Choosing the right fundraising software isn’t just about tools, it’s about saving time, staying organized, and helping your team do more of what really matters. If you’re a nonprofit trying to grow, you’ve likely come across Kindful and Bloomerang.
Both platforms promise easy donor management and better fundraising, but knowing which one’s right for you can be tricky, especially since they’re now part of the same family.
We’ve worked with a lot of organizations in this exact spot, and here’s what we’ve seen: the best choice often depends on how you work, what you need, and how much time you’ve got to manage your tools. In this guide, we’re going to break it all down simply, no jargon, no fluff, so you can choose what makes the most sense for your mission.
What are Kindful and Bloomerang? A quick background
Kindful and Bloomerang are both made for nonprofits, but they started off as very different tools. Kindful came on the scene with a strong focus on donor management, keeping everything organized and making giving feel simple and personal. It’s built for teams that want a clean, easy-to-use dashboard without getting bogged down in tech.
Bloomerang, on the other hand, began as a platform centered on donor retention. They really honed in on helping nonprofits build long-term relationships with supporters by showing data in a way that helps you act on it. Think donor engagement scores, retention rates, and smart reporting.
In 2020, Bloomerang acquired Kindful, and the two started working more closely together. That means they now share some features and systems, but their original strengths still show through. If you like detailed reports and long-term strategy, Bloomerang might feel more your speed. If you want something that’s intuitive and focused on quick wins, Kindful could be a better match.
Comparing donor management capabilities
One of the biggest things nonprofits need is a clear, easy way to keep track of donors, and both Kindful and Bloomerang offer strong tools for that. But how they do it feels a little different.
Kindful is built for simplicity. Its dashboard makes it easy to see donor profiles, track donations, and follow up with supporters. You don’t have to be a tech expert to use it. If you’re short on time and just want to log in and quickly find what you need, Kindful is built for you.
Bloomerang goes a step further with data. You still get all your donor info in one place, but it also adds things like engagement scores, custom reports, and retention tracking. It’s helpful for teams that want to dig deeper into donor behavior and trends. If you like using data to plan smarter fundraising, Bloomerang might give you the edge.
Bottom line: both platforms cover the basics well. The difference is in how much data you want, and how much time you want to spend managing it.
Donation pages and giving experiences
When someone’s ready to give, you want that moment to be easy and feel good. Both Kindful and Bloomerang offer ways to create clean, branded donation pages, but again, they come at it a little differently.
Kindful’s donation forms are simple and mobile-friendly. You can add your own logo, choose colors, and even show impact amounts, like “$25 feeds a family for a week.” That kind of detail helps donors see the difference they’re making. Plus, they offer pop-up donation buttons and peer-to-peer tools, so your supporters can raise money for you too.
Bloomerang also gives you custom donation pages, but they lean more into tracking and performance. You can test different forms, check conversion rates, and adjust things based on what’s working. It's great if you're running multiple campaigns and want to fine-tune how people give.
If your team just wants something that looks good and works out of the box, Kindful makes it quick. If you're ready to test, track, and improve, Bloomerang gives you the tools.
Event and campaign management
Running events and fundraising campaigns can get complicated fast. That’s where tools that help you plan, promote, and track everything in one place really matter. Both Kindful and Bloomerang offer support here, but the depth and style of support are a little different.
Kindful makes it easy to set up simple fundraising campaigns. You can launch a campaign page in minutes, track donations, and connect it with your donor database automatically. It’s not overly complex, so it’s great for smaller teams or those running straightforward campaigns.
Bloomerang brings more to the table when it comes to events. You get RSVP tracking, ticketing, and detailed reports on who showed up and gave. If you’re running annual galas or multi-step events, you’ll appreciate the extra features Bloomerang includes to help you stay on top of the details.
So if you’re mostly doing online fundraisers and want quick, clean tools, Kindful gets the job done. If events are a big part of your strategy, Bloomerang gives you more ways to manage them from start to finish.
Ease of use and customer support
No one wants to spend hours trying to figure out how their software works, especially when you're already juggling a dozen other things. That’s why ease of use and reliable support are huge when picking a fundraising platform.
Kindful is known for being user-friendly. The layout is simple, clean, and built with smaller teams in mind. You don’t need a training session to find your way around. If you do get stuck, their customer service team is friendly and responsive. You can reach them by chat or email, and they’ve got a helpful knowledge base full of quick answers.
