Harlequin Software

What Harlequin Software does

Harlequin Software Ltd is a UK-based, family-run private limited company founded in 1986 by Tom and Kate Ellis that develops integrated CRM and finance software exclusively for the UK charity and NHS sectors. The company's product suite comprises five offerings: CRM Web (a cloud-based CRM on Microsoft Azure using a single-database-per-client private-cloud architecture, launched January 2025), CRM Server (a server-based CRM built on Microsoft SQL Server and .NET technologies, available as perpetual license with optional hosted deployment), Charitable Accounting (a fully SORP-compliant accounting system for NHS charitable accountants), Patients' Monies (specialist software for NHS Trusts managing the fiscal affairs of long-term patients), and FT Membership (Foundation Trust membership administration). Optional add-on modules cover Events, Merchandise, Bookings, Volunteers, and a Design tool for custom screens. The platform serves more than 350 organizations using Harlequin CRM products and over 70 organizations using Charitable Accounting, with named customers spanning NHS Foundation Trusts (UHCW, Royal Devon, North Midlands, Homerton Hope, Northumberland Tyne & Wear), hospices, veterans' charities (Poppy Factory, Stoll Foundation, Forces Pension Society), faith and heritage organizations (Gloucester Cathedral, Bluebell Railway), assistance-dog charities (Hounds for Heroes, Medical Detection Dogs), and international membership bodies (ACWW across 82 countries). Customer retention is reported at 99% year-on-year for Charitable Accounting, and the company has ranked highest in Fundraising Magazine's Charity CRM Software Survey for 14+ consecutive years.

The business model combines subscription recurring revenue, perpetual licensing, maintenance contracts, and implementation/training services. CRM Web is sold via monthly or annual subscription tiers priced by contact volume, ranging from £275/month for 2,500 contacts up to £750/month for 45,000 contacts (with a 5% annual pre-pay discount and quote-based enterprise pricing above 50,000 contacts). CRM Server is sold as a perpetual license with separately purchasable modules, and Charitable Accounting is offered as a standalone product or integrated with CRM. Post-implementation, the company sells maintenance contracts bundling telephone/email and on-site support, standard upgrades, user group membership, and newsletters. Implementation, data migration, and training are delivered entirely by an in-house team, which the company positions as a differentiator against outsourced competitors. Distribution is direct-to-customer via phone-based inside sales (01672 541 541), website demo booking, and a heavy reliance on peer referrals within the UK charity and NHS sectors; geographic focus is the UK domestic market.

Strategic momentum in 2025 has centered on the cloud transition and ecosystem integration: the January 2025 launch of CRM Web was followed by four feature releases on the cloud platform (Events Module in June 2025, GiftAid Management and Promotional Items Manager in July 2025), and a major May 2025 update to CRM Server introduced native API integrations with JustGiving, Stripe, and Enthuse alongside an Import Design Tool. The leadership team remains family-anchored (Tom Ellis as Managing Director, Kate Ellis as Director, their son Dominic Ellis as Director of System Innovation), with long-tenured operational leaders including Martin Hills (Head of Product and Operations, 27+ years) and Steve Dunn (Head of Development). The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or parent entities.

Name

Harlequin Software

Legal name

Harlequin Software Ltd

Website

https://harlequinsoftware.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Harlequin Software is a UK-based, family-run software vendor founded in 1986 providing integrated CRM, fundraising, and SORP-compliant finance software for the UK charity and NHS sectors, serving 350+ organizations via its CRM Web, CRM Server, and Charitable Accounting products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity CRM Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Patient Relationship Management (PRM) & CRM for Provider Growth (Marketing/Outreach) (HLACAEAO)

Keywords

• Charity CRM software
• Fundraising management software
• Charity accounting software
• NHS patient monies software
• Donor management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Baydon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. CRM Software Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription pricing for CRM Web based on number of contacts. Tiers range from 2,500 contacts (£275/month) up to 45,000 contacts (£750/month). 5% discount for annual pre-pay.
2. Maintenance and Support Contracts: After initial bedding-in period, maintenance contracts offered including telephone/email support, online or on-site support, standard upgrades and service packs, Harlequin User Group membership and regular newsletters.
3. CRM Server Licenses: On-premise or hosted server-based CRM with additional purchasable modules including Events, Merchandise, Bookings, Volunteers and Design.
4. Implementation and Training Services: Full implementation service including installation, data migration, and training carried out by in-house team.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Harlequin Software develops and sells integrated CRM, fundraising and finance software for UK charities and NHS organisations. Its portfolio includes CRM Web (a cloud-based charity CRM on Microsoft Azure), CRM Server (an on-premise or hosted CRM), Charitable Accounting (SORP-compliant accounting for NHS charities), Patients' Monies (specialist software for NHS Trusts managing long-term patient finances), and FT Membership (Foundation Trust membership management).

