Virtuous vs Bloomerang for Nonprofits
Choosing between two powerful AI-driven donor CRMs with fundamentally different philosophies? Virtuous is a premium responsive fundraising platform that treats every donor like a major gift prospect through AI-powered personalization, multi-channel automation, and real-time insights. Bloomerang specializes in donor retention with AI that predicts churn, scores engagement, and automates retention recommendations. Your decision comes down to whether you need enterprise-grade responsive fundraising across all donors or focused retention tools at small-to-mid-sized nonprofit pricing.
Quick Verdict
Choose based on your nonprofit's budget, size, and fundraising strategy:
Choose Virtuous if:
- •You want to treat every donor like a major gift prospect with AI-powered personalization and responsive fundraising methodology
- •Real-time donor insights and predictive analytics are essential for your fundraising strategy and donor stewardship
- •Advanced marketing automation with multi-channel campaigns (email, direct mail, SMS) is critical for donor engagement
- •You need sophisticated reporting and dashboards for board presentations and data-driven decision making
- •Your organization has budget for premium CRM ($199+/month) and wants G2's #1 Momentum Leader in fundraising software
Choose Bloomerang if:
- •Donor retention is your top priority—you want AI-driven retention predictions and automated engagement recommendations
- •Budget is a key constraint—you need professional CRM features at $125/month with unlimited users
- •Ease of use matters—you want a platform your team can master quickly with excellent customer support reputation
- •Donor engagement scoring and wealth screening are must-haves for identifying major gift prospects and lapsed donors
- •You're a small-to-mid-sized nonprofit that needs powerful donor management without enterprise complexity and cost
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Feature | Virtuous | Bloomerang | Winner / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $199+/month (custom pricing) | $125/month (1,000 contacts) | 🏆 Bloomerang: 37% cheaper entry point |
| Pricing Transparency | Custom quotes required | Transparent tier-based pricing | 🏆 Bloomerang: Clear pricing |
| Primary AI Feature | Responsive fundraising personalization | Retention prediction & engagement scoring | ⚖️ Different strengths |
| Donor Retention Focus | Relationship building & personalization | Core strength: churn prediction, at-risk alerts | 🏆 Bloomerang for retention metrics |
| Responsive Fundraising | Platform built for responsive fundraising | Relationship management but not RF-focused | 🏆 Virtuous: Purpose-built |
| Marketing Automation | Advanced multi-channel (email, mail, SMS) | Unlimited email marketing included | 🏆 Virtuous for sophistication |
| Ease of Use | Intermediate (3/5) — 2-3 weeks to proficiency | Beginner-friendly (4/5) — 1-2 weeks | 🏆 Bloomerang: Easier to learn |
| Learning Curve | Steeper (enterprise features, RF methodology) | Gentle (nonprofit-focused, intuitive) | 🏆 Bloomerang for quick adoption |
| Reporting & Dashboards | Sophisticated custom dashboards & analytics | Retention-focused reports & benchmarking | 🏆 Virtuous for depth |
| Integration Ecosystem | Salesforce, advanced marketing platforms | Essential fundraising & accounting tools | 🏆 Virtuous for marketing; Bloomerang for essentials |
| Best For | Large nonprofits, responsive fundraising, enterprise needs | Small-to-mid-sized, retention-focused, budget-conscious | ⚖️ Different organizational profiles |
Note: Prices may be outdated or inaccurate.
Introduction: Two Philosophies of Donor Management
When comparing Virtuous and Bloomerang, you're not just comparing features—you're choosing between two distinct fundraising philosophies. Virtuous represents the premium tier of donor management: a responsive fundraising platform that treats every donor like a major gift prospect through AI-powered personalization, sophisticated marketing automation, and real-time relationship insights. Bloomerang takes a different approach: laser-focused on the singular challenge of donor retention with AI that predicts churn, scores engagement, and automates retention recommendations.
The price difference reflects these philosophical differences. Virtuous starts at $199+ per month with custom pricing based on your organization's size and needs—positioning itself as an enterprise-grade solution for organizations serious about treating their entire donor base with major gift-level attention. Bloomerang offers transparent pricing starting at $125 per month for 1,000 contacts with unlimited users, designed explicitly for small-to-mid-sized nonprofits that need powerful retention tools without enterprise complexity or cost.
Both platforms serve nonprofits exclusively. Both leverage AI to improve fundraising outcomes. Both have passionate user communities and strong customer support reputations. But they excel in different areas and serve different organizational profiles. Understanding which philosophy aligns with your nonprofit's strategy, budget, and team capacity is the key to making the right choice.
