Keela For Non Profits: Donor Management with AI Insights
Asking every donor for the same $50 suggested gift when some could comfortably give $500 while others can only afford $25? Keela uses AI to automatically personalize donation asks for each supporter based on their giving history, wealth capacity, and demographics—increasing average gift size by 15-30% while reducing the manual work of managing donor data, receipts, and follow-ups all in one integrated platform.
What It Does (The Problem It Solves)
Juggling five different tools—a donor database, email platform, donation processor, wealth screening service, and receipt generator—only to watch donation form conversion rates plateau because you're showing everyone the same generic suggested amounts? Most small nonprofits cobble together disconnected systems that don't talk to each other, creating hours of manual data entry, missed cultivation opportunities, and donation forms that fail to inspire optimal giving.
Keela solves this by uniting fundraising, donor management, communications, and AI-powered insights into a single platform specifically built for resource-constrained nonprofits. The system uses artificial intelligence to transform how you interact with donors at every touchpoint:
- Smart Ask personalization that analyzes each donor's giving history, demographic data, and wealth indicators to automatically suggest donation amounts optimized for their capacity—no manual calculation needed
- AI donor insights that scan your database for patterns among loyal supporters and automatically surface similar high-potential prospects you should cultivate
- Built-in wealth screening that evaluates every donor's financial capacity using income and asset data, assigning giving potential scores so you know who to invite to your major gifts program
- Automated workflows for tax receipts, thank-you emails, lapsed donor reminders, and recurring gift processing that eliminate repetitive administrative tasks
- Integrated email marketing with preference tracking that ensures donors receive communications through their preferred channels at optimal times
Unlike generic CRM systems that require extensive customization or donor management tools that lack fundraising features, Keela provides an all-in-one solution designed specifically for nonprofits with small teams. Organizations typically see a 46% average increase in donation revenue after their first year—not because Keela magically creates new donors, but because it helps you ask the right people for the right amounts at the right times while automating the administrative burden that normally consumes your week.
Think of it as your development team's AI co-worker: constantly analyzing donor data, recommending optimal ask amounts, identifying major gift prospects, and handling routine tasks so your human staff can focus on relationship building instead of spreadsheet management.
Best For
Organization Size
Small to mid-sized nonprofits managing 100-10,000 donors who need an affordable all-in-one platform without the complexity of enterprise systems. The sweet spot is organizations with 1-3 development staff who are currently using multiple disconnected tools (spreadsheets + Mailchimp + manual receipts + separate donation forms) and want to consolidate into a unified system.
- Sweet spot: Nonprofits with 500-5,000 active donors and annual fundraising revenue of $100K-$2M
- Also works for: Smaller organizations (100-500 donors) ready to professionalize their fundraising systems
- Less ideal for: Large institutions (10,000+ donors) requiring extensive customization or complex grant tracking workflows
Best Use Cases
- Online Fundraising Campaigns: Organizations relying on digital donation forms who want AI to optimize ask amounts for each donor automatically
- Major Gift Identification: Nonprofits with untapped major donor potential who need wealth screening to identify high-capacity supporters
- Consolidating Fragmented Systems: Teams currently managing donors in spreadsheets while using separate tools for email, donations, and receipts
- Recurring Giving Programs: Organizations building monthly donor programs that need automated processing and stewardship workflows
- Growing Donor Bases: Nonprofits experiencing donor growth who need scalable systems before manual processes break down
- Small Teams, High Volume: 1-2 person development operations managing hundreds or thousands of donor relationships efficiently
Ideal For
Executive Directors, Development Directors, Fundraising Coordinators, and Database Managers at small to mid-sized nonprofits who need an intuitive, affordable all-in-one platform that handles donor management, fundraising, communications, and automation without requiring technical expertise or dedicated IT staff.
Key Features for Nonprofits
AI Smart Ask Technology
Automatically personalizes donation form suggested amounts for each donor using AI analysis of giving history, demographics, and wealth data.
