It takes a lot of work to start a new nonprofit organization or launch a new charitable project in your community.
At Soapbox Engage, we've seen firsthand the difference that the right tools can make for growing organizations. But with a tight (or nonexistent!) budget, how do you get up and running with the right nonprofit software?
Thankfully, there's a wide range of free nonprofit software and apps on the market designed specifically for small organizations.
Let's walk through a few of the top free and inexpensive options available to help growing nonprofits operate like longtime pros. We'll cover everything from fundraising solutions to free database software for nonprofits to marketing tools and accounting software. Let's dive in:
Top All-in-One Nonprofit Software | Soapbox Engage
The Soapbox Engage suite of online fundraising and engagement apps is the ideal choice for growing nonprofit organizations.
Get up and running with professional-grade nonprofit software quickly without the enterprise-level price tag. Our suite of apps includes tools to handle these essentials:
- Donation buttons, forms, and payment processing
- Event and class registration pages
- Custom forms for your nonprofit's site
- Online petitions and advocacy actions
- eCommerce functions to sell merch online
While the Soapbox suite of apps isn't completely free, it is an affordable choice that's ideal for ensuring growth. Quickly outgrowing your first set of free tools will end up wasting more time and money for your organization over the long run! Check out our more comprehensive guide to free fundraising software for more on the potential long-term risks of 100% free nonprofit apps.
Too many new and small nonprofits struggle to find the balance between free but limited tools and effective but expensive platforms. At $49 per month per app, the Soapbox Engage suite of apps offers an affordable, customizable approach for organizations that need serious solutions that truly fit their needs.
Check out a free video demo of any of our apps to see what the Soapbox suite can do for your nonprofit.
Free Nonprofit Software | Other Specialized Providers
To cover all of your fundraising, data management, and marketing needs, we've rounded up a full range of free nonprofit software and apps to explore:
Best Free Database Software for Nonprofits: Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)
Salesforce has been the world's leading database platform for several years and for good reason! The software's highly customizable and flexible structure makes it easy for organizations of all shapes and sizes to create their perfect CRM or database. With the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), nonprofits get access to a free version of the database platform specifically pre-configured for nonprofits.
The full implementation process for the Salesforce NPSP can be quite intensive, but this free database software for nonprofits is a gamechanger with the right strategies and resources to back it up. The Salesforce ecosystem of integrated apps (including our own suite of tools!) makes it easy to create your own unique software toolkit.
Best Free Nonprofit Software for Crowdfunding: Fundly
Fundly is a leading crowdfunding platform built for nonprofits of all sizes. While many online fundraising platforms are designed for individual projects, nonprofit organizations need a more complete set of tools and data features.
Fundly's complete set of customization features, integrations, contact importation tools, and mobile-optimized pages let even the smallest nonprofits take a professional approach to crowdfunding. Plus, there are no minimum fundraising requirements in order to keep your funds! If you're raising money for a specific project suitable for a crowdfunding campaign, Fundly is an excellent choice for nonprofit organizations.
Best Free Nonprofit Software for Volunteer Recruitment: Mobilize
Mobilize is the top volunteer recruitment and management platform for nonprofits. If your organization relies on volunteers to support your events and campaigns (both in-person and virtual), Mobilize is a smart choice. Their platform lets you easily post new events to a rapidly growing network of over 2 million individuals looking for their next volunteer opportunities.
Strategic recruiting and volunteer management are easily within reach for growing organizations with Mobilize. Its unrivaled network of volunteers and partners plus its complete set of management, communication, and data reporting features have made this the trusted platform for small nonprofits all the way up to presidential campaigns.
Best Nonprofit Software for Social Media: Buffer
Buffer provides software to help organizations of all sizes better manage and analyze their social media marketing efforts. For growing nonprofits, effective social media marketing is essential for reaching new audiences, staying in touch with supporters, and promoting campaigns.
Buffer's social media marketing platform includes everything you'll need to get started, including features for visual planning, post scheduling, Instagram Story planning, and analyzing your performance and audience engagement. Buffer offers a free basic plan to support 3 social media accounts, perfect for small nonprofits just beginning to build their social media presence.