This comprehensive comparison examines pricing, AI capabilities, ease of use, integration ecosystems, and real-world use cases to help you determine whether Virtuous's premium responsive fundraising approach or Bloomerang's retention-focused affordability is the better fit for your nonprofit's donor management needs.
What is Virtuous?
Virtuous is a premium responsive fundraising CRM designed around the principle that every donor—regardless of gift size—deserves personalized, authentic relationship-building. Rather than treating donors as transactions or database entries, Virtuous uses AI to help nonprofits understand individual donor preferences, behaviors, and engagement patterns, then automates personalized cultivation strategies across all communication channels.
Named G2's #1 Momentum Leader in fundraising software, Virtuous combines donor management, marketing automation, volunteer coordination, and grant tracking in a unified platform. The core philosophy is responsive fundraising: listening to donors, understanding what resonates with them personally, and responding with relevant, timely, personalized communications that build authentic relationships. This approach applies to all donors—from first-time $25 online givers to multi-million-dollar major donors.
The platform's AI engine analyzes donor behavior across touchpoints—email opens, website visits, event attendance, donation patterns, communication preferences—and provides real-time insights that help fundraisers know exactly when and how to engage each donor. This creates a major gift cultivation experience for your entire donor base, not just your top prospects.
Virtuous Key Features
- Responsive Fundraising AI: Analyzes donor behavior and preferences to personalize communications, suggest optimal touchpoints, and automate cultivation workflows for every donor
- Multi-Channel Marketing Automation: Coordinate personalized campaigns across email, direct mail, SMS, and social media with automated workflows and A/B testing
- Real-Time Donor Insights: Live dashboards showing donor engagement, giving capacity, relationship health, and recommended next actions for every contact
- Predictive Analytics: AI predicts giving likelihood, optimal ask amounts, best communication channels, and ideal contact timing for each donor
- Advanced Reporting & Dashboards: Customizable analytics for board presentations, campaign tracking, ROI analysis, and data-driven decision making
- Volunteer & Grant Management: Integrated modules for tracking volunteer engagement, managing grant applications, and coordinating program activities
- Enterprise Integrations: Native connections to Salesforce, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, Eventbrite, and major fundraising platforms through robust API
What is Bloomerang?
Bloomerang is a donor retention-focused CRM built on the principle that keeping existing donors is the fastest, most cost-effective path to fundraising growth. Created by retention expert Jay Love (founder of eTapestry), Bloomerang centers everything around one mission: helping nonprofits improve donor retention rates through AI-powered engagement scoring, churn prediction, and automated retention recommendations.
The platform's signature feature is its engagement scoring system: every donor receives a score from 0-100 based on email opens, event attendance, giving frequency, donation recency, and communication interactions. These scores provide an at-a-glance view of relationship health across your entire donor base. When a donor's engagement score drops significantly, Bloomerang's AI alerts you 60-90 days before they're likely to lapse and suggests specific next-best actions to re-engage them.
Designed specifically for small-to-mid-sized nonprofits, Bloomerang offers transparent pricing, unlimited users at every tier, and a user-friendly interface that fundraisers (not database administrators) can master quickly. The platform includes unlimited email marketing, online donation forms, retention benchmarking against similar nonprofits, and industry-leading customer support—all focused on the singular goal of helping you keep more donors year after year.
Bloomerang Key Features
- AI Retention Predictions: Predicts which donors are at risk of lapsing 60-90 days before they churn, with automated alerts and suggested intervention strategies
- Donor Engagement Scoring (0-100): Every donor gets an engagement score based on behavior, making it intuitive to identify who needs attention and prioritize stewardship
- Unlimited Email Marketing: Built-in email platform included at no extra cost with templates, automation, tracking, and segmentation—engagement feeds directly into retention AI
- Retention Benchmarking: Compare your first-year and overall retention rates to similar nonprofits in your sector, size, and region for meaningful context
- Automated Stewardship Workflows: Set up thank-you sequences, birthday greetings, anniversary messages, and re-engagement campaigns that run automatically
- Next-Best-Action Recommendations: AI suggests specific actions for at-risk donors (call, send impact update, invite to event) based on what's worked with similar donors
- Transparent Pricing & Unlimited Users: Clear tier-based pricing with unlimited staff users at every level—no per-seat charges or hidden costs
Head-to-Head Feature Breakdown
AI-Powered Capabilities
Virtuous:
AI focuses on personalization and responsive fundraising. Analyzes every donor interaction to create individual profiles: preferred communication channels, topics of interest, giving triggers, engagement patterns. AI suggests when to reach out, what message to send, which channel to use, and what outcome to expect. The system learns continuously—every donor interaction makes predictions more accurate. Treats all 5,000 donors like you'd manually cultivate 50 major prospects.
