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The CRM for nonprofits and fundraisers whose donors deserve a person, not a mail merge
A CRM for nonprofits has to do more than hold gifts. Donors stay when a person writes to them between asks. Capstone Outreach puts every donor, board member, volunteer and foundation contact on a rhythm, writes the stewardship note from your history with them when it is due, and sends it from your own inbox once you approve it. It is the relationship layer beside your donor database.
On this page
What a development officer actually needs
- Stewardship that happens, not a plan on a shelf Every major donor on a rhythm, with the no-ask check-in written from what they care about, so the plan runs itself.
- Lapsed donors who hear from a person A short, personal sequence to LYBUNT and SYBUNT donors, from your own inbox, that stops the moment they reply.
- Board members and volunteers kept close Thank-yous, updates and invitations written for each person, not a newsletter.
- One record of every conversation Calls, meetings, emails and notes on one timeline per donor, and you can ask what you promised.
Where the donor database stops
Donor databases are built for gifts: entry, receipts, campaigns, reports. They are good at that. Writing a personal note to a donor whose mother passed last month is not what they do, so it depends on someone remembering.
The result is donors who hear from the organization only when it asks. They give once, feel like a transaction, and lapse.
Nonprofits usually compare Bloomerang, Little Green Light, Neon CRM, DonorPerfect and Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud for the database. Check their sites for current pricing. Capstone Outreach is the stewardship layer beside the database.
What changes with Capstone Outreach
| The problem | With Capstone Outreach |
|---|---|
| Major donors hear from you only at the appeal. | Each donor on a rhythm you pick. When they are due, a no-ask check-in is written from your notes with them. |
| Lapsed donors get a mass re-engagement email. | A personal two to five step sequence from your own inbox, stopped when they reply. |
| Board members feel used, not thanked. | Board members get their own rhythm, with thank-yous and updates written for each person. |
| You cannot recall what a donor said about the capital campaign. | Ask, and the answer comes from your meeting notes and emails with that person. |
| Foundation officers go quiet between grant cycles. | Program officers get a rhythm too, with updates that are not asks. |
| One fundraiser, hundreds of donors. | Put a whole segment on a rhythm at once and approve the drafts in minutes. |
See it on your phone
Ten seconds each, from the app, on the parts fundraisers and small nonprofits use most.
Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when.
The text is written. One tap sends it from your own number.
Every step written up front. You approve before anything sends.
One timeline per person: rhythm, tags, notes, private notes.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo iPhone: 14 days free, then $24.99/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Recorded in the Capstone Outreach app on a demo account. The iPhone and Android app.
Try it on your own contacts this week. Import them from your phone, a CSV or your calendar, put them on a rhythm, and the first check-ins are written before you finish your coffee. You approve each one.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo iPhone: 14 days free, then $24.99/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Also on Android. Cancel in the first 14 days and you pay nothing.
Setting this up for a development team or a membership organization? Book a call or email me the pricing first.
What it is not
Capstone Outreach is not a donor database. It does not process gifts, issue receipts, run campaigns or produce fund accounting. Keep your database for the money and use Capstone for the people.
What it costs
One plan with every feature: $25 a month on the web after a 14-day free trial. A payment method starts the trial, nothing is charged for 14 days, and you can cancel anytime. In the iPhone app it is $24.99 a month or $250 a year through the App Store; the Android app bills through Google Play. See pricing or every feature as the problem it solves.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CRM for small nonprofits?
For gift entry, receipts and reports, small nonprofits usually pick a donor database such as Bloomerang, Little Green Light or Neon CRM. For stewardship that actually gets done, with every donor on a rhythm and the note written for you, Capstone Outreach is built for that, and it works beside the database.
Is there a free CRM for nonprofits?
Some donor databases have free tiers for very small organizations, and general CRMs such as HubSpot have a free plan. Capstone Outreach has a 14-day free trial, then $25 a month. It does not process donations; it writes and sends the stewardship.
Can several staff use it?
Yes. Teammates share one workspace and contact list, each person's own relationship stays theirs, and owners see a log of who sent what. For a whole development team, book a call and we will set it up.
Does it send on its own?
Not unless you turn on Autopilot. By default every message waits for your approval, then goes from your own inbox. Donors tagged Sensitive always wait for a person.
How much does it cost?
One plan, $25 a month on the web after a 14-day free trial. Every feature is included. Ask about team pricing through the booking link below.
Messages and playbooks for fundraisers and small nonprofits
Each page has copy-ready templates and a free writer. Start with the message you need this week.
What a personal CRM does · The best personal CRMs, compared · All comparisons
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