Congregation Connect review (2026)
Salesforce-platform synagogue CRM from Shulware/Togetherwork for large congregations (750+ households), sold by demo/quote alongside the optional Kesef outsourced bookkeeping service.
Quick facts
- Published price
- Quote only
- Setup / onboarding
- not stated
- Payment processing
- not stated
- Target size
- 750+ households/members (vendor page)
- Region
- US (Atlanta HQ)
- Company
- Shulware, Two Ravinia Drive, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30346; (800) 242-8371. Kesef Accounting Service: P.O. Box 678, Montvale, NJ 07645 · since Product formerly 'Cloud for Synagogues' (reviewed under that name in the UJA/Idealware 2014 guide); Chaverware LLC/Shulware acquired it; Togetherwork bought Chaverware and Congregation Connect in 2017 (UJA 2018 guide)
Score: 42.0/100
Computed by the published rubric from the feature evidence below. 55% of feature fields verified.
Documented strengths
- Full Salesforce CRM extensibility and reporting
- Suited to large, staff-rich congregations
- Backed by Shulware/Togetherwork with Kesef bookkeeping available
Documented limitations
- No published pricing; per-user Salesforce licensing on top of support packages (2018)
- Requires Salesforce-savvy staff
- Small installed base (~50 in 2018)
- Billing, seating, honors, cemetery not evidenced on vendor page
Congregation Connect pricing
No price is published. Pricing model: quote.
Pricing model: quote. Terms: not stated. Vendor page shows no prices; 'Schedule Demo' only, claims 'lower total cost of ownership'. HISTORICAL (UJA 2018, Aug 2018 prices): priced per named user; Salesforce licenses required (10 free for qualified nonprofits, ~ $325/user/yr beyond); Congregation Connect support packages from $360/user/yr; add-ons member portal $1,300/yr, unlimited forms $1,000/yr, QuickBooks Online integration $1,200/yr. Source: https://shulware.com/shulware-congregation-connect, checked 2026-10-12 (vendor-page). Prices exclude payment-processing fees unless stated.
Feature coverage, with evidence
"Yes" means we found the capability described on a vendor page (linked). "Partial" means limited, add-on or third-party. "Not verified" means we could not find it documented; it may exist. Ask the vendor.
| Capability | Status | Notes and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Membership & household records | Yes | Constituents, members, donors, groups, households with a '360° view'. source |
| Yahrzeit tracking & reminders | Yes | Yahrzeit listed in the 'Connected Synagogue' feature set. source |
| Hebrew calendar integration | Not verified | Not mentioned. source |
| Dues, billing & receivables | Not verified | Billing/statements not described on the vendor page; donations tracked. Kesef can run AR as a service. source |
| Online payments | Not verified | Online forms are an add-on; payment processing not described. source |
| Donations, pledges & campaigns | Yes | Donations, fundraising, donor tracking. source |
| General ledger / fund accounting | No | No native GL; QuickBooks integration offered as an add-on (2018 guide: QuickBooks and Sage 50). Kesef provides bookkeeping as a service. source |
| QuickBooks integration | Yes | QuickBooks integration listed as an add-on. source |
| Religious school management | Partial | Classes and students tracked; no dedicated school/tuition module described. source |
| Events & registration | Yes | Events listed; Planning Center Online Resources add-on for rooms/resources. source |
| High Holiday seating | Not verified | Not mentioned. source |
| Honors, aliyot & gabbai tools | Not verified | Not mentioned. source |
| Cemetery management | Not verified | Not mentioned. source |
| Website / CMS | Not verified | Not mentioned (no website builder described). source |
| Email & newsletters | Yes | Marketing automation and email marketing add-on. source |
| SMS / texting | Not verified | Not mentioned. source |
| Member self-service portal | Yes | Congregant portals listed as an add-on. source |
| Mobile app | Not verified | Not mentioned (Salesforce mobile availability not claimed on page). source |
| API / data export | Partial | Salesforce platform: 'extendable by Force.com admins'; standard Salesforce APIs/exports implied but not stated. source |
| Automation & workflows | Yes | Marketing automation; Salesforce workflow customization. source |
Migration
Assistance: Testimonials mention implementation consultants; Shulware services page lists paid professional services and training (ShulCloud-focused).
Fees: not stated
source
Support & security
Channels: phone (800) 242-8371, demo/contact forms, training services (https://shulware.com/training). Hours: not stated. Training: Salesforce familiarity recommended; Shulware training services and webinars.. source
Security: Runs on Salesforce; no product-specific security statement on the vendor page. source
What independent sources say
Individual experiences, not survey data. Review platforms are sparse in this niche; treat counts under 20 as anecdotes.
- Salesforce AppExchange / Capterra / G2. No listing or reviews found as of 2026-10-12. source
- UJA-Federation NY / Idealware guide (Oct 2018). Historical: ~50 customers; support from $360/user/yr plus Salesforce licenses; 'works best when a synagogue has someone on staff familiar with Salesforce'. source
Questions to ask Congregation Connect before you sign
- Current per-user pricing and minimums
- Whether ShulCloud-style billing/statements exist natively
- Current customer count
Alternatives to Congregation Connect
| Product | Published price | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easyshul | Standard (congregations with more than 150 families) $349/mo | 80.5/100 | compare |
| ShulCloud | Standard ('ShulCloud without Financials') $161.99/mo; Premium ('ShulCloud with Financials') $313.99/mo; Enterprise ('The Complete ShulCloud') $464.99/mo; Small-shul Premium rate (signup checkbox) $97.99/mo | 78.5/100 | compare |
| Rakefet Online | RakefetOnline-CRM Annual - NEW USERS (year 1) $149/mo; RakefetOnline-CRM Annual - EXISTING USERS $90/mo | 78.0/100 | compare |
| MyShul | Standard $179/mo; Premium $310/mo; Enterprise ('most popular') $460/mo | 75.0/100 | compare |
Sources
- https://shulware.com/shulware-congregation-connect
- https://shulware.com/kesef-accounting
- https://shulware.com/about-us
- https://shulware.com/services
- https://www.jta.org/?p=1699215
- https://www.ujafedny.org/api/v2/assets/790731
- https://www.ujafedny.org/api/v2/assets/787024
Spotted an error? Vendors and users can request a correction; we re-verify and note the change.