Best Nonprofit Software for Matching Gifts: Double the Donation
Double the Donation is a leading software provider that specializes in helping nonprofits raise more through corporate philanthropy. Matching gift programs in which companies financially match donations to nonprofits made by their employees can significantly boost your fundraising results.
Double the Donation's comprehensive database of corporate philanthropy information and search tools simplify the entire process for your team and your donors. Although Double the Donation's tools aren't free, investing in matching gifts software is a smart move for growing nonprofits. Empowering your donors to have a bigger impact helps you strengthen those relationships over the long run, raising more and more support over time.
Best Free Nonprofit Software for Email: Mailchimp
Mailchimp helps organizations and businesses take charge of an essential aspect of digital marketing: email. As one of the most direct ways to communicate with supporters, email is crucial for nonprofit organizations that want to share updates and stay on the minds of donors.
Mailchimp's email features make it easy to create and optimize email campaigns, import your contact lists, and analyze open rates and engagement. Their free starter accounts include everything you'll need to get started marketing like a pro, including basic email templates, landing page creation, campaign management, and marketing CRM features.
Best Free Nonprofit Software for Fundraising Analysis: Fundraising Report Card
Fundraising Report Card is free nonprofit software for helping organizations get a handle on their analytics. With dashboards to review a complete range of fundraising and engagement metrics, this tool can help you track your performance and compare it against industry benchmarks.
For growing nonprofits, advanced analytics often gets pushed to the side or delayed while you handle more immediate concerns. With Fundraising Report Card, it's easy to start analyzing your data like a pro. With more data-driven insights, you can continually improve your campaigns to raise more over time and strengthen your nonprofit's position.
Explore Fundraising Report Card!
Best Free Nonprofit Software for Digital Ads: Google for Nonprofits
Google for Nonprofits is the free nonprofit software suite offered by the search engine and internet services giant. You might already be familiar with Google Analytics as the best way to track and measure engagement with your nonprofit's website, but did you know Google offers other products and perks specifically for nonprofits?
The Google for Nonprofits suite includes free or discounted access to enterprise-level G suite tools (like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and more), the YouTube Nonprofit Program, and unique Google Earth and Maps features. Best of all, Google offers nonprofits free Google Ad grants, which ensure your nonprofit appears first on search results for the most important keywords your donors are searching.
Explore Google for Nonprofits!
Best Free Nonprofit Software for Accounting: Wave
Wave provides free and inexpensive accounting software for small organizations like startups and new nonprofits. Properly tracking your revenue and expenses is essential as a nonprofit, as you need to report your financial activities to the IRS annually in order to keep your tax-exempt status.
With tools like Wave, staying on top of your nonprofit's accounting is easier than ever. Their suite of free features includes a complete toolkit for accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning, everything else you'll need to handle your nonprofit's finances professionally without breaking the bank.
For more software providers, check out our longer guide to free fundraising software. We cover fundraising tools and the marketing, management, and engagement technology you'll need to run successful campaigns.
Wrapping Up
Getting started as a small nonprofit is no easy feat, especially when it comes to technology. Thankfully, there are tons of software providers on the market that specialize in offering free and inexpensive tools to growing organizations.
However, it's important to remember to plan for your growth. While 100% free nonprofit software can help get your campaigns off the ground, they're often not designed to grow along with you. Using a piecemeal toolkit of free platforms that don't work well together can end up costing your organization more time and money down the line. Suites of nonprofit apps that provide scalable support and integrations will be a much better long-term choice.
Want to keep exploring the world of nonprofit software? Continue your research with these additional resources:
- Venmo and PayPal Alternatives for Nonprofits. Donation processing is essential for turning online donations into actual financial support. Don't commit to a generic provider before you've researched other options.
- Donate Button: Overview and Best Practices for Nonprofits. Donation buttons and pages are the donor-facing tools you need to secure gifts online. Learn how to encourage more donations with this guide.
- Tips for Hosting a Virtual Fundraising Event. Virtual engagement is more important than ever amid social distancing guidelines. Even small nonprofits can host virtual events with these tips.
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