Custom Nonprofit CRM & Database System — Full Stack Developer

ABOUT US We are a small nonprofit organization seeking to replace our current CRM (Neon CRM) with a fully custom, open-source solution. We need a system that is intuitive for a non-technical team, flexible enough to grow with our organization, and built on open-source technology to keep costs low. We have prior experience with a custom SQL-based system paired with a front-facing web interface and are confident this approach suits our needs. WHAT WE NEED BUILT - Donor management & nurturing: donor profiles, giving history, communication logs, segmentation, and automated outreach sequences - Donation tracking: one-time and recurring donations, receipting, reporting, and payment gateway integration - Grant management: application intake, staff review/approval workflows, deadline tracking, and funder records - Program management: participant tracking, outcomes reporting, and program-level dashboards - Volunteer management: opportunity listings, sign-up, hours tracking, and communication - Email & newsletter tools: list management, template builder, scheduled sends, and open/click tracking - Calendar: team-facing event and deadline management integrated with the rest of the system; member specific calendar with upcoming events - Workflow automation: configurable triggers for reminders, follow-ups, task assignments, and status changes - Reporting & dashboards: exportable reports across all modules with visual summaries for leadership TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS IMPORTANT: Must be open-source stack. No proprietary SaaS platforms. Self-hostable. - Open-source relational database (PostgreSQL preferred) - Modern web framework for the front-end interface (React, Vue, or similar) - RESTful or GraphQL API backend - Role-based access control with staff permission levels - Responsive design — usable on desktop and tablet - Data migration from Neon CRM (we will provide export files) - Hosted on a VPS or cloud provider (open to discussion) - Clean documentation and handoff so we are not permanently dependent on one developer REQUIRED SKILLS PostgreSQL/MySQL, React or Vue.js, Node.js or Python, REST API design, Authentication/RBAC, Data migration, Linux/VPS hosting, UI/UX for non-technical users NICE TO HAVE Nonprofit sector experience, CRM development, Email API integration (SendGrid etc.), Payment gateway integration, Docker/CI-CD, familiarity with open-source CRM tools WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PROPOSAL 1. Links to similar projects — especially nonprofit, CRM, or custom database work 2. Your recommended tech stack and a brief explanation of why 3. How you would approach the data migration from Neon CRM 4. Estimated timeline broken into phases (discovery, build, testing, launch) 5. Your rate and preferred payment structure (fixed or hourly) 6. How you handle documentation and handoff at project end A NOTE FROM US We are a small, non-technical team counting on you to guide us through decisions about stack and architecture. We want a long-term partner, not just someone to build and disappear. Strong communication, honest timelines, and a willingness to explain things clearly matter as much as technical skill. We are open to starting with a paid discovery phase to properly scope the project.