Buy a solution to a real problem
Nonprofits regularly encounter software promising to save time, improve fundraising, automate communications, or simplify administration.
Some tools deliver useful capabilities. Others may introduce costs, training requirements, and maintenance responsibilities that exceed their practical benefits.
For a small nonprofit, choosing the wrong platform can be particularly disruptive.
Staff may invest weeks moving information into a system only to discover that it cannot handle an essential workflow. Subscription costs may increase as contact lists grow. Critical data may prove difficult to export.
Evaluating nonprofit technology should therefore involve more than comparing features or subscription prices.
The right technology is a system that addresses a documented organizational need, works for the people using it, and remains manageable over time.
This guide provides a practical purchasing process nonprofit teams can adapt to their size, resources, and responsibilities.
Begin with the problem, not the product
Technology purchasing often begins when someone recommends a particular application.
For example:
"We should buy a CRM."
"We need an automation platform."
"Everyone is using this project management tool."
Those statements suggest solutions without defining the problem.
A better starting point is identifying what the organization cannot currently accomplish reliably.
Describe the problem clearly
Consider this example:
"Our volunteer coordinator spends several hours every month reconciling registrations from separate forms and spreadsheets."
That statement identifies an activity that can be examined and improved.
Possible solutions might include:
- Standardizing an existing spreadsheet.
- Changing the current registration process.
- Using a feature already available in existing software.
- Adopting a specialized volunteer platform.
- Purchasing a broader relationship-management system.
A new subscription should not be the automatic answer.
Establish a desired outcome
Define what improvement would look like.
For example:
"Authorized staff can review volunteer registrations in one dependable workflow without repeatedly copying records."
This becomes a testable purchasing requirement.
Write requirements before comparing vendors
A requirements list helps nonprofit teams compare products consistently.
Without it, the vendor offering the most impressive demonstration may appear superior even when its features are irrelevant.
Separate requirements into three groups
Necessary: Capabilities without which the tool cannot fulfill its intended purpose.
Recommended: Features that would deliver meaningful additional value.
Optional: Conveniences that do not justify substantial added expense or complexity.
For a volunteer coordination tool, the list might look like this:
| Requirement | Priority |
|---|---|
| Maintain authorized volunteer records | Necessary |
| Limit access according to staff roles | Necessary |
| Export records in a usable format | Necessary |
| Track participation history | Recommended |
| Send appropriate event reminders | Recommended |
| Offer advanced visual dashboards | Optional |
These classifications are illustrative.
An organization's actual requirements may differ because of its programs, contractual commitments, data sensitivity, or operating scale.
Ask the people doing the work
Include relevant staff and volunteers in requirements gathering.
A manager may prioritize reports while everyday users struggle with data entry or confusing forms.
Both perspectives matter.
However, final purchasing authority should follow the nonprofit's established governance and financial procedures.
Compare the complete cost of ownership
A software subscription's advertised price does not necessarily reflect its total cost.
Identify one-time expenses
These may include:
- Initial setup.
- Data cleanup.
- Configuration.
- Staff training.
- Data migration.
- Integration development.
- Professional implementation assistance.
Identify recurring expenses
These may include:
- Monthly or annual subscriptions.
- Additional user accounts.
- Higher contact or storage limits.
- Premium support.
- Automation usage.
- Integration services.
- Maintenance and administration.
Consider the cost of leaving
A nonprofit may eventually need to switch providers.
Migration can require staff time, data exports, workflow rebuilding, and assistance with integrations.
Some contracts also include renewal or cancellation conditions.
Illustrative cost worksheet
| Expense | Year-one planning example |
|---|---|
| Software subscription | $600 |
| Initial setup | $400 |
| Staff training | $300 |
| Data migration | $250 |
| Support allowance | $200 |
| Illustrative total | $1,750 |
These are hypothetical planning amounts, not vendor quotations.
Use current written pricing and your nonprofit's expected usage to calculate real costs.
A free or discounted platform may still involve significant staff time and administrative responsibilities.
Review security, privacy, and accessibility
A useful tool must also be appropriate for the information and people involved.
Security
Ask whether the platform supports:
- Multifactor authentication.
- Individual user accounts.
- Role-based permissions.
- Appropriate administrative controls.
- Relevant activity records.
- Secure account recovery.
