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Now more than ever, charities need affordable, innovative nonprofit software to help organize and streamline their efforts and make more impact. From donor management to team collaboration, technology enables growth, and free fundraising software makes it affordable.
In this blog, we’ll cover the best free software for nonprofit organizations to help save time and money, including the following categories:
Free CRM and donor management nonprofit software
Free AI nonprofit software
Free website builder nonprofit software
Free document editing & graphics nonprofit software
Free form building nonprofit software
Free accounting nonprofit software
Free fundraising nonprofit software
Free email marketing nonprofit software
Free social media marketing nonprofit software
Free event management & registration nonprofit software
Free task and project management software
Free file-sharing nonprofit software
Free communication nonprofit software
Free automation nonprofit software
10 free essential nonprofit software solutions
If you’re looking at the charts above and thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of nonprofit software options!” You are right. While the abundance of support for nonprofit organizations is something to celebrate, we also get that it may be overwhelming to choose.
Below are some tools we love for nonprofits looking to build their nonprofit tech stack for the essential elements of online fundraising.
Zeffy
Trusted by 10,000+ nonprofits throughout North America, Zeffy is the best free fundraising software for nonprofits. With all the tools necessary for creating the most impact possible — from donor management to custom donation pages — Zeffy is a true free all-in-one platform.
Zeffy's simple, powerful, and completely free solutions helps changemakers everywhere make more impact for less. Designed for any nonprofit looking to improve donor relationships, Zeffy is simple to use and incredibly effective, especially for small and medium-sized nonprofits on a budget.
With prompts, helpful customer support, and dozens of tools for managing donors and amplifying fundraising efforts, Zeffy is a 100% free nonprofit fundraising software solution designed to help you do more good for less.
How can you use Zeffy's 100% free nonprofit software solution?
- Completely free online donations and fundraising (plus no payment processing fee)
- Customizable donation pages and donation software
- Peer to peer fundraising campaigns
- Collect donations through Tap to pay
- E-commerce tools/online store for nonprofits
- Unlimited customer service
- Process donations with top-rated security
- Flexible payment processing (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.)
- Accept various donation amounts in just a few clicks
- Event management and ticket sales
Free plan limitations:
Zeffy is a 100% free fundraising software. There are no platform or transaction fees. Nonprofits never have to pay extra for access to premium features.
While every other platform takes fees away from your mission, Zeffy delivers 100% of it to your nonprofit.
Google Suite
Google Suite offers collaborative nonprofit software tools for document editing, making it easy for nonprofit teams to work together on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real-time. The set of tools keeps all team members on the same page (sometimes literally!) and organizes all work in one cloud-based space that travels with them from their personal phones and computers to workplace devices.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Upload documents into one place
- Collaborate on the same document (Google Docs and Google Sheets)
- Use live chat to work with team members
- Onboard new staff and volunteers
- Use Google Calendar
- Organization for grant proposals
- Donor management
- Tap into the latest AI features, Gemini for Google Workspace
Free plan limitations:
Google Suite’s free plan limits the storage, support, number of meeting participants, and security measures. Google workspace is also separate from Google Analytics and Google Console which create channels for targeted marketing. To upgrade, plans start at a low cost of $6 per user/month.
Canva
Canva offers graphic design-specific nonprofit software tools that enable nonprofits to create visually engaging materials for social media, presentations, and marketing campaigns without the need for a skilled graphic designer. Canva for nonprofits has over 250,000 free templates, from websites to presentations and swag like t-shirts and stickers.
The best part is that Canva is also collaborative, so you can easily review designs across teams and share a login for various needs. All designs are accessible online from any device you log into so repurposing what you love and what feels true to your brand is simpler than ever.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Build websites
- Build proposals
- Create graphics for social media posts
- Create brochures and pamphlets
- Create infographics
- Get magic suggestions for design and content ideas
- Establish a brand kit for consistency
Free plan limitations:
Free plan subscribers don’t have access to as many advanced features like background remover, brand kits, and social media scheduling. To upgrade from the free fundraising software, paid plans start at $15/month/per user. However, eligible organizations with nonprofit status also have access to a Canva discount.
Jotform
JotForm, with its intuitive interface, simplifies the process of creating and managing online forms for various purposes, including event registrations, surveys, and donation collection.
Specific nonprofit forms and templates are available to help your team get what the information you need without the time it takes to customize a form or donation page. Everything is customizable, yet templates are simple enough to plug and play.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Create an online donation form
- Create event registration forms
- Create and send fundraiser invitations
- Themed online fundraising pages
- Donor management
- Manage volunteers through automated volunteer registrations and signup sheets
- Visualize data to present to board members
- Convert data into a PDF to support annual reports
Free plan includes:
Jotform’s fee plan restricts the number of forms users can create and the number of form views per month a form can receive. It also restricts the number of fields and users. Plans start at $34/month, but verified nonprofits can apply for a 50% discount on any paid plan.
Mailchimp
MailChimp is a widely used email marketing platform that offers intuitive tools for nonprofits to design and send professional emails, manage subscriber lists, and track campaign performance. The tool also integrates into many popular website builders, which may make it easier to track information and deliver a strong donor experience.
For more options, check out this article on the best MailChimp alternatives for nonprofits.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Launch an SMS marketing campaign
- View data analytics for emails
- Conduct A/B testing
- Ability to stay in constant contact with supporters
- Donor management solution
- Streamline omnichannel marketing
- Use subject line helper
Free plan limitations:
Mailchimp’s free plan restricts the number of emails that can be sent, the number of email receivers, as well as access to support, templates, and more advanced tools. Paid pricing starts at $13+/month; however, Mailchimp also offers a 15% discount to nonprofits.
