Intuitive & Affordable

FundRaiser Software offers 3 powerful programs designed to fit any budget and any installation requirements

FundRaiser experience gained over 30 Years

With more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit community and a customer retention rate of higher than 90%, our suite of donor management software is the right choice for affordable, intuitive donor management software that will fit your needs now and for years to come.

"I am happy to recommend your software. In the interests of appearing non-partisan, I keep trying to find a software program that is as good as yours, but I can't. I have NEVER heard a complaint about your technical support. I cannot say that about ANY other software company.!" Kim Klein (fundraising consultant, author) Berkeley, CA
Why FundRaiser Software? Features
Multiple Installation Options

Whether you need online access to your data, or wish to have your database installed on your local network, FundRaiser has an installation option built for you.
Discover The FundRaiser Difference.

Integrated Growth Path

FundRaiser is designed with your success and growth in mind; start with the perfect solution for your needs right now, and know that the software is ready to grow when you are.
Discover The FundRaiser Difference.

Extensive Standard Features

FundRaiser contains an impressive array of standard features: unlimited donors, customizable interface, and built-in letter templates, to name a few.
Discover The FundRaiser Difference.

Unrivaled Customer Service

As a small company, we know that the key to customer retention is excellent customer service and we dedicate every minute of our working day to providing outstanding support.
Discover The FundRaiser Difference.

About End of Year Letters

by Sasha Daucus

What is an End of Year letter? Usually it is one of two things:

  • a letter which contains a summary of all donations that a donor has made to your organization in the past year. This is sent in January, to help donors with their taxes.
  • an appeal letter which is sent in November and December to solicit donations.

Appeal letters sent at this time of year take advantage of the prime giving season, when people make donations both to save on taxes and to be part of the holiday giving tradition. You can read more on them here.

this month we'll go more in depth about tax summary letters. You might be surprised at the return you get from this simple and helpful correspondence. 

Tax Summary Letters

Tax Summary letters, often called End of Year letters, give donors information on what they have donated to your organization that year. These statements differ from the holiday appeal, in that they are sent after the holidays and their primary intention is to give information to the donor for taxes, rather than to make a direct appeal; however it is not uncommon to combine them with another appeal.

Besides being a service for your donors, sending Tax Summary letters also speaks well for you, and helps reinforce the image of a well-organized, responsive group in the donor's mind. It reminds donors of who you are and that they donated to your organization... and might want to donate again!

If you take the opportunity to restate your case and remind donors of why they donated, they might well be motivated to donate again. After the rush of fundraising during the holidays, quiet falls at the end of the year. When your letter arrives in January, often people will respond. You can more than pay for your mailing in this way.

Who, What, and When of Tax Summary Letters

Most organizations that send out Tax Summary letters do so to all donors, regardless of the amount that they donated that year.

However, there are two instances when the tax information will be particularly helpful to your donor. This is when the donor has contributed $250 or more in a single donation, or when the donor has received goods or services from your organization in exchange for a single payment of more than $75.

These are the two general rules as stated by The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS):

  • a donor is responsible for obtaining a written acknowledgment from a charity for any single contribution of $250 or more before the donor can claim a charitable contribution on his/her federal income tax return.
  • a charitable organization is required to provide a written disclosure to a donor who receives goods or services in exchange for a single payment in excess of $75.

For tax purposes, the IRS suggests that the following information be included in the letter:

  1. amount of money donor contributed
  2. description (but not the value) of non-monetary contribution
  3. statement that no goods or services were provided by the organization in return for the contribution, if that was the case
  4. description and good faith estimate of the value of goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution
  5. statement that goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits
    (for clarification see IRS publication 1771: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf).

It is not necessary to include either the donor’s social security number or tax identification number on the acknowledgment. The IRS has no requirements for what form the tax summary needs to be in. Each donation may be listed as a single entry, or a summary of the entire year's giving may be used. Letters, postcards, or computer-generated forms are all acceptable to the IRS and they can be sent either by regular mail or by email addressed to the donor.

To be of the greatest service, send these letters no later than January 31 of the year following the donation. For the written acknowledgment to be considered valid by the IRS, a donor must receive the acknowledgment by the date on which the donor actually files his or her tax return for the year of the contribution.

Making Taxes Appealing

End of Year letters, which can refer either to appeal letters sent in November or December or tax summary letters sent in January, are both good publicity for your organization. Their purposes are somewhat different, but in both cases the general aim is the same - to appeal to your donors as a worthy organization to support.

Resources

Direct Mail Personalization: Worth the Additional Expense?

IRS Publication 1771 explains the federal tax law for organizations such as charities and churches that receive tax-deductible charitable contributions and for taxpayers who make contributions.

IRS Exempt Organization customer service–Telephone assistance specific to exempt organizations is available by calling IRS Exempt Organizations Customer Account Services toll-free at (877) 829-5500.

IRS Exempt Organization Website

Producing Tax Summary Letters in FundRaiser by Gene Weinbeck

Sasha Daucus edits the FundRaiser Software newsletter, focusing on articles that help nonprofit organizations feel more comfortable with their donor management software tools. In her free time she enjoys cooking and listening to world music from the Mediterranean region.

