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The best tools and resources (that we've found) for small and medium sized nonprofits changing out world!
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TOOL KITthe best affordable tools for charities.
Prepared by: Charity Express
WHERE TO START
?
If you try to do everything all at once you’ll likely do little well and it won’t last. Prioritize the strategies and corresponding tools, determine a realistic course of action and start there. You can add on as you go.
Start with Data/InformationYou are better off sending the right communication at the right time and having it look less sexy than having a great looking piece to go to the wrong people at the wrong time. Think through how you want to capture and use data first and start finding the best tools that fit that strategy.
Think About the HumansA great tool, that does not get used properly, is not a great tool. Understand who is on your team, their roles and how they will use and interact with the tool and factor that in when making a decision about which tools to use.
Look for IntegrationsIntegrations help you cut down on time, enhance the programs it integrates with and helps create more seamless workflows. Make sure you know which tools work well with others and which ones don’t before you start incorporating into your operations.
Saving money in the short term may cost you in the long run. Investing in websites, social media and great design have easy to see costs but NOT investing in those things is harder to see.
don't try to do it all...At Once
consider the Big Picture
CRMKnowing who your constituents are, working to build relationships with them and managing that process is essential to any fundraising strategy. Having a way to coordinate your efforts in these areas is absolutely critical. Enter the CRM or Constituent Relationship Management system.
salesforce
salesforce
Sales Force
• Free for qualified partners through SalesForce Foundation.
• Gets ten users.
If you’ve used SalesForce before, have a tech savvy team or access to some tech knowledge, you can get a free, functional, powerful and usable system.
Who Should Use it
• Takes a bit more time to get things set up just how you like them and the nonprofit customizations are basic and not all that great.
• You may need a consultant to help get you started and the system is so powerful with so many options you can get lost in the vortex.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Tons of integrations and customization options.
• Great support resources and nonprofit community.
• Can track more than donors and donations if need be.
• And it’s free!
eTapestryby Blackbaud
• $456 (basic), $3,023 (full).*
• Has yearly renewal cost.
• Opportunity for donation through TechSoup Canada.
If you want a trusted system that will work and to which you can add on according to you needs and growth. You also have to be willing to spend a bit on your system - and not mind Blackbaud.
Who Should Use it
• More complex and not as intuitive as you may hope.
• A lot of add-on fees and nickle and dime options.
• Price can go up quickly as you add features and users.
• Blackbaud isn’t our favourite.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Easy to set up and start using.
• Has the ability to scale as you grow.
• Support and resourc-es are readily avail-able.
• A stable, solid option backed by the biggest name in the business, Blackbaud, so a very low risk choice.
*Price based on one user and 900 donors.
donor perfect
• $576 (basic), $3971 (full) for online version.*
• Has yearly renewal cost.
If you want eTapestry but don’t like Blackbaud as it is very similar in specs, cost and functionality.
Who Should Use it
• Costs can escalate quickly depending on users, customizations, etc.
• Not the greatest integration options and email set up isn’t as strong as it could be.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Easy to use, good customization options and can track volunteers and members.
• The basic online version is very affordable and does just about everything you need well to very well.
*Price based on one user and 900 donors.
CiviCRM
• $0 • May incur
some costs for implementation & support services
(estimated at $600 year)
If you have tech knowledge or access to some and want a more customized system to meet your exact needs.
Who Should Use it
• Will need someone who knows software and open source.
• Not the easiest for non-techies to use.
• If things don’t work, it’s up to you to fix.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Open source software with lots of customization options.
• With a programmer you can do anything you want (basically).
• Can track more than donors and donations if need be.
• And it’s free!
GIFT WORKS
• $499 (basic), $1247 (full).
• Opportunity for donation through TechSoup Canada.
Who Should Use it
• Can inhibit more advanced users and teams.
• Has some limiting options when it comes to reports and payment integrations (for basic version).
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Easy to set up and start using and great for non-advanced users.
• A nice dashboard to give quick snapshot of activity.
• Good email options. • Lot’s of “wizards”
and simple, friendly language makes it
If you are a smaller team, sensitive to cost and not an advanced user.
*Price based on one user and 900 donors.
Size & Groups
How many users/contacts do you have? How many do you hope/plan to have in three years? Who are the main groups you want to track?
Capacity & Process
Who is going to manage and use the system? Will all the information flow through one “data keeper” or will different people and departments be responsible? How do you currently process donations and information?
Change & hidden Costs
What will it cost you change (time, labour, loss of data, interrupted service, learning a new system)? What will it cost you if you don’t (time, labour, loss of data, interrupted service)?
Does/will this work with your website, email program and other services? Is it seamless or compatible? Does it work in the “cloud”? Can you make the changes you need to for it to fit with your organization?
