Stacker for Nonprofits

Before signing up for Stacker, ensure your data is well-structured in Airtable, Google Sheets, or your chosen database. Clean up duplicate records, standardize field names, establish relationships between tables (if using Airtable), and clarify what data different user groups should access. Stacker works best when your backend is already organized—it won't fix messy data, but it will beautifully display clean data.

Spend time mapping out user roles and permissions before building. Who needs to see what? Who should be able to edit? Create a simple spreadsheet documenting these requirements—it will save hours during setup.

Visit stackerhq.com and start your free 14-day trial. Connect your Airtable account, Google Sheets, or database. Start with a simple use case—a single dashboard or basic portal—to learn the interface. Don't try to build your entire system on day one.

Use the trial period to build a proof-of-concept that demonstrates value to your team or board. Pick a high-impact, frequently requested feature (like a volunteer dashboard or donor report) and build it fully during the trial. This gives you a real-world test and a compelling case for investment.

Choose a simple but valuable app for your first build: a staff dashboard, volunteer portal, or donor database. Use Stacker's drag-and-drop components to add lists, forms, calendars, or maps. Configure permissions carefully—test by logging in as different user types to verify each role sees appropriate data. Start with read-only permissions and gradually add edit capabilities once you're confident in the setup.

Don't overcomplicate your first app. Focus on one core function done well rather than building a complex system all at once. Get feedback from actual users early—they'll tell you what's missing and what's confusing.

Share your app with a small group of test users before rolling it out organization-wide. Gather feedback on usability, permissions, and missing features. Watch how people actually use it—you'll quickly discover what needs adjustment. Iterate based on real-world use, not assumptions.

Once your first app is working smoothly, expand to additional use cases. Each new app becomes easier as you learn Stacker's patterns and best practices. Consider documenting your setup process and permission structures for future reference.

As of 2026, Stacker does not have a published nonprofit discount program. However, nonprofits are among their typical customer base, and user feedback indicates demand for nonprofit-specific pricing. We recommend contacting Stacker's support team directly to inquire about potential nonprofit pricing or special arrangements, especially if you're a smaller organization with budget constraints.

Airtable Interfaces are built-in views within Airtable for internal team use. Stacker creates standalone web applications with more robust features like granular permissions, custom branding, external user access without Airtable seats, advanced filtering, and client-ready portals. Stacker is ideal when you need professional apps for external stakeholders (volunteers, donors, clients) or complex permission structures that go beyond Airtable's native capabilities.

No, Stacker apps cannot be published to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Stacker creates web-based applications that are accessed through a browser. However, users can access your Stacker apps from mobile devices through their mobile browsers, and the apps are responsive and mobile-friendly. If you need native mobile apps in app stores, consider alternatives like Glide or Adalo.

Stacker does not offer real-time synchronization with Airtable or Google Sheets. Changes made in your source database (Airtable or Google Sheets) may take some time to reflect in your Stacker app, and vice versa. This is one of the platform's known limitations. For use cases requiring instant data updates across systems, this delay may be a consideration. However, for most internal tools and dashboards where slight delays are acceptable, this limitation is minor.

Stacker natively integrates with Airtable, Google Sheets, MySQL, Salesforce Sales Cloud, and Pipedrive. You can also connect additional data sources through Zapier integrations, expanding the range of systems you can build apps from. This makes Stacker flexible for nonprofits using various CRM and database platforms.

Softr offers a 30% nonprofit discount (bringing pricing to $34.30/month vs Stacker's $79/month starting price), more data source options (including Notion and SQL databases), more pre-built templates, and stronger design customization. Stacker excels in granular permissions, internal business tools, and ease of setup. For nonprofits on tight budgets, Softr's nonprofit discount makes it significantly more affordable. For organizations prioritizing robust permission controls and internal dashboards, Stacker may be worth the higher cost.