Advocacy and Campaigning

Considering Luminate Online Alternatives? Why Nonprofits Choose Engaging Networks

Compare Luminate Online and Engaging Networks across fundraising, payments, email, advocacy, integrations, and platform migration

Luminate Online Alternatives for Donor Engagement

Many nonprofits rely on Luminate Online and other an all-in-one platforms to run connected supporter engagement and outreach programs. But, as technology advances, so does the expectation to improve donor experiences, modernize operations, and future-proof your digital fundraising tech stack. Staying on outdated systems for too long can pose unnecessary risks and can force nonprofits into a rushed Luminate Online migration, increasing the likelihood of donor attrition, data complications, and unnecessary downtime.

However, moving away from Luminate Online does not mean starting over — it means selecting a modern platform that can preserve your current fundraising operations and expand what is possible for your organization’s digital fundraising strategy. Nonprofits that create a thoughtful migration plan are able to mitigate common risks associated with moving platforms.

If you’re exploring Luminate Online alternatives to upgrade your current fundraising platform, Engaging Networks can cover all of your digital fundraising, advocacy, and email marketing needs in one platform. 

Here are some common challenges nonprofits face when looking to upgrade from Luminate Online.

Why the Southern Poverty Law Center Moved from Luminate Online to Engaging Networks

Hear Caroline Corbett (They/Them) from the Southern Poverty Law Center discuss the organization’s Luminate Online migration and experience moving to Engaging Networks.

Moving Recurring Donors from Luminate Online Without Retokenization

Recurring donors are your most reliable revenue stream. Any Luminate Online alternative you consider should offer a clear plan to protect those relationships and preserve their payment information during migration.

Engaging Networks supports over a dozen different payment processors, minimizing interruptions caused by the loss of payment data and financial operations. If you’re considering a move from Luminate Online, Engaging Networks is currently the only other fundraising platform that fully supports Blackbaud Integrated Payments (BBIP or BBMS) with no need to retokenize your recurring donors, meaning less risk of involuntary churn during migration.

Other popular options, like Fundraise Up, only offer Stripe payments. If you’re currently using BBIP, this forces you to change your payment gateway and perform a token migration to Stripe. With the possibility of donor loss when migrating donor’s payment data, the risk to your most reliable revenue is high. While a token migration is possible, the additional steps often come at the expense of recurring revenue and operational headaches.

98% Retention

When Foodbank of the Rockies successfully moved nearly 4,500 donors from Luminate Online to Engaging Networks

A Supported Luminate Online Migration

The last thing you need while moving platforms are freezes to your revenue or uncoordinated transitions that cause operational outages.

When you retain your payment processor (BBIP, for example) through Engaging Networks, your recurring payments schedule continues without the need for donors to re-enter information. This completely removes the most common reason for sustainer loss during platform changes.

Engaging Networks also provides a fully supported onboarding schedule, resulting in a move that feels more like a phased upgrade rather than a rip-and-replace.

Luminate Online Alternatives With Enterprise CRM Integrations

Alongside a fundraising platform, most enterprise nonprofits also depend on a CRM for their database, like Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, or Blackbaud CRM. The ability to have your fundraising platform and CRM communicate seamlessly is a necessity for maintaining accurate, up-to-date donor data, and using that data to inform campaign decisions.

Engaging Networks offers flexible integrations with all of the most popular CRMs and, with a robust partner network, you can build custom connection options that suit your needs.

Jamie Heslin
Foodbank of the Rockies Migration Experience
Beyond retention, Engaging Networks has enabled us to unify what had become a patchwork of disconnected tools. We can now send SMS and incorporate it directly into donor journeys, run peer-to-peer campaigns in the same platform after years of outsourcing, and soon leverage modern advocacy tools to engage supporters in ways that weren’t possible before. Bringing these functions together under one product has streamlined our program and expanded our impact.

Luminate Online vs. Point Solutions

If you’re coming from Luminate Online, you’re likely used to having online donation forms, email marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer, and more all in one place. 

With Engaging Networks, you can maintain an all-in-one engagement platform, without the need for additional vendors and contracts that often contribute to tech bloat.

Other popular platforms like GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) and Fundraise Up only offer one piece of the puzzle, forcing you to fill in the gaps with other tools that often lack the connectivity needed for integrated donation campaigns.

Is Engaging Networks the Right Luminate Online Alternative?

Choosing a new platform doesn’t mean starting from scratch; it’s about finding the right solution to help you progress. 

Engaging Networks provides modern capabilities to elevate the way you engage with supporters, while also maintaining reliable continuity where it matters most: your payments, donor data, and integrations. By making the migration a smooth process, your nonprofit can focus on building stronger relationships and driving your mission forward.

Schedule a demo below to talk to a member of our team about how we can help you migrate successfully.


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