Groundswell has increased its foothold in the corporate giving software space since its launch in 2021, and legacy software companies like YourCause have been put on notice. Clients often mention Groundswell’s relatively lower fees, easy-to-use software, quick donation distributions, and increased rates of employee engagement.
We know we’re the new kids on the block, though, which is why we’d like to introduce you to our corporate donation software. Keep reading to find out if Groundswell is the right corporate gift-giving software for your company.
YourCause is one of several high-profile corporate giving software companies that offer corporate social responsibility (CSR) solutions. Founded in 2007, it offers services that let companies match employee donations, employees log volunteer hours, and decision-makers verify non-profit organizations, among other capabilities.
In 2018, it was acquired by Blackbaud, a firm noted for aggressively moving to take over software outfits. This corporate shifting may be connected to complaints over YourCause’s clunky and difficult-to-grasp software. Between that and occasionally slow donation matching, too much can sometimes fall on their clients’ plates. Those time-sucks can be compounded due to YourCause’s supposedly inadequate support from its customer service team, which has been the subject of more than one user complaint.
YourCause donations and YourCause grants may languish for an extended period of time before actually reaching the intended recipients. In some cases, the transfer process may take as long as 50 days. The process can take even longer—sometimes up to 90 days—for matching.
Groundswell was created to target these problems right at the source. Our platform instantly matches employee donations and distributes employees’ original donations - along with their matches - within 24 hours. We believe that efficiency in any workplace-related operation is key to overall performance, which is why we don’t mess around with donation timelines.
Groundswell and YourCause both charge annual licensing fees for platform access. Beyond the annual fee, though, their approaches start to differ. You can see one key difference when comparing distribution fees:
Along with invoice-free matching, Groundswell also does not solicit additional charges for extraneous features. If you don’t use certain features, why should we charge you for it? No ad-hoc fees can ultimately give your company more financial certainty.
Corporate donation matching software is supposed to make sense to any employee who might use it. Unfortunately, many YourCause users have reported many challenges while getting used to the software. Frustration with optional workplace endeavors is a surefire way for corporate social responsibility to fall by the wayside.
Another barrier to employee engagement has to do with anonymity. Many charities are close to people’s hearts in very intimate ways, often deeply personal and inspired by lived experiences.
For that reason, some employees don’t participate in employee donation matching programs via YourCause because administrators might have a full view of their personal giving history. That can make employees feel that the program isn’t inclusive and equitable.
Groundswell understands the importance of anonymity when it comes to employee giving. We’re proud to give donors the privacy they need when choosing worthy charities.
YourCause does not actually offer one single software for corporate giving; instead, it acts as a source for varying software solutions. Companies looking for comprehensive corporate social responsibility software might be dismayed to find that YourCause is essentially a few software “solutions” in a trenchcoat.
Suppose you're moving from a manual employee matching program wherein requests are tracked on spreadsheets, employees are submitting PDF requests for their match, and a company’s accounts payable team is sending individual matching checks. That’s a lot to take on, and while YourCause may seem like a better solution, the multiple logins and handoffs between software solutions may just add to your administrative burdens.
In addition to a confusing admin experience, YourCause does not offer administration-free payroll like Groundswell does. Instead, entrepreneurs and managers must execute a fair number of administrative tasks every pay period. Between payroll reconciliations and monthly invoices, your valuable time could slip away quicker than you might think.
If you’ve been thinking about pulling the trigger on corporate giving software, we strongly feel that Groundswell is the right fit. We’ve designed a platform for the modern philanthropist complete with benefits such as:
To see why Groundswell works so well for so many companies and employees, we invite you to schedule a demo with our staff. Increase employee engagement, automate CSR processes, save your company money, and get donations to charities quicker with Groundswell’s software solutions.
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