Now more than ever, charities need affordable, innovative solutions to help organize and streamline their efforts — and make more impact.
In this blog, we’ll cover the best free software for nonprofits to help save time and money including these categories:
- CRM and donor management software
- AI software
- Website builder software
- Document editing & graphics software
- Form building software
- Accounting software
- Fundraising software
- Email marketing software
- Social media marketing software
- Event management & registration software
- Task and project management software
- File-sharing software
- Communication software
- Automation software
Free CRM and donor management software
Free AI software
Free website builder software
Free document editing & graphics software
Free form building software
Free accounting software
Free fundraising software
Free email marketing software
Free social media marketing software
Free event management & registration software
Free task and project management software
Free file-sharing software
Free communication software
Free automation software
Best free donor management software
Zeffy
Designed for any nonprofit looking to better their donor relationships — especially small and medium-sized nonprofits looking for a budget-friendly solution — Zeffy is simple to use and incredibly effective.
With prompt and helpful customer support and dozens of tools for managing donors, and amplifying your fundraising efforts, Zeffy’s is a 100% free nonprofit fundraising software solution designed to help you do more good, for less.
How can you use it?
- Integrate with other funding and event tools
- Manage donor relationships
- Manage memberships
- Create custom data reports
- Import and export transactions and contacts
- Segment and filter your contacts
- Access and re-send receipts
- Record and track offline donations
- Send emails to your supporters from your dashboard
- Create custom email lists to segment donors
- Send pre-filled forms
- Automate reminder emails
- Access free support
- Create free fundraising campaigns
Free plan limitations:
None
Donorbox
Donorbox is an easy-to-use platform for nonprofits, especially for organizations that rely on collecting and tracking donations online. It's simple, affordable, and perfect for smaller nonprofit organizations too.
How can you use it?
- Track donor communications
- Create custom alerts and notifications
- Send and track donations and receipts
- Manage recurring payments and donations
- Get access to other fundraising features
- Manage events
- Store donor information
Free plan limitations:
While Donorbox does offer a free plan, nonprofits have to upgrade in order to get access to some of the more advanced features like Zapier integrations and priority support. Plus, nonprofits have to pay $6/mo per team member, and for tools like data migration.
Compare Zeffy (100% free) to Donorbox →
Top AI software for nonprofits
Einstein (Salesforce)
Salesforce's Einstein is an advanced CRM solution that uses artificial intelligence to enhance donor management and optimize fundraising strategies.
How can you use it?
- Build highly personalized customer journeys
- Use predictive and generative marketing AI
- Implement customer service chatting
- Access donor insights
Free plan limitations:
Salesforce only offers a free trial and free access to a few specific tools like grant management and program management. So, for nonprofits that want to take advantage of the platform, they’ll need to pay a hefty fee which ranges from $0.50/login/month to $500/login/month.
Otter AI
Otter AI is primarily known for transcription services — for nonprofits, its features can be used to transcribe and organize important donor meetings, ensuring accurate documentation for future reference.
How can you use it?
- Summarize meetings and write notes
- Write follow-up emails and notes
- Transcribe meetings
Free plan limitations:
The Otter AI free plan only allows for one user, and restricts admin access, support, and security, based on the pricing package. Paid plans start at $10 per user/month.
Runway
Runway AI is a cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform that gives nonprofits a platform to create and edit images with ease. Perfect for creating marketing materials, or editing existing ones, this AI tool can help nonprofits save time and energy in their promotional efforts.
How can you use it?
- Generate images from scratch
- Edit and modify existing images
- Expand images
- Turn images into videos
Free plan limitations:
The free plan has limited feature access, only allows for a few editors, and doesn’t include any AI training. Paid pricing plans range from $12/user/month - $7/user/month.
Website builders with a free plan or trial
We have a complete guide with the 9 best website builders for nonprofits here.
Wix
Wix is a user-friendly website builder that allows nonprofits to create professional-looking websites without coding skills. It also offers customizable templates and features for online donations and event promotion.
How can you use it?
