--- title: Articles --- # DonorDock Open main menu Close main menu - [Articles](https://docs.donordock.com/blog) - [Podcast](https://docs.donordock.com/beyond-the-donation) # Articles Select Category Donor Management DonorDock Updates Fundraising Nonprofit Strategy Outreach ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/69bae60c76ea058716634d7b_featured-crm-buyers-guide-optimised.webp) ### [Best Nonprofit CRM 2026: 11 Platforms Compared](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/best-nonprofit-crm-2) Oct 8, 2026, 10:27:22 AM ## Why Your Nonprofit Needs a CRM in 2026 If you're still managing donor relationships with spreadsheets, sticky notes, or a patchwork of disconnected tools, you're leaving money and relationships on the table. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/best-nonprofit-crm-2) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/6abc04f9fc565564ee4a2903_6abbfb581e447e9620246c95_how-to-write-a-case-for-support-hero.webp) ### [How to Write a Case for Support: 7 Steps + a Template](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/case-for-support) Oct 7, 2026, 3:25:05 PM > TL;DR: A case for support is the master document explaining why someone should give to your nonprofit now. Build it in seven steps: gather voices, define the need, name outcomes, prove them, draft the core case, adapt it by channel, and test it with trusted readers. You have a grant narrative due Friday, website copy your designer needs by Monday, and a board member asking for "a one-pager we can hand out." Each one starts from a blank page. Each one describes your work a little differently. What's missing is the one document they should all pull from: a case for support. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/case-for-support) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/658dec2197a8b3370c523f25_white-and-green-minimalist-hello-monday-facebook-cover_543f996ed901d89c827d0af359fe7b3f_2000.webp) ### [Year-End Appeal Templates: 5 Emails + Letters for 2026](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/end-of-year-templates-2) Oct 2, 2026, 11:50:16 AM > **Short answer:** Send your first year-end appeal on GivingTuesday (December 1, 2026) or in the first week of December, follow up in mid-December, and send a final reminder between December 29 and 31. Plan on three to five emails, plus one printed letter that lands in early December. Email brings in a big share of year-end giving, and it works best as one part of your [donor outreach](https://www.donordock.com/donor-outreach) across email, mail and text. In the [M+R Benchmarks 2026 study](https://mrbenchmarks.com/fundraising/), nonprofits received 37% of their 2025 online revenue in December, and the last week of the year alone brought in 10%. Those few weeks can shape next year's budget, which is why [the emails you send at the end of the year](https://www.donordock.com/articles/end-of-year-email-appeal-create-an-email-to-engage-your-donors) are worth planning now. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/end-of-year-templates-2) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/658dec2197a8b3370c523f25_white-and-green-minimalist-hello-monday-facebook-cover_543f996ed901d89c827d0af359fe7b3f_2000.webp) ### [Year-End Appeal Templates: 5 Emails + Letters for 2026](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/end-of-year-templates-1) Oct 2, 2026, 11:46:17 AM > **Short answer:** Send your first year-end appeal on GivingTuesday (December 1, 2026) or in the first week of December, follow up in mid-December, and send a final reminder between December 29 and 31. Plan on three to five emails, plus one printed letter that lands in early December. Email brings in a big share of year-end giving, and it works best as one part of your [donor outreach](https://www.donordock.com/donor-outreach) across email, mail and text. In the [M+R Benchmarks 2026 study](https://mrbenchmarks.com/fundraising/), nonprofits received 37% of their 2025 online revenue in December, and the last week of the year alone brought in 10%. Those few weeks can shape next year's budget, which is why [the emails you send at the end of the year](https://www.donordock.com/articles/end-of-year-email-appeal-create-an-email-to-engage-your-donors) are worth planning now. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/end-of-year-templates-1) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/667436058f3c5caeda319855_workflow-blog_0194ad1bcc9727f41d6419af4edb1626_2000.jpeg) ### [Nonprofit Fundraising Automation: 8 Tasks to Automate First](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/revolutionize-nonprofit-fundraising-with-workflow-automation-plus-8-tasks-to-automate-1) Oct 2, 2026, 11:35:14 AM **Fundraising automation is when your donor management platform handles routine fundraising work for you. Something happens, like a first gift, a new monthly donor, or a donor who stops giving, and the platform sends the thank-you, creates the follow-up task, or updates the record, with no one having to remember.