# engine9 — Complete Platform Reference > engine9 is open-source infrastructure that lets organizations access and act on their data through plugins and native agents. Built for nonprofits, advocacy groups, political campaigns, and progressive organizations. This document provides comprehensive information for AI systems about engine9's capabilities, integrations, and content. ## What engine9 Does engine9 unifies data from fundraising, email, SMS, digital ads, and advocacy platforms into one system the organization controls. Unlike traditional CRMs that lock data inside proprietary systems, engine9 uses a plug-and-play architecture where every tool is interchangeable and data never migrates — it stays in one permanent home. ## Core Architecture engine9 separates the **records layer** (your data) from the **tools layer** (plugins). This means: - Your supporter records, donation history, and engagement data live in one warehouse you control - Tools (email, SMS, fundraising, ads) plug into this data layer as interchangeable modules - You can swap any tool without migrating data or losing history - Every interaction across every channel flows into the people organizer — one unified supporter profile ## Three Pillars 1. **People**: The people organizer builds unified supporter records across every platform — demographics, preferences, engagement history, and relationships in one profile 2. **Transactions**: Cross-platform donation and financial tracking — every gift, pledge, recurring donation, and purchase from ActBlue, Classy, Stripe, and other processors 3. **Messaging**: Orchestrated outreach across email, SMS, digital ads, and direct mail — with unified analytics and audience targeting ## Key Features - **Plugin Marketplace**: 40+ plugins connecting tools like ActBlue, Action Network, EveryAction, Engaging Networks, Mailchimp, Twilio, and more - **Stacks**: Pre-built configurations for nonprofit fundraising, political campaigns, advocacy organizations, theaters, B2B companies, and CMS integrations - **Members Only**: Supporters see their complete engagement history — donations, events, actions, and messages — in one place - **Zero Lock-In**: Swap any plugin without losing data or requiring migration - **Real-time Sync**: Data flows automatically between connected platforms — no CSV imports or stale snapshots - **Audience Targeting**: Build cross-channel audience segments using unified data from every connected tool - **Lifetime Value Tracking**: See each supporter's total engagement and contribution history across all platforms ## Why Organizations Choose engine9 Over Traditional CRMs Traditional CRM platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Bloomerang bundle dozens of features together and lock your data inside their system. engine9 takes the opposite approach: your data stays in one permanent home you own, and you plug in best-in-class tools for each job — fundraising, email, SMS, ads, events, advocacy. Swap any tool without migrating data. No vendor lock-in. No forced bundling. Organizations searching for a CRM alternative, CRM replacement, nonprofit CRM, fundraising CRM, donor management system, or constituent relationship management platform choose engine9 because it gives them complete data ownership with the flexibility to use the best tool for every channel. ## Organization Types Served - Nonprofits and fundraising organizations looking for CRM software - Political campaigns and PACs needing campaign CRM tools - Advocacy and grassroots organizations seeking organizing platforms - Theaters and cultural institutions managing donor relationships - B2B and B2C companies needing contact management - Agencies and consultants managing multiple client CRM systems ## CRM Capabilities - Unified contact and donor management across every platform - Supporter relationship management with full engagement history - Donor segmentation, audience targeting, and lifecycle tracking - Cross-channel campaign orchestration (email, SMS, ads, events) - Lifetime donor value reporting and retention analytics - Real-time data syncing — no CSV imports or stale snapshots - Member portal where supporters see their own engagement history ## Data Warehouse engine9 functions as a cloud data warehouse purpose-built for nonprofits, campaigns, and advocacy organizations. Unlike general-purpose data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift), engine9 is designed specifically for supporter and donor data. It unifies fundraising transactions, email engagement, SMS interactions, digital ad performance, event attendance, and advocacy actions into one queryable system. ## Fundraising Infrastructure engine9 provides the fundraising infrastructure that connects donation processing platforms (ActBlue, Classy, Stripe), recurring