I was so pleased to find this software, I didn't know it existed, it is the most user friendly software I have ever used.
Looking forward to using this software program for a long time.
- A Church Treasurer,
New Brunswick, Canada, April 2008
We have now completed the first full cycle of using the program at our church,
and I found it a wonderful program to use. I had formerly used
Excel spreadsheets (which I still like), but the elimination of writing
manual receipts was a huge improvement for me!
Thanks for a great program, great "help" instructions &
your personal support via email over this past year. I can tell that this
is truly a labour of love on your part. I will continue spreading the
word about it!
- Dagmar Carter, Financial Secretary,
First United Baptist Church,
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, February 2008
I have worked in charitable organizations for 20 years - and the receipting has always been the bane of my existence.
I was surfing the net for receipt paper in three sections for a template I developed in Word using an Excel spreadsheet to record the data (but did not create real 'professional looking receipts') ... yours are wonderful.
I am a volunteer treasurer of two other not for profits and will most certainly be sharing this program with them!
Thanks for this program!
- Joy Fyckes, Executive Director,
C.E.L.A.M. (RECLAIM Literacy Council),
Quebec, Canada, January 2008
We use your program at our church and I love it. Thank you for
developing an easy to use, straightforward, and extremely useful
program. I can honestly say it was a blessing when I found DONATION
and put it to use. It has made my job not only easier but more
efficient and organized. I don't like overkill (i.e. too many features
in software) and it's hard to find
software that's not just that. Thanks again.
- James Parnell, Treasurer,
Cornerstone Christian Fellowship,
Crescent, PA, August 2007
Being a non-profit on a tight budget, DONATION was an answer to prayers. After using it, I find it is probably better than any other program on the market. It is easy to enter data.
- Germaine R. Carter, Executive Director
God's Word, July 2007
This program is very useful, it saves lots of time and hassles from what was used previously. Training ushers to properly input data takes ten minutes.
- Tony Jullion, Treasurer
Barrhead Alliance Church
Barrhead, AB, June 2007
The version of DONATION I am now using as pledge secretary for my church -- 2.50 I think -- is fantastic. It is well designed, easy to use with the user very definitely in mind, and extremely functional.
In my 40 years as a computer programmer, I worked mostly on midsized computers with very stable operating systems. I have been so disillusioned by the PC software coming out of large organizations that it is extremely refreshing to work with software that actually works and is intuitive. A computer programmer's AND a user's dream -- a rare combination these days. Thank you.
- Cathy Washington, Pledge Secretary
St. George's Episcopal Church
Carmichael, CA, June 2007
Thanks for making your DONATION software available - it is a great tool to use. May God bless you for making it affordable and excellent! Apart from the program itself, I also appreciate the prompt and personal attention from your company to answer my questions and concerns. Thank you!
- Mike Knoll, Senior Pastor
Orillia Life Centre
Orillia, ON, May 2007
Thanks for your product Dan. I appreciate the easy learning curve of your product. I was able to use it within 5 minutes of downloading it.
- Gloria Flora, Executive Director,
Sustainable Obtainable Solutions
Helena, MT, May 2006
Please note that the following testimonials from before May 2007 were from when the
program was free, and did not require a small payment as it does now.
As a user of your program for many years now, I can not think of any other that is so simple to use and fairly self-explanatory for the things that you might need help with. As a small non-profit organization we have a limited amount of staff. Namely one. Myself. Previously to this we also had one, who was with us for 10 years. With this person having all administrative duties there was no one to take over when she left us, that was remotely computer friendly, except for me. Thanks to this wonderful program it saved the organization and me at tax time last year, when she left and again this year.
Even as a smaller nonprofit, a membership of under a thousand members and less than 50 private donors including small donations (we hope to fix that this year), it is a full program with all of the needs that we require. It holds all the relevant information that Revenue Canada expects from us and you have allowed us to add any additional information ourselves to personalize the receipts to our organization.
