GiveSmart - A Worthwhile Investment for NonProfits
May 19, 2021
GiveSmart - A Worthwhile Investment for NonProfits
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with GiveSmart
When our nonprofit organization needed a more efficient way to handle ticketing, sponsorships, and auction for our annual fundraising gala, I researched multiple products that were on the market. We had a terrible experience with the first company we used - we definitely got what we paid for by going with the most cost-effective option at the time. The following year, we invested in GiveSmart and have been so pleased with the platform and also the customer service. I do contract work with two other nonprofit organizations and have also introduced them to the GiveSmart platform for their event fundraising efforts. Across the board, with all three nonprofits, we have seen tremendous success through using GiveSmart. The site is easy to use for both administrators and end-users - which is key since most nonprofit development offices have limited staff (and limited time!) to invest in event planning. And, with the additional fundraising tools that have been introduced on the GiveSmart platform, we can use our annual license for more than just events.
- Customer Service
- Auction Display/Functionality
- Ongoing Product Enhancements
- Registration Process for End Users - individuals who want to "join" an event but aren't necessarily purchasing a ticket are sometimes caught in a registration loop on the site; there is also always some confusion from year to year when someone who is already registered with GiveSmart doesn't understand why they have to register again for the current year's event.
- Better notification to customers when new functionality is rolled out
- Their internal structure has been confusing in the past (2-3 different individuals with different but similar titles all playing a part in our account), but I believe they are streamlining the process so that we have 1 committed point person per year.
- Increased auction revenue for our annual fundraising gala
- More efficient processes for ticket purchasing, event check-in, and auction checkout
- Multiple data points to allow for true data analysis
We used Bidr our first year of exploring mobile bidding and had a truly horrendous experience across the board - the technology didn't work as it was supposed to, the technical support was terrible, and the customer support was nearly non-existent.
The following year we revisited the options we had researched that first year but had not chosen, and were most impressed with GiveSmart due in equal parts to their product and their customer service.
The following year we revisited the options we had researched that first year but had not chosen, and were most impressed with GiveSmart due in equal parts to their product and their customer service.
So much of the GiveSmart platform is customizable, and we take full advantage of that so that our end users know they are still engaging with our nonprofit even if they aren't on our website.