FundRaiser SoftwareFundRaiser Software offers non-profit organizations intuitive donor management software that is easy to learn and easy to use. Three programs, ranging from simple to sophisticated, let you choose the features you need now, while guaranteeing a built-in growth path for the future. Software flexibility, budget options, and superb technical support make FundRaiser Software uniquely adaptable to the needs of non-profit organizations - whatever their mission.

  • FundRaiser Spark
  • Available Online or Installed
  • Includes:
  • Unlimited Donors
  • Unlimited Codes
  • Unlimited Email
  • Custom Letters
  • Memberships
  • More Details
  • Try Free
  • FundRaiser Select
  • Available Online or Installed
  • Plus:
  • Online Donations
  • Recurring Gifts
  • Households
  • Solicitor Tracking
  • Add-On Modules
  • More Details
  • Try Free
  • FundRaiser Professional
  • Available Online or Installed
  • Includes:
  • Rapid Gift Entry
  • Relationships
  • Event Management
  • Secure Fields
  • Unlimited Spares
  • More Details
  • Try Free

The FundRaiser Difference

  • Our Mission is You
  • Our Track Record
  • Support & Service
  • Budget-Friendly
A Better World through You
You believe in your mission, and you work very hard to see that mission come to fruition. We believe that it is our job to work just as hard to help you achieve it. Every day, we make it our mission to be right beside you helping you become more effective through better donor management practices. Our company is built on the belief that nonprofits are working for a better world, and we are working to achieve a better world through you. When you become a FundRaiser Customer, you become part of the FundRaiser Family. Meet the FundRaiser Family
Right Beside You
Simply stated, we've been doing this for a long time (since 1983!), and we'll be here for a long time to come. Our small company provides donor management software that is used by more than 5,000 nonprofits worldwide, and that means that we have a very strong commitment to staying in the game. We believe that we are helping the world through you, and we look forward to doing so for many more decades. FundRaiser History
Real Customer Service

Part of our mission is to provide excellence in service, and we are passionate about our mission. We believe that we must all work for a better world, and our part in it is to support you and your mission. We do that by pledging to be right beside you every step of the way with the best customer service you have ever experienced. Our customers use words like "refreshing", "informative", "patient", "unparalleled" and "tremendous" when they talk about the support they receive from us - but we think that providing the best service we can is our responsibility, so we just call it real customer service. Don't take our word for it, though: take a look at what our customers say about our support & service by checking out our Testimonials.

Affordable for all Nonprofits

Organizations of all types and sizes use FundRaiser, but our target customers are small, mid-sized, and growing organizations, so we work very hard to keep our software both powerful and affordable. All three of our programs can be purchased or leased, and we offer the most flexible interest-free payment plans in the industry. With our low prices and built-in growth path, FundRaiser Software is the ideal choice for organizations that are looking for an affordable option that will grow with them. View Pricing

Customer Portal Login Form

User Name:
Password:

If you are not sure about your Customer User Name, please call 800-543-4131 and we will be able to help you.

Or you have lost your password, Request Password

Features/Products

FundRaiser Spark

FundRaiser Select

FundRaiser Professional

Feature

Number of Donors
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited Gifts Per Donor
Custom Letters
Targeted Mailings
Built-in Reports
Integrated Word Processor
Canadian User Features
Import & Export Capabilities
Donor Segmentation
Email Correspondence
Membership Management

optional module
Donation Segmentation

(three codes per gift)
Duplicate Checking
Partial
Contact Management
Partial
Recurring Donations
Partial


User-Defined Spare Fields


(three)

(five)

(unlimited)
Event Tracking
Partial

limited
Multi-User Capability
Not Available
Custom Page
Not Available


Reminder System (Tickles)
Not Available


Households
Not Available
In-Kind Donations
Not Available


Bulk Mail Features
Not Available
Solicitor Tracking
Not Available
Pledge Tracking
Not Available

optional module
Volunteer Management
Not Available

optional module
Tributes Management
Not Available

optional module
QuickBooks Integration
Not Available

(optional, third-party integration)

(third-party integration)
Wintix Integration
Not Available

(third-party integration)

(third-party integration)
Premiums Management
Not Available

optional module
Phonathon Management
Not Available

optional module
Complete Campaign Management
Not Available
Not Available
Soft Credits
Not Available
Not Available
Split Donations
Not Available
Not Available
Relationship Tracking
Not Available
Not Available
Rapid Gift Entry
Not Available
Not Available
Online Donations

optional for Spark Online

optional module

optional module
Get Started

Pricing

FundRaiser Spark

FundRaiser Spark

FundRaiser Professional

Single-User Version
$649 installed
$69/mo online
$1400+ installed
$179/mo online
$3800+ installed
$349/mo online
optional modules
N/A
$300-$500
Included
Multiple Users
N/A
$250 each installed
+$25/mo online
+$400 each installed
Get Started