- Combines past giving behavior, wealth indicators, and demographic factors to calculate optimal ask amounts for each individual
- Shows high-capacity donors larger suggested amounts while respecting smaller donors' budgets—no manual segmentation required
- Increases average gift size by 15-30% compared to static donation forms with generic suggested amounts
- Works automatically on all Keela donation forms—set it once and let AI optimize every subsequent gift
AI Donor Insights & Scoring
Assigns each donor a score based on giving behavior and capacity, then identifies similar high-potential prospects in your database.
- Software Insights scans donor data for patterns among your most loyal supporters
- Automatically surfaces similar donors who match those patterns but haven't been cultivated yet
- Prioritizes cultivation efforts by highlighting donors with highest engagement and capacity scores
- Helps small teams focus energy on relationships most likely to yield major gifts or long-term loyalty
Built-In Wealth Screening
Evaluates donors' financial capacity using advanced algorithms that analyze income, assets, and wealth indicators.
- Assigns giving capacity scores showing each donor's estimated ability to make larger gifts
- Provides Match Confidence ratings indicating accuracy of wealth data (higher score = more reliable estimate)
- Identifies "hidden major donors"—current small-dollar supporters with high capacity who could be upgraded
- Integrates with DonorSearch for enhanced wealth screening capabilities when deeper research is needed
Automated Workflows & Task Management
Pre-built and custom automation for receipts, thank-yous, lapsed donor outreach, and gift processing.
- Automatic tax receipt generation and delivery immediately after donation (customizable templates included)
- Triggered thank-you emails based on donation size, donor type, or campaign source
- Lapsed donor "nudge" campaigns that automatically engage supporters who haven't given in 12-18 months
- Recurring gift processing with automatic retries for failed payments and donor notifications
Integrated Email Marketing & Communications
Built-in email platform with unlimited sending, preference tracking, and seamless integration with donor records.
- Unlimited emails included in all plans (no per-send or per-contact fees like Mailchimp)
- Tracks donor communication preferences (email vs. text vs. mail) and automatically respects opt-outs
- Email engagement data (opens, clicks) flows directly into donor profiles for complete interaction history
- Customizable templates for newsletters, appeals, receipts, and impact updates
Complete Donor Database Management
Centralized CRM with comprehensive donor profiles, household relationships, gift history, and custom fields.
- Full donor profiles with contact details, giving history, engagement records, and personal preferences
- Household relationship tracking for couples, family foundations, and corporate matching gifts
- Soft credit attribution for board members, volunteers, and peer-to-peer fundraisers
- Custom fields for tracking organization-specific data (volunteer hours, program participation, event attendance)
Real-Time Reporting & Analytics
Up-to-the-minute dashboards showing fundraising performance, donor trends, and campaign effectiveness.
- Live fundraising dashboards showing campaign progress, average gift size, and donor acquisition vs. retention
- Donor insights reports highlighting where to focus energy for maximum fundraising impact
- Customizable reports for board presentations, grant applications, and internal planning
- Export capabilities for further analysis in Excel or sharing with leadership
Online Fundraising & Donation Forms
Unlimited customizable donation forms with embedded payment processing and Smart Ask personalization.
- Create unlimited donation forms for different campaigns, appeals, or donor segments
- Embed forms on your website or use Keela-hosted pages with custom branding
- Built-in payment processing with Stripe, PayPal, and other major processors
- Recurring gift options with automatic monthly, quarterly, or annual processing
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
A youth mentoring organization with 1,200 active donors was managing their fundraising through a chaotic patchwork: donor data in Excel spreadsheets, emails sent through a personal Gmail account, donation forms on a third-party platform, and tax receipts generated manually in Word. Their lone development coordinator spent 15+ hours weekly on administrative tasks—importing donations from PayPal, sending thank-you emails, generating receipts, and updating spreadsheets.