- Documented security practices.
The necessary safeguards depend on what the nonprofit uses the service for.
Privacy
Determine which information the tool collects, stores, processes, and shares.
Ask:
- What information must be entered?
- Where will it be stored or processed?
- Which provider personnel or subcontractors may access it?
- What retention and deletion options exist?
- Can records be exported?
- What contractual terms apply?
Systems handling sensitive participant information may require specialized review.
Do not upload confidential records into a free trial merely to see how the product works.
Accessibility
Evaluate whether staff, volunteers, and participants can use the system.
Depending on its purpose, review keyboard access, screen-reader compatibility, meaningful field labels, error handling, contrast, and mobile functionality.
A vendor's accessibility statement may provide information, but it should not replace testing important workflows.
Run a practical product demonstration
Vendor demonstrations often highlight attractive features while avoiding difficult everyday tasks.
Ask each shortlisted provider to show the same relevant workflow.
Create a repeatable test
For example, a nonprofit evaluating volunteer software might test whether authorized users can:
- Create a sample volunteer record.
- Register the volunteer for an activity.
- Update an incorrect entry.
- Restrict access by staff role.
- Generate a useful participation report.
- Export the data.
- Recover appropriately from a simulated mistake.
Use fictitious data rather than real personal records.
Observe the actual users
Ask staff who will operate the system to participate.
A tool may appear intuitive to an experienced salesperson but confuse someone who uses it only a few times per month.
Record questions, difficulties, and missing features.
Verify important claims
A vendor saying a feature exists does not necessarily mean it is available in the proposed plan or works with the nonprofit's existing systems.
Request demonstrations or written confirmation when a capability is essential.
Evaluate support and implementation
Selecting software is only the beginning.
The organization must implement the system and maintain it after launch.
Review support terms
Ask:
- What support is included?
- How can staff request assistance?
- Are there published support hours?
- Are response-time commitments contractual?
- What training is available?
- What support costs extra?
Assign an internal owner
Someone should be responsible for managing the relationship with the provider.
This role may include handling subscriptions, approving users, reviewing changes, and coordinating support.
Plan implementation carefully
A realistic implementation may involve:
- Reviewing existing records.
- Configuring permissions.
- Testing workflows.
- Training staff.
- Migrating appropriate data.
- Verifying reports.
- Documenting procedures.
Do not migrate an entire database before checking that the system supports the intended use.
Understand data ownership and exit options
A nonprofit should understand what it can retrieve when its relationship with a vendor ends.
Ask about portability
Review whether the organization can export:
- Contact records.
- Activity histories.
- Transaction records, when relevant.
- Attachments.
- Reporting data.
- Other necessary organizational information.
Determine which formats are available and whether exports preserve the relationships between records.
Review cancellation terms
Some services renew automatically or require advance notice.
Check applicable subscription, termination, retention, and deletion terms before committing.
Understand technical dependencies
A new system may become connected to website forms, email platforms, payment services, or internal databases.
Document these relationships.
A future provider change can become difficult when nobody knows how the systems interact.
Retain organizational account control
Essential subscriptions should remain under appropriate organizational administration.
Avoid depending exclusively on an individual volunteer or outside contractor for ownership and recovery.
Compare vendors using a decision matrix
After completing requirements and demonstrations, compare candidates consistently.
| Criterion | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential requirements | Meets / Gap | Meets / Gap | Meets / Gap |
| Practical workflow test | Pass / Fail | Pass / Fail | Pass / Fail |
| Security and privacy fit | Suitable / Concern | Suitable / Concern | Suitable / Concern |
| Accessibility | Suitable / Concern | Suitable / Concern | Suitable / Concern |
| Total cost | Verified amount | Verified amount | Verified amount |
| Staff training | Defined / Unclear | Defined / Unclear | Defined / Unclear |
| Export and cancellation | Acceptable / Concern | Acceptable / Concern | Acceptable / Concern |
Do not assign favorable results until the relevant evidence has been reviewed.
Identify disqualifying problems
Some concerns are more serious than missing optional features.
Examples include:
- Inability to meet an essential requirement.
- Inappropriate handling of sensitive information.
- Unacceptable access controls.
- Inaccessible essential workflows.
- Contract terms the organization cannot accept.
A tool should not automatically win because it has the highest number of features.
