The Complete Membership Management Platform for Associations?
To handle members, payments and events you need software that does all those things in one system.
WildApricot is a single system for membership management, event registration, payment processing, and website building for non-profits and membership-based organizations.
Small nonprofits often use multiple non-integrated tools to manage their donors, email campaigns and online payments.
This article explores WildApricot’s main features, pricing and how it stacks up against membership management software.
The platform offers customized membership applications, member directory, automated invoicing, and responsive formats compatible with all devices.
Organizations can assess the software with a free trial before committing to a subscription tier.
What Is WildApricot?
WildApricot is a membership management software designed to meet the needs of small to mid-sized nonprofits, associations, and membership organizations.
Comprehensive software for managing member databases, payments, events, and everything else a membership needs.
Organizations can become familiar with the website builder that allows them to create pages only for members and public-facing sites without technical know-how.
Organizations can personalize membership applications, create member directories, and set up different membership levels or tiers for various types of members.
Core features include:
- Member database management and tracking
- Online payment processing and invoicing
- Event management and registration
- Email marketing and newsletter tools
- Automated administrative tasks
- Mobile app for member engagement
WildApricot enables payment processing via its integrated payment processors so that any organization can secure online payment for membership dues, event registration and donations.
The system will create invoices and trace payments.
The software provides event management functionality which include registration, ticketing and attendee tracking.
A member directory can be personalized so that members can see relevant contact information to connect with one another.
Templates for membership applications and email communications are available to organizations.
The platform has the automation features to minimize the amount of admin work you need to do manually.
These include automated renewal reminders, welcome emails, and more.
Organizations looking to evaluate the software can avail of a free trial period, while customers receive support through Software Advice and direct channels.
WildApricot Core Functionality
WildApricot gives you an all-in-one solution for managing members, content, events, communications, and finance.
The software combines these functions into one system for membership-based organizations.
Membership Management
WildApricot has a membership database that stores contact information, membership level, renewal date and activity in one place.
Administrators have the ability to create unlimited levels of membership with different price, benefit and renewal terms.
The system sends reminders to members before expiry and automates the membership renewals.
Members are able to renew online using a self-service portal.
Organizations may design multi-year memberships, family memberships, and bundle offerings that offer event access or other benefits. (18 words)
Member directories can be customized by member organizations to show specific contact details and profile fields.
The admins of the site control the visibility settings of the directory to determine if the information shows to the public, members only, or certain levels of members only.
Members are able to edit their own profiles, which lessens the administrative task burden.
You can customize membership applications using custom fields, dropdowns, checkboxes and file uploads.
The applications will automatically be processed by system or routed to manual approval as per organization.
Content Management
Organizations can build and manage a website easily without knowing any code using the website builder.
Through a visual editor, users choose templates that they customize by editing layout, colors, fonts, and page structures.
Content areas can be created by organizations that restrict logins by membership.
The system grants access rights depending on membership gradients, allowing different content for each gradient.
You can choose a template for Landing Page, Event Listing, Photo Gallery, Blog Post, etc.
Platform makes responsive websites automatically for mobile devices.
Organizations can utilize HTML embed codes to add menus and widgets, sidebars and integration of the tool.
Event Management
Tools for creating events can design single-day events, multi-day conferences, workshops, and recurring events.
Event administrators can set registration limits, early bird pricing, member and non-member rates, and multiple ticket types.
Attendee information is gathered using forms that are customizable.
An individual may register more than one attendee in a single transaction under the same registration type. In addition, a single registrant can choose sessions for a multi-track event.
The system keeps track of attendance, sends confirmation emails and generate check-in lists.
A COMPLETE STEP-BY-STEP CHEATSHEET
TO CREATING, LAUNCHING & GROWING A SUCCESSFUL MEMBERSHIP WEBSITE
The schedules, speakers, venue, and map are all on event pages.
The waitlist function automatically notifies registrants when spots become available.
Organizations can provide discounts with coupon codes or bundle event registration with membership purchases.
Email Management
WildApricot has email marketing tools for newsletters, announcements and more.
By using Drag & Drop editors or their library of templates, users get started in seconds.
You can use personalization tokens to insert member names, membership levels, and custom field data in your message.
You can segment your email lists by membership level, renewal date, event attendance, or any field in your database.
Administrators can send emails to selected recipients immediately or schedule them.