The real problem wasn't just inefficiency—it was missed opportunity. Their online donation form asked every donor to consider giving $25, $50, $100, or $250, regardless of individual capacity. A supporter who had given $500 annually for three years saw the same suggested amounts as a first-time $25 donor. The result? Stagnant average gift size and zero insight into which donors had major gift potential hiding beneath small annual contributions.
After implementing Keela, the transformation was both operational and strategic:
- Average online gift increased from $87 to $124 (43% jump) within three months using Smart Ask personalization—high-capacity donors finally saw appropriate ask amounts
- Administrative time dropped from 15 hours to 3 hours weekly through automated receipts, thank-you workflows, and integrated donation processing
- Wealth screening identified 47 "hidden" major donors—current supporters giving $50-$200 annually who had six-figure giving capacity based on wealth indicators
- Launched a monthly giving program that grew to 180 recurring donors in the first year using automated processing and stewardship workflows
- Overall fundraising revenue increased 52% year-over-year, with the development coordinator attributing half the growth to AI-optimized ask amounts and better prospect identification
The most valuable insight came from Keela's AI donor scoring. The platform identified a pattern: donors who had volunteered as mentors AND attended at least one training event had 4x higher lifetime value than other supporters. Armed with this intelligence, the organization redesigned their volunteer onboarding to include cultivation touchpoints for high-capacity volunteers. Within 18 months, they secured three $25,000+ major gifts from former mentors who had been giving $100-$250 annually—supporters they would have never identified without AI pattern recognition.
The development coordinator's role fundamentally changed. Instead of drowning in manual data entry and receipt generation, she spent her time doing what humans do best: having meaningful conversations with high-potential donors identified by Keela's wealth screening, cultivating relationships with lapsed supporters flagged by automated alerts, and designing strategic campaigns informed by real-time reporting. The AI didn't replace her expertise—it freed her to actually use it.
Pricing
Contact-Based Tier Pricing
Based on number of contacts in your database
Keela uses straightforward tier-based pricing determined by the number of contacts in your database. All tiers include unlimited forms, emails, donations, and support—no hidden fees or surprise add-ons.
Starting Tier:
What's Included (All Tiers):
- Unlimited donation forms and online fundraising campaigns
- Unlimited email sending (no per-contact or per-send fees)
- AI Smart Ask technology for personalized donation amounts
- Donor insights, AI scoring, and built-in wealth screening
- Automated workflows for receipts, thank-yous, and tasks
- Unlimited, personal email support (9am-5pm PST)
- Unlimited online training resources and webinars
Higher Contact Tiers: Organizations with more than 1,000 contacts should contact Keela for custom pricing. For databases exceeding 10,000 contacts, enterprise packages are available with tailored features and support.
Annual Savings: Pay annually and save up to 23% compared to monthly billing (equivalent to getting 2-3 months free).
View Current Pricing Detailsđź’° Nonprofit Pricing & Discounts
Good news: Keela is built exclusively for nonprofits, so all pricing listed above is already nonprofit-specific. There's no separate "commercial" pricing—the company serves only charitable organizations and mission-driven entities.
Additional Savings Opportunities:
- Annual payment discount: Save up to 23% by paying annually instead of monthly
- Demo discounts: Organizations often receive special offers during personalized demos—ask about current promotions
- No setup fees: Unlike some competitors, Keela includes onboarding support without additional implementation charges
Estimated Total Investment (Year 1): For a nonprofit with 1,000 contacts choosing annual billing: ~$1,500/year (saves ~$360 vs. monthly billing) = Total $1,500 first year, $1,500/year ongoing. No setup fees, no per-email charges, no surprise add-ons.
ROI Perspective: Organizations see an average 46% increase in donation revenue after their first year with Keela. For a nonprofit currently raising $200,000 annually, a 46% increase = $92,000 in additional revenue. Investment: $1,500. Return: $92,000. ROI: 6,000%+. Even achieving half the average increase would yield a 3,000%+ return.
*Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing directly with Keela.
Learning Curve
Beginner to Intermediate
Most nonprofit staff can start using basic features within 2-3 hours; full proficiency takes 1-2 weeks
Time to First Value:
- Initial setup: 4-8 hours (data import, basic configuration, payment processor connection)
- First fundraising campaign: 1-2 hours to create donation form and launch
- Basic proficiency: 1-2 weeks of regular use to master donor entry, email campaigns, and reporting
- AI insights become accurate: 30-60 days after launch as Smart Ask and donor scoring algorithms learn your specific donor patterns
Technical Requirements:
- Comfort with Excel/Google Sheets for data preparation and CSV import
- Basic email marketing familiarity helpful but not required
- No coding required—interface designed for nonprofit fundraisers, not developers
- Web browser access (works on all modern browsers)
Support Available:
- Unlimited personal email support (9am-5pm PST) with responsive customer service team
- Comprehensive online training resources, video tutorials, and knowledge base articles
- Live training webinars and onboarding sessions included with all plans
- Dedicated customer success manager available for higher-tier plans
- Active user community and resource library with nonprofit best practices
Common Pitfall:
Some users report that certain tools (campaign builder, form customization) have a steeper learning curve than the core CRM features. Start with basic donation forms and email campaigns before diving into advanced customization. Use Keela's pre-built templates for your first 2-3 campaigns, then gradually experiment with customization once you're comfortable with the platform. Trying to build highly customized workflows on day one often leads to frustration—master the fundamentals first, then expand to advanced features as your confidence grows.
Integration & Compatibility
Connects With:
Accounting Software:
QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero (sync donations, generate financial reports, export for tax filing)
Payment Processors:
Stripe, PayPal, Square (embedded payment processing for online donation forms and recurring gifts)
Email Marketing (if not using built-in):
Mailchimp, Constant Contact (though Keela's integrated email platform is recommended for unified donor tracking)
Wealth Screening Services:
DonorSearch (enhanced wealth screening and prospect research for major gift identification)
Website Platforms:
WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, custom websites (embed donation forms and fundraising widgets)
Additional Integrations:
Zapier (connect to 5,000+ apps for custom workflows), various event management and volunteer coordination platforms
Platform Availability:
- Web-based: Works on all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Mobile-optimized: Responsive design allows access from smartphones and tablets
- Cloud-based: No software installation required; access from anywhere with internet connection
Data Portability:
- Full CSV export of all donor data, donation history, and contact records
- Custom report exports (PDF, Excel, CSV formats)
- You own your data—export anytime without penalties or restrictions
- API access available for custom integrations and data synchronization
Pros & Cons
Pros
- AI Smart Ask significantly increases donations: Personalized ask amounts typically boost average gift size 15-30% without additional marketing effort
- True all-in-one platform: Eliminates need for separate tools (donor database + email platform + donation processor + receipt generator)
- Transparent, affordable pricing: No hidden fees, unlimited emails/forms/support included, predictable costs based on contact count
- Intuitive interface praised by users: Designed for nonprofit staff, not database administrators—minimal training required
- Excellent customer support: Responsive, nonprofit-focused support team with unlimited email assistance and comprehensive training
- Built-in wealth screening: Identify major donor prospects without purchasing separate expensive research tools
- Proven results: 46% average increase in donation revenue after first year demonstrates measurable impact
Cons
- Limited customization flexibility: Some users report campaign tools and form templates less customizable than desired—works best if you adapt to Keela's structure
- Learning curve for advanced features: While basic functions are intuitive, custom workflows and advanced automation require more learning time
- Occasional glitches reported: Some users mention periodic technical issues or limitations in template design
- Pricing can increase with growth: Costs scale with contact database size—organizations experiencing rapid donor growth may see significant price jumps when crossing tier thresholds
- Limited grant management features: Primarily designed for individual donor fundraising—organizations heavily reliant on grants may need supplemental tools
- Smaller company than enterprise competitors: While support is strong, Keela has fewer resources than larger CRM providers like Salesforce or Blackbaud
Alternatives to Consider
If Keela doesn't feel like the right fit, consider:
Bloomerang
AI-powered donor retention and engagement tracking
Similar pricing (starts at $125/month), with stronger focus on donor retention predictions and engagement scoring. AI features emphasize keeping current donors vs. Keela's strength in optimizing asks. Best if donor retention is your primary challenge and you need AI-driven lapsed donor identification.