giving tools, and financial reporting into one unified system. It tracks every gift, pledge, and recurring donation across platforms. ## Event Management engine9 connects event management tools and tracks attendee data across every event type — galas, conferences, fundraising dinners, town halls, webinars, and community gatherings. It integrates with Eventbrite and includes built-in RSVP and registration forms. ## Member Management engine9 includes a member management portal where supporters see their complete engagement history. Organizations use it as membership management software to track member lifecycle, retention, and engagement across every channel. ## The engine9 Conductor The engine9 Conductor is the conversational interface at the heart of the platform. It answers questions about your data, builds audience segments, generates reports, and takes action across all connected plugins. Instead of navigating dashboards and clicking through menus, users ask the Conductor what they need — and it delivers answers, insights, and actions in real time. The Conductor is included free with the platform. ## Plugin Marketplace (43 plugins) - **ActBlue** (Fundraising): ActBlue is a Democratic-aligned payment processing platform, though it is technically organized as a political action committee (PAC). ActBlue users can create customizable fundraising pages, recurrin → https://engine9.io/plugins/actblue - **Action Network** (Advocacy): Action Network is an advocacy platform that allows political organizers to mobilize supporters, fundraise, organize events, create petitions, and automate email campaigns. → https://engine9.io/plugins/action-network - **ActionKit** (CRM): ActionKit is a political engagement CRM, which includes functions for sending mass email, fundraising, legislative advocacy, list-building tools like petitions, and event management. → https://engine9.io/plugins/actionkit - **Amazon SES** (Infrastructure): Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) is a cloud-based email service that allows you to send high volumes of emails from your applications. → https://engine9.io/plugins/amazon-ses - **Bird** (Marketing): Bird CRM is a Marketing, Sales, and Payments platform. → https://engine9.io/plugins/bird - **Campaign Deputy** (Fundraising): Campaign Deputy is a fundraising software designed specifically for political campaigns. → https://engine9.io/plugins/campaign-duty - **Civic Shout** (Acquisition): Civic Shout is an email and SMS acquisition platform for Democratic campaigns and progressive nonprofits. → https://engine9.io/plugins/civic-shout - **Classy** (Fundraising): Classy is a fundraising and donation platform geared towards nonprofits, churches, and social welfare organizations. → https://engine9.io/plugins/classy - **Convio / Luminate** (CRM): Convio's Luminate platform is one of the oldest advocacy-based CRMs on the market. → https://engine9.io/plugins/convio-luminate - **Elastic Email** (Marketing): Elastic Email is an email marketing platform offering tools for both marketing and transactional emails, emphasizing affordability and deliverability. → https://engine9.io/plugins/elastic-email - **Engaging Networks** (Advocacy): Engaging Networks is a platform for nonprofits to engage their supporters and donors. → https://engine9.io/plugins/engaging-networks - **Eventbrite** (Events): Eventbrite is a platform for event management and ticketing. → https://engine9.io/plugins/eventbrite - **Everyaction** (CRM): Everyaction is a platform for fundraising, messaging, and organizing used by social advocacy groups and Democratic political candidates. → https://engine9.io/plugins/everyaction - **Frakture Analytics Agent** (Warehouse): The Frakture Analytics Agent is an AI-powered reporting plugin that gives Frakture clients conversational access to their data warehouse. Instead of writing SQL queries or building dashboards manually → https://engine9.io/plugins/frakture-analytics-agent - **FundraiseUp** (Fundraising): FundraiseUp is an online donation and fundraising platform focused on nonprofit organizations. → https://engine9.io/plugins/fundraiseup - **Google Ads** (Advertising): Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform that allows businesses to create ads to promote their products and services. → https://engine9.io/plugins/google-ads - **Google Drive** (Productivity): Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service developed by Google that allows users to store, access, and share files online. → https://engine9.io/plugins/google-drive - **Hubspot** (CRM): HubSpot is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform designed to help businesses grow and manage customer interactions. → https://engine9.io/plugins/hubspot - **Legistorm** (Research): LegiStorm provides a