Community foundations have different needs than private or corporate foundations. The software to meet them is different, too. But because those needs are so wide-ranging—not just making grants, but soliciting donations, managing investments, awarding scholarships, and protecting donors’ funds—it’s difficult to find one system that does everything.

Many of the solutions on the market instead focus on integrating with other tools—either their own, or those sold by other vendors. These “component” solutions can go a long way toward meeting your needs, but the nature of the piecemeal systems can make it harder to understand what they’re capable of, much less which is right for you.

This report reviews and compares eight software packages to see how they meet the specific needs of community foundations.