Best use: Large organization wanting to personalize cultivation for entire donor base without hiring 10 major gift officers.
Bloomerang:
AI focuses on retention prediction and engagement measurement. Calculates engagement scores (0-100) that synthesize dozens of data points into one intuitive number. Predicts donor churn before it happens with 60-90 day advance warning. Suggests next-best actions specifically for retention: who to call, who needs an impact update, who should be invited to events. The AI gets smarter as it learns your donor patterns and retention triggers over time.
Best use: Organization with 40% first-year retention wanting to identify exactly which 200 new donors are about to lapse.
Verdict: Different AI strengths. Virtuous for personalization across all donors; Bloomerang for retention prediction and engagement scoring. Choose based on whether treating everyone like major prospects or preventing churn is your priority.
Responsive Fundraising & Personalization
Virtuous:
Purpose-built for responsive fundraising methodology. Every feature supports personalized relationship-building: automated workflows that adapt to individual donor behavior, multi-channel campaigns that respect communication preferences, real-time insights showing relationship health, predictive analytics suggesting optimal touchpoints. The platform helps you listen to what each donor cares about and respond accordingly—at scale. This is Virtuous's core strength and reason for existence.
Best use: Nonprofit committed to responsive fundraising methodology wanting technology that operationalizes these principles across thousands of donors.
Bloomerang:
Supports relationship management and donor communication but isn't designed specifically for responsive fundraising. You can track donor preferences, segment communications, and personalize outreach—but the platform's focus is retention metrics rather than comprehensive responsive fundraising workflows. Can support responsive fundraising practices, but you'll build processes manually rather than having the platform guide you through the methodology.
Best use: Organizations wanting good donor relationship tools without committing to full responsive fundraising methodology.
Verdict: Virtuous wins decisively for responsive fundraising. If you're committed to this methodology, Virtuous is purpose-built for it. Bloomerang focuses on retention metrics instead.
Donor Retention & Engagement
Virtuous:
Approaches retention through personalization and relationship-building rather than explicit retention metrics. The philosophy: if you treat donors well through responsive fundraising, retention improves naturally. Provides donor health scores, engagement tracking, and relationship insights—but not the granular engagement scores (0-100) or churn prediction that Bloomerang offers. Focuses on proactive relationship cultivation across all donors rather than reactive retention interventions.
Best use: Organization believing excellent donor experiences drive retention, wanting to invest in relationship quality for everyone.
Bloomerang:
This is Bloomerang's entire reason for existing. Built by retention experts specifically to solve donor churn. Engagement scores (0-100) visible on every donor record. AI predicts lapsing 60-90 days early. Retention dashboards show first-year and overall retention rates. Benchmarking compares your performance to similar nonprofits. Automated alerts when engagement drops. Next-best-action suggestions for at-risk donors. Every feature ties back to keeping donors.
Best use: Organization where improving retention from 45% to 65% would be transformational—needs specific metrics and predictions to make it happen.
Verdict: Bloomerang wins for explicit retention focus. If you need engagement scores, churn prediction, and retention benchmarking, Bloomerang is purpose-built for this.
Marketing Automation & Multi-Channel Campaigns
Virtuous:
Advanced enterprise-grade marketing automation. Orchestrate campaigns across email, direct mail, SMS, and social media from one platform. Automated workflows trigger based on donor behavior: website visit → send email; email open → schedule call; donation → mail thank-you letter. A/B testing for subject lines, messaging, and timing. Dynamic content personalization. Sophisticated segmentation. Integration with major marketing platforms. This is Virtuous's strength: treating marketing like a major corporation would.
Best use: Running integrated year-end campaign with coordinated email series, personalized direct mail, SMS reminders, and social media—all triggered by individual donor engagement.
Bloomerang:
Unlimited email marketing included at no extra cost. Create newsletters, appeals, and automated sequences. Templates, scheduling, A/B testing, segmentation by giving level or custom tags. Email engagement (opens, clicks) feeds directly into engagement scores—so your retention AI gets smarter with every send. Simpler than Virtuous but covers essential nonprofit email needs. No native SMS or social media automation; focus is on email excellence.
Best use: Sending monthly newsletters and year-end appeals while automatically tracking which donors engage—without managing separate Mailchimp subscription.