I remember a few months back when you had originally asked us users if we would still use your program if it became open source and was supportive of your reasons then as I am now of your decision to charge a small price for the program. I agree that you should be compensated for spending all this time on helping others. Even though it is your 'ministry' as you worded it, I don't feel that you should be required to maintain this forever free of charge. Don't get me wrong, I am a philanthropist myself. Volunteering is much of my life, and gives me my quality of life. But we also need to survive and take care of ourselves. If we don't we are no good for anyone else. That goes for healthy mind and spirit as well as physical wellbeing. For all of the good works you have done for us, over 4,000 users of this program, I think that the majority of us probably feel the same and feel that we can if able, pay a voluntary amount for the program.
I don't think the minuscule prices you are asking ($30 originally and $15 for subsequent years for an organization of our size, under 200 donors), are at all very much, and you are leaving it open to the users that can't pay. [Dan's note: These prices were later increased to $50 and $25 respectively.] As we are all in this together, I am sure that there would be some organizations that would add extra to make up for those smaller orgs that could not afford to pay. Looking at and pricing other charitable donation programs, some are charging over a thousand dollars for the program itself, then additional fees for updates and renewals. Of course this does not include the tech time to install it nor training a user.
With all that your program has to offer and the simplicity of it, I think most would agree that what you have put forward as fee levels are more than generous. You have afforded us an opportunity for years now to access something that has become vital to our organizations and offered it free and of your own volition. In this day and age it is less and less frequent. Even the small amount that you are asking for is more like a continued donation to each of us users.
I know that our organization would be lost without this program. I also know that we would not have a problem paying a voluntary yearly subscription amount for the program.
- Ruby Black, Executive Director,
Vancouver Island Persons Living With HIV/AIDS Society
April 2006
After looking at several expensive programs I came across this very generous offer and perfect program. It was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
- Luis A. Perez,
The BridGe Network of House & Micro Churches
Rochester, NY, December 2006
Many thanks for making your fine donations software available free of charge. As the newly designated envelopes secretary at St. Luke's Anglican Church, and having no experience with spreadsheets, I would have been in serious trouble but for your software. Over the past three weeks, I have found that your program is easy to understand, easy to operate and extraordinarily useful in helping me to keep detailed track of the givings at our church.
- Caroline Leishman, Envelopes Secretary
St. Luke's Anglican Church
London ON, March 2006
Although we are a very small church I have found your program to be an invaluable aid in keeping my records.
Before I got the program I was ready to give up my volunteer position as treasurer. Now I'm going to continue doing the job.
Many thanks.
- Diana Morine
Wolfville Ridge United Baptist Church
Wolfville, NS, December 2005
Dan, I've started entering records for my church in the DONATION program I downloaded. From the 6-8 hours I've put in already, I've discovered that this program is simple, well thought-out for data entry, easy to use and just very nicely laid out.
I am a retired systems analyst. My church in years past has used purely manual means including a 2-part NCR form to handle the receipting process. My preference when I went looking for software (so I wouldn't have to build something myself) was to find some ** small ** one-purpose program that would do what I wanted, was quick to get running, and would handle just this one task -- entering weekly offerings and printing receipts. Inexpensive or free would be nice also.
I just wanted you to know I appreciate the product and if a retired data processing guy's opinion counts, I think you did a great job.
- John Keim
Peace Lutheran Church
Portland, OR, August 23, 2005
What a blessing you have been for all the people out there who have used DONATION.
Let me tell you how delighted I was with your program. I found it in an on-line search for an inexpensive (hopefully free) program to process the donations to our church. I WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED WITH EVERYTHING I WORKED WITH!!!! The range of information was incredible and very user friendly to learn and use! There was nothing I wanted that wasn't available.
From one very happy customer, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all your work and time!!!! Your contribution to the non-profit sector is invaluable and again, a HUGE BLESSING!!!