Buffer
Buffer simplifies social media scheduling and management, allowing nonprofits to plan and schedule posts across different platforms to maintain a consistent online presence. With smaller teams or lean resources, nonprofits can make the most of their time with a consistent online presence to engage donors effectively.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Plan and publish content for all social channels
- Repurpose content
- Schedule content
- Create a content calendar
- Ability to stay in constant contact with supporters
- Analyze content performance
Free plan limitations:
Buffer’s free service includes essential planning and publishing tools, including up to 10 scheduled posts and fewer engagement and insights tools.
Plans start at $5 / month for one channel, include access to more advanced features like analytic reports, engagement tools, and custom permissions. The platform also offers a 50% discount on paid plans for eligible registered nonprofits.
LinkedIn for nonprofits
LinkedIn for nonprofits provides specialized tools and resources to help nonprofits leverage the professional networking platform for fundraising, creative ways to retain volunteers, and awareness-building. The nonprofit software helps you make connections with future employees, volunteers, donors, and potential corporate sponsors.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Hire and find employees
- Promote events and event management within the platform
- Support membership management with another online community
- Fundraise
- Market your nonprofit
- Find volunteers
- Identify corporate partners
- Find board members
Free plan limitations:
LinkedIn for nonprofits is free, but organizations must pay for premium plans, which start at $59.99/month for businesses, to access better features.
Trello
Trello is one of the best project software solutions that helps nonprofits organize tasks, collaborate on projects, and keep everyone on the team informed about ongoing initiatives. Trello can boost communication and align both in-house and contract employees to feel good about projects and tasks.
It may be an excellent tool for specialized campaigns like for year-end giving, or annual event management, or an extensive collaboration with other nonprofits that requires many people to be on the same page.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Automate tasks and workflows
- Get organized on fundraising initiatives, tasks, etc
- Create collaborative to-do lists
- Support membership management
- Assign tasks
- Donor management on specific campaigns
Free plan limitations:
Trello’s free plan restricts admin tools, access to security features, a larger volume of checklists, and storage. Paid plans start at $5/per user/per month.
Dropbox
Dropbox is one of the best cloud-based software solutions used for file-sharing and storage solutions that allows nonprofits to collaborate on a document simultaneously, share files securely, and access essential resources from anywhere. The organization and data management can support a clean process for transferring necessary documentation and campaign graphics, as well as any materials you want to quickly share with peer to peer fundraising participants and advocates.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Store and protect files
- Collaborate with team members
- Request e-signatures
- Cloud storage
Free plan limitations:
Dropbox’s free plan offers limited storage (2 GB). Paid plans, which start at $16.58 / month, offer more storage and access to advanced features like PDF editing, unlimited signature requests, and file tracking. Discounts on Dropbox team account subscriptions are available for nonprofits.
Slack
Slack is a messaging and collaboration platform that facilitates real-time communication among team members, making it easy for nonprofits to stay connected and share updates. Slack also allows you to communicate with freelancers, other nonprofits, board members, and community members in a safe and secure environment.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Instant message or send audio and video clip
- Access an organized space for file sharing
- Connect across departments, offices, and time zones
- Build workflows
Free plan limitations:
Slack’s free plan limits the number of workflows organizations can create and how many integrations they can use. Paid plans, which start at $4.38 /mo/per user, offer access to more security and collaboration tools. Nonprofits that want to take advantage of paid plans can get an 85% discount.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing tool nonprofits can use for virtual meetings, webinars, and training sessions, fostering effective communication and collaboration. Zoom’s ability to record meetings to refer back to later is also an excellent benefit for flexibility in meeting attendance and note-taking.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Host a virtual meeting
- Create a coworking space
- Utilize an appointment scheduler
- Record meetings
- Secure video conferencing
- Host a webinar or learning opportunity
- Virtual fundraising event management
Free plan limitations:
Zoom’s free plan restricts the time a meeting can last (up to 40 min/meeting), and the number of attendees (100).
Paid plans, however, which start at $13.32/month/user, give organizations access to up to 30 hours per meeting, more storage, and more advanced features like AI tools and translated captions. However, eligible nonprofits can get a 50% discount.
Zapier
Zapier is an automation tool that allows nonprofits to connect different apps and automate workflows, reducing manual tasks and improving overall efficiency. Zapier connects to many of the free tools we mention here, creating more functionality from the user interfaces you enjoy the most.
How can you use the free nonprofit software?
- Build processes faster with consistent donor information
- Build relationships with streamlined CRM data
- Organize fundraising data
- Sync donor records from donation pages
- Create and manage donor data flow
- Establish donor journeys
- Donor management
- Automated reports and data backed insights
Free plan limitations:
Zapier’s free plan is basic, allowing for a no-code editor and up to 100 tasks. Paid plans, which start at $19.99/month, allow access to more tasks, filters, custom logic, and more.
For interested organizations, Zapier also offers a discount of 15% on a single plan for your organization.
Choosing your fundraising software tools
Remember that while reviewing information and suggestions about the best nonprofit software is a great start, the decision is unique to your nonprofit. It’s important to know your main goals and tie software to those objectives.
For example, maybe you want to focus on donor engagement and grabbing detailed reports to build donor relationships. Or, you may be looking for productivity software that guides the easiest way to establish advertising campaigns to speak to all your contacts.
The best fundraising tools will be the ones that feel easy to adapt, use often, and access the reporting dashboards you need to continue your evolution.
Check out any discount opportunities or see what helps nonprofits introduce savvy tools with minimal effort and free or affordable paid plans.
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