Free software to manage in-kind donations at an NGO
By Antony Delgado · Updated Jul 24, 2026
When an NGO or a collection center starts receiving in-kind donations, the first tool is usually a spreadsheet. It works until it doesn't: it doesn't validate expiry dates, it doesn't generate labels or manifests, and it doesn't let you see the inventory of several points at once. This guide explains what to look for in free software that actually solves that.
What a good donation software should do
Item-level intake, not by bulk
It should capture each donation with category, batch and expiry, not just "3 boxes". Without this there's no real inventory visibility.
Traceability from box to shipment
Every box, pallet and shipment should have its code and its status history, so you always know where each thing is.
Exportable manifest
It should generate the customs packing list automatically, without re-entering data.
Built-in donation rules
It should validate expiry and block what can't be donated (expired or controlled medicines) at the moment of intake.
No personal data involved
It shouldn't force you to record donor or beneficiary PII: less legal risk and less friction.
Aggregation across centers
If you run more than one point, it should add up the stock of all of them in a single dashboard. That's the difference between an inventory and a coordination.
Why "free" shouldn't mean "basic"
Free software for the humanitarian sector doesn't have to be a stripped-down version. Araguaney is free for collection centers and offers the full standard: item-level intake, homogeneous boxes with QR codes, pallets, shipments with an exportable manifest, and a national dashboard that adds up the stock of every center. No licenses, no box limit, no servers to install.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free software to manage in-kind donations?
Yes. Araguaney is free for collection centers and humanitarian coordinations: item-level intake, boxes with QR, manifests and a national aggregated dashboard, with no license fee.
Is a spreadsheet enough instead of software?
For a single small center and a short time, it might be enough. But a spreadsheet doesn't validate donation rules, doesn't generate QR codes or manifests, and doesn't aggregate the stock of several centers, which is exactly what's needed when the operation grows.
Do I need to install anything or run my own servers?
No. Araguaney is a web application: you access it from the browser. Donation intake even works offline and syncs when the connection is back.
Can I use it for any kind of emergency?
Yes. Although it was born from a specific context, the standard is generic: earthquakes, floods, fires or migration crises. It isn't tied to a single event.
Start managing your donations with Araguaney, free
Coming from a spreadsheet? See Spreadsheet vs Araguaney side by side →