Two nonprofit CRMs dominate the small-org conversation: Bloomerang and Little Green Light. Both are purpose-built for nonprofits. Both track donors, gifts, and communications. But they’re built on different philosophies, and the wrong choice means paying for features that don’t match how your team works.
Here’s the straight comparison.
The Short Version
- Choose Bloomerang if donor retention is your top priority and you want engagement scoring, automated touchpoints, and a polished interface.
- Choose Little Green Light if you want the most features for the least money and don’t mind a utilitarian interface.
Where They Agree
Both Bloomerang and Little Green Light:
- Are purpose-built for nonprofit donor management
- Track gifts and generate reports
- Manage donor profiles and communication history
- Send email communications
- Support online giving integrations
- Generate contribution statements
- Work for organizations under 5,000 donors
That’s where the similarities end.
Donor Retention: Bloomerang Wins (By Design)
Bloomerang was literally built around donor retention research. Every donor profile shows an engagement score and their likelihood of giving again. The platform flags at-risk donors before they lapse. Bloomerang’s Institute publishes retention research that informs the product’s design.
Little Green Light tracks giving history and can show lapsed donors, but it doesn’t score engagement or proactively flag retention risks. You can build reports to find lapsed donors, but you have to think to look.
Verdict: Bloomerang, clearly. Retention is their entire identity.
Features: Little Green Light Wins (By Volume)
Little Green Light includes more features per dollar than any nonprofit CRM:
| Feature | Bloomerang | Little Green Light |
|---|---|---|
| Donor management | Yes | Yes |
| Gift tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Email marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Event management | No (basic) | Yes |
| Volunteer tracking | No | Yes |
| Grant tracking | No | Yes |
| Membership tracking | No | Yes |
| Task management | Basic | Yes |
| Custom fields | Yes | Yes (more) |
| Reporting | Good | Good (more customizable) |
LGL includes events, volunteers, grants, and memberships in the base price. Bloomerang focuses on donors and giving, requiring integrations or add-ons for the rest.
Verdict: Little Green Light for breadth of features. Bloomerang for depth in donor management.
Ease of Use: Bloomerang Wins
Bloomerang has the cleaner, more modern interface. It’s designed for nonprofit staff who aren’t technology experts. The dashboard is informative, the navigation is logical, and the learning curve is gentle.
Little Green Light’s interface is functional but dated. It looks like software from 2010. Finding features requires clicking through multiple screens. The learning curve is steeper, especially for non-technical staff.
Verdict: Bloomerang for ease of use. LGL for people who prioritize function over form.
Pricing: Little Green Light Wins (By a Lot)
| Donor Count | Bloomerang | Little Green Light |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 | $119/mo | $45/mo |
| 1,000-2,500 | $159/mo | $45/mo |
| 2,500-5,000 | $199/mo | $65/mo |
| 5,000-15,000 | $279/mo | $95/mo |
| 15,000-25,000 | $379/mo | $145/mo |
Little Green Light is roughly half the price at every tier. For a 2,500-donor nonprofit, LGL saves you $114/month ($1,368/year).
Verdict: Little Green Light on price. Bloomerang is the more expensive tool with a retention-focused premium.
Email Marketing: Bloomerang Wins
Bloomerang’s email builder is more polished and integrates better with donor communication. Automated email sequences (welcome series, lapsed donor re-engagement, thank-you flows) are easier to set up.
Little Green Light includes email marketing, but the editor is basic and automation is limited. Many LGL users integrate with Mailchimp for more advanced email features.
Verdict: Bloomerang for built-in email marketing. LGL if you’re okay integrating with Mailchimp.
Integrations: Little Green Light Wins
Little Green Light integrates with:
- QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks (accounting)
- Mailchimp, Constant Contact (email)
- Donorbox, WePay (online giving)
- WealthEngine (prospect research)
- And more via API and Zapier
Bloomerang integrates with:
- QuickBooks (accounting)
- WePay, Stripe (online giving)
- Limited email integrations (built-in email is the primary tool)
- Fewer third-party connections overall
Verdict: Little Green Light for integration flexibility. Bloomerang for organizations that want a more self-contained system.
The Decision Matrix
| Your Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| Donor retention is your top priority | Bloomerang |
| You want the most features for the lowest cost | Little Green Light |
| Your staff isn’t tech-savvy | Bloomerang (easier to learn) |
| You need grant, volunteer, or event tracking | Little Green Light |
| Budget is the primary constraint | Little Green Light |
| You want automated donor engagement | Bloomerang |
| You use Mailchimp for email | Little Green Light |
| You want email built into your CRM | Bloomerang |
| You need custom reporting | Little Green Light |
| You want a modern interface | Bloomerang |
Our Recommendation
For most small nonprofits, Little Green Light is the better value. It does more for less money — donors, gifts, events, volunteers, grants, and email for $45/month. The interface isn’t pretty, but it works.
Choose Bloomerang when: donor retention is a strategic priority (not just a nice-to-have), and you’re willing to pay more for a tool that proactively helps you keep donors. The engagement scoring and automated touchpoints can genuinely improve your fundraising results — but only if your team uses them.
Both are good tools. LGL gives you more features. Bloomerang gives you better retention focus. Pick based on what matters most to your organization.
SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.