Established · $1M - $5M raised / yr
The $1M-$5M fundraising stack
- Annual revenue
- $1M - $5M
- Staff size
- 3-8 development staff
- Line items
- 4
The stack, line by line
| Category | Tool | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Donor CRM | Bloomerang Retention-focused CRM the whole team can run | ~$1,500/yr (Standard, ~$125/mo) |
| Grant research | Instrumentl Grant research at program scale: matching plus a shared pipeline | ~$3,588/yr (Standard, $299/mo) |
| Prospect research & wealth screening | DonorSearch Wealth screening enters; you now have major-gift work to prioritize | ~$4,000-$6,000/yr (quoted) |
| Donation processing | Donorbox Recurring-gift tooling worth paying for at this volume | ~$1,800/yr (Pro, $150/mo) + fees |
| Total | ~$11,000-$14,000/yr |
At $1M-$5M the stack changes shape: wealth screening enters, because you now have major-gift work worth prioritizing, and the CRM becomes the system the whole team lives in. Budget $11,000-$14,000 a year all-in. Every line item here should map to a person whose time it protects.
Why these picks
CRM: Bloomerang (~$125/mo at typical database sizes). At this size the whole team touches the database, so adoption beats horsepower: the CRM your staff actually updates wins. Bloomerang’s retention dashboards put lapsing donors in front of whoever logs in, and unlimited seats mean growth doesn’t change the bill. If your board reporting or membership model outgrows it, Neon CRM adds real breadth; take its demo with your actual workflows and run a test export during the trial, a good habit with any CRM you evaluate.
Prospect research: DonorSearch (quoted; reported $4,000-$6,000/yr). The new line, with one condition attached: a named person turns the results into portfolios and visits. DonorSearch leads with demonstrated giving history, which experienced researchers weight over raw wealth markers. Book demos with DonorSearch and Kindsight and ask each to score a sample of donors you already know; watching them score people you can verify is the fastest evaluation there is.
Grant research: Instrumentl Standard ($299/mo). Grants are a program now: multiple staff in the pipeline and ten or more active applications. Instrumentl’s shared deadline pipeline is what keeps a team-scale calendar from slipping.
Processing: Donorbox Pro ($150/mo). At this volume, recurring-gift management earns its keep: failed-card recovery and donor portals protect monthly revenue you already earned. Donorbox Pro’s lower platform fee roughly covers its own subscription at $150k+ of online giving.
What to cut first when the budget gets cut
Cut prospect research first: run last year’s screen another cycle, or hand-research your top 50. Then step Donorbox Pro down to the free tier. Protect the CRM and grant research last; one holds your history, the other funds the shortfall you’re trying to close.
When you’ve outgrown this stack
Move up to the Institutional stack when screening needs to run continuously instead of annually, when your signature event outgrows free tooling, or when the CRM needs real permissions and membership structure.