Verdict: Virtuous wins for marketing automation sophistication and multi-channel capabilities. Bloomerang wins for simplicity and integrated email that improves retention AI. Choose based on campaign complexity needs.
Reporting & Analytics
Virtuous:
Sophisticated custom dashboards and analytics designed for board presentations and executive decision-making. Real-time KPI tracking, revenue forecasting, campaign ROI analysis, donor lifetime value calculations, attribution reporting, fundraising pipeline management. Customizable dashboards let you surface exactly what executives and board members need to see. Export to Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF. Visual storytelling tools help communicate impact. Enterprise-level analytics that rival Salesforce reporting.
Best use: Monthly board presentations showing campaign performance, donor acquisition costs, lifetime value trends, and predictive revenue forecasts with professional visualizations.
Bloomerang:
Strong retention-focused reporting. Dashboards show first-year donor retention, overall retention rates, engagement score trends, and benchmarks against similar nonprofits. Cohort analysis tracks how donor groups perform over time. Standard reports for donations, donors, campaigns. Export capabilities for custom analysis. Not as sophisticated as Virtuous's analytics suite but covers essential nonprofit reporting needs with particular depth on retention metrics.
Best use: Presenting quarterly retention metrics to board showing improvement from 45% to 58% with industry benchmarks demonstrating outperformance.
Verdict: Virtuous wins for reporting sophistication and customization. Bloomerang wins for retention-specific analytics. Choose based on whether you need enterprise dashboards or focused retention reporting.
Ease of Use & Learning Curve
Virtuous:
Intermediate difficulty (3/5 rating). Modern, clean interface but extensive features create learning curve. Responsive fundraising methodology requires conceptual understanding beyond just learning software buttons. Advanced marketing automation, custom dashboards, and multi-channel workflows take time to master. Most teams reach proficiency in 2-3 weeks with regular use. Excellent training resources and dedicated onboarding support included. Not overwhelming but not as beginner-friendly as Bloomerang.
Best use: Organizations with development teams having capacity for 2-3 weeks of learning and training to unlock enterprise features.
Bloomerang:
Beginner-friendly (4/5 rating). Designed specifically for nonprofit fundraisers, not database administrators. Intuitive interface with excellent customer support reputation. Engagement scores are immediately interpretable—75 vs 35 tells you who needs attention. Most users reach proficiency in 1-2 weeks. Dedicated onboarding specialist, 500+ knowledge base articles, weekly training webinars. Email and chat support respond within 24 hours. Known for making donor management accessible to small teams.
Best use: Small team with limited technical expertise needing to get up and running quickly with minimal training investment.
Verdict: Bloomerang wins decisively for ease of use. If your team values intuitive design and quick adoption, Bloomerang's beginner-friendly interface beats Virtuous's steeper learning curve.
Pricing Breakdown & Total Cost of Ownership
Virtuous Pricing
- Starting Price: $199+ per month (custom pricing required)
- Pricing Model: Based on organization size, contact count, and feature needs
- Enterprise Tier: Custom quotes for large nonprofits (typically $500-1,000+/month)
- Implementation: Onboarding and training included; data migration assistance available
What's Included:
Responsive fundraising CRM, AI personalization, multi-channel marketing automation, predictive analytics, custom dashboards, volunteer management, grant tracking, mobile apps, dedicated support. Annual billing typically required.
Bloomerang Pricing
- Starter (1,000 contacts): $125/month or $1,500/year
- Essential (2,500 contacts): $175/month or $2,100/year
- Plus (5,000 contacts): $275/month or $3,300/year
- Pro (10,000 contacts): $425/month or $5,100/year
What's Included:
Unlimited users, unlimited email marketing, AI retention predictions, engagement scoring, online donation forms, retention benchmarking, mobile apps. 30-day free trial. All features at every tier.
Total Cost of Ownership: 3 Scenarios
Scenario 1: Small Nonprofit (1,500 contacts, 2-3 staff)
Local charity with limited development budget
Virtuous
- • Likely starts at $199-299/month for organization this size
- • Custom pricing means uncertainty in budgeting
- • May be overkill—sophisticated features exceed needs
- • Year 1 Total: $2,400-$3,600
Risk: Paying for enterprise features small team won't fully utilize. Learning curve may slow adoption.
Bloomerang
- • Essential tier (2,500 contacts): $175/month
- • Transparent pricing, unlimited users, email included
- • Right-sized features for small team
- • Year 1 Total: $2,100
Benefit: Clear budget. Quick adoption. AI retention tools appropriate for small organization wanting to improve donor stewardship.