This platform monitors open rates and click-throughs, as well as bounces for every campaign.
Email workflows that are automated send messages triggered by an action.
All new members will get a welcome email, renewal reminders get sent on a timed basis, and a confirmation of registration for an event will be sent after they register.
Organizations can implement drip campaigns that send out weekly emails.
Payment Processing And Management
It processes credit card, bank transfer, and check or other offline payment method payments.
WildApricot connects with Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net and other payment processors for secure payments.
Organizations can create invoices for membership fees, activity registrations, or store items.
The system keeps track of payment history and outstanding balances, and it sends reminders for overdue invoices.
Members can view their payment history in the member portal.
The financial reports categorically outline revenue by membership level, event, or time period.
Transaction data can be exported by admins to Excel or accounting software.
The organization has the capacity to calculate taxes and operate in different currencies.
Payments made over the internet can take place on a one-time, subscription, or installment basis.
Organizations have adopted automated billing for annual membership and monthly payment plans.
WildApricot Pricing Structure
WildApricot provides five pricing levels according to the number of contacts an organization manages.
The 60-day free trial for new users to check out features before opting for a paid plan.
The pricing tiers are structured as follows:
| Plan | Contacts | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Up to 50 | $0 | $0 |
| Personal Plus | Up to 100 | $60 | $600 |
| Group | Up to 250 | $125 | $1,250 |
| Community | Up to 500 | $240 | $2,400 |
| Professional | Up to 2,000 | $500 | $5,000 |
For those organizations with a need for more than 2,000 contacts, custom enterprise pricing is available.
When you pay annually, you get a two-month discount compared to monthly.
Every premium plan that you choose to take comes with the essential features. These include website creation, membership database, event management, online payments, email newsletter and many others.
The free version has enough functionality for a small start-up business.
Premium plans offer extra admin accounts and more storage space.
Payment processing fees are charged separately through WildApricot’s business account or third-party processors.
Organizations can enhance or lessen their plans as their membership grows or changes.
Depending on the size of your organization, the scale of the rates makes it reasonably priced for smaller non-profits and larger per-member membership organization.
Contact limits dictate a premium tier selection. Organizations must analyze projected growth and select tier.
Strategic Considerations You Need To Know?
Organizations must assess the size of their current member database and anticipated growth before selecting a membership management software.
A tool designed to accommodate 100 users is unlikely to perform well at 5,000 users, due to extra costs or limitations of functionality.
Budget planning includes more than just subscription fees.
When budgeting your application costs, your organization should consider payment processing rates, transaction fees and any potential costs for premium features.
Some platforms charge fees per contact and the fees increase as you add more members.
The following factors require careful assessment:
- Integration capabilities with existing tools (accounting software, email platforms, donor management systems)
- Data migration complexity from spreadsheets or legacy systems
- Staff technical proficiency and available time for setup and training
- Customization needs for membership levels, application forms, and member directories
- Mobile accessibility requirements for members and administrators
Organizations must use the platforms of such vendors through free trials to get the actual experience.
The reviews and ratings from Software Advice provide information to help compare products, but hands-on testing reveals whether the interface matches your workflow needs.
A payment processor that is compatible can speed setup and reduce costs in the long run.
Certain platforms need certain processors but others allow you to use multiple options.
Organizations using specific payment systems should ensure integration works.
Choosing between comprehensive solutions and specialized tools depends on priorities of firms.
Membership databases, event management, website builder and email marketing are combined in Wild Apricot.
While specialized tools provide more depth in specific areas, they frequently require expensive subscriptions and manual data coordination.
What Are The Leading Competition And Options?
Organizations in search of alternatives to Wild Apricot can pick from various solid membership management solutions available, each one offering unique characteristics for nonprofits, associations and other organizations based on membership.
Mix and match from a selection of member databases, event management, payment processing and messaging tools.
MemberClick
MemberClick is a robust association management software that is designed for chambers of commerce, trade associations, and membership organizations.
The system offers a complete membership management and event registration capability, plus email marketing and website builder functionality.
Automated billing and invoice generation in the software assist the admin staff in handling renewals payments and processing.
With fully-customizable member directories organizations can create searchable online databases that respond to member queries through an online interface.
MemberClick offers integrated tools for managing registrations, collecting payments, and tracking attendees.
The platform supports multiple membership levels and tiers while allowing the organization to tailor membership applications.