** [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/revolutionize-nonprofit-fundraising-with-workflow-automation-plus-8-tasks-to-automate-1) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/69df9f0aed23a0a0d48753ba_nanobanana-002a0808-optimised.webp) ### [The 30-Day Lapsed Donor Playbook: How to Re-Engage Last Year's Donors](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/lapsed-donor-re-engagement-playbook) Oct 2, 2026, 11:26:21 AM > **Short answer:** To re-engage lapsed donors, pull last year's donors who haven't given this year, then work it for 30 days. Research your top donors in week one, call and write notes in week two, follow up with warm responders in week three, and sort everyone by next step in week four. A donor gave last year. This year, they haven't. You know they're out there, dozens, maybe hundreds of them, sitting in your database with no recent gift. These are your lapsed donors, and they're about to become your highest-ROI fundraising opportunity. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/lapsed-donor-re-engagement-playbook) ![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/658dec5e471c0712aa8218c5_blue-modern-business-blog-banner_516305c31c2b3cb059477ad2329323f7_2000.webp) ### [Text-to-Give for Nonprofits: How It Works and Best Practices](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/text-to-give) Oct 2, 2026, 11:18:14 AM **Text-to-give lets a supporter donate from their phone by texting a short keyword, like GIVE, to your nonprofit's number. An automatic reply sends back a link to your mobile giving page, where they pick an amount and finish the gift. The gift is recorded like any other online donation.** [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/text-to-give) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/6abfc72a5cbb5564b9b29e5b_network-for-good-alternatives-cover.webp) ### [Network for Good alternatives: 8 platforms to compare before you renew](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/network-for-good-alternatives) Oct 2, 2026, 11:01:49 AM > **Quick answer:** Network for Good is now part of Bonterra, and its pricing is quoted rather than published. The eight Network for Good alternatives worth comparing are **DonorDock**, **Bloomerang**, **Little Green Light**, **DonorPerfect**, **Neon CRM**, **Givebutter**, **Keela**, and **Virtuous**. The right one depends on how much you want built in, how fast your donor list is growing, and whether you want to see a price before you take a sales call. **How we compared:** We looked at each platform's total cost including platform fees, its contact limits, whether email and texting are built in, and the migration support it offers. Last reviewed October 2026. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/network-for-good-alternatives) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/6a8e09712b58110b32d6f791_6a8e0617132724acc40f5239_neon-crm-alternatives-cover.webp) ### [8 Neon CRM alternatives for nonprofits in 2026](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/neon-crm-alternatives) Oct 2, 2026, 10:42:27 AM > **Quick answer:** The Neon CRM alternatives most worth a look in 2026 are **DonorDock**, **Bloomerang**, **DonorPerfect**, **Little Green Light**, **Keela**, **Givebutter**, **Virtuous**, and **Blackbaud eTapestry**. Teams usually start looking for one of two reasons: the total cost drifted well above the subscription line once add-on percentages and processing were counted, or they are paying for a membership and events architecture they never really used. **How we compared:** We looked at each platform's total cost including platform fees, its contact limits, whether email and texting are built in, and the migration support it offers. Last reviewed October 2026. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/neon-crm-alternatives) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63ce9d04b1ff6e1c14514251/6a8e09419a410a544b6f13f4_6a8e061626ecae0c042c8e50_little-green-light-alternatives-cover.webp) ### [8 Little Green Light alternatives for growing nonprofits](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/little-green-light-alternatives) Oct 2, 2026, 10:40:53 AM > **Quick answer:** The Little Green Light alternatives worth evaluating are **DonorDock**, **Bloomerang**, **Neon CRM**, **DonorPerfect**, **Keela**, **Givebutter**, **Virtuous**, and **Aplos**. Be warned that this comparison usually goes differently than people expect. Little Green Light is inexpensive, so the real question is not "what is cheaper," it is "what am I already spending on the tools I bolted onto it.". **How we compared:** We looked at each platform's total cost including platform fees, its contact limits, whether email and texting are built in, and the migration support it offers. Last reviewed October 2026. [Rob Burke](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/author/rob-burke) [Read More](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/little-green-light-alternatives) [1](https://docs.donordock.com/blog) [2](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/page/2) [3](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/page/3) [4](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/page/4) [5](https://docs.donordock.com/blog/page/5) #### About - Menu Item One - Menu Item Two - Menu Item Three #### Services - Menu Item One - Menu Item Two - Menu Item Three #### News - Menu Item One - Menu Item Two - Menu Item Three Follow us on Facebook Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram