During my time founding and building Everfund, I had the privilege of working with an incredible range of UK charities – from Parkinson's UK and Child Bereavement UK to Carers Trust and many others. Each organization taught me valuable lessons about the unique challenges charities face in the digital age. Today, I'm excited to share what's next.
Why Donorbound?
Through my experience at Everfund, I've seen far too many charities trapped by outdated technology and expensive, lengthy contracts that promise the world but deliver far less. It's frustrating to watch nonprofits pour their limited resources into systems built decades ago, or get locked into contracts for "modern" solutions that are anything but. The nonprofit sector is stuck in a technology time warp, often paying premium prices for software that wouldn't be acceptable in the commercial sector.
This has to change. While we achieved a lot at Everfund, I saw an opportunity to take everything I learned and build something that truly brings nonprofit technology into the 21st century. Donorbound isn't just about creating new tools – it's about fundamentally shifting how technology serves the nonprofit sector. We're building modern, efficient solutions that can serve nonprofits globally while understanding the unique needs of each region, all without the burden of massive contracts or outdated technology.
A Global Platform, Starting with Local Expertise
While Donorbound is being architected from day one to serve nonprofits worldwide, we're starting where we have the deepest expertise – the UK market. Our first product will be a Gift Aid management system, built exclusively for UK charities. This focused approach allows us to solve one problem exceptionally well before expanding both our product suite and our global reach.
I've seen firsthand how charities waste precious time and resources trying to make generic software work for their specific regional requirements. Whether it's Gift Aid in the UK, 501(c)(3) in the US, or similar schemes worldwide, each region has unique needs that deserve purpose-built solutions.
Building Differently
Think of Donorbound as your charity's growth and engagement toolkit. Just as modern businesses choose Mailchimp for email, Shopify for e-commerce, or specialized analytics tools for insights, we believe charities deserve the same flexibility. Each Donorbound tool is built to be best-in-class for its specific purpose, whether that's Gift Aid management, donor analytics, or communication tools. Use what you need, when you need it, and combine them seamlessly as your organization grows.
This modular approach means you're not locked into an all-or-nothing platform. Start with just Gift Aid management if that's your primary need, add analytics when you're ready to dive deeper into donor insights, or use our email tools when you want to level up your donor communications. Each tool is independently powerful but becomes even more valuable as part of your complete nonprofit toolkit.
Our Journey Begins
Our first tool, the Gift Aid management system, directly addresses one of the most consistent pain points I observed while working with UK charities at Everfund. We're building it to make Gift Aid declarations and submissions effortless, fully compliant with HMRC requirements, and designed for the way modern charities work.
From there, we'll expand into analytics, email communications, and bulk letter creation – each tool purpose-built for nonprofit needs, each one working perfectly on its own or as part of your broader Donorbound toolkit. And as we grow, we'll bring this same focused approach to solving region-specific challenges for charities worldwide.
The Real Impact
I've witnessed firsthand how better donation tools translate directly into real-world impact. Each improvement in technology ripples through to create tangible change: more meals served at food banks, more staff available to answer crisis hotlines, more research funded to fight diseases. When we help charities raise funds more efficiently, it's not just about the numbers – it's about the extra person who gets help, the additional research project that gets funded, the expanded support services that become possible.
Through my time at Everfund, I saw how even small improvements in donation technology could lead to significant real-world outcomes. When a food bank could process donations more efficiently, it meant more meals on tables. When a helpline could manage their Gift Aid better, it meant more hours staffed on their crisis lines. This isn't abstract – it's about real people getting real help.
That's why Donorbound isn't just another tech project for me. Having seen the full cycle of how donations translate into impact, I know that every improvement we make to these tools has the potential to help charities do more of what they do best: changing lives and supporting communities.
Open Source, Because Impact Should Scale
I've chosen to release Donorbound under the GPL-3.0 license, one of the strongest open source licenses available. This means that not only is the code open for inspection and improvement, but any modifications or extensions must also remain open source. This creates a virtuous cycle where improvements made by one charity or developer become available to all. It ensures that the platform remains truly community-owned and that the tools we build together stay free and open for future generations of nonprofits. This isn't just another tech project – it's about creating a foundation that ensures nonprofit technology remains in the hands of those it serves.
Why Now?
When Everfund closed its doors, the response from our customers was heartbreaking. Charities who had come to rely on our platform were left searching for alternatives, and many expressed how much they'd miss the tools we'd built together. Those conversations stuck with me. They showed not just how much our work had mattered, but how crucial it is for charities to have technology they can truly depend on for the long haul.
That's a big part of why Donorbound is different. By making it open source under GPL-3.0, we ensure that the platform can never simply disappear. The tools will always belong to the community that uses them. And while we're starting with self-hosted options to give organizations complete control, we're also planning to offer cloud-hosted solutions in the future for those who prefer a managed service. But the key difference is this: even our cloud offering will be built on the same open-source foundation, ensuring that organizations always have a choice and are never locked in.
Whether you're a charity looking for better tools, a developer wanting to contribute, or an agency serving the sector, I invite you to join us in building the future of nonprofit technology. Let's take everything we've learned and create something truly transformative.
Best regards,
Christopher Burns
Founder, Donorbound