The program includes tools for email marketing and newsletter creation, so communication is already built-in.
The software has customer service support and has templates for common association tasks.
Organizations can manage donor information alongside membership data, though the fundraising capabilities are more limited compared to specialized donor management platforms.
LifterLMS (WP-Tonic)
LifterLMS is learning management system available in WordPress that extends membership functionality through membership plugins.
The platform operates within the WordPress ecosystem, making it ideal for those organizations who rely on WordPress for their web applications.
The system manages the delivery of online courses, controls membership access, and protects content.
Organizations have the option to create membership tiers that will grant access to certain courses.
With the help of popular payment processors, the platform can support online transactional and subscription fees.
The automation of course enrollment and onboarding of members is done by LifteeLMS.
With mobile app support, members can access learning materials from multiple devices.
Most organizations to use this membership system with other WordPress plugins for complete membership management including events registration and members’ directory.
There is customer support provided through WP-Tonic and you can also get templates for course and membership site designs.
Working through WordPress admin interfaces is relatively simple and easy.
Neon One (Neon CRM)
Neon One is a nonprofit CRM bundled with fundraising, membership, and event management in one place.
Small to mid-sized nonprofits that need an all-in-one donor management and membership tracking solution.
The platform manages membership databases containing comprehensive member profiles, custom fields, and segmentation choices.
The process allows integrating one-time and recurring payments, with automatic reminders and invoices generation.
Each membership type can be customized with varying dues structures and corresponding benefits.
Online registration, Ticketing, and attendance tracking are event management tools.
The fundraising module has donation pages, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor communications tools that work alongside membership features.
The email marketing and newsletter features can be used to send emails based on membership, engagement, or other factors.
Neon One provides you with a website builder with templates for nonprofits and membership organizations.
The platform features reporting tools to track memberships, retention and revenue levels.
Customer support via telephone, e-mail or the internet.
The software offers multiple pricing tiers depending on the needs of the organization.
LearnDash (WP-Tonic)
LearnDash counts as a WordPress Learning Management System with membership site capabilities via plugin integration. “Organizations utilize it for delivering online courses and managing member access and memberships.”
The platform enables drip-fed content, quizzes, certificates, and course prerequisites. Together with other membership plugins like MemberPress, it creates a complete membership system.
Various tiers of membership can have access to particular learning tracks or courses. Selling courses or subscriptions is done through major processors, integrated with the payment processing.
The system automates enrollment, course completion alerts, and membership renewal processes. Through other WordPress plug-ins, organizations can create member directories and manage membership applications.
LearnDash mobile courses are responsive and usable on mobile devices. Members always get notified via email about the course’s progress and new things added to it.
Organizations looking for a customized solution can pick the platform that requires more technical arrangement than standalone membership software. Customer support is provided by LearnDash & WP-Tonic.
HubSpot
Many organizations use HubSpot’s CRM and marketing automation to manage membership. The software does a great job managing contacts, email marketing and member engagement tracking.
The free plan offers simple CRM capabilities, a contact database, and email marketing with a limit of 2,000 sends. Paid tiers include advanced automation and custom reporting among others.
Custom properties help organizations keep track of membership status, renewal dates, and membership levels. Tools for managing email marketing support newsletters, automated campaigns, and members’ behaviour-based personalised messaging.
The platform connects with payment processors as well as event management tools, although these are via third parties. Forms and landing pages in HubSpot can be used for memberships and events.
The system tracks when members interact with emails, visit website or download content. Using this admin users can create workflows that will set members up, remind you of renewals and put campaigns in place to get members engaged.
Although HubSpot doesn’t have any specific features for membership organizations like member directories or native event management, its automation and integrations are powerful. The standard of customer support differs from plan to plan.
MemberPress
The MemberPress WordPress Membership Plugin can transform Wordpress website into Membership management website. Membership subscriptions, content protection, and payment processing are managed within WordPress by the software.
You can have prices and rules for the customers and members through membership levels. Payment processing integrates with leading processors such as Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, etc. for secure online payment processing.
Renewal and expiry emails will save admin time. The built-in reporting will help you track membership revenue, active members, and subscription status.
The system connects with email marketing services and can manage member database through WordPress user roles. Organizations can create membership applications with custom fields and approval workflows.
The site offers templates and edit options for membership pages, login screens, and account management pages. Event managers need other plugins, however, MemperPress integrates well with popular WordPress events.