- Build your own website
- Build a mobile app
- Create a blog
- Create an e-commerce site
- Accept online payments
- Create an event site
Free plan limitations:
Wix only offers a free trial, not a free plan. Paid pricing plans range from $16/month - $159/month.
Weebly
Weebly is a simple website builder with drag-and-drop functionality. It's ideal for nonprofits looking for an easy-to-use platform to establish an online presence and share their mission.
How can you use it?
- Build an online store
- Integrate email automation into a website
- Create a gallery
Free plan limitations:
While Weebly does offer a free plan, it’s quite limited in terms of features, access to customer support, and storage capacity. Free users must also allow ads on their site. Paid plans start at $10 /mo.
Webflow
Webflow is a more advanced website builder suitable for nonprofits with specific design requirements. It provides greater design flexibility and the ability to create custom, visually appealing websites.
How can you use it?
- Build an SEO-friendly website quickly with nonprofit templates
- Build animations
- Launch an e-commerce site
Free plan limitations:
Webflow’s free plan allows for minimal content editors, offers fewer collaboration tools for teams, as well as less support and traffic bandwidth. Paid plans start at $14 /mo.
Free Document editing and graphics
Google Suite
Google Suite offers collaborative document editing, making it easy for nonprofit teams to work together on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real time.
How can you use it?
- 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
Free plan limitations:
Google Suite’s free plan limits the amount of storage, support, number of participants in meetings, and security measures. To upgrade, paid plans start at a low cost of $3.00 per user/month.
Canva
Canva is a graphic design tool that enables nonprofits to create visually engaging materials for social media, presentations, and promotional materials without the need for a skilled graphic designer.
How can you use it?
- Build websites
- Build proposals
- Create social media graphics
- Create brochures and pamphlets
- Create infographics
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, paid plans start at $14.99/month/per user. However, eligible organizations with nonprofit status also have access to a Canva discount.
Unsplash
Unsplash provides a vast collection of high-quality, royalty-free images that nonprofits can use to enhance their visual content, whether they’re looking to add more images to print promotional materials or online marketing channels.
How can you use it?
- Find stock images for marketing materials
Free plan limitations:
All images on Unpslash can be downloaded and used for personal or commercial projects for free. Unsplash +, however, which is a paid plan that starts at $7 USD/month, offers members-only exclusive content, unlimited downloads, and specific legal protections.
Free Form building
Jotform
JotForm, which offers an intuitive interface, simplifies the process of creating and managing online forms for various purposes, including event registrations, surveys, and donation collection.
How can you use it?
- Create an online donation form
- Create event registration forms
- Create and send fundraiser invitations
- Manage volunteers through automated volunteer registrations and signup sheets
Free plan includes:
Jotform’s fee plan restricts the amount of forms users can create as well as how many form views per month a form can receive. Plus, it restricts the number of fields and users. Paid plans start at $34/month, but verified nonprofits can apply for a specific discount of 50% off any paid plans.
Survey Monkey
SurveyMonkey is a versatile tool for nonprofits to create surveys and gather valuable feedback from donors, volunteers, and community members.
How can you use it?
- Capture insights to drive outreach and programming decisions
- Simplify the donation process
- Streamline awards and applications
Free plan limitations:
Free users can only create surveys or forms with 10 questions, with response limitations. Paid plans, which start at $25/user/month, let charitable organizations make more surveys, collect more responses, and get access to more advanced features like notifications and data and analytics tools.
Accounting softwares
Zoho
Zoho Books is a comprehensive accounting solution that allows nonprofits to manage finances, track expenses, and generate detailed financial reports.
How can you use it?
- View major finances
- Asses cash flow
- Manage and categorize expenses
- Accept donations in multiple currencies
- Send payment receipts
Free plan limitations:
Zoho’s free plan allows for one user, for organizations with annual revenue of under $50k per year. Paid plans, which start at $15 per organization/month, offer more user access, and more advanced features and support.
Wave
Wave is an accounting software that offers accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning services, making financial management easier for nonprofits with limited budgets.
How can you use it?