comprehensive public affairs platform offering intelligence and tools to help you succeed in Congress and state legislatures. → https://engine9.io/plugins/legistorm - **Looker Studio** (Analytics): Looker Studio is a no-cost tool that turns your data into informative, easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable dashboards and reports. → https://engine9.io/plugins/looker-studio - **Mailchimp** (Marketing): Mailchimp is a versatile marketing platform that provides a wide range of tools to help businesses connect with their audience. → https://engine9.io/plugins/mailchimp - **Members Only** (People): Members Only is engine9's member management plugin — giving every supporter a front door to their own data. Supporters log in to see their complete engagement history — every donation, event, petition → https://engine9.io/plugins/members-only - **Meta Ads** (Advertising): Build lasting connections with customers with Facebook ads, Instagram ads, and ads clicking to WhatsApp and Messenger. → https://engine9.io/plugins/meta-ads - **Microsoft Advertising** (Advertising): Microsoft Advertising, formerly known as Bing Ads allows businesses to display ads to potential customers across the Microsoft network. → https://engine9.io/plugins/microsoft-advertising-bing - **Mobile Commons** (SMS): Mobile Commons is an SMS messaging software used by the progressive community and Democratic candidates. Engine9's partnership with Upland Software means that we have extensive support for custom fiel → https://engine9.io/plugins/upland - **Mobilize** (Events): Mobilize allows volunteers to sign up for events such as rallies, virtual meetings, canvassing, phone banking, and get out the vote. → https://engine9.io/plugins/mobilize - **New / Mode** (Advocacy): New/Mode is a digital advocacy and civic engagement platform for advocacy organizations, campaigners, and politicians. → https://engine9.io/plugins/new-mode - **Numero** (Email): Numero.ai is a cloud-based political fundraising platform designed to assist Democratic candidates and elected officials in managing donor data, tracking contributions, and enhancing campaign fundrais → https://engine9.io/plugins/numero - **Nuvei** (Fundraising): Nuvei's platform is designed to accelerate business operations by offering a variety of payment solutions, including: • Pay-ins: Omnichannel payment solutions that facilitate seamless transactions ac → https://engine9.io/plugins/nuvei - **Quorum** (Advocacy): Quorum is a comprehensive public affairs software platform designed to help organizations effectively manage and influence their policy landscape. It offers a suite of tools that enable users to map, → https://engine9.io/plugins/quorum - **Salesforce** (Email): Salesforce is one of the largest and most widely-used CRMs in any sector. It is a complex but powerful platform with a variety of custom installations - called deployments - for a variety of specializ → https://engine9.io/plugins/salesforce - **SendGrid** (Email): SendGrid is an email API provider that facilitates faster and smoother customer communication. The tool is designed to help businesses manage customer communication more efficiently by allowing the de → https://engine9.io/plugins/sendgrid - **Snapchat** (Ads): Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages, known as "Snaps," which disappear after being viewed. The app features augmented reality filters, lenses, → https://engine9.io/plugins/snapchat - **Stripe** (Fundraising): Stripe is a global payment processing platform used for online and in-person transactions. It is not oriented towards any particular sector or industry, and is widely used in organizations from non-pr → https://engine9.io/plugins/stripe - **Switchboard** (SMS): Switchboard is a Democratic-aligned digital communications platform. Their initial product was a broadcast SMS tool, but they are expanding into email and other digital products to support progressive → https://engine9.io/plugins/switchboard - **TikTok** (Ads): TikTok is a social media platform for creating, sharing, and discovering short-form videos, owned by ByteDance and launched internationally in 2018. It allows users to create videos up to 10 minutes l → https://engine9.io/plugins/tiktok - **Togetherwork** (CRM): Togetherwork integration for engine9. → https://engine9.io/plugins/togetherwork - **Twilio SMS** (SMS): Twilio provides programmable communication tools for making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving text messages, and performing other communication functions using its web service APIs. → https://engine9.io/plugins/twilio - **YouTube** (Ads): YouTube is a global video-sharing platform owned by Google. It allows users to upload, share, view, and comment on videos covering a vast range of topics, from