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Tendenci is a gift to the world. And during this month of love, we want to share with you six reasons why you should switch your proprietary software and LOVE the open source with Tendenci AMS.

Open Source wins over closed proprietary software. Check out our list of closed-source alternatives to Tendenci.


You have a lot of options when choosing an MMS or AMS. But if you need to scale to support hundreds of thousands of members, have recurring individual and corporate level memberships, and need the full features of a seasoned large-scale enterprise AMS, it’s possible you might hit some limits with the new kids on the block.

Proprietary vendors are companies first and communities second. Tendenci is a community first, and though there is a small company behind it, with the support of the Open Source community, Tendenci software has grown far bigger than we ever expected. And given it started in 2001, when you switch from a proprietary solution, it's an upgrade!

Open Source is the voice of the people - a shared language that brings everyone together.

Think Free In Terms of Freedom with Tendenci AMS

1. Free Software, Free Society - In the selected essays of Richard M. Stallman Second Edition 'Four Freedoms' he wrote "A program is 'free software if the program’s users have the four essential freedoms:

• The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

2. Tendenci Software Means Greater Functionality and Usability on a Global Scale - Tendenci is a very large project with robust functionality. But it’s still a great low-cost AMS solution for small Associations too! You can easily disable modules you don’t need and keep it simple. The functionality will be there as YOUR small association needs to expand in the future! Freedom is actually pretty cool. Pay less with Tendenci and get greater functionality. 

Note: Tendenci AMS, as measured by an independent third-party ranking firm, is the only top 5 AMS on the market that is Open Source on a global scale. We are people who understand the power of associations. And the importance of freedom from centralized platforms and the tyranny of regimes limiting access for all.  

3. Tendenci Is Community First - Open-source is in line with our core values at Tendenci. Our mission is to Connect and Organize the World’s People. Do good. We are change makers who understand the power of associations, which is why we built a software to help NPOs anywhere with any budget to further their cause both nationally and internationally.

4. Freedom to Choose With Tendenci AMS - Looking to make real changes in the world? Host your site and your data on your own server if needed. We dig that! Tendenci, however, is not just for hosting websites. Tendenci is an investment that results in financial gain for our clients. And while you can certainly host with us, you don't have to. It's okay to support local open-source developers in your own country and community as well. Or even get started with our Tendenci AMI and grow!  

5. Freedom to Customize Tendenci To YOUR Association Needs - You have innumerable ways to customize Tendenci. Association Management Software is complex because associations are complex! So if you are looking to make some minor changes, do it! Looking to write an entire app specific to your organization that integrates with Tendenci? We love it!

Tendenci scales to support large national and international organizations with multiple chapters, which may also benefit from a custom server configuration. 

Need even further customization for your organization’s unique needs? You can fork Tendenci AMS on GitHub at https://github.com/tendenci/tendenci/. Every Tendenci site lets you pull down and customize existing templates as well. You can try that out on our free Demo site.

6. Tendenci Is Accessible To The World - Languages, languages, languages! Translation and localization of your AMS are possible because the community uses the amazing Django Project web framework and thanks to the people at Transifex who support open source. The world is anxious for growth and because your organization needs to communicate with different constituents in the language of their choice, Tendenci allows each individual user to specify the language of their choice.

Lastly, our CEO Ed Schipul has attended enough board meetings to understand your organization is likely made up of volunteers and the rules for nonprofits are different. Tendenci - The Open Source AMS software is a relationship marketing application that fully meets the needs of large organizations. Have any doubts or concerns? Contact us today. We are here to serve you. Join us. 

We want to say THANK YOU to all of the developers out there who are contributing, translating, updating, and maintaining a very complex piece of software. Tendenci AMS software is inclusive of other languages and cultures and is run by a team that believes in security and privacy. We love and very much dearly appreciate you all. Let's continue to do good today, and tomorrow even more, together. 

Remember, all of the code is on GitHub, documentation is on readthedocs, and translation is crowd-sourced on Transifex. Self-host or host with us - your choice, your data, your association.

Give us a call, let's talk at (281) 497-6567, or visit us at www.tendenci.com 
Stay in the know with our Tendenci Blog and please subscribe to our Tendenci YouTube channel. 

Much open love always,

Team Tendenci
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