Bloomerang is also fairly intuitive, though the extra features might mean a slightly steeper learning curve at first. But once you’re in, it’s powerful. And their customer support is solid too, with options for chat, email, phone, and even live webinars. If you want more hands-on help or deeper training, they offer more structured support than Kindful.
In short: Kindful is easier for beginners, Bloomerang offers more support for teams that want to dig deep.
Pricing and value for mid sized nonprofits
When you're a mid sized nonprofit, budget always matters. You need tools that work well without eating up your entire fundraising income. And that’s where the pricing conversation gets real.
Kindful’s pricing used to be pretty straightforward, based on the size of your donor database. It gave smaller and mid sized teams access to strong tools without overwhelming them with features they didn’t need. Since merging with Bloomerang, the lines have blurred a bit, but the goal stays the same: offer simple, effective fundraising at a manageable price.
Bloomerang tends to serve nonprofits that are ready to level up. The pricing is a bit higher, but you’re also getting more in terms of reporting, strategy tools, and advanced donor engagement features. If you’ve got a growing team and want more control over your fundraising strategy, the extra investment can be worth it.
Here’s the big thing: neither platform is cheap, but both are built to help you raise more. The better question might be, what kind of support do you need, and which platform gives you that without adding stress or confusion?
Payouts and reconciliation tools
When donations come in, you want to know where they’re going, and how to track every dollar. That’s where payout and reconciliation tools come in. They help your team stay organized and avoid the kind of financial confusion that slows everything down.
Kindful keeps things pretty simple. You can see your donation history, track where funds are coming from, and match everything up with your reports. It’s built to save time, not create more work. For many mid sized nonprofits, it’s enough to keep things clear and moving.
Bloomerang takes it a step further. Their reconciliation tools are a bit more advanced, helping you match donations with bank deposits and understand fee breakdowns. If your team is managing large volumes or working closely with accounting, these extras can be really helpful.
Bottom line: if you need basic clarity, Kindful works well. If you want more detailed financial control, Bloomerang might be the better fit.
Visual and user experience differences
The way a platform looks and feels makes a big difference, especially when your whole team needs to use it. A clean, intuitive interface saves time, reduces mistakes, and makes day-to-day tasks feel less like a chore.
Kindful stands out for its simplicity. The dashboard is easy to navigate, and the design feels calm and uncluttered. You can find what you need fast, and you don’t need a tech background to feel confident using it. It’s great for nonprofits that want to get in, get their work done, and get back to their mission.
Bloomerang’s design is also user-friendly but has more layers. There are more features packed into each screen, which can feel like a lot at first. But once you learn where everything lives, it becomes a powerful workspace. If you’re someone who likes data and dashboards, Bloomerang gives you more depth.
So if you like clean and simple, Kindful wins. If you’re okay with a bit of a learning curve in exchange for extra tools, Bloomerang delivers.
Migration between platforms: what to expect
Switching platforms can feel intimidating, especially when donor data, campaign history, and payment tools are involved. Whether you're moving from Kindful to Bloomerang or vice versa, it's helpful to know what you're getting into.
Because Kindful and Bloomerang are now under the same roof, migration between the two is smoother than most platform changes. There's less risk of data getting lost or features breaking during the move. Still, it’s not always a one-click process. You’ll need to plan ahead, especially if your data isn’t clean or if your team is used to doing things a certain way.
The good news is that both platforms offer support during migration. Bloomerang provides guidance, and in some cases, hands-on help to get your data transferred and mapped properly. Kindful users moving into Bloomerang’s expanded system will notice a learning curve, but it comes with more tools and deeper reporting once you're settled in.
If you're switching between these platforms, give yourself a little breathing room. Test everything, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to lean on support. A well-planned migration can be a big upgrade.
What it all comes down to
Kindful and Bloomerang both offer solid tools for nonprofits, but picking the right platform isn't just about checking boxes. It’s about choosing something that fits how your team actually works.
Kindful is simple and clean. Bloomerang adds depth and data. But if you're tired of compromising, choosing between ease of use or powerful features, there’s a better option.
Harness gives you both.
You get modern fundraising tools and hands-on support from a team that gets nonprofit work. It’s built to grow with you, without the complexity that drags your team down.
If you want more donations, less admin, and tech that actually helps you move faster, Harness is ready when you are. Let’s build something better. Together.