Winner: Bloomerang. Better value for small nonprofits. Saves $300-1,500/year with features better matched to organizational capacity.
Scenario 2: Mid-Sized Nonprofit (5,000 contacts, development team of 4-6)
Regional nonprofit with growing development capacity
Virtuous
- • Estimated $399-599/month (typical for this size)
- • Advanced marketing automation becomes valuable
- • Responsive fundraising methodology matches capacity
- • Custom dashboards useful for board reporting
- • Year 1 Total: $4,800-$7,200
Value proposition: Team has capacity to leverage advanced features. Responsive fundraising approach could significantly improve donor relationships.
Bloomerang
- • Plus tier (5,000 contacts): $275/month
- • All retention features included
- • Unlimited users, email marketing
- • Simpler but still powerful
- • Year 1 Total: $3,300
Value proposition: Significant cost savings ($1,500-3,900/year). Strong retention tools at fraction of Virtuous cost. May lack some advanced automation.
Winner: Depends on priorities. Choose Virtuous if responsive fundraising and advanced automation are strategic priorities worth 45-120% price premium. Choose Bloomerang if retention focus and cost efficiency matter more.
Scenario 3: Large Nonprofit (15,000+ contacts, full development department)
Established organization with significant fundraising operation
Virtuous
- • Enterprise pricing: $800-1,500+/month (typical range)
- • Comprehensive platform replacing multiple tools
- • Sophisticated automation at scale makes sense
- • Treating 15,000 donors with major-gift-level personalization
- • Year 1 Total: $9,600-$18,000+
Strategic fit: Large organizations with budget for best-in-class tools. Responsive fundraising methodology across thousands of donors. ROI through improved donor lifetime value.
Bloomerang
- • Enterprise tier: Custom pricing (estimate $600-800/month)
- • All retention features included
- • Unlimited users across full team
- • May lack some enterprise automation features
- • Year 1 Total: $7,200-$9,600
Strategic fit: Cost-effective enterprise option. Strong retention tools but less sophisticated than Virtuous in marketing automation and responsive fundraising.
Winner: Virtuous for organizations committed to responsive fundraising and willing to invest in enterprise-grade platform. Bloomerang for cost-conscious large nonprofits prioritizing retention metrics over advanced automation. Difference: $2,400-8,400/year.
Hidden Costs to Consider
Virtuous
- • Higher monthly subscription ($199-1,500+/month)
- • Custom pricing means less budget predictability
- • Longer training time (2-3 weeks to proficiency)
- • May need to hire or upskill staff for advanced features
- • Annual contracts typical
Bloomerang
- • Lower subscription but fewer advanced automation features
- • May need additional tools for sophisticated marketing automation
- • Wealth screening via third-party integrations (if needed)
- • $500 implementation fee (waived with annual billing)
- • Training time: 1-2 weeks to proficiency
Nonprofit Discounts & Special Pricing
Virtuous Nonprofit Pricing
Virtuous exclusively serves nonprofits—all customers are charitable organizations. Pricing is customized based on organization size, contact count, and specific feature needs rather than offering public discount structures. This means every nonprofit gets pricing tailored to their situation, but requires requesting custom quotes.
- Custom pricing based on organizational profile
- All customers are nonprofits (no separate discount needed)
- Annual billing typically required
- Dedicated implementation and training included
Bloomerang Nonprofit Pricing
Bloomerang exclusively serves nonprofits with transparent constituent-based pricing. Every tier includes unlimited users, unlimited email marketing, and all core features. No separate nonprofit discount needed—pricing is already optimized for charitable organizations with predictable budgets.
- Transparent tier-based pricing published on website
- Unlimited users included at every tier (no per-seat charges)
- Annual billing saves 15-17% vs monthly
- 30-day free trial (no credit card required)
Pricing Philosophy Comparison
Virtuous: Custom pricing reflects enterprise approach—pricing matches organizational complexity and needs. Good for large nonprofits needing tailored solutions, but requires sales conversations and quotes. Less transparent but potentially more flexible.
Bloomerang: Transparent pricing reflects small-to-mid-sized nonprofit focus—you know exactly what you'll pay based on contact count. Excellent for budget planning and procurement processes. More transparent but less customization in pricing structure.