- Manage receipts, record payments, and reconcile accounts
- Send bill and invoice reminders
- Offer free bank connections
Free plan limitations:
Wave offers completely free invoicing and accounting. However, for access to mobile receipts and payroll tools, for example, users have to pay anywhere between $8/month - $40/month.
Free Fundraising softwares
Check out our guide on the best fundraising softwares here.
Zeffy
Trusted by 10,000+ nonprofits throughout North America and rated 4.8/5 stars on Capterra, Zeffy is the best free online fundraising platform 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.
Simple, powerful, and completely free, Zeffy helps changemakers everywhere make more impact for less.
Free plan limitations:
Zeffy is a 100% free tool—there are no platform or transaction fees. And, 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.
How can you use it?
- Raffles and online raffles management
- Completely free online fundraising (plus no payment processing fee)
- Customizable donation pages
- Peer-to-peer campaign management
- Donor data and management
- Tap to pay
- E-commerce tools/online store for nonprofits
- Membership management
- 100% free
- Unlimited customer service
- Top-rated security
- Accept multiple payment methods (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.)
- Accept various donation amounts in just a few clicks
- Event registration features
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is one of the leading online crowdfunding platforms for connecting people with the resources they need to overcome financial challenges, pursue dreams, or support important causes.
How can you use it?
- Reach a global audience
- Take advantage of social media fundraising
- Create a crowdfunding campaign
Free plan limitations:
While launching a fundraiser is free, donations are subject to transaction fees of up to 2.9% + $0.30.
Free Email marketing softwares
Zeffy
Zeffy is an all-in-one fundraising platform that offers nonprofits a full suite of tools for free — including email marketing. With Zeffy, nonprofits can manage donors, raise money, and send targeted, personalized emails right from the platform.
How can you use it?
- View stats like open rate, clicks, and unsubscribes
- Set up automated reminder emails
- Easily send emails to custom lists and segmented donors
- Contact the right donors at the right time
Free plan limitations:
Zeffy is 100% free—there are no platform or transaction fees. While every other platform takes fees away from your mission, Zeffy delivers 100% of it to your nonprofit.
VerticalResponse
VerticalResponse is an email marketing tool that helps nonprofits create and send engaging newsletters, updates, and fundraising appeals to their supporters.
How can you use it?
- Send automatic emails
- Monitor campaign performance
- Easily design and distribute surveys
Free plan limitations:
Vertical Response offers nonprofits up to 10,000 emails per month for free. For access to more email sends, the platform offers a 15% discount on their monthly plans, which start at $11 /mo — each plan is based on the volume of emails your organization is looking to send.
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. If you want more options, check out this article on the best mailchimp alternatives for nonprofits.
How can you use it?
- Launch an SMS marketing campaign
- View data analytics for emails
- Conduct A/B testing
- 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 eligible nonprofits.
Social media marketing
Buffer
Buffer simplifies social media scheduling and management, allowing nonprofits to plan and schedule posts across different platforms to maintain a consistent online presence.
How can you use it?
- Plan and publish content for all social channels
- Repurpose content
- Schedule content
- Create a content calendar
- Analyze content performance
Free plan limitations:
Buffer’s free service includes basic planning and publishing tools including up to 10 scheduled posts plus fewer tools for engagement and insights.
Paid plans, which start at $6 / month for 1 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.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that enables nonprofits to schedule posts, engage with their audience, and analyze social media performance across multiple channels.
How can you use it?
- Gain insights through social listening tools
- Manage paid and organic content
- Increase brand awareness with Hootsuite employee advocacy tool
Free plan limitations:
Hootsuite only offers organizations a 30-day free trial. After the trial, organizations must choose a paid plan, which starts at $99/month; however, the platform offers nonprofits a 75% discount.
LinkedIn for nonprofits
LinkedIn for nonprofits provides specialized tools and resources to help nonprofits leverage the professional networking platform for fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building.
How can you use it?
