Membership Management Software Comparison

I'm on the board of a non-profit that was in need of some software. The organization functions both as an alumni and and independent booster group for a youth camp. Recently the non-profit decided to re-invigorate its membership structure. For that, we needed software. We wanted something that could manage membership, handle our simple accounting needs (or easily integrate with affordable, online accounting software), and manage communication with members and prospective members. If we were lucky, it would also come with an event management system.

One other criteria was that the solution needed to be a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. The reasons were several. With many (and changing) volunteers running the system, it needed to be accessible for all from their homes via technology they're likely to have: a decent Internet connection, a computer of any sort and a browser. We don't have much in the way of IT support, so we wanted someone else on the hook for maintaining servers, upgrading software, conducting backups and waking up in the middle of the night to fix any problems that arise. Our budget is low, but it would be worth paying for these “convenience” features.

Research Results

The research took quite a bit of work, so I thought I'd share the results here in case they are helpful to others. Four solutions emerged as possible fits for our organization (though others are available – and more expensive). Here's what I learned.

• Membership software won't handle accounting. But most will export to QuickBooks, and one even does a sync with QuickBooks (including the online version).
• They'll all handle payments, but you do have to arrange for a third-party payment processor.
• Most are really feature-rich; some even include the ability to handle a capital campaign.

Integrating Membership Management Software with a CMS

Sometimes Granite Horizon gets asked about handling a membership management system in the eZ Publish content management system (CMS). Depending on the organization's needs sometimes we customize eZ Publish to accomplish that task, but other times we wish we had an easy integration to software which specializes in membership management.

Of the four systems above, three have some way of connecting to a CMS. Neon generates RSS feeds, so some data from the membership management system can be output into the website through the CMS. This might be helpful for showing upcoming events, for example. Wild Apricot goes further, offering all kinds of its functionality as widgets which can be planted in the CMS. This affords quite a bit of flexibility. Both Neon and Wild Apricot are planning to build API's, which would allow a programmer to connect behind the scenes to the membership management system, perhaps to add new members or check out a member's status so the CMS could display content based on who the member is. We very much look forward to the implementation of this feature.

At present only Membee allows for single sign on (SSO) through its software, however. This means a user could log in on either Membee or the CMS-powered website, be authenticated through Membee, and then be shown CMS content based on their membership status. For example, there could be a set of member-only pages on the website which are hidden entirely from public view, until the user logs in as a member. Nice going, Membee!

Conclusion

For the purposes of the small non-profit I work with, either Neon or Wild Apricot would serve us well. Allowing members the option of automatically renewing their membership each year is key to that decision. Neon has additional capabilities which could prove useful (though there's a charge for additional modules). For integration with eZ Publish, Membee seem the best fit (as SSO would be essential in most cases).

Service is also an important feature. Neon and Membee have delivered excellent customer service so far. At various times with both I found myself talking with the company president without having asked. Wild Apricot and Club Runner both provided good service by phone.

In conclusion, some advice: When you select your own membership software, first determine your own core needs. It may be that a more expensive system is warranted, or that you want to try an open source solution you could install yourself. The factors we considered were important for my organization, but may not be for yours. You'll certainly want to sit in on a demo (live or recorded) of the systems on your short list. If you end up trying one or the other I've mentioned, please share the story of your experience here.