Learn More About BloomerangNeonCRM
Comprehensive nonprofit CRM with strong event management
Comparable pricing (starts at $99/month), excellent for organizations running frequent events with integrated ticketing and registration. AI features less developed than Keela. Best if events are central to your fundraising model and you need robust event management tools.
Little Green Light
Affordable donor database for very small nonprofits
More affordable (starts at $45/month) with strong customization but no AI features like Smart Ask or wealth screening. Best for very small organizations (under 500 donors) with tight budgets who can manage without AI-powered insights.
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
Enterprise-grade CRM with extensive customization
Free for qualifying nonprofits (10 licenses) but requires significant technical expertise or consultant support ($5,000-$20,000 typical implementation). Infinitely customizable but complex. Best for larger nonprofits (5+ development staff, $5M+ budget) with dedicated administrators.
Why you might choose Keela instead:
Best-in-class AI Smart Ask technology that automatically personalizes donation amounts for each supporter, combined with built-in wealth screening, donor insights, and complete all-in-one fundraising platform at an affordable price point designed for small teams. If increasing average gift size through AI personalization is your priority and you want to consolidate fragmented systems into one unified platform—Keela delivers measurable fundraising growth (46% average revenue increase) with minimal operational complexity.
Getting Started
Your First 72 Hours with Keela
Step 1: Schedule Demo and Start Trial (30 minutes)
Visit Keela's website and request a personalized demo to see the platform in action:
- Ask about current promotional discounts (often available during demos)
- Discuss your specific needs: online fundraising, major gifts, donor retention, etc.
- Request trial access to test with your actual donor data
- Clarify pricing tier for your database size and any additional costs
Pro tip: Come to the demo prepared with questions about your specific workflows. Ask to see Smart Ask in action with different donor profiles and how wealth screening identifies prospects in a sample database.
Step 2: Prepare and Import Donor Data (3-6 hours)
Clean and organize your existing donor data before importing:
- Export from current system (Excel, spreadsheets, old CRM) into CSV format
- Clean data: remove duplicates, standardize formatting, fill in missing information
- Include critical fields: full name, email, phone, address, complete giving history with dates and amounts
- Map your fields to Keela's data structure using their import wizard
Pro tip: The more complete your giving history data, the better Smart Ask will perform. If you have 3+ years of donation data, include it all—the AI learns patterns from historical behavior. Don't just import current-year donors; include lapsed supporters from the past 3-5 years to give wealth screening a full picture.
Step 3: Configure Core Features (2-4 hours)
Set up essential functionality before launching campaigns:
- Connect payment processor (Stripe or PayPal) for online donation processing
- Enable Smart Ask technology on your donation forms (one-click activation)
- Customize email templates for receipts, thank-yous, and acknowledgments
- Set up automated workflows for receipt delivery and donor stewardship
- Configure wealth screening to identify major gift prospects
Pro tip: Start with Keela's pre-built templates and automation workflows rather than building custom ones from scratch. Their defaults work well for most nonprofits. Customize later once you understand how everything works together.
Step 4: Launch First Campaign & Monitor Results (Week 2+)
Test the platform with a real fundraising campaign:
- Create your first AI-powered donation form with Smart Ask enabled
- Send announcement email to a segment of your database (start with engaged supporters)
- Monitor real-time donation tracking and Smart Ask performance
- Review wealth screening results to identify cultivation priorities
- Check AI donor insights for patterns and prospect recommendations
Pro tip: Compare your first Keela campaign to your baseline metrics from previous appeals. Track average gift size, conversion rate, and total revenue. Most organizations see immediate improvement in average gift size (15-30% increase typical) even before AI algorithms fully calibrate to your donor patterns.