- Hire and find employees
- Promote events
- Fundraise
- Market your nonprofit
Free plan limitations:
LinkedIn for nonprofits is free, but in order to get access to better features, organizations must pay for premium plans which start at $59.99/month for businesses.
Top free event management softwares
Zeffy
Zeffy is the only 100% fee-free event registration software for nonprofits. With Zeffy, all of your revenue—whether from virtual events, in-person events, or hybrid events—goes straight to your cause. Trusted by 10,000+ nonprofits throughout North America, and rated 4.8/5 stars on Capterra by 250+ nonprofits, Zeffy was designed to help nonprofits do more, for less.
How can you use it?
- 100% free fundraising tickets and solutions when other platforms charge 5% transaction fees on average + platform fees
- Issuing tax receipts for ticket sales automatically
- Unlimited and free support
- Tap to Pay App for in-person sales on the day of the event
- Scannable e-tickets
- Accept all payment types
- Discounts codes
- Custom ticketing forms
- Custom questions
- Automated reminder emails and follow-ups
- Donor management
Free plan limitations:
None. 100% in event-generated revenue equals $100 for your mission. With every other platform, donors give $100, and you get $97 or less.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is a versatile event ticketing platform known for its extensive reach and powerful tools for discovering events. It excels in connecting organizers with a broad audience, making it ideal for promoting events and reaching a wide range of attendees. For more options, check out these eventbrite alternatives.
How can you use it?
- Create custom event pages
- Offer an easy checkout process
- Use robust reporting and analytics
- Access an event app for nonprofit event organizers
- Use attendee discovery
Free plan limitations: Eventbrite is free to use, but the platform charges a few fees, including 6% (3.5% platform fee + 2.5% processing fee) + $.79 per transaction
Compare Zeffy (100% free) to Eventbrite →
Task and project management for nonprofits
Trello
Trello is a visual project management tool that helps nonprofits organize tasks, collaborate on projects, and keep everyone on the team informed about ongoing initiatives.
How can you use it?
- Automate tasks and workflows
- Get organized on fundraising initiatives, tasks, etc
- Create collaborative to-do lists
Free plan limitations:
Trello’s free plan restricts admin tools, access to security features and a larger volume of checklists, as well as storage. Paid plans start at $5/per user/per month.
Monday
Monday.com is a versatile work operating system that allows nonprofits to manage projects, track progress, and enhance team collaboration through customizable workflows.
How can you use it?
- Visualize entire donation pipelines
- Manage grant applications
- Automate personalized fundraising emails & texts
- Track & manage interactions with donor profiles
- Embed integrated recruitment forms
- Assign volunteer tasks/shifts
- Assess volunteer availability and capacity
- Automate post-event feedback forms
Free plan limitations:
Monday’s nonprofit plan is completely free but limits the amount of automations, permissions, and integrations an organization has access to. Plus, free plans offer less support than paid plans which require a custom quote. An eligible nonprofit organization can also get access to a 70% discount on each additional seat.
Asana
Asana is a project management tool that helps nonprofits coordinate tasks, set goals, and monitor project timelines to ensure efficient and organized teamwork. And, it's a free tool for keep an entire team on track.
How can you use it?
- Manage tasks
- Collaborate on projects
- Communicate with entire nonprofit team
Free plan limitations:
Free Asana plans are limited in terms of security, automations, advanced workflows, reporting, and more. Nonprofits get 50% off paid plans which start at $10.99 per user, per month.
File sharing
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud-based tool used for file-sharing and storage solution that allows nonprofits to collaborate on a document simultaneously, share files securely, and access important resources from anywhere.
How can you use it?
- Store and protect files
- Collaborate with team members
- Request esignatures
Free plan limitations:
Dropbox’s free plan offers limited storage (2 GB). Paid plans, however, which start at $9.99 / 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.
Communication
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.
How can you use it?
- 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, as well as how many integrations they can use.
Paid plans, which start at $7.25 /mo/per user, offer access to more security, and collaboration tools.
Eligible nonprofits that want to take advantage of paid plans can get access to an 85% discount.