- Carol Brown, Past Treasurer
Parkway Pentecostal Church
Corunna, ON, May 1, 2005
I have looked at the application (as a software developer myself) and REALLY like it! Our church has been using a well known church software package for several years and we are dissatisfied with the contribution tracking. It also has much more than we need (Sunday School tracking, Visitor module, member directory, etc.) because our Treasurer handles the donation tracking away from the church. After downloading DONATION, I have successfully imported ALL of our donor information as well as ALL donations for the past 3 years. DONATION looks like just what we need. I will be recommending DONATION to all of the churches in our presbytery.
- Don Peters, Treasurer
Edgemont Presbyterian Church
Bristol, TN, February 7, 2005
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
I have been a church treasurer for 7 years and over that time I have built my own database for recording offerings. I am thrilled that you have made it easier. Your program has all of the features I built into my stuff but your program lets me jump back and forth between the information.
I love One Date Donations. The check is awesome. Our recording forms, which I have also built in a spreadsheet, are set up the same as the entry screen. It takes so little time and then the check before saving is awesome. I was having to go to a report to check the totals.
I am loving this. Thank you again.
- Ricki Faryna, Treasurer
Innisfail Baptist Church
Alberta, April 18, 2004
Greater Boston PFLAG is delighted with your DONATION software as a recording tool for our contributions. We have several tracks of funding and your format allows us to identify each donor by the usual data, as well as the individual's unique affiliation to PFLAG.
Thank you for making the program widely available. It is flexible and is very well thought out. It is just the level of complexity we need, and can handle. Again, we thank you.
- Gretchen Frasier, President
Greater Boston PFLAG
(Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
April 22, 2002
I would like to thank you again for the new password hierarchy. We won't be implementing it until the end of the year and I am sure it will work very well for us. Also, to my knowledge, this feature isn't available in any other program of this type. Our tellers have been using the program since the first of the year. Most of these people have computer skills of nil to very little and catch on to the program very quickly.
- Mike Howe
Mount Forest First Baptist Church
Mount Forest, ON, July 1, 2001
Just wanted to pass on kudos for a job well done. I just finished using your program to generate receipts for last year's donations. I also downloaded the latest version and checked out some of the new features. Pretty much everything that I could want is in there.
Lyndon R. Kok, Collector of Funds
Canadian Reformed Church at Calgary
Calgary, AB, February 20, 2001
Most important feature - IT WORKS FOR CANADIANS without customization. To find a Canadian product for a Canadian application is difficult, DONATION solves that dilemma. Easy access to the author is also a benefit.
- Iain Maciver, December 18, 2000
The program is extremely useful for maintaining memberships and donations. The best part of tracking donations is that donor lists may be generated by amounts so that fund raising can be tailored to specific donor levels. Generating the tax receipts in January is such a breeze. Just make sure your printer has enough paper and ink/toner.
- David Schumaker, December 18, 2000
The following is part of a review Richard Anderson did for a Presbyterian publication. Bits of his review that were just informational and can be found on other parts of this site were omitted.
Are you looking for a simple program to keep track of donations and to print approved charitable receipts? If you are, look no further than the free DONATION program written by Dan Cooperstock.
[list of features omitted]
There are many more features in the program that are all explained very clearly in the manual. This is a very user friendly program. Our envelope secretary, who will admit to not being computer literate, is using the program proficiently after only an hour of instruction.
Please make use of this free, easy to use and well-written program.
- Richard Anderson, Memorial Presbyterian Church,
Sylvan Lake, AB, November 20, 2000
I just had to send you a message to say "THANK-YOU" for creating such a terrific program to track donations! Throughout the years, our agency has had a very outdated, not-so-efficient method of maintaining donations. Things are so much better since we changed to your program! (Just thought you might like to hear this feedback re: your 'creation'.)
- Allyson Scott
Cambridge Association for the Mentally Handicapped
August 31, 2000
We are using DONATION 2.2 and the user loves it because it is so easy and fun for her to use. I love it because it is pretty much maintenance free and since it is so easy to use and so well documented I don't have to deal with any questions from the user. Thanks again for creating software the way it should be - elegant yet simple and functional.
- John R. Centofani
October 11, 1999