Ease of Use & Learning Curve
Virtuous Implementation
Intermediate (3/5 difficulty rating)
Week 1: Initial Setup & Data Migration (10-15 hours)
- • Dedicated onboarding call to understand responsive fundraising approach
- • Clean and prepare donor data for migration
- • Import donor records with Virtuous's data migration assistance
- • Configure integrations (QuickBooks, payment processors, email platforms)
Weeks 2-3: Core Feature Training (8-12 hours)
- • Learn responsive fundraising methodology and how platform supports it
- • Set up automated workflows for donor cultivation and stewardship
- • Configure multi-channel marketing campaigns
- • Create custom dashboards for different team roles
- • Practice using AI insights and predictive analytics
Weeks 4-6: Advanced Features & Optimization
- • Build sophisticated automation workflows
- • Master real-time donor insights and AI recommendations
- • Implement volunteer and grant management modules
- • Team reaches proficiency with daily operations
Months 2-3: Mastery & ROI
- • AI personalization becomes increasingly effective
- • Team fully leverages responsive fundraising approach
- • Custom workflows optimized based on actual results
Support Resources:
- • Dedicated onboarding specialist and implementation support
- • Comprehensive training program on responsive fundraising
- • Knowledge base and video tutorials
- • Email and phone support with dedicated account manager
Bloomerang Implementation
Beginner-friendly (4/5 difficulty rating)
Days 1-2: Initial Setup (6-10 hours)
- • Start 30-day free trial and schedule onboarding call
- • Clean existing donor data (remove duplicates, standardize formatting)
- • Import donor records via CSV using Bloomerang's field mapping
- • Configure payment processor connections (Stripe, PayPal)
Week 1: Basic Operations (3-5 hours)
- • Create email templates (thank-you, newsletter, appeal)
- • Set up user accounts with appropriate permissions
- • Learn engagement score dashboard and donor lookup
- • Send first communication to test email system
Weeks 2-3: AI and Automation
- • Configure automated thank-you workflows
- • Set up at-risk donor alerts based on engagement scores
- • Create task templates for donor stewardship
- • Team becomes comfortable with daily operations
Month 2: AI Calibration & Proficiency
- • AI retention predictions become increasingly accurate
- • Engagement scores stabilize based on your donor patterns
- • Refine automated workflows based on actual results
- • Team fully proficient with all features
Support Resources:
- • Dedicated onboarding specialist included
- • 500+ knowledge base articles and video tutorials
- • Weekly training webinars on specific features
- • Email and chat support (response within 24 hours)
Which is Easier to Learn?
Bloomerang is significantly easier to learn. Designed specifically for nonprofit fundraisers without technical backgrounds. The interface is intuitive, engagement scores are immediately interpretable, and most teams reach proficiency in 1-2 weeks. Known for excellent customer support and beginner-friendly design.
Virtuous requires more training investment. The platform is powerful with advanced features, but this creates a steeper learning curve. Understanding responsive fundraising methodology adds conceptual learning beyond just software mechanics. Most teams need 2-3 weeks to reach proficiency, and mastering advanced automation takes longer.
Choose based on team capacity: If your development team is small or has limited technical expertise, Bloomerang's ease of use provides faster ROI. If you have a larger team with capacity for training and want to leverage sophisticated features, Virtuous's learning investment pays off through advanced capabilities.
Integration & Compatibility
Virtuous Integrations
CRM & Marketing:
Salesforce, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, advanced marketing automation platforms
Accounting:
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, other accounting systems via API
Donations & Payments:
Stripe, PayPal, Double the Donation (matching gifts), major payment gateways
Events:
Eventbrite, event management platforms, auction software
Other:
Zapier (1,000+ apps), custom API for proprietary integrations
Bloomerang Integrations
Email Marketing:
Built-in unlimited email, Mailchimp, Constant Contact
Accounting:
QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, Sage Intacct
Donations & Payments:
Stripe, PayPal, Classy, Donorbox, GiveWP, Network for Good, Double the Donation
Events:
Eventbrite, Greater Giving, Handbid, OneCause
Other:
WordPress, Zapier, volunteer management tools, grant tracking systems
Integration Verdict
Virtuous wins for marketing automation integrations. Native connections to Salesforce, advanced marketing platforms, and sophisticated API make it ideal for organizations with complex tech stacks and advanced marketing needs.
Bloomerang excels at essential nonprofit integrations. Strong connections to accounting software, payment processors, and fundraising platforms cover what most small-to-mid-sized nonprofits need. Simpler ecosystem but appropriate for organizational complexity. Both use Zapier for extended connectivity.
Which Tool Should You Choose?
