CyberGrants vs. Benevity: Which one is best for your company?

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform can help you do more for important causes, helping you identify and connect with partners, monitor impact, and drive more charitable contributions. When it comes to comparing CSR software, many companies face the choice between CyberGrants and Benevity. They both offer extensive features, but each has unique strengths.

CyberGrants, now part of Bonterra, is a unified CSR and Employee Engagement platform that emphasizes flexible grant workflows, market-leading analytics, and offers enterprise-scale configuration options. Benevity is known for its strong employee engagement features and its integrated donation and volunteering ecosystem. The tool that’s best for your company will depend on your organization’s size, the maturity of your CSR strategy, and your goals.

We’ve broken down the two platforms, including key features and strengths, to answer the question: Is CyberGrants or Benevity better?

First, take a look at this quick breakdown: 

	Bonterra CyberGrants	Benevity
Primary strength	Unified, configurable, agile platform	Employee engagement
Features	Grant lifecycle management, stakeholder engagement, reporting and analytics, strong configurability, employee engagement	Employee giving, volunteer management, grant management
User experience (UX)	User-friendly, efficient, easy to navigate, some administrative process challenges	Intuitive interface, mobile accessibility, can be glitchy, customer support may be lacking
Integrations	HR systems like Workday, AP systems like SAP, Snowflake data sharing, Custom integrations available	Workday, Salesforce, Omatic, Giving API
Reporting	Industry-leading reporting, Insights Dashboards, Benchmarking Tools, Impact Report Scheduler	Ad Hoc Reporting, Donor Reports, Reporting Suite, Reporting Upgrade
Pricing	Custom	Custom

What is CyberGrants?

Best for: Large companies seeking customizable, flexible CSR supportConsiderations: Some training is required for optimal use

Bonterra CyberGrants is one of the best CSR software options, offering everything from grants to employee giving to volunteer programs in a single place. It’s customizable for large-scale enterprise needs, making it ideal for companies with complex workflows. Notable companies that have used CyberGrants include The Walt Disney Company and Bank of America. 

Grant management is where Bonterra CyberGrants really excels, offering end-to-end support throughout the grant lifecycle. It also includes strong employee engagement features to help companies grow their giving and volunteer programs. It may require more training initially, but its robust capabilities and reporting features deliver meaningful impact.

User experience

• User-friendly
• Efficient
• Easy to navigate
• Minor administrative process challenges

Integrations

• HR systems like Workday, UKG, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle People Soft, and ADP
• AP systems like SAP
• Snowflake data sharing
• Custom integrations available

Reporting

• Industry-leading reporting
• Insights dashboards
• Benchmarking tools 
• Impact report scheduler

Features

• Grant lifecycle management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Reporting and analytics
• Strong configurability

Pricing: Custom

What is Benevity?

Best for: Companies prioritizing employee engagement
Considerations: Can be costly if you need to buy add-ons for more complex needs

Benevity is built around engaging employees in social initiatives through corporate giving, volunteer opportunities, and grantmaking. Features include donation matching, payroll deductions, and volunteer management. 

With Benevity, companies get a user-friendly platform that connects employees and nonprofits to simplify engagement and a culture of purpose. Grant management is also available, but full functionality requires an additional module. 

User experience

• Intuitive interface
• Mobile accessibility
• Can be glitchy
• Customer support may be lacking

Integrations

• Workday
• Salesforce
• Omatic 
• Giving API

Reporting

• Ad Hoc reporting
• Donor reports
• Reporting suite 
• Reporting upgrade

Features

• Employee giving
• Volunteer management
• Grant management

Pricing: Custom pricing

Benevity vs. CyberGrants: Main differences 

Below are some key differences between the two platforms.

Grant management 

Companies looking for the best grant management software need a solution that can handle the end-to-end grant lifecycle, while also offering customization and flexibility to fit their workflows. That’s where Bonterra CyberGrants shines.

Bonterra CyberGrants is built to allow businesses to configure their workflows and automate administrative overhead. It combines this advanced configuration ability with full grantmaking support, letting you handle application intake, reviews and approvals, and budget and disbursement tracking — in the way that works best for your organization. 

Benevity supports grant management, too, with the ability to handle applications, approvals, and reporting. However, full functionality may require an add-on module, and it’s not as flexible as a dedicated grant management platform. 

Due to the high level of customization and configuration, CyberGrants is the clear winner for grant management. 

Employee engagement 

Benevity often earns praise for employee engagement features like donation matching, volunteer tracking, and encouraging employee participation. Benevity Causes connects companies with nonprofits and employees for corporate giving, and you can handle multiple giving methods, such as payroll deductions or matching gift programs. It also lets companies create meaningful volunteer opportunities and track employee participation metrics. 