You can create member directories using directory plugins. The program is mobile-friendly by deploying responsive design and automating frequently used membership functionality.
The level of license you acquire will determine the documentation, the forums, and the journals.
The one-time pricing model has a cost advantage over subscription-based alternatives for some organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wild Apricot and why do nonprofits and associations use it?
A cloud-based membership administration system, Wild Apricot helps associations and nonprofits manage their member base, events, payments and websites. It includes membership management tools, an event management module, email marketing and financial management tools among other features, into one software solution, making it easy for nonprofits to get membership efforts organized, build a website, and improve member experience. Wild Apricot is used by nonprofit organizations and associations. Because it makes member management easy. In addition, it allows users to set up their own membership types and application workflow. Moreover, nonprofits benefit from one platform instead of multiple tools.
How do Wildapricot reviews rate its membership management and management features?
Wildapricot reviews and user opinion often praise the platform’s intuitive nature, member application form tools, and reporting capabilities. MembersMagic Reviewers like the customizable membership features. They also commend the customer support team and consolidated management of your members and member data. Some user reviews mention the lack of advanced financial management functionality or deep customization available in enterprise systems. However, the a great tool for nonprofits, many users conclude that it is the best nonprofit membership management software and ideal solution for small to mid-sized nonprofits and associations.
Can nonprofits use Wild Apricot to accept applications, payments, and manage events?
Yeah. With Wild Apricot, you have the ability to create your own customizable membership application form, accept online payments, and run an event management module that handles registrations, tickets and event communications. The platform offers financial tracking tools that integrate with payment processors; email templates and automation help let members know about events, renewals and other activities. Integrating membership and event management into one system helps organizations boost member retention and enhance admin work.
Does Wild Apricot offer a free trial and how easy is it to get started?
The plans of Wild Apricot usually involve a free trial of 30 days so you can test it out. Throughout the trial, you can access to membership management features, customize membership levels, import member data, build a site with templates and play around with email marketing and reporting. A lot of nonprofits found onboarding, support resources, and responsive customer support to be easy to get started with. The trial also allows many nonprofits to determine whether it meets their needs for membership management software.
How customizable is Wild Apricot for different nonprofit needs and member experiences?
Wild Apricot allows organizations to customize the membership type as well as the membership application forms, email templates and website theme. Have members update their profiles – for event registrations or to access restricted content, it’s a great member experience! This system is one of the best membership management software for any nonprofit organization but mostly the small to medium size. Given their highly specialized workflows, larger nonprofits may wish to evaluate deeper customizations, or integration with other systems.
What reporting, support and long-term benefits do nonprofits get from using Wild Apricot?
Wild Apricot membership management software comes equipped with reporting capabilities that help you monitor the growth of your membership, financials and event successes. The platform is designed for nonprofits so they can use it effectively with responsive customer support, active community and help resources. Wild Apricot is a member management system for nonprofits that is easy to use and affordable, making it a solution of choice for many nonprofits. It is more than just a member list, it is also email marketing and financial tools. It helps nonprofits managers members, improve services and scale operations. As a result, the solution saves time, combines workflows and helps grow member bases.
Source: https://wildapricot.com/solutions/nonprofit-member-management-system-video
Final Thoughts
Wild Apricot is an effective choice for nonprofits of small to medium size looking for an all-in-one membership management solution. A unified platform with essential features like member databases, event registrations and payment processing, among others.
It will be helpful for organization that focuses on ease of use. This software avoids using multiple platforms to manage your website, send emails and collect payments.
Teams can test functionality before committing owing to customer support resources and available free trial.
Key strengths include:
- Integrated website builder and member directories
- Automated membership renewals and invoice generation
- Event management tools with registration capabilities
- Email marketing and newsletter functions
- Mobile-responsive design
The platform aids membership organizations that require dependable admin functionality without overcomplexity. Associations have the option to customize their membership levels and tiers to align with their organizational structure.
Integrations with payment processors can handle online payments other than Excel tracking.
The Software Advice ratings reflect that users have had positive experience with the system’s automation and directory features. This app can also be accessed on Mobile.
While donor management and fundraising tools bring added value to revenue generating nonprofits.
During the trial period, organizations should measure their precise requirements vs the features of Wild Apricot. The components of member application process, management functionality and association management software allow for the streamlining of admin tasks for teams of all sizes.