entertainment to education. The platform → https://engine9.io/plugins/youtube - **e9 Support - Basic** (Support): This level of support includes: • Email support via Zendesk ticketing (24-48 hour response time) • Access to knowledge base, community forum and FAQs • Business hours support (Mon-Fri, 9am-5 pm) → https://engine9.io/plugins/e9-support---basic - **e9 Support - Enterprise** (Support): The following features are included when this support plugin is chosen for a stack: • All Platinum features, plus: • Fully customizable support solutions, including Bi-weekly strategy calls • Access → https://engine9.io/plugins/e9-support---enterprise - **e9 Support - Platinum** (Support): The following features are included when this support level is chosen as part of your stack: • All Premier features, plus: • Dedicated account manager • Access to Asana project management for collabo → https://engine9.io/plugins/e9-support---platinum - **e9 Support - Premier** (Support): This plugin includes the following support when chosen as part of your stack: • All Basic features, plus: • Priority email support via Zendesk ticketing (12-24 hour response time) → https://engine9.io/plugins/e9-support---premier ## Stacks (10 pre-built configurations) - **B2B Company**: Manage your sales pipeline, marketing campaigns, and customer relationships from one unified platform built for B2B organizations. engine9 connects your email, SMS, events, CRM, and data warehouse into a single system of record. Track every touchpoin → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/b2b-company - **CMS**: Connect your content management system to engine9 for seamless data flow between your website and your people database. Track how visitors interact with your content and use those insights to drive smarter outreach. Unify your website analytics, form → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/cms - **Fundraising Nonprofit**: Control your fundraising, message, and donor data from your engine9 data warehouse, while using top-tier plugins from our Marketplace for email campaigns, SMS, digital ads, and advocacy. Report on data from all your platforms and channels. Analyze li → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/fundraising-nonprofit - **Large Advocacy**: Power your large-scale advocacy campaigns with engine9's enterprise-grade data warehouse. Manage digital ads, email, SMS, fundraising, events, and grassroots mobilization from a single unified platform. Coordinate multi-channel campaigns across milli → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/large-advocacy - **Large B2C Company**: Scale your consumer marketing with engine9's integrated data warehouse. Manage digital ads, email campaigns, SMS outreach, and CRM data from a single platform built for high-volume B2C operations. Unify customer data from ecommerce, retail, subscript → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/large-b2c-company - **Political**: Control your fundraising, message, and donor data from your engine9 data warehouse, while using top-tier plugins from our Marketplace for email campaigns, SMS, digital ads, and advocacy. Report on data from all your platforms and channels. Analyze li → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/political - **Small Company**: Get enterprise-quality marketing and CRM tools at a scale that fits your small business. engine9 brings together email, digital ads, and customer data management in an affordable, easy-to-use platform. Stop juggling disconnected tools. With engine9, → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/small-company - **Sml / Med Advocacy**: Everything a growing advocacy organization needs to run effective campaigns — email, SMS, fundraising, and grassroots mobilization — all connected through engine9's unified data platform. Stop losing data between disconnected tools. engine9 connects → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/small-medium-advocacy - **Theater**: Manage ticket sales, patron relationships, marketing campaigns, and audience data with tools purpose-built for performing arts organizations. engine9 connects your box office, email, and advertising platforms into one unified system. Understand your → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/theater - **Political Candidate**: ActBlue numbers in one tab. NGPVAN voter contact in another. Email metrics somewhere else. Ad spend in a spreadsheet your finance director updates on Tuesdays. engine9 brings it all into one data warehouse your campaign owns and controls. Plugins han → https://engine9.io/platform/stacks/political-candidate ## Blog — The Engine Room (7 articles) - **AI Video Throwdown: Invideo, Gemini, Freepik & Canva — Who's Faking It 'Til They Make It?