We build digital solutions to fit you – not the other way round
You’ve got policies to publish, campaigns to launch, data to wrangle, stories to tell. The last thing you need is another clunky system that slows people down or puts your comms team in a tizzy.
As a custom software development agency, we design and build bespoke digital tools – web apps, mobile apps, backend systems – that do what they’re supposed to do, every day.
Specialising in software and app development for nonprofits, think tanks, public bodies, universities, and charities, we use open-source tech like Django and Wagtail to prototype early and build quickly. That means you get stable, scalable solutions delivered at pace, without compromising on quality. It also means your investment goes further, with less time lost to inefficiency and guesswork.
Who we’re here for
App and software development for nonprofits and mission-led orgs
Not all digital makers are built the same. Some do fintech. Some do ecommerce. We do purpose.
We help:
- Charities that want to drive deeper engagement and smarter fundraising
- Public bodies balancing compliance, accessibility and diverse user groups
- Universities running large-scale editorial teams and high-traffic platforms
- Think tanks and research groups juggling vast content archives and complex publishing needs
- Nonprofit software development challenges – bringing strategic clarity to messy systems, teams, and tools
We get your sector. We’ve partnered with clients such as ODI Global, Dementia UK, Girls Not Brides, and Power For Democracies. So whether you're building a research dashboard, donation flow, event app, or internal system to replace a creaky spreadsheet workaround, we’re already up the learning curve and ready to help.
What we build
You’ve got a mission, we’ve got your platform
Digital platforms should make things easier – for your team, users, and people you serve. Our bespoke software development and consulting puts accessibility, usability, and sustainability front and centre. Think of it like a perfectly tailored outfit: not off-the-rack, not over-engineered, but made to fit your organisation’s shape, goals, and pace – making it easier to move your mission forward and get your cause noticed.
Our custom-crafted systems are fit for real-world use, now and in the future:
- Bespoke web applications
- Cross-platform mobile apps
- Research dashboards and data portals
- Donation and fundraising systems
- Intranets, admin systems, internal platforms
- Educational games and learning tools
- Integrations with CRMs, databases, or third-party tools you already use
- Support, upgrades, and ongoing digital care
Every solution is bespoke, technically brilliant, and delivered with the long-long-term in mind – so your team can stop firefighting and focus on impact.
Tech stack
Real results, real-world impact
Case study:
North Yorkshire Police – Crucial Crew
Turning a 25-year-old safety education programme into an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure game for 10-year-olds. Delivered on time, on budget, and loved by teachers and kids alike.
How it works
Six steps to building your bespoke software
1. Get to grips
We start with discovery – digging into your goals, users, and what’s getting in the way.
2. Sketch it out
We turn what we’ve learned into user journeys, wireframes, and click-through prototypes, so you can see how it’ll work and give fast feedback before a single line of code gets written.
3. Make the thing
Once approved, our designers will turn the strategy into reality – working alongside our custom software developers to build clean, future-friendly code that does what it’s meant to do.
4. Populate and prep
We help your team add content themselves, so they can learn the ropes with hands-on practice. This way, it’s safe to populate the CMS without the fear of breaking anything – everyone feels calm, confident, and capable using it by launch.
5. Launch and learn
Going live isn’t the end. It’s where real learning starts. This is where we do all the testing as part of a calm, managed rollout – all without stressing you out.
6. Support and scale
Smart tweaks and enhancements – based on real feedback from your team and end users– are all part of building a sustainable platform for good. So, after launch, we stick around. Whether you need bug fixes, new features, or just another dev’s brain to pick, we’re here to help.
Why purpose-led teams choose Cursive
We might be a small team, but we’ve punched above our weight since 2017 – and we have serious staying power. That’s why mission-driven organisations come to us for specialist software or custom mobile application development, then partner with us to make sure they run like clockwork for the long run.
Here’s why we’re different from other custom software development companies:
We’re a truly creative custom software development agency – and we’ve been doing this for years. Our team of OG web builders were making the internet in the 90s – before app stores existed and “headless” meant what it sounds like. We move with the times, but that thoughtful, bottom-up approach to platform design and development is rooted firmly in our DNA.
Whether you’re envisioning a donation platform, data portal, or internal system, we’ve likely built something similar before. We’ve worked with think tanks, charities, research groups, and public bodies long enough to know what features matter, and how to build and maintain them. We truly understand governance sign-offs, content schedules, security audits, and the realities of a stretched digital team with a long to-do list.
Where other custom software development agencies ghost after go-live, we stick around. We’re still here, supporting clients we built for more than five years ago. We’re proactive. We check in. We keep things running. We stay until the job’s properly done – and then we stay longer. Our robust, intuitive tools grow with your organisation – all supported by a team of custom web software developers that care as much as you do.
It’s written in Python, built in Django, and brought to life in Wagtail. If you’re a dev, our software will feel like home. If you’re a digital team, it’ll feel like clarity. And if you’re an end user, you won’t even think about it – because getting where you need to be requires zero effort. We use this stack because it’s secure, scalable, endlessly flexible, and backed by an open-source community of developers. We’ve been building with it for years, and we know where it shines (and where it bites).
We’re a creative bunch of custom software developers, often including a layer of thoughtfulness in our designs: a small surprise, a moment of delight, a smile in the mind. Not bells and whistles for their own sake, but precise flourishes that make things clearer, smoother, or unexpectedly satisfying. There’s a beauty in restraint: smart, elegant functionality that quietly does its job – and then gives the user a little lift.
Robust security and absolute accessibility are vital for our clients. Anything less can erode trust and even breach compliance. This is why we make accessibility part of the plan from day one. We’ve passed every cyber penetration test. We document what we do and keep your systems easy to run – not reliant on “that one dev who remembers how it works.”
Bespoke app developers that don’t bolt post-launch
Your mission doesn’t pause after your software’s delivered, and neither do we. From discovery to design to deployment and beyond, our friendly custom application developers co-collaborate as your partners in progression.
You’ll have direct access to a small, steady, senior team who will:
- Stay responsive and transparent throughout the build
- Keep you in the loop with regular check-ins and demos
- Spot risks early and prevent small issues turning into big outages
- Respond to anything you need help with and find practical solutions
- Adapt to how you like to work - shaping scope around your budget and priorities, with flexibility where it makes sense
We’re easy to work with. You don’t have to chase us, explain everything twice, install your own plugins, or firefight bugs on your lunch break.