Product overview

Harlequin Software offers an integrated suite of charity and healthcare management software comprising three core products: CRM Web (cloud-based), CRM Server (server-based), and Charitable Accounting, supplemented by two NHS-specialist solutions: Patients' Monies and FT Membership. CRM Web and CRM Server share compatible functionality and can integrate with Charitable Accounting for unified charity management. The CRM platforms offer optional add-on modules including Events, Merchandise, Bookings, Volunteers, and Design. The company provides in-house services for implementation, training, and support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRM Web: Cloud-based charity CRM system launched in 2025, described as fast, intuitive, and accessible.
• CRM Server
• Harlequin Charitable Accounting
• Patients' Monies
• FT Membership

Products and services

• Harlequin CRM Web Cloud-based charity CRM platform providing fast, intuitive, accessible donor and fundraising management with smart navigation, built-in workflows and secure cloud access for UK charities and non-profits.
• Harlequin CRM Server Server-based, functionally rich CRM platform for fundraising, donor, membership and stakeholder management, available on-premise or hosted, built on Microsoft SQL Server and .NET, with native API integrations to JustGiving, Stripe and Enthuse.
• Harlequin Charitable Accounting SORP-compliant accounting system designed for NHS charitable accountants, producing annual accounts, fund manager statements and management reports for charity fund management.
• Harlequin Patients' Monies Specialist accounting solution for NHS Trusts to manage the fiscal affairs of long-term patients in their care, including benefits, pensions, expenditure, bank reconciliation and property registers.
• Harlequin FT Membership Foundation Trust membership software enabling NHS Foundation Trust managers to manage membership engagement, governor relationships, demographic tracking and communication with public and staff members.

Quantifiable outcome

• UHCW Charity tripled income from £360,000 to over £1,000,000 in three years using integrated CRM and Charitable Accounting
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JustGivingcoreTechnology or Integration · 30 March 2025API integration allowing users to directly fetch donation data from JustGiving into Harlequin CRM Server batch processing, eliminating manual importing and ensuring real-time updates.
• StripecoreTechnology or Integration · 30 March 2025API integration allowing users to directly fetch payment and transaction data from Stripe into Harlequin CRM Server batch processing for streamlined reconciliation.
• EnthusecoreTechnology or Integration · 30 March 2025API integration allowing users to directly fetch fundraising event and donation data from Enthuse platform into Harlequin CRM Server batch processing.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or Integration · 30 March 2025Cloud infrastructure provider for CRM Web platform, using single database per client (private cloud) rather than multi-tenant architecture.
• Microsoft SQL ServercoreTechnology or Integration · 30 March 2025Database technology underlying Harlequin CRM Server platform using Microsoft SQL Server relational database and .NET technologies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bonterra: Cloud-native nonprofit software suite (formed from Network for Good, EveryAction, GivingDays). Comparable in CRM, fundraising, and donor management for charities, with a modern SaaS architecture that contrasts with Harlequin's legacy server stack.
• DonorPerfect: Long-standing nonprofit CRM and fundraising platform used by thousands of charities. Comparable in donor management, gift processing, and reporting for small-to-mid charities; an incumbent alternative Harlequin may compete against in renewal situations.
• Beacon CRM: UK-focused nonprofit CRM widely adopted by mid-sized UK charities. Directly comparable in product scope (donor, fundraising, membership) and UK regulatory context, positioning it as Harlequin's closest direct competitor in the British charity CRM market.
• Donorfy: UK-based cloud CRM built specifically for small and mid-sized charities. Directly comparable to Harlequin CRM Web in target customer (UK nonprofits), cloud-native delivery model, and fundraising/donor management focus — represents the modern competitor Harlequin's 2025 cloud launch must outpace.
• CharityEngine: All-in-one nonprofit CRM with fundraising, email, events, and payments modules. Comparable in bundled feature set targeting small-to-mid charities, particularly in North America, and a relevant benchmark for Harlequin's CRM Web module strategy.
• Funraise: Cloud fundraising CRM aimed at mid-market and enterprise nonprofits. Comparable in donor management, online giving, and supporter engagement functionality; poses a credible cloud-first alternative to Harlequin's newer CRM Web.
• Virtuous Software: Modern nonprofit CRM with fundraising, marketing automation, and donor journey tools. Comparable in CRM and fundraising scope and a leading example of the cloud-native UX bar that Harlequin's CRM Web must match.

Broad incumbents

• Blackbaud: US-headquartered incumbent offering Raiser's Edge, eTapestry, and Financial Edge NXT for nonprofits. Major global competitor in fundraising and nonprofit finance software; competes for larger UK charities and NHS Foundations that need accounting, CRM, and payments in one suite.
• Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit: Microsoft's nonprofit-focused bundle across Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Azure. Comparable as an incumbent alternative for charities already standardised on Microsoft; relevant given Harlequin itself is built on the Microsoft stack.
• Salesforce (NPSP / Nonprofit Cloud): Global CRM leader with a dedicated Nonprofit Success Pack and Nonprofit Cloud. Competes indirectly by offering a broader, more customizable platform; relevant for larger UK charities and NHS-linked organisations that may standardise on the Salesforce ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HarlequinSoftwareCRM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harlequin-software-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harlequin Software