Integration & Customization
THINGS TO THINK ABOUTCRM
Websites/blogs Online fundraising continues to grow at a double digital rate and more than 50% of offline donors visit a charity’s website before making a donation. These two facts show the importance of online fundrasing, but your website is also where people get a first impression of you and your mission, which goes to show that a web presence is increasingly important to an organization’s success.
Wordpress
• Free! • Additional
costs include: customization, themes, hosting, URL’s, some plugins.
Anyone and everyone. Can cost as little or as much as you want and can be as easy or as hard to use as you want. Can grow and develop with you as your organization grows and develops.
Who Should Use it
• May need some basic HTML/CSS to get the most out of it.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Free! • Extremely robust for a
free tool. • Can be as simple and
easy as you like or as complex as you want.
• Huge support community.
• Tons of themes for quick and easy customization.
• Great for written content.
TumBLr
• Free! • Additional
costs include: customization, themes, hosting, URL’s, some plugins.
If you want high quality visuals and a simple blogging site without tons of content pieces. If you would rather share pictures as opposed to press releases
Who Should Use it
• Not as flexible as other sites.
• Limited in its plugins and customization options.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Free! • Very simple site.• Extremely visual and
eye catching in its lay out.
• Great for pictures and videos.
WEEBLY
• Free to $24.95/month for additional features.
If you want to build your own simple site easily without investing a lot of time, energy and money.
Who Should Use it
• Templates are not the best.
• Limited in some of the apps/plugins and customizations.
• Can outgrow its functionality (especially free version).
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Drag and drop, easy site building.
• Some plugins like eCommerce.
• Mobile friendly. • Easy to use.
Square Space
• $8/month or $16/month.
If you are looking for simplicity and want to pay a bit for high design value. If you are less concerned about SEO, blogging and written content.
Who Should Use it
• Blogging function not as robust as you might like.
• Customizable but takes more effort and there are fewer resources to work from.
• Plugins and add-ons are fewer.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Beautiful templates with simple navigation.
• Very professional feel with high design quality.
• Great with visuals.• Nice social sharing
integration.• Mobile friendly.
Wix
• tFree to $16.17/month
If you want a nice splash page or simple site that doesn’t look simple. Generally not worth all the bugs and issues.
Who Should Use it
• Can be buggy and glitchy.
• User experience is not great.
• Support is lacking and quite weak.
• Limited plugins and things you can do.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Drag and drop, easy site building.
• Can get up and run-ning in minutes.
• Won’t let you get too lost in the web vortex.
• Unique templates to build from so sites don’t look like every-one else’s.
• Mobile friendly.• Facebook microsite
option.
StrategyWhat are you wanting to accomplish on the web? Are you looking to grow and expand your digital focus or just maintain the status quo?
Capacity Who is going to manage and maintain the site?
Trade-offsMore customization (largely in design) generally equals more resources (time and money). Bigger focus on design generally equals less focus functionality. Greater access to the backend generally equals a simpler, more straightforward site.
Do to want to use a blog as the main place for news, updates and “dynamic” content? Is a blogging approach front and centre in your content strategy or more peripheral?
Blog/News
THINGS TO THINK ABOUTWEBSITE
emailEmail continues to be one of the best ways to update and communi-cate to a wide audience of supporters at a low cost. As more and more fundraising and communication moves to the web and social media, the role of email only increases in importance. Online fundraising is directly correlated to email list size.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
Free Plan
Paid Plan
15% discount for non-profits
• Up to 2,000 subscribers.
• Up to 12,000 emails per month.
• Not all features available.
Mail Chimp
• From $10/month for 500 subscribers to $240/month for 50,000 subscribers.
Basically anyone and everyone. A great fit for organizations both small and large. Always on top of what’s next, continually developing the product, great customer service, caring about nonprofits and being easy to use are reasons why Chimp is our hands down favourite.
Who Should Use it
• Easy, simple and guided processes.
• Can start small and grow large.
• Reporting and analytics
• A/B testing.• Mobile friendly and
focused integrations galore
• RSS to email.• Nonprofit discount.
• Lack of features for free plans is annoying.
• To use all the bells and whistles you need some more techie skills.
$
• From $15/month for 500 subscribers/emails to $500/month for 50,000 subscribers/emails.
• No discount for nonprofits.
Campaign Monitor
Anyone really, but more design focused. Probably best for larger organizations wanting the extra customizations and cost being less of a factor. A great product.
Who Should Use it
• Great templates and easy customization.
• Mobile ready and friendly.
• A/B testing.• RSS to email.• Integrations and
API’s.• Easy to navigate site
and resources.
• Lack of nonprofit specific resources and attention.
• To use all the bells and whistles you need some more techie skills.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• From $15/month for 500 emails to $150/month for 25,000.
• 30% discount for nonprofits (must pre-pay).
