Best Online Tools for Nonprofits: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

In today’s digital age, nonprofits need to embrace technology to achieve their goals. The use of online tools can help streamline operations, improve fundraising efforts, and expand reach. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to the 10 best online tools for nonprofits. For each tool, we will list the pros and cons, and provide the URL to help you discover the tools for yourself.

Section 1: Technology. Top 10 Technology Tools.

1. G Suite for Nonprofits (https://www.google.com/nonprofits/products/g-suite-for-nonprofits/) Pros: Provides an all-in-one solution for email, document sharing, and video conferencing; has a user-friendly interface; enables real-time collaboration among team members; provides nonprofits with free access to Google’s premium features.
   Cons: May not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex IT needs; limited customisation options for branding and user experience.
2. Slack for Nonprofits (https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/nonprofits) Pros: Streamlines communication among team members; offers a searchable archive of conversations; integrates with other apps and services; provides nonprofits with free access to Slack’s premium features.
   Cons: Can be overwhelming for new users; may not be suitable for nonprofits with smaller teams.
3. Trello for Nonprofits (https://trello.com/nonprofit) Pros: Enables nonprofits to manage projects and tasks; provides real-time updates on project progress; offers customisable workflows; provides nonprofits with free access to Trello’s premium features. Cons: Limited customisation options for branding and user experience; may not be suitable for nonprofits with smaller teams.
4. Asana for Nonprofits (https://asana.com/nonprofit) Pros: Enables nonprofits to manage tasks and projects; offers customisable workflows and templates; provides real-time updates on project progress; provides nonprofits with free access to Asana’s premium features. Cons: Can be overwhelming for new users; limited customisation options for branding and user experience.
5. Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud (https://www.salesforce.org/nonprofit/nonprofit-cloud/) Pros: Provides a comprehensive solution for managing donors, fundraising, and volunteers; enables nonprofits to track donations and fundraising campaigns; offers customisable reporting and analytics features; provides nonprofits with free access to Salesforce’s premium features. Cons: Can be more expensive than other administration tools; may not be suitable for nonprofits with less established donor bases.
6. Quickbooks for Nonprofits (https://quickbooks.intuit.com/nonprofits/) Pros: Enables nonprofits to manage finances and track expenses; offers customisable reporting and analytics features; integrates with a range of other financial management tools; provides nonprofits with free access to Quickbooks’ premium features. Cons: Can be overwhelming for new users; limited customisation options for branding and user experience.
7. Adobe Creative Cloud for Nonprofits (https://www.adobe.com/nonprofit/creativesolutions.html) Pros: Provides access to Adobe’s suite of creative tools for design, video editing, and more; offers customisation options for branding and user experience; provides nonprofits with discounts on Adobe’s premium features; enables nonprofits to create professional-looking designs and graphics. Cons: Can be more expensive than other design tools; may not be suitable for nonprofits with smaller design needs.
8. Canva for Nonprofits (https://www.canva.com/canva-for-nonprofits/) Pros: Enables nonprofits to create professional-looking designs and graphics for social media, websites, and other marketing materials; offers a range of customisable templates and design options; provides free access to Canva’s premium features; provides nonprofits with an easy-to-use interface. Cons: Limited design customisation options; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex design needs.
9. Hootsuite for Nonprofits (https://hootsuite.com/nonprofit) Pros: Enables nonprofits to manage multiple social media channels from one dashboard; provides access to social listening tools; offers advanced scheduling and analytics features; provides nonprofits with free access to Hootsuite’s premium features. Cons: Can be overwhelming for new users; may not be suitable for nonprofits with smaller social media presences.
10. Mailchimp for Nonprofits (https://mailchimp.com/nonprofit/) Pros: Enables nonprofits to create and send email newsletters; offers customisable templates and design options; provides access to detailed analytics; provides nonprofits with free access to Mailchimp’s premium features. Cons: Limited customisation options for branding and user experience; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex email marketing needs.

Section 2: Online Fundraising. Top 10 Online Fundraising Tools.

1. Donorbox (https://donorbox.org/) Donorbox is an online fundraising platform that provides customisable donation forms and enables recurring donations for nonprofits.
   Pros: Offers a range of customisable donation forms; enables recurring donations; integrates with a range of payment gateways; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: Can be more expensive than other online fundraising tools. May not be suitable for nonprofits with less established donor bases.
2. GoFundMe Charity (https://charity.gofundme.com/) GoFundMe Charity is a fundraising platform that allows nonprofits to create custom campaigns and donation options for their supporters. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: charges a transaction fee for each donation; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
3. CrowdRise by GoFundMe (https://charity.crowdrise.com/) CrowdRise is a fundraising platform that allows nonprofits to create custom campaigns, and donation options for their supporters. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: Charges a transaction fee for each donation; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
4. Classy (https://www.classy.org/) Classy is an online fundraising platform that provides a range of tools and resources for nonprofits to engage with supporters and raise funds for their causes. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: Charges a transaction fee for each donation. May not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
5. CauseVox (https://www.causevox.com/) CauseVox is a fundraising platform that enables nonprofits to create custom campaigns and donation pages to raise funds and engage with supporters. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: Charges a transaction fee for each donation; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
6. Network for Good (https://www.networkforgood.com/) Network for Good is an online fundraising platform that provides a range of tools and resources for nonprofits to engage with supporters and raise funds for their causes. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; Offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics.
   Cons: Charges a transaction fee for each donation; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
7. Mightycause (https://www.mightycause.com/) Mightycause is a fundraising platform that allows nonprofits to create custom campaigns and donation options for their supporters. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: Charges a transaction fee for each donation; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
8. Fundly (https://fundly.com/) Description: Fundly is a crowdfunding platform that allows nonprofits to create custom campaigns and donation pages to raise funds for their causes. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom fundraising campaigns; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to social sharing tools; provides nonprofits with access to detailed reports and analytics. Cons: Charges a transaction fee for each donation; may not be suitable for nonprofits with more complex fundraising needs.
9. Bonfire (https://www.bonfire.com/) Bonfire is a platform that allows nonprofits to create and sell custom merchandise to raise funds for their causes. Pros: Enables nonprofits to create custom merchandise; offers a range of design and branding options; provides access to detailed reports and analytics; provides nonprofits with free access to Bonfire’s premium features. Cons: Takes a portion of the profits from merchandise sales; may not be suitable for nonprofits with less established donor bases.
10. Double the Donation (https://doublethedonation.com/) Double the Donation is a tool that helps nonprofits increase their donations by providing a database of matching gift companies. Pros: Enables nonprofits to increase their donations; offers a range of donation options, including one-time and recurring donations; provides access to detailed reports and analytics; offers customisable search options for matching gift companies. Cons: Charges a monthly subscription fee for access to the database; may not be suitable for nonprofits with less established donor bases.

Section 3: Digital Marketing Tools. Top 10 Digital Marketing Tools.

1. Mailchimp (https://mailchimp.com/): Mailchimp is an email marketing tool that helps nonprofits connect with their supporters, donors, and volunteers by creating and sending professional-looking email campaigns. Pros: User-friendly interface; free plan with basic features; automation and personalisation options; Integrates with various third-party apps and platforms. Cons: Limited A/B testing features; costly for large email lists.
2. Google Ad Grants (https://www.google.com/grants/): Google Ad Grants is a program that provides eligible nonprofits with up to $10,000 per month in Google Ads advertising credit, allowing them to increase visibility and traffic to their website. Pros: