Work smarter with connected nonprofit tools: Fundraise Up + Zapier
Most nonprofit teams use multiple digital tools to manage donor data, but these tools often don’t work together seamlessly. By connecting Fundraise Up with your team’s daily apps through Zapier’s automated workflows (called "Zaps"), you can save time on repetitive tasks like sending thank-you emails and updating donor records. There’s no need for developers — Zapier connects your essential tools without requiring technical knowledge, helping your team create automated workflows so they can focus on more impactful work.
Read on to discover how your team can start automating today.
Simplify your nonprofit’s daily tasks with Zapier
Think of Zapier as your digital assistant that helps connect all your tools and automates repetitive tasks. Instead of manually copying information between apps or updating your donor database, Zapier does it all for you automatically. This frees up your team to focus on what really matters —building stronger relationships with donors and working on bigger strategic projects.
Understanding Zapier basics
Zapier works with over 8,000 popular nonprofit tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, Quickbooks, and more. The best part? You don’t need any technical expertise to set it up.
How Zaps work
- First, there’s a trigger — something that happens in your donor journey. For example, when a supporter makes a donation (this is the when)
- Then comes the action — what you want to happen next. For example, sending that donor a heartfelt thank-you email (this is the do)
You’re now ready to use Zaps: when something happens, Zapier will automatically do what you've asked it to do.
Let’s explore each component in detail:
Trigger
A trigger is the event that starts your automation workflow. You can customize triggers to match your fundraising processes and donor journey.
For example: When a new donor makes their first contribution, Zapier springs into action. It automatically collects the donor’s details from Fundraise Up and sends a welcome email through your email service, such as MailChimp or ActiveCampaign. This ensures every new donor receives a timely welcome.
Action
An action is what happens after a trigger occurs. For example, when your automation detects a new donation, it can send a welcome email through your marketing platform (e.g. HubSpot or MailChimp) using a specific template. The action works with the donor information that the Fundraise Up trigger collected.
Zap
A Zap is an automated workflow that connects a trigger with one or more actions to perform tasks across multiple applications.
5 popular apps to connect with Fundraise Up through Zapier
HubSpot for donor management
HubSpot helps you manage donor relationships effectively. Save time and reduce manual errors by automating donor-related tasks, and keep your records up-to-date by connecting HubSpot and Fundraise Up.
Benefits include
- Real-time donor follow-up and engagement triggered by specific events
- Smart outreach timing based on comprehensive donor history
- Targeted communications using segmented data and filtered donor groups
QuickBooks Online for accounting
QuickBooks is accounting software that streamlines financial tracking for nonprofits. When you connect QuickBooks Online and Fundraise Up, you can automatically sync transactions and donations in real time. This makes your financial tracking easier and saves you from having to check everything by hand.
Benefits include
- Automated tracking of donations, expenses, receipts, and bank transactions
- Streamlined bill management for timely payments
- Comprehensive capture of all eligible tax deductions
Slack for productivity
Slack is a messaging app that helps teams stay connected and share key information. When you connect Fundraise Up to Slack, teams can instantly communicate about donations, campaigns, and other important activities.
Benefits include
- Real-time notifications in dedicated Slack channels for new donations
- Immediate team alerts for large donations, enabling prompt celebration and follow-up
- Automatic notifications when campaigns reach milestones or fundraising goals, allowing teams to celebrate achievements and plan next steps together
Mailchimp for email
Mailchimp is a marketing and email automation platform that helps you communicate with donors through email, social media, and landing pages. Save time and improve data accuracy by having Zaps automatically sync your new donors from Fundraise Up to your existing Mailchimp campaigns.
Benefits include
- Automatically segment donors based on giving patterns and engagement levels
- Track donor interactions and history in one central location
- Identify cancellation trends, address donor concerns proactively, and develop targeted retention strategies based on direct feedback
Airtable for productivity
Airtable is an app that helps nonprofits manage marketing, operations, and data across teams. Save time and streamline your data management by connecting Fundraise Up with Airtable through Zapier to create a centralized hub where teams can track, analyze, and act on donation data instantly.
Benefits include
- Track large donations in real time through instant notifications
- Build automated workflows that trigger tasks based on donation activity
- Create automated reports to monitor campaign performance and guide decision-making
Looking ahead
By connecting your tools with Fundraise Up through Zapier, you’ll discover new automation opportunities, from automated donor journeys to cross-platform data syncing. As you explore different app connections, you’ll find innovative ways to engage donors, track impact, and scale your mission efficiently without expanding your team.