Constant Contact
• Integrates with nonprofit CRM’s like eTapestry, Convio, Donor Perfect, etc.
• Widely used and support base large.
• Nonprofit discount.• A/B testing.
• Poor templates.• Not as many
integrations. or customization options.
• Clunky user experience.
Who Should Use it
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
Organizations who want the basics and will never use more advanced features. If it integrates well with your CRM of choice and you aren’t looking for the latest and greatest.
Vertical Response
Who Should Use it
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Free for nonprofits up to 10,000 emails per month.
• $10/month for 500 to $240/month for 40,000.
Organizations looking for a free solution to send emails more occasionally. If you want to do some basic surveys and postcards it is nice and easy to use as well. For SalesForce users this is a nice, easy to use and free add-ons. Limited to larger and non SalesForce organizations though.
• Pay-as-you go option for less frequent emails.
• Postcard and survey extension options are nice to manage in one place.
• Good resources, tips and best practices available through site.
• Focus on working with other channels (print, social media, web, etc.).
• Integrates with SalesForce but not much else.
• Can be a bit clunky in terms of usability.
• Design capabilities are limited.
• Less features, bells and whistles.
• Cost after the 10,000 free emails.
• $10/month for 1000 subscribers to $200/month for 50,000 subscribers.
• Free for nonprofits up to 500.
Campaigner
Not many people to be honest. If this happens to integrate nicely with your CRM and you just want something that helps you get the word out then it can work. If you want to do anything beyond the basics this probably isn’t for you.
Who Should Use it
• Easy segmentation.• Simple functionality.• Triggers and
automations features.
• Too simple, not enough features.
• Ugly templates, site and design in general.
• Not a lot of integration options and features.
• API is not always or easily accessible for more customization.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
VolumeHow many subscribers do you have or will you have? How many emails are you sending or are you planning on sending? This directly determines the price point.
Data How are you using and managing your data? Do you have a CRM with email management integrated already? Do you want to link up with an API? Do you mind exporting and importing in Excel or having information in two different places?
Features/CustomizationHow many bells and whistles do you want and need right now? What about in the future? Can the product grow as you grow?
How important is designing beautiful customized emails to you and your supporters? How much access do you have to designers, coders and “techie” folks who can help?
DESIGN
THINGS TO THINK ABOUTEMAIL
Social Media Management Philanthropy is inherently social and has always been about building relationships. Social media is a rapidly expanding method of connecting with supporters - and them to one another - in small ways. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and others are new and simple toolsdone: Build relationships!
TweetDeck Sprouter
Hootsuite
• Free (limited). • $9.99/month.• 20% discount for
qualified nonprofits.
Anyone looking to manage and monitor multiple accounts and pages in one place. Great for teams and shared ownership. Web cruisers who want to share and schedule content.
Who Should Use it
• Report generation is limited without paying extra.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Manage and monitor across channels in one place.
• Great for team management.
• Affordable. • Solid analytics. • Desktop, mobile and
cloud options. • Hootlet is great for
sharing/scheduling.
Tweetdeck
• Free
If you want a free dashboard to manage and monitor Twitter with a little Facebook thrown in.
Who Should Use it
• Facebook integration is weak.
• No other channels beyond Facebook and Twitter.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Free! • Desktop and mobile
management options.
• Nice layout for Twitter to see tweets, interactions, lists, etc.
TweetDeck
Sprouter
Sprouter
• $9/month $39/month, $59/month and $99/month.
• 50% discount for nonprofits.
Anyone looking to manage and monitor multiple accounts and pages in one place with a small team or a larger budget. Looking to engage and grow your community.
Who Should Use it
• Team management function is a bit clunky.
• Cost for teams gets expenseive fast.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Manage and monitor across channels in one place.
• Great visual dashboard.
• Nice audience insights.
• Desktop, cloud and mobile options.
Crowdbooster
• Free ( Twitter, 1 Facebook).
• $39/month or $99/month for more users and options.
If you are primarily on Twitter and Facebook and only have one account in each, you want to keep tabs on. Great to quickly see what’s resonating and what you can do.
Who Should Use it
• Only Facebook and Twitter.
• Scheduling is a bit clunky.
• Hard to grab content from the web to share and schedule.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Recommended actions.
• Visual display of reach of posts.
• Simple to see what’s going on and take actions.
involver
• $5/month.• $3/month for more
accounts.
If you are less concerned about workflow and team management and want to know about all the conversations going on about your organization.
Who Should Use it
• Analytics can be buggy.
• No team funcationality.
• Workflow management is clunky.
Things we like Things we don't likeWhat it Will cost you
$
• Incorporates more channels than most.
• Good listening and monitoring functions.
• Scheduling across multiple channels.
Team/Volunteers
Is there one person managing/monitoring the account or do you have multiple people and even volunteers helping out?
