Givebutter is a popular all-in-one fundraising platform, free to start and funded by optional tips. Social Good Software runs giving on Blackbaud Altru, alongside membership and admissions. The difference is where the gift lands: a separate fundraising tool, or the same constituent record as everything else you know about the donor.
A standalone fundraising tool vs the Altru record
Givebutter is friendly and quick to launch, with campaigns, forms, and events in one consumer-grade product. For an Altru organization, though, the gifts live in a separate system and have to be reconciled back to your constituent record. Social Good Software puts giving directly on Altru, so a donation is tied to the same record as the donor’s membership, visits, and history, with receipting and soft credits handled through Altru.
| Decision factor | Givebutter | Social Good Software |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Standalone all-in-one fundraising | Giving native to Altru |
| Where gifts land | Its own system, then reconciled | Directly on the Altru record |
| Tied to membership and visits | Separate | Same constituent record |
| Receipting and soft credits | In the tool | Through Altru |
| Best for | Small orgs or one-off campaigns | Altru orgs unifying giving and membership |
When Givebutter is the right call
For a smaller organization not on Altru, or for a self-contained campaign or peer-to-peer event, Givebutter’s free, all-in-one model is genuinely appealing and fast to stand up.
Giving that lives with the donor on Altru
Social Good Software ties donations to the Altru constituent record, next to membership and admission history, so you steward one relationship instead of exporting and matching a separate donor database.
Why one record matters
When gifts live in a separate tool, someone reconciles donors against your CRM, and soft credits and giving history drift. When giving is native to Altru, the gift, the membership, and the visit are already the same person, and development works from one clean record.
Frequently asked questions
Is Social Good Software a Givebutter alternative?
For an Altru organization that wants giving unified with membership and admissions, yes. For a small org or a standalone campaign, Givebutter is a fast, low-cost option.
Where do donations end up?
On the Altru constituent record, next to membership and visit history, with receipting through Altru.
Do we have to leave Altru?
No. Altru remains the system of record; we extend it.