The Bottom Line
Virtuous and Bloomerang represent two fundamentally different approaches to donor management—and both are excellent at what they do. Your choice depends on organizational budget, strategic priorities, and team capacity more than feature checklists.
- Choose Virtuous if: You're a medium-to-large nonprofit ($2M+ revenue) committed to responsive fundraising methodology, need sophisticated marketing automation across multiple channels, want to treat your entire donor base with major-gift-level personalization, and have budget ($199-1,500+/month) for enterprise-grade platform. Best for organizations where advanced automation and AI personalization will drive significant ROI.
- Choose Bloomerang if: You're a small-to-mid-sized nonprofit focused on improving donor retention, need transparent pricing and quick ROI, value ease of use and excellent support, want AI that predicts churn and automates retention recommendations, and need professional CRM features at affordable pricing ($125-425/month). Best for organizations where retention metrics and cost efficiency are top priorities.
Quick Decision Framework
Count how many statements apply to your nonprofit:
Virtuous Points:
- ☐Annual fundraising revenue exceeds $2M
- ☐We're committed to responsive fundraising methodology
- ☐Multi-channel marketing automation is strategic priority
- ☐We need sophisticated custom dashboards and analytics
- ☐Treating all donors like major prospects would transform our fundraising
- ☐We have development team capacity for 2-3 weeks training
- ☐Budget allows $200-1,500+/month for CRM
Bloomerang Points:
- ☐Donor retention is our top fundraising challenge
- ☐We need AI to predict which donors will lapse
- ☐Engagement scoring (0-100) would help prioritize stewardship
- ☐Ease of use is critical—small team, limited tech expertise
- ☐Cost efficiency matters—need professional features affordably
- ☐Transparent pricing and quick implementation are important
- ☐Budget is $125-425/month for CRM
Count your checkmarks: The column with more checks indicates your best fit. If tied or within 1-2 points, consider: Is responsive fundraising methodology or retention metrics more strategically important? Can you invest in enterprise platform or need affordable solution? This helps break the tie.
Getting Started with Your Choice
Starting with Virtuous
Step 1: Request custom pricing quote through Virtuous website. Be prepared to discuss organizational size, contact count, and specific feature needs.
Step 2: Schedule demo and discovery call. Ask about responsive fundraising implementation support and how AI personalization works with your donor base size.
Step 3: Evaluate quote against budget. Factor in training time (2-3 weeks) and implementation support included.
Step 4: Begin onboarding with dedicated specialist. Plan for data migration, team training, and workflow configuration.
Starting with Bloomerang
Step 1: Start 30-day free trial (no credit card required). Explore platform hands-on before making financial commitment.
Step 2: Import sample donor data using CSV template. Test engagement scoring and retention prediction features with real data.
Step 3: Schedule onboarding call with specialist. Ask about implementation timeline, data migration assistance, and training resources.
Step 4: Select appropriate tier based on contact count. Choose annual billing to save 15-17% and waive $500 implementation fee.
Honest Pros & Cons for Nonprofits
Virtuous
Pros
- +Responsive fundraising platform — Only CRM purpose-built for responsive fundraising methodology. Treats every donor like major prospect through AI personalization.
- +Sophisticated marketing automation — Multi-channel campaigns (email, mail, SMS) with advanced workflows, A/B testing, and personalization at enterprise level.
- +Real-time AI insights — Predictive analytics suggest optimal touchpoints, ask amounts, and engagement strategies for each individual donor.
- +Comprehensive platform — Unified system for donor management, marketing, volunteers, and grants. Reduces need for multiple tools.
- +G2 #1 Momentum Leader — Industry recognition for innovation and customer satisfaction in fundraising software category.
Cons
- −Significantly more expensive — Starts at $199+/month vs Bloomerang's $125/month. Enterprise pricing can exceed $1,000-1,500/month.
- −Custom pricing only — No transparent public pricing. Requires sales conversations and quotes. Less budget predictability.
- −Steeper learning curve — Advanced features and responsive fundraising methodology require 2-3 weeks training vs Bloomerang's 1-2 weeks.
- −May be overkill for small nonprofits — Enterprise features can exceed needs of organizations with limited development capacity or simple fundraising programs.
- −Less explicit retention metrics — Doesn't offer Bloomerang's granular engagement scores (0-100) or churn prediction specificity.
Bloomerang
Pros
- +Exceptional retention focus — AI predicts donor churn 60-90 days early with engagement scores (0-100) and next-best-action recommendations.
- +Significantly more affordable — Starts at $125/month (37% cheaper than Virtuous) with transparent pricing. Better value for small-to-mid-sized nonprofits.