Record the decision
Document which solution was selected, why it fits, which alternatives were considered, and which responsibilities remain.
This creates a useful reference when reviewing the purchase later.
A practical nonprofit purchasing example
Consider a hypothetical nonprofit offering educational workshops.
Staff currently use separate forms, spreadsheets, and email messages to track registrations.
The organization is considering a new registration platform.
Step 1: Define the need
The primary requirement is to maintain accurate workshop registrations and reduce repeated manual entry.
Step 2: Review existing systems
Staff first determine whether their current website or form provider can support the required process.
Step 3: Shortlist alternatives
The nonprofit identifies three approaches:
- Improve existing forms and records.
- Adopt a specialized registration service.
- Purchase a broader operations platform.
Step 4: Test the workflow
Using fictitious records, staff compare registration, corrections, reporting, and export functions.
Step 5: Evaluate cost and capacity
The organization considers subscription fees, staff training, implementation, and support.
Step 6: Make a documented decision
If the existing platform can meet essential needs, an upgrade may be unnecessary.
If another system performs the workflow more reliably at a sustainable cost, adoption may be justified.
This scenario illustrates the evaluation process; it does not represent a documented implementation or product test.
Common mistakes to avoid
Choosing by feature count
An extensive feature list is not useful when the team cannot operate the system.
Better approach: Prioritize demonstrated requirements.
Relying on advertised pricing
Introductory or nonprofit pricing may differ from actual long-term costs.
Better approach: Obtain written, current terms.
Skipping accessibility testing
A platform may create barriers for staff or participants.
Better approach: Test the actual tasks that matter.
Importing sensitive information into trials
Unnecessary data transfers may create privacy risks.
Better approach: Use appropriate fictional sample records.
Ignoring exports and cancellation
The organization may encounter unnecessary migration difficulties later.
Better approach: Review exit procedures before purchasing.
Failing to involve staff
A system can meet management expectations while creating additional work for everyday users.
Better approach: Include relevant users in evaluation.
Your technology purchasing checklist
Before approving a technology purchase:
- Define the operational problem.
- Identify the intended users.
- Establish necessary, recommended, and optional requirements.
- Review capabilities in existing systems.
- Obtain comparable written proposals.
- Calculate initial and recurring costs.
- Review security controls.
- Review privacy and data-handling terms.
- Test accessibility for essential tasks.
- Demonstrate the same workflow in each shortlisted system.
- Confirm support and training arrangements.
- Evaluate integrations and technical dependencies.
- Check data export options.
- Review cancellation and renewal terms.
- Assign an internal administrator.
- Document the purchasing decision.
- Set a date to evaluate the results.
What to do next
Select one technology purchase your nonprofit is currently considering.
Write down the problem it must solve and identify three essential requirements.
Then test whether existing systems already meet those requirements.
If a purchase remains justified, compare a small number of suitable options using the same realistic workflow and a complete cost estimate.
Do not authorize implementation until ownership, privacy, accessibility, support, and exit arrangements are understood.
For technical integration, website infrastructure, or implementation assistance, Raxan.com may be considered alongside other qualified providers.
The best nonprofit technology purchase is not the most impressive product. It is the system that solves a real problem, supports the people using it, and remains sustainable for the organization.
Frequently asked questions
Should nonprofits always choose software with a free plan?
No. Free plans may have limitations, and staff time, migration, support, and data security responsibilities can create additional costs.
How many technology vendors should a nonprofit compare?
There is no required number. A small shortlist of suitable options can help organizations compare capabilities and costs without unnecessary evaluation work.
Should nonprofits request demonstrations before purchasing?
Yes, especially for significant purchases. Demonstrations should use realistic tasks and verify essential requirements.
How can a nonprofit compare products with different features?
Use a common requirements checklist and test the same essential workflow in each product.
What if a nonprofit cannot export its data?
That can create future dependency. Review contractual terms, alternative solutions, and the importance of the records before accepting the limitation.
Useful resources
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework, General guidance for evaluating organizational cybersecurity risks.
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, Accessibility principles and evaluation resources.
By: Rex Iriarte
Last updated: October 18, 2026
Disclosure: Raxan.org provides educational guidance. The example budget and purchasing scenario are illustrative; no vendor testing or endorsement is claimed.
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