Workplace by Facebook
Workplace by Facebook provides a secure and collaborative space for nonprofits to communicate, share documents, and build a sense of community among team members.
How can you use it?
- Create a knowledge library
- Create specific work groups
- Create a newsfeed
- Chat through live video or messaging
- Send out surveys and polls
Free plan limitations: Eligible non-profit charitable organizations can enjoy Workplace Core Plan for free. Additional add-ons such as "Enhanced admin and support" or "enterprise Live" start at $2 per person/month.
Loom
Loom is a video messaging tool that nonprofits can use to create and share personalized video messages, providing a more engaging and impactful way to communicate with donors and supporters.
How can you use it?
- Screen record yourself or others
- Send video message
- Embed videos into other tools
- Create videos with specific branding
Free plan limitations:
Loom’s free plan limits the amount of videos a user can create (up to 25) as well as the length (up to 5 mins/video). Paid plans, which start at $12.50 user/month get access to more advanced features as well as unlimited videos and time.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing tool that nonprofits can use for virtual meetings, webinars, and training sessions, fostering effective communication and collaboration.
How can you use it?
- Host a virtual meeting
- Create a coworking space
- Utilize an appointment scheduler
Free plan limitations: Zoom’s free plan restricts the amount of time a meeting can last (up to 40 min/meeting), and the number of attendees (100).
Paid plans however, which start at $149.90/year/user, give organizations access to up to 30 hours per meeting, more storage, as well as access to more advanced features like AI tools and translated captions. However, eligible nonprofits can get a 50% discount.
Discord
Discord is a versatile communication platform that nonprofits can use for both internal team communication and engaging with their community through chat and voice channels.
How can you use it?
- Create topic-based channels
- Use moderation tools and custom member access
- Create private channels
Free plan limitations: Discord’s free plans allow for basic functionality like custom stickers and emojis. Paid plans have better streaming capabilities and more customization tools.
Automation softwares with free plans
Zapier
Zapier is an automation tool that allows nonprofits to connect different apps and automate workflows, reducing manual tasks and improving overall efficiency.
How can you use it?
- Build processes faster
- Streamline CRM data
- Organize fundraising data
Free plan limitations: Zapier’s free plan is very basic and allows 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 nonprofit discount of 15% on a single plan for your organization.
Make
Make is an automation platform that enables nonprofits to create customized workflows without the need for extensive coding knowledge, streamlining repetitive tasks and processes.
How can you use it?
- Lead generation
- Offer a seamless onboarding experience
- Create workflows
- See data in real-time
Free plan limitations: Make’s free plan offers less storage and less access to premium apps. For more access to advanced features like custom variables, templates and multi-team permissions, pricing starts at start at $9 /month.
6 tips when choosing software for your nonprofit
- User-friendliness: Look for software with an intuitive and user-friendly interface. This means the software should be easy to navigate and understand without requiring extensive training. A user-friendly platform ensures that your team can quickly adapt to the new software, saving time and reducing frustration.
- Compatibility and integration: Consider the software's compatibility with your existing tools and systems. Opt for a platform that integrates seamlessly with the applications you already use, such as email, accounting software, or social media platforms. This ensures a smooth workflow and minimizes disruptions to your current processes.
- Scalability: Choose a software platform that can grow with your nonprofit. As your organization expands, so will your software needs. Ensure that the chosen solution is scalable, allowing you to easily add new features or accommodate a growing number of users without a major overhaul.
- Security: The protection of your nonprofit's data is paramount. Choose a software platform that prioritizes security and adheres to industry standards for data privacy. This ensures that sensitive information, such as donor details or volunteer records, remains secure and confidential.
- Customer support and training: Look for a software provider that offers robust customer support and training resources. Adequate support ensures that you can get assistance when needed, and comprehensive training materials make it easier for your team to get up to speed with the new software quickly.
- Cost and affordability: Evaluate the cost of the software, taking into account your nonprofit's budget constraints. While it's essential to invest in quality software, consider whether the pricing aligns with your organization's financial capacity. And, be sure to check for any hidden fees or ongoing costs.
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