6 Best Tech Tools for Nonprofits and Charities

Technology has the potential to revolutionize how nonprofits and charities are created and maintained. And as people become more reliant on technology and automation, these organizations need tools to create marketing campaigns and spread missions to wider audiences—especially to stay ahead in the highly competitive and fast-paced digital world.

By making the best use of technology, nonprofits and charities can spawn greater innovation, improve efficiency, and inspire volunteers, board members, and employees to do real good in the world. Yet, the reality is nonprofit organizations often lack operating funds that can make it challenging to integrate technology into marketing plans. This hinders growth and can drastically affect daily functioning.

Read on to learn more about how technology helps nonprofit organizations and our list of the 6 best free tech for nonprofits.

How does technology help nonprofit organizations?

People are constantly using technology in their daily lives, whether it’s to help exchange information, prepare meals, or get people from one place to another. The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated the need for digital transformation, especially in the nonprofit sector. In fact, 89% of nonprofits say digital communication is vital for them to achieve the organization's mission. So, how does technology help nonprofit organizations?

First and foremost, tech for nonprofits helps to improve organizational efficiency. This is essential as nonprofit budgets are often tight, and it’s common for donations to be inconsistent from time to time. With a suite of tech tools at the ready, nonprofit leadership can plan ahead for future needs—better prioritizing time, budget constraints, and programs.

No longer are the days of manual, paper-based processes as nonprofits welcome automation and virtual fundraising. From donor cultivation and retention to tracking fundraising outcomes, tech for nonprofits allocates resources more effectively.

Speaking of donor cultivation and retention, it’s no secret that the more people a nonprofit reaches, the greater the impact. Technology makes it possible for nonprofits to reach more, increasing the capacity to serve the mission.

Workflow-integrated technology makes communicating with volunteers and major stakeholders easier too. Instead of writing a letter, mailing it, and waiting for a response, tech for nonprofits enables you to create newsletters and email blasts for your network of supporters and donors. This way, recipients of your nonprofit’s mailing list are always informed about what’s happening at your organization.

6 best tech tools for nonprofits and charities

It’s important for nonprofits to invest in the right digital tools—to level up programs and increase impact. The best technology for nonprofits is easy to use, integrates seamlessly with platforms your organization already uses, and is priced right for your nonprofit’s already tight budget.

Here are 6 tech for nonprofits that can help your organization increase productivity, communicate effectively, and continue to make a greater impact on the communities you serve.

Twilio.org

Twilio integrates seamlessly with common tech for nonprofits—like your website or customer relationship management. As the leading platform for voice, SMS, and video, Twilio’s world-class APIs aren’t just for profit-generating businesses—it’s also a communication tool for charities to reach volunteers and donors across multiple channels. Through the Impact Access Program, Twilio.org also offers eligible nonprofits and social impact organizations a one-time $100 product credit and exclusive discounts.

Canva

Canva keeps pace with society’s demand for more engaging and high-quality visual content, like social media posts, presentations, and infographics. Easy to use, Canva can turn any nonprofit employee into a design-savvy professional. Canva also offers a free image editor and dedicated hub, Canva for Nonprofits, with access to premium design tools for creating impactful marketing materials.

Slack

Slack—a channel-based messaging platform—allows users to work together while connected to other software programs and tools. Easy project tracking and real-time communications make this popular tool a favorite among for-profit and nonprofit organizations alike. Slack’s mission to “make work life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive” resonates with nonprofits that can collaborate on the platform by sharing messages and files in dedicated channels.

Features include direct messages, voice and video calls, third-party application integrations (Google), file sharing, and workflow automations. What’s more, the Slack for Nonprofits program offers free or discounted plan upgrades to eligible organizations.

Asana

Asana is a task management software program that streamlines large amounts of work into manageable tasks. Designed for teams to spend less time performing mundane tasks like writing emails, Asana for Nonprofits features projects, workspaces, tasks, and sections to manage several projects and tasks at once.

Users can track tasks, create to-do lists, and organize assignments to accelerate impact, regardless of the organization’s size. Eligible nonprofits receive a 50% discount on Asana Premium or Asana Business.

Salesforce

Saleforce’s Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) enables organizations like yours to elevate marketing, fundraising, and program operations. Like one giant spreadsheet, your nonprofit can easily manage donors and volunteers in one place, increasing efficiency and productivity across your organization.

Similar to other tech for nonprofits, Salesforce easily integrates in your organization’s existing applications. Additionally, through real-time reports and dashboards, NPSP organizes data in a more meaningful way. Eligible nonprofits can receive 10 free subscriptions of Sales & Service Cloud Enterprise Edition as part of Salesforce’s Power of Us program.

Zoom

Zoom is a platform that offers video and web conferencing software to connect colleagues, partners, donors, and volunteers in meetings and webinars. This platform is easy to use—no matter where your participants are—and even saves valuable IT time in the process.

Whether used for remote work and team collaboration, staff and volunteer training, or fundraising and donor briefings, Zoom for Nonprofits can easily integrate in your organization’s existing technological solutions. Zoom offers a free plan for high-quality video conferencing for meetings up to 40 minutes long and 100 participants. Additionally, if your nonprofit meets the eligibility criteria, you can receive one discounted product per year.

Build life-changing communications with Twilio.org

Becoming a digitally savvy nonprofit doesn’t have to strain your resources, especially with plenty of free or discounted tools available for organizations of every size—and that’s where we come in. Twilio.org connects nonprofits with supporters, program participants, and volunteers anywhere in the world. Sign up for the Impact Access Program today to receive a $100 credit and exclusive discounts on Twilio products.