Neon CRM

Pros

It is pretty simple to enter new donations but there are times when the gifts seem to get lost afterward. Honestly there is not much I like about this system. We were misled when we upgraded to the $210/month level.

Cons

I really don't like this system. Data often gets lost like donations entered a week ago suddenly disappearing. I inherited a database with multiple versions of the same account and attempts to merge them never seem to work. The automatic emails sent to donors are unreliable and modifying them feels overly complicated as you would think you need a computer science degree to make changes. Plus switching between email templates is also a hassle. After reviewing years of notes from different employees, the recurring feedback is that this system is clunky. It often feels like the easiest way to get things done is manually. We upgraded to a higher software plan about a year ago, paid a huge fee and saw our costs increase by 250%. When we reached out to Neon they said we could cancel or downgrade but when we tried, they told us we could not cancel until 12/31/2025 like 20 months after the upgrade. Highly disappointed!

Pros

I really like Neon's pricing model as they base it on a nonprofits income rather than the number of contacts. The onboarding process was smooth too. Plus our consultant was very friendly guiding us through every step and always available to asnwer our questions. It was one of the smoothest software onboarding experiences I have had. Also I like their monthly webinars covering new system updates along with detailed training to help me continuously improve my skills. The best part is the reports as they are so easy to access and pull. And I can quickly gather all kinds of data and present it to my boss, board members, potential major donors etc. Our previous CRM had awful reporting which is the main reason we switched.

Cons

Building system emails is not easy and they do not look very appealing. Also, there are limitations on which integrated fields can be used so there have been times when I have wanted to pull specific client data into an email and couldn't. That said I have noticed improvements in the email system and it seems like they are aware of the issue and working on it.

Pros

Neon Fundraiser is meant for peer fundraising for nonprofits but it is terrible.

Cons

Simply setting up a peer fundraiser is confusing, difficult and nothing but a big hassle. The links did not work consistently and the page was down for days. Now I cannot even log into my fundraising page on any device no matter what I try, including clearing the cache, rebooting and even resetting my password. Honestly there is nothing I like about it at all. The system is inconsistent, unreliable and difficult to navigate for both fundraisers and potential donors. Due to these issues I am $2,000 below my fundraising target and continue to hear complaints from potential donors. t