Quick Win: Your First 48 Hours
Want to see immediate value from Keela? Try this simple A/B test during your first week:
- Import your donor database with at least 6-12 months of giving history (2-3 hours)
- Create two identical donation forms—Form A with static suggested amounts ($25, $50, $100, $250), Form B with Smart Ask enabled (30 minutes)
- Split your email list in half and send the same appeal to both segments, each linking to a different form (1 hour)
- Compare results after 7 days—which form had higher average gift size? Higher total revenue?
What you'll learn: Whether AI-powered personalized ask amounts actually increase giving compared to your current approach. Most nonprofits see 15-30% higher average gift size on the Smart Ask form with the same audience and message—proving the technology works before you fully commit.
Time invested: 4 hours
Potential insight: Proof that AI personalization drives measurable fundraising improvements
🤝 Need Implementation Support?
Implementing Keela successfully means more than just importing data—it requires cleaning donor records, configuring Smart Ask for optimal results, setting up automation workflows, training your team, and designing fundraising campaigns that leverage AI insights effectively. If you'd like expert guidance maximizing Keela's AI capabilities and fundraising potential, we're here to help.
One Hundred Nights offers Keela implementation services including data preparation and migration, Smart Ask optimization, wealth screening strategy, workflow automation, staff training, and ongoing fundraising consulting.
Contact Us to Learn More →Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keela free for nonprofits?
Keela is not free but offers nonprofit pricing starting at $125/month for up to 1,000 contacts. All plans include unlimited forms, emails, donations, and support with no hidden fees. Up to 23% savings available with annual payment. Most nonprofits see a 46% average increase in donation revenue after their first year with Keela, often justifying the investment through improved fundraising results.
How long does it take to implement Keela?
Initial setup takes 4-8 hours for data import and basic configuration. You can launch your first fundraising campaign within 1-2 days. Basic team proficiency typically takes 1-2 weeks of regular use. Keela's AI Smart Ask and donor insights become more accurate after 30-60 days as the algorithms learn your donor patterns and giving history.
Does Keela integrate with QuickBooks and other accounting software?
Yes, Keela has native integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, and other popular accounting platforms. It also connects with major payment processors (Stripe, PayPal), email marketing tools (Mailchimp), donation platforms, and wealth screening services like DonorSearch. Most integrations can be set up in 30-60 minutes.
What makes Keela's Smart Ask feature different from standard donation forms?
Keela's Smart Ask uses AI to automatically generate personalized ask amounts for each donor based on their giving history, demographic data, and wealth indicators. Instead of showing everyone the same suggested donation amounts, each donor sees amounts optimized for their capacity and past behavior. This typically increases average gift size by 15-30% compared to static donation forms.
Can Keela help identify major donor prospects?
Yes, Keela includes built-in wealth screening that analyzes donors' financial capacity using wealth indicators such as income and assets. The platform assigns each donor a giving capacity score and Match Confidence rating. Keela's Software Insights also scans donor data for patterns among loyal supporters and identifies similar high-potential prospects in your database.
Do I need technical skills to use Keela?
No coding skills required. Keela is designed for nonprofit fundraisers and development staff with an intuitive interface praised for ease of use. Comfort with Excel/Google Sheets for data preparation is helpful. Keela provides unlimited email support (9am-5pm PST), online training resources, and responsive customer support to help non-technical users succeed.
Ready to Raise More with AI-Powered Fundraising?
Join nonprofits using Keela to personalize donation asks with AI, identify major gift prospects through wealth screening, and automate donor management workflows. Schedule a personalized demo to see Smart Ask technology in action and learn how organizations achieve an average 46% increase in donation revenue.