What Was Kindful and Where Did It Go? A Nonprofit’s Guide to Donor CRMs / Cosmic

Choosing the right technology can feel like a monumental task for any social impact organization. With limited resources and teams stretched thin, the pressure to find software that streamlines workflows, deepens supporter relationships, and ultimately drives your mission forward is immense. Many organizations get stuck with fragmented digital platforms and weak infrastructure, making it impossible to build the modern, relationship-based communications needed to thrive.

The software landscape is also constantly in flux, with platforms evolving, merging, or disappearing altogether. A perfect example of this is Kindful, a donor management platform that many nonprofits once relied on. If you’ve been searching for information on Kindful, you’ve likely discovered that it’s no longer a standalone product.

This guide will explore what Kindful was, what happened to it, and how its evolution can inform your search for the perfect Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to power your organization's growth.

Understanding Kindful: A Look Back

Before its acquisition, Kindful carved out a distinct niche in the nonprofit technology space. It was designed to be more than just a digital rolodex; it was a tool built to help nonprofits understand and nurture the entire supporter journey.

What Was Kindful?

Kindful was a cloud-based donor management and fundraising CRM created specifically for nonprofit organizations. Its core focus was on providing a user-friendly platform that could help small to mid-sized nonprofits centralize their data, track fundraising efforts, and gain a clearer understanding of donor behavior through analytics. It aimed to simplify the complex process of building and maintaining supporter relationships.

The Pros: Why Nonprofits Chose Kindful

Organizations were drawn to Kindful for several key reasons that still resonate with the challenges nonprofits face today:

User-Friendly Interface: One of Kindful’s biggest selling points was its clean, intuitive design. In a sector where staff and volunteers often have varying levels of technical expertise, a platform that is easy to navigate and use is mission-critical. It helped bridge the "tech empathy gap," ensuring the people using the tool daily weren't exhausted by its complexity.
Powerful Integrations: Kindful understood that no single tool can do everything. It offered a wide array of integrations with popular software for email marketing, accounting, and payment processing. This allowed organizations to create a more connected digital ecosystem, breaking down the data silos that so often lead to fragmented supporter experiences.
Focus on Donor Relationships: The platform provided robust tools for segmenting donor lists and analyzing giving history. This enabled nonprofits to move beyond generic, transactional appeals and toward personalized storytelling that nurtures deep, long-term loyalty—a key step in building a magnetic brand that attracts support rather than constantly chasing it.

The Cons: Kindful’s Limitations

Despite its strengths, Kindful wasn't a perfect fit for everyone. Its pricing model, which started at around $100 per month plus a setup fee, could be a hurdle for nascent organizations operating with a scarcity mindset. Furthermore, while it was excellent for its target audience, larger organizations with highly complex fundraising or program management needs might have found its capabilities limiting.

The Big Shift: Kindful Becomes Part of Bloomerang

In 2021, the nonprofit tech landscape shifted when Kindful was acquired by Bloomerang, another leading donor management CRM. Rather than being phased out, Kindful’s technology, team, and user-centric philosophy were integrated into the Bloomerang platform.

This move consolidated two platforms known for their focus on donor relationships and ease of use. For nonprofits who loved what Kindful offered, Bloomerang represents the natural evolution of its mission, now supercharged with additional features and resources. It focuses intensely on donor retention, providing tools like generosity scoring and engagement meters to help nonprofits identify and nurture their most committed supporters.

Beyond Kindful: Top CRM Alternatives for Today's Nonprofits

The spirit of Kindful lives on in Bloomerang and other modern CRMs. If you’re searching for a new system, the goal isn't to find an exact replica but to identify a platform that aligns with your organization's unique brand strategy. Here are a few top contenders.

Bloomerang: The Donor Retention Powerhouse

Overview: As the new home for Kindful’s legacy, Bloomerang is a natural starting point. Its entire philosophy is built around improving donor retention, grounded in the understanding that fostering existing relationships is more sustainable than constantly acquiring new ones.
Pros: It’s celebrated for its intuitive interface, actionable dashboard, and responsive customer support. Features like a constituent timeline and generosity scoring provide deep insights, helping you thank, engage, and retain supporters effectively.
Cons: Its primary focus is on donor management, so organizations needing extensive membership or grant management features might need to explore more comprehensive solutions.

Givebutter: The All-in-One Free Solution

Overview: Givebutter has made waves with its "always-free" model, supported by optional donor tips. It bundles CRM, fundraising pages, event management, and email marketing into a single, user-friendly platform.
Pros: The price point is unbeatable, making it incredibly accessible for new or small nonprofits. It’s mobile-optimized and includes modern payment options like Venmo, catering to a younger generation of donors.
Cons: The "jack of all trades, master of none" principle can apply here. While its features are impressive for a free tool, organizations with sophisticated automation or segmentation needs may eventually outgrow it.

Neon CRM: The Comprehensive Toolkit

Overview: Neon CRM is a robust solution designed to be an all-encompassing hub for nonprofit operations. It goes beyond fundraising to include tools for membership, events, volunteer management, and even an integrated website builder.
Pros: Its breadth of features allows nonprofits to manage many activities from one place, creating the kind of integrated digital system that our services help organizations build. The seamless connection between the CRM and website is a huge plus for data consistency.
Cons: With so much functionality, Neon CRM can feel overwhelming for small teams. The sheer number of options can come with a steeper learning curve and a higher price tag.

Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP): The Enterprise-Level Customizer

Overview: Built on the world's leading CRM platform, Salesforce NPSP is an incredibly powerful and scalable solution. Through the Power of Us Program, eligible nonprofits can get up to 10 free licenses.
Pros: Its customization potential is nearly limitless. For large, complex organizations tracking intricate data across programs, fundraising, and advocacy, there is no more powerful tool.
Cons: The "free" licenses are just the beginning. Implementing and customizing Salesforce almost always requires significant investment in expert consulting. It has a notoriously steep learning curve, and without proper support, it can become a source of frustration and burnout for staff.

How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Mission

The story of Kindful teaches us that the best tool today might not be the same tool tomorrow. That’s why your choice should be guided by a clear strategy, not just a list of features. At Cosmic, we help organizations transform from fragmented to integrated by focusing on the foundation first.

Here’s how to approach your decision:

Start with Your Strategy, Not the Software: Before you look at a single demo, clarify your goals. Do you need to improve donor retention? Streamline event management? Better nail your impact story with data? A clear nonprofit marketing plan will ensure you choose a CRM that serves your mission, not the other way around.
Prioritize Your People: A powerful tool that no one uses is worthless. Be realistic about your team’s capacity and technical comfort. Choose a platform with an intuitive interface and strong support to ensure high adoption and a positive return on investment.
Demand Integration: Your CRM should be the heart of your nonprofit digital ecosystem, not another isolated island of data. Ensure it integrates seamlessly with your email platform, website, and accounting software to create a unified view of your supporters.
Embrace a Prosperity Mindset: Investing in the right technology isn't an overhead cost; it's an investment in your mission's long-term sustainability. Choose a system that can grow with you as you scale your impact and revenue.

The right CRM is a strategic asset that empowers you to build deeper relationships, tell more compelling stories, and mobilize your community for action. It’s a critical component of the services we provide to help organizations build a brand that is unforgettable and an activation strategy that is magnetic.

Ready to build an integrated digital ecosystem that powers your mission? Book a free strategy call with Cosmic today to discuss how the right brand and technology strategy can help you reach your goals.

What Was Kindful and Where Did It Go? A Nonprofit’s Guide to Donor CRMs