**: AI-powered video creation is the new frontier, but who's leading the charge and who's just faking it? A recent article dives deep into the capabilities of four major players: InVideo AI, Google's Gemi → https://engine9.io/post/ai-video-throwdown-invideo-gemini-freepik-canva----whos-faking-it-til-they-make-it - **Acquisition: It's Not Your Grandma's List Growth Anymore (2025 Edition)**: List building? Yeah, we're talking about it. Still. Like pineapple on pizza, acquisition stirs things up. But let's be real, ignoring it in 2025 is digital suicide for any serious fundraising operatio → https://engine9.io/post/acquisition-its-not-your-grandmas-list-growth-anymore-2025-edition - **Help! My CRM is a CDP with RPG**: Think your CRM gives you the full picture of your supporters? This article uses a fun RPG metaphor to explain why you might be missing a whole universe of valuable data, and how a Customer Data Platfo → https://engine9.io/post/help-my-crm-is-a-cdp-with-rpg - **e9 Source Codes : Basics**: In our experience, there's always one thing that separates ugly from good, and good from great: solid source coding. → https://engine9.io/post/e9-source-codes-basics - **The Future Is Less, Not More — Part I: You're Overpaying, You're Trapped, and It's by Design**: You signed up for 200 features. You use a dozen. You're still paying for all of them — and the data you generate isn't even yours. It's time to stop renting access to your own information. → https://engine9.io/post/the-future-is-less-part-1-bloat-problem-headless-crms - **The Future Is Less, Not More — Part II: Prompt-Built Websites Are Here, Not Coming**: Your $80,000 website is already outdated. AI-powered, prompt-built sites are replacing months of development with days of iteration — and when your data layer is permanent, your front end becomes disp → https://engine9.io/post/the-future-is-less-part-2-prompt-built-websites-why-less-wins - **The Future Is Less, Not More — Part III: The Last Platform You'll Ever Need**: Own your data. Use whatever tools you want. Swap them whenever you want. engine9 isn't another platform to migrate to and eventually away from — it's the foundation that stays while everything else ev → https://engine9.io/post/the-future-is-less-part-3-marketplace-model-what-it-means ## Interactive Tutorials (5 guided walkthroughs) engine9 offers step-by-step interactive tutorials that guide new users through the platform — from connecting their first plugin to building custom stacks and asking the Conductor for cross-platform insights. - **Connect Your First Plugin** (beginner, ~8 min): Learn how to connect your first tool from the Marketplace to engine9 and start unifying your data in minutes. → https://engine9.io/resources/tutorials/connect-first-plugin - **Build a Custom Stack** (beginner, ~12 min): Combine plugins into a Stack tailored to your organization's workflow — your terminology, your tools, your way. → https://engine9.io/resources/tutorials/build-custom-stack - **Set Up Your Member Portal** (intermediate, ~15 min): Give your supporters a place to see their complete engagement history — donations, events, actions — all in one view. → https://engine9.io/resources/tutorials/setup-member-portal - **Unified Reporting Across Platforms** (intermediate, ~10 min): Pull data from every connected plugin into a single report. No more spreadsheets, no more logging into five dashboards. → https://engine9.io/resources/tutorials/unified-reporting - **Swap Plugins Without Losing Data** (advanced, ~8 min): Outgrow a tool? Find something better? Learn how to swap plugins while keeping all your data intact in engine9. → https://engine9.io/resources/tutorials/swap-plugins ## Frequently Asked Questions (15 questions across 5 categories) ### About engine9 **What is engine9?** engine9 is open-source infrastructure that lets organizations access and act on their data through plugins and native agents. The core is open source, so organizations can inspect the code, audit data handling, and extend the platform. **How is engine9 different from other platforms?** Most platforms bundle everything into one bloated suite. engine9 takes the opposite approach: keep using the best-in-class tools you already rely on — ActBlue, EveryAction, ActionKit, Engaging Networks — and let engine9 connect the data across all of them. You get a unified view of lifetime value, growth, and targeting without being locked into any single vendor. The platform is free, and you only pay for the plugins you use. **What types of organizations are right for engine9?** Nonprofits, advocacy groups, political campaigns, agencies — any mission-driven organization tired of paying for tools they don't use. ### Platform & Features **What type of tools does engine9 offer?