Donately is a simple, embeddable donation-form and text-to-give tool you can drop onto any site or app. Social Good Software runs giving on Blackbaud Altru, alongside membership and admissions. The gap is scope: a widget that collects gifts, versus giving that lives on the same record as the whole donor relationship.
A donation widget vs the constituent record
Donately makes it easy to embed a donation form or text-to-give into your existing site, which is handy for a quick giving option. It is not a system of record, though: it does not manage membership, admissions, or the full constituent history, and its gifts have to be reconciled to your CRM. Social Good Software puts giving directly on Altru, so a gift is part of the same record as membership and visits.
When Donately is the right call
For an organization that mainly needs a lightweight, embeddable way to accept donations and text-to-give, and does not need membership or admissions tied in, Donately is a simple, developer-friendly widget.
| Decision factor | Donately | Social Good Software |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Embeddable forms, text-to-give | Giving, membership, admissions on Altru |
| System of record | No; a widget | Altru (we extend it) |
| Tied to membership and visits | Separate | Same Altru record |
| Receipting and soft credits | Basic, in the tool | Through Altru |
| Best for | Simple embeddable giving | Altru orgs unifying the relationship |
Giving in the same record as membership on Altru
Social Good Software ties donations to the Altru constituent record alongside membership and admission, so an embedded gift is never disconnected from the donor’s membership and visit history.
A widget collects; a record connects
A donation widget is easy to add and fine for a quick ask. But a gift that lands in a separate tool still has to be matched to the donor. When giving is native to Altru, the gift, the membership, and the visit are already one person.
Frequently asked questions
Is Social Good Software a Donately alternative?
For an Altru organization that wants giving tied to membership and admissions, yes. For a simple embeddable donation form and text-to-give, Donately is a capable widget.
Where do gifts land?
On the Altru constituent record, alongside membership and visits.
Do we have to leave Altru?
No. Altru remains the system of record; we extend it.