- +Extremely user-friendly — Beginner-friendly interface (4/5 rating). 1-2 week learning curve. Excellent customer support reputation.
- +Unlimited users & email — No per-seat charges. Unlimited email marketing included. True cost transparency.
- +Retention benchmarking — Compare your rates to similar nonprofits. Unique industry insights for context and board reporting.
Cons
- −Less sophisticated marketing automation — Focuses on email excellence but lacks Virtuous's multi-channel workflows and advanced automation.
- −Not built for responsive fundraising — Supports relationship management but isn't purpose-designed for responsive fundraising methodology.
- −Simpler reporting — Strong retention analytics but lacks Virtuous's depth in custom dashboards and executive-level analytics.
- −Fewer enterprise features — Designed for small-to-mid-sized nonprofits. May not scale to large organizations' complexity needs.
- −Shorter free trial — 30 days vs industry-standard trials. Though still sufficient for evaluation.
Still Deciding Between Virtuous and Bloomerang?
Choosing the right donor CRM is one of the most important technology decisions your nonprofit will make. We help organizations evaluate CRM options based on your specific fundraising strategy, budget constraints, and team capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between Virtuous and Bloomerang?
Virtuous is a premium responsive fundraising platform ($199+/month) focused on treating every donor like a major gift prospect with AI personalization, multi-channel automation, and real-time insights. Bloomerang ($125/month) specializes in donor retention with AI-driven churn prediction, engagement scoring, and automated retention recommendations. Virtuous is enterprise-grade; Bloomerang is small-to-mid-sized nonprofit-focused.
Which is more affordable: Virtuous or Bloomerang?
Bloomerang is significantly more affordable. Starting at $125/month for 1,000 contacts with unlimited users and transparent pricing ($175/month for 2,500; $275/month for 5,000). Virtuous starts at $199+/month with custom pricing based on organization size and features needed. For most small-to-mid-sized nonprofits, Bloomerang costs 35-50% less than Virtuous.
Does Virtuous have better AI features than Bloomerang?
Different AI strengths. Virtuous excels at AI personalization: customizing communications, suggesting optimal touchpoints, and automating responsive fundraising workflows across all donors. Bloomerang specializes in AI retention: predicting donor churn 60-90 days early, scoring engagement (0-100), and recommending specific retention actions. Choose based on whether personalization or retention is your priority.
Is Virtuous worth the higher price for nonprofits?
It depends on your organization. Virtuous is worth it for: large nonprofits ($5M+ revenue) treating all donors like major prospects, organizations needing sophisticated marketing automation, teams requiring advanced reporting/dashboards, and nonprofits prioritizing responsive fundraising methodology. Bloomerang is better value for: budget-conscious organizations, small-to-mid-sized nonprofits, retention-focused strategies, and teams wanting user-friendly platforms with excellent support.
Which platform is easier to learn: Virtuous or Bloomerang?
Bloomerang is easier to learn. Known for intuitive interface, excellent customer support, and nonprofit-friendly design. Most users reach proficiency in 1-2 weeks. Virtuous is more complex with advanced features and responsive fundraising workflows requiring 2-3 weeks training. Bloomerang wins for ease of use (4/5 beginner-friendly rating) vs Virtuous (3/5 intermediate rating).
Can Bloomerang or Virtuous handle major gift fundraising?
Both handle major gifts but differently. Virtuous treats ALL donors like major prospects with personalized cultivation, automated touchpoints, and relationship management—ideal for organizations building major gift pipelines across their entire donor base. Bloomerang focuses on identifying at-risk major donors via engagement scores and retention prediction—better for retaining existing major donors and upgrading mid-level supporters.
Do Virtuous and Bloomerang integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes, both integrate with QuickBooks Online. Bloomerang also supports QuickBooks Desktop. Both platforms connect with Stripe, PayPal, and other payment processors. Virtuous has stronger marketing automation integrations (Salesforce, advanced email platforms). Bloomerang focuses on essential fundraising and accounting integrations with Zapier for extended connectivity.
What's responsive fundraising and do I need Virtuous for it?
Responsive fundraising is a methodology treating every donor like a major gift prospect: personalized communications, understanding individual preferences, building authentic relationships. Virtuous is built specifically for this approach with AI personalization, multi-channel automation, and real-time insights. You don't need Virtuous to practice responsive fundraising, but it's the only CRM designed explicitly for this methodology. Bloomerang can support relationship-building but focuses more on retention metrics.