How to Switch Donation Platforms Without Losing Data

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Switching donation platforms feels risky. You've got years of donor history, active recurring gifts, and a form embedded on your website. The thought of something falling through the cracks is enough to keep most nonprofits stuck on a platform they've outgrown.

But I've helped organizations make this move more times than I can count, and it's never as painful as people expect. Here's how to do it right.

Before You Start: Take Inventory

Before you touch anything, document what you're working with. You need a clear picture of:

Total donor records (active and lapsed)
Active recurring donors and their gift amounts
Custom fields you've added (volunteer status, event attendance, communication preferences)
Integrations connected to your current platform (email tools, CRM, accounting software)
Embedded forms on your website, including any custom styling

Most platforms let you export donor data as a CSV file. Do this first and save it somewhere safe. This is your backup, and it's also what you'll use to import into the new platform.

Step 1: Export Your Donor Data

Every major platform handles exports a bit differently.

Donorbox lets you export donors and donations separately from the dashboard under Donations > Export. You'll get CSV files with names, emails, amounts, dates, and recurring status.

GiveButter has an export option under People > Export. It includes donation history, contact info, and campaign associations.

Bloomerang provides the most detailed exports since it's a full CRM. Go to Constituents > Export and choose which fields to include.

Pro tip: Export everything, even fields you think you don't need. It's much easier to ignore extra columns during import than to realize you're missing data after you've already cancelled your old account.

Step 2: Clean Your Data Before Importing

This is the step most people skip, and it causes the most headaches. Before importing into your new platform, clean up your CSV:

Remove duplicates. If someone donated through multiple campaigns, they might appear twice.
Standardize formatting. Phone numbers, addresses, and names should be consistent. "Bob" and "Robert" might be the same person.
Flag inactive donors. Anyone who hasn't given in 3+ years probably doesn't need to be in your active list right away.
Check email addresses. Remove obviously invalid ones (test@test.com, asdf@gmail.com). Bad emails hurt your deliverability.

A spreadsheet is fine for this. You don't need fancy tools. Spend an hour here and save yourself days of cleanup later.

Step 3: Set Up Your New Platform First

Don't cancel your old platform yet. Set up the new one in parallel and make sure everything works before you flip the switch.

On your new platform:

Configure your donation form with the same amounts, recurring options, and custom fields
Set up tax receipt templates so automated receipts go out correctly from day one
Connect your integrations (Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Salesforce, whatever you use)
Import your donor data using the CSV from step 2
Test with a real donation to verify the full flow works, including receipts and integration syncing

If you're choosing between platforms, my comparison of Donorbox, GiveButter, and Bloomerang breaks down the differences in detail.

Step 4: Handle Recurring Donors Carefully

This is the trickiest part. Recurring donors are your most valuable supporters, and you do not want to lose them in the transition.

Here's the reality: you usually can't transfer recurring payment tokens between platforms. Each platform stores card information through their own payment processor, and that data doesn't transfer. This means recurring donors will need to re-enter their payment details.

The best approach:

Send a personal email explaining you're upgrading your donation system
Include a direct link to your new recurring donation form
Frame it positively: "We're making it easier to support us"
Follow up individually with anyone who doesn't re-enroll within two weeks

I've seen organizations retain 70-85% of recurring donors through this process when they communicate early and follow up personally. The ones who don't communicate? They lose half.

Step 5: Swap Your Forms and Cancel

Once your new platform is running and recurring donors have transitioned:

Replace embedded forms on your website with the new platform's embed code. If you need help with this, check out my guide on embedding donation forms.
Keep your old platform active for 30-60 days as a safety net. Some recurring charges might still process through it.
Download a final export from your old platform before cancelling, just in case.
Cancel your old subscription once you're confident nothing is still processing through it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rushing the timeline. Give yourself 4-6 weeks for the full migration. Trying to do it in a weekend leads to missed data and confused donors.

Not telling donors. Even if the change is invisible to most one-time donors, your recurring supporters and major donors deserve a heads-up.

Forgetting about tax receipts. Make sure donation history is accessible for tax season. Donors may need records from both your old and new platforms.

Losing integration connections. Double-check that your email marketing, accounting software, and CRM are all connected to the new platform before going live.

It's Worth the Short-Term Pain

Switching platforms is a weekend project that pays off for years. If your current platform's fees are too high, or the features don't fit your needs, don't let migration anxiety keep you stuck. The process is straightforward if you plan ahead, clean your data, and communicate with your donors.

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