Monitoring/Analysis
How interested are you in monitoring conversations and analyzing your efforts? How in-depth are you hoping to get?
Channels
Are you just on Facebook and Twitter? Or do you want a tool that can manage more channels?
Additional users, added functionality and more robust reports are all ways some tools find ways to “nickle and dime” you through additional users or hidden costs. Beware of extra!
Cost
THINGS TO THINK ABOUTSocial Media
GETting STUFF DONE Technology is good. You can have a meeting with four different people in four different cities relatively easy. It is also bad. The distractions are many and managing all the projects, tasks, to do’s and more is tough. Harnessing the good and cutting out the bad is the key.
getting Stuff Done
Join.Me.Free, easy to use screen sharing option for meetings, webinars and calls.
Evernote
Free way to store notes from groceries to ideas anywhere, anytime seamlessly (computer-phone-tablet)
Host and access documents “in the cloud” with multiple people on multiple channels at an affordable rate.
Can do sign up forms, event registration, surveys and more. Easy to use, integrates well and has good value (and free option for smaller organizations)
Free, simple project management software. Great for teams working remote on the same projects.
Store links and content quickly and easily from anywhere (phone, web, social media, tablet) to read later.
TrelloWufoo POCKET
DROPBOX
TeamIs your team all in one office or spread out? Do you have flexible work hours or set hours? Is your work highly collaborative or more independent?
Web SavvyIf your staff isn’t comfortable using a tool or doesn’t know how to use a tool, then it is all for not. Understand where the users are at with their tech/web skills.
Mobile Will you be working on the fly, on the road, in coffee shops or from phones and tablets?
How can these tools be incorporated into or build off of your current workflow (as opposed to you needing to create a new workflow for the tool)?
Workflow
Get Stuff DoneTHINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Make Things Look CoolWith so many different charities, causes and social-good-initiatives out there it is getting harder to stand out. Good design is one of the first and easiest ways to impress people and create in interest in you. Ultimately it is about how you are making a difference in the world but why not make a difference and have it look cool too?
Make great looking dynamic presentations for meetings, webinars or campaigns.
Turn photos and video clips into professional looking videos quickly and easily.
Host PDF’s online and make them easy to read and share online.
Outsource your design needs (logo, web page, t-shirt) to thousands of quality designers and choose what you want.
Add some flare to your Facebook page with welcome pages, contests and “microsites”.
Simple drag and drop tool to create great looking infographics.
Make Things Look Cool
PREZI ANIMOTO Issuu
99 Designs Short Stack PIktochart
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
CapacityDo you have someone on your team that can do design work regularly and at a high level? Do you have a volunteer or relationship with a vendor that can?
FrequencyHow often are you needing design projects? If frequent, consider hiring a contractor or agency, if less frequent, look at crowdsourced tools.
Making things look good, pretty and cool doesn’t always have to take more time... but it often does. And it’s often worth it. Just be wary of the time commitment and knowingly choose to use or not use the tool/service.
Do you have access to great visuals in the form of pictures and videos? Great pictures in shoddy designs look more shoddy. Play to your strengths and surround strength with strength.
VisualsTime
Make thingsLook Cool
Go DEEPERThis guide is just a summary of some of the main areas where nonprofits can use tools to increase their impact and only scratches the surface. There are many great sites, blogs and people to follow to learn more about what is best and right for you and your organization.
Great free tools, webinars and white papers on digital marketing and social media. Business focused, but lot’s of application for nonprofits.
PLatformation
Trendy site to cover all things tech, web and digital. Special sections for nonprofits and social impact are useful to get more focused advice and resources.
Good resource for information and reviews on products and tools. Registered charities, nonprofits and libraries can get donated products or greatly reduced prices.
Awesome hub for all things nonprofit and technology. Partners with others to produce great content, training, research and resources.
Google produces lots of great (and free) products that can help nonprofits and even has a Google Grants program that can provide free advertising opportunities.
Trendy site to cover all things tech, web and digital. Special sections for nonprofits and social impact are useful to get more focused advice and resources.
GO DEEPER
Very in-depth reviews, analysis and recommendations for nonprofits when it comes to software and IT. Very research focused.
Blog of software company Peer Giving Ideas curates quality content on the web twice a week to update small/medium-sized charities with practical tips and information.
Peer Giving Ideas
HUBSPOT techsoup Canada
MashableGoogle for NonprofitsNTEN
IDEALWARE
ABOUT US
Brady Josephson, Strategic [email protected]: 778-331-0577twitter: @bradyjosephson
Charity Express is a start-up digital agency based in Vancouver, BC. We’re a team of creative, passionate and action-oriented people that design and execute digital strategies to help charities, nonprofits anwwWd other charitable initiatives build capacity and succeed in achieving their goals in a web environment.
Wanna Chat? Give Us A Shout.