CyberGrants also offers robust engagement tools, and it’s especially useful for larger companies because it easily scales across large or global teams. With CyberGrants, you can configure engagement programs the way you need, then manage giving, volunteering, and more. In fact, clients report 13% higher employee participation and 42% larger average gifts with CyberGrants. 

Both Benevity and CyberGrants have a lot to offer when it comes to employee engagement, but CyberGrants offers more extensive configuration and scale. 

Support and user experience

When implementing and using a CSR platform, having a user-friendly system and accessible support is essential. Both Benevity and CyberGrants deliver great support and usability.

Benevity may be easier to use for smaller businesses or those with fewer technical resources. It consistently scores highly in customer reviews for ease of use and access to support. 

Because CyberGrants offers more scalability and configuration options, there is a slightly steeper learning curve. This means you’ll need to train employees and administrators, but helpful support is available. The CyberGrants team provides comprehensive onboarding, data migration, and support, making it the top choice. 

Integration options

Both Benevity and CyberGrants integrate with key software tools like HR systems, payroll tools, and more, so you can sync information across platforms. 

Benevity integrates with Workday to automate payroll giving and user profile management. It also integrates with tools like DocuSign and Okta. 

CyberGrants integrates with the rest of the Bonterra ecosystem, and it also supports integrations with HR, financial, and payroll tools. It may require more setup effort due to its complexity, but this also means it can accommodate more complex integrations and workflows, making it an ideal choice for many businesses.   

Reporting and analytics

Benevity provides analytics and dashboards that show information on giving, volunteering, and granting. You can create and customize reports based on your needs, helping you make informed decisions and measure impact. There are also standard reports available to help you get started. 

CyberGrants offers real-time dashboards and benchmarking, so it’s easy to see exactly what is and isn’t yet working, and continuously improve outcomes. You can generate in-depth reports and visualizations to demonstrate your impact, and you can use these insights to tell your story to stakeholders and strengthen stakeholder confidence and future investments.

Learn more about CyberGrants Insights reporting tool here. 

Pricing structure

While neither Benevity nor CyberGrants publicly discloses their pricing, they both offer custom pricing models. 

CyberGrants offers multiple plan options, including Bonterra CyberGrants Enterprise, Bonterra CyberGrants Employee Engagement, and Bonterra CyberGrants Grants Management. Learn more about what’s included in each package here. 

Benevity’s pricing is based on your needs, with some additional features available as an add-on.

Choosing the right platform for your company

When assessing CyberGrants vs. Benevity to determine the right CSR platform, you must understand your unique needs. Consider these factors as you evaluate and choose CSR software:

• Company size and stage: A large enterprise or complex, global company likely needs more configurability. Smaller businesses typically benefit from a simpler, more out-of-the-box system.
• Priorities: If your priority is employee participation and engagement, you might consider a tool that focuses on those areas. However, if you’re prioritizing complex grant programs, a tool like CyberGrants is the stronger option.
• Budget: Evaluate available pricing options or gather quotes that include your future plans and scale. 
• Integration needs: Investigate which platforms best integrate with other software you use, like HRIS or payroll systems.

There’s no one-size-fits-all CSR platform, but Bonterra CyberGrants blends advanced configurability with full support, letting you execute, grow, and show the impact of your CSR programs. If you’re ready to create more meaningful and impactful CSR programs, try CyberGrants today.

FAQ

How does Benevity work?

Benevity helps companies engage employees in social initiatives like charitable giving, volunteering, and other ways to make an impact. They do this through a platform that connects employees with opportunities to give back, streamlining participation and integrating with HR and payroll systems. 

Which platform is better suited for small to mid-sized companies?

Benevity may be a better fit for small to mid-sized companies, as it offers a user-friendly interface and a strong focus on employee engagement. 

However, because CyberGrants is more customizable, it works well for larger enterprises and growing companies that need flexibility. 

How long does it take to implement CyberGrants for a new program?

The implementation timeline for CyberGrants depends on the complexity of your company and programs. This includes full support throughout the process of setup, customization, and testing. 

What types of companies typically use Benevity?

Benevity is popular among businesses with robust employee engagement programs. These range from small to mid-sized companies to larger enterprises, including users like Apple, Nike, and Wells Fargo. 

How does CyberGrants ensure the legitimacy of nonprofits in its platform? 

CyberGrants has a comprehensive, multi-step process to vet nonprofits. They use tools like the IRS Business Master File, the NCES database, and watch lists to validate organizations’ credentials and tax status, and alignment with CSR goals. This helps ensure initiatives support trusted nonprofit partners.