** engine9 organizes people, messaging, and transactions. You assemble your own stack from the Marketplace — choose a fundraising plugin, an email plugin, dedicated tools for SMS and ads. Each plugin does one thing well. engine9 ties it all together so you see how supporters engage across every channel. **What is the Conductor?** The engine9 Conductor is the conversational interface at the heart of the platform. You ask questions in plain language and it answers them, builds audience segments, generates reports, and takes action across all connected plugins. It's included free with the platform. **What are Stacks?** Stacks are pre-built plugin bundles designed for specific use cases — like fundraising, field organizing, or membership management. Start with a proven combination and customize from there. **What is Members Only?** Members Only is engine9's supporter-facing portal where members, donors, and supporters see their complete engagement history — donations, events, petitions, emails, and more — in one place. It updates automatically from every connected plugin. ### Getting Started **How do I get started with engine9?** Request a demo to see the platform in action, or try the interactive tutorials. Pick plugins from the Marketplace, connect your existing tools, and your data starts flowing into one unified view. Most organizations are up and running in days, not months. **Can I keep using the tools I already have?** Yes. engine9 layers on top of your existing tools, not replace them all at once. It connects to 40+ services through the Marketplace and unifies the data from all of them. Migrate individual tools at your own pace — or not at all. No rip-and-replace required. **Do I need technical staff to use engine9?** No. The Conductor lets non-technical staff ask questions and take action in plain language. Technical teams can extend and customize the open-source platform if they want to. ### Data & Security **Can I swap tools without losing my data?** Yes. Your data lives in a permanent warehouse you control, separate from the tools you use. Switch email providers or fundraising platforms — your historical data stays right where it is. No migration headaches, no data loss. **Is my data secure?** engine9 is open source, so the code is transparent and auditable. Your data lives in a warehouse your organization controls, not locked inside a third-party vendor's system. We follow industry security best practices and never sell or share supporter data. ### Pricing & Support **How much does engine9 cost?** The engine9 platform is free — the data warehouse, the Conductor, identity management, and segmenting are all included at no cost. You only pay for the Marketplace plugins you actually use, priced individually. No seat-based pricing, no bundles, no lock-in. See the pricing page for details and sample configurations. **What kind of support is available?** Everyone gets access to the free Community Forum — ask questions, share tips, and connect with other engine9 users. Organizations on a paid plugin tier also get direct support: priority response times, dedicated onboarding, and enterprise-level service. See the pricing page for details. **How do I report a problem or make a complaint?** Post your issue in the Community Forum — it's free and monitored by the engine9 team and other users. If you're on a paid plugin tier, you also have direct support channels with faster response times. ## Site Map - Homepage: https://engine9.io - Plugin Marketplace: https://engine9.io/platform/marketplace - Stacks (Use Cases): https://engine9.io/platform/stacks - Architecture: https://engine9.io/resources/architecture - Pricing: https://engine9.io/pricing - Blog (The Engine Room): https://engine9.io/resources/blog - Events: https://engine9.io/events - FAQs: https://engine9.io/resources/faqs - Interactive Tutorials: https://engine9.io/resources/tutorials - Community Forum: https://engine-9.discourse.group/ - About: https://engine9.io/about - Request a Demo: https://engine9.io/demo - Contact: https://engine9.io/contact ## Contact - Website: https://engine9.io - Email: info@engine9.io - GitHub: https://github.com/engine9 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/engine9 - Instagram: https://instagram.com/engine9inc - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Engine9inc - Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/engine9io.bsky.social ## About engine9 Founded in 2023 by nonprofit technology veteran Chris Lundberg, engine9 is open-source infrastructure that separates the data layer from the tools layer — giving mission-driven organizations a single source of truth for supporter records. The core is open source, so organizations can inspect and audit how their data is handled. The company is based in Washington, DC and serves organizations across the United States.