vs PayPal: Which is Right for You?

Sources & References

• Mightycause Pricing
• Mightycause Features Overview
• Mightycause Reviews on G2
  
• Mightycause Reviews on Capterra
• GiveSmart Pricing
• GiveSmart About Us