Choosing a CRM is one of the most consequential technology decisions a nonprofit will make, and one of the most confusing. I’ve watched Australian charities spend months evaluating platforms, only to pick one that doesn’t fit their needs because they were swayed by a slick demo.

Here’s an honest comparison of five platforms that Australian nonprofits commonly consider, based on conversations with organisations actually using them.

1. Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)

Best for: Medium to large nonprofits with technical capacity or budget for implementation support.

Salesforce is the gorilla in the room. The Nonprofit Success Pack is free for qualifying organisations (up to 10 licences through the Power of Us program), and the platform is extremely powerful.

The catch? Salesforce is complex. Seriously complex. Every nonprofit I’ve spoken to that’s implemented NPSP has needed external consulting support, and the ongoing administration requires someone who knows what they’re doing. If you don’t have a tech-savvy staff member or budget for ongoing support, Salesforce will eat you alive.

Strengths: Incredibly customisable, strong ecosystem of apps and integrations, good donor management and reporting.

Weaknesses: Steep learning curve, hidden costs (consulting, apps, additional licences), interface can feel overwhelming for smaller teams.

2. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Nonprofit

Best for: Organisations already using Microsoft 365 heavily, or those needing strong integration with Office tools.

Microsoft’s nonprofit offering has improved significantly. The deep integration with Outlook, Teams, and the broader Microsoft ecosystem is genuinely useful if your team already lives in Microsoft land.

The pricing for nonprofits is competitive, and the platform handles donor management, program tracking, and volunteer coordination reasonably well. But like Salesforce, it requires proper implementation and ongoing administration.

Strengths: Tight Microsoft ecosystem integration, solid reporting through Power BI, familiar interface for Office users.

Weaknesses: Implementation complexity, less nonprofit-specific out of the box than NPSP, licensing can get confusing.

3. Blackbaud (Raiser’s Edge NXT / eTapestry)

Best for: Fundraising-focused organisations that need dedicated donor management.

Blackbaud has been in the nonprofit space longer than almost anyone. Raiser’s Edge NXT is their flagship product for mid-to-large organisations, while eTapestry serves smaller charities.

The fundraising-specific features are genuinely excellent. Donor analytics, major gift tracking, event management, and campaign reporting are all strong. But the platform can feel dated compared to newer competitors, and the pricing isn’t always transparent.

Strengths: Purpose-built for fundraising, strong donor analytics, good Australian support presence.

Weaknesses: Interface feels dated, can be expensive, less flexible for non-fundraising use cases.

4. Infoodle

Best for: Smaller Australian and New Zealand nonprofits wanting an affordable, local option.

Infoodle is a New Zealand-based platform that’s gained traction in Australia, particularly among churches and community organisations. It’s straightforward, affordable, and designed specifically for the ANZ market.

It won’t match Salesforce or Dynamics for customisation or scale, but for organisations with fewer than 50 staff managing a few thousand contacts, it’s a solid choice. The pricing is transparent and the support is responsive.

Strengths: Simple to use, affordable, local support, handles donations and memberships well.

Weaknesses: Limited customisation, smaller ecosystem, may not scale for larger organisations.

5. HubSpot for Nonprofits

Best for: Organisations that need strong marketing automation alongside donor management.

HubSpot offers a 40% discount for qualifying nonprofits, and its marketing, sales, and service hubs are genuinely excellent. The interface is intuitive, the email marketing tools are strong, and the reporting is clean.

The limitation is that HubSpot wasn’t built for nonprofits. You’ll need to adapt it for donation tracking and grant management, which means custom properties and workarounds. It works, but it’s not as natural as purpose-built platforms.

Strengths: Excellent marketing automation, intuitive interface, good free tier, strong email tools.

Weaknesses: Not purpose-built for nonprofits, donation tracking requires customisation, can get expensive at higher tiers.

So which one should you pick?

It depends on your size, budget, technical capacity, and primary use case. If fundraising is your main need and you have budget, Blackbaud is hard to beat. If you need maximum flexibility and have technical support, Salesforce NPSP is the most powerful option. If you’re a smaller organisation wanting something simple and local, Infoodle deserves a look.

Whatever you choose, invest in proper implementation. A badly implemented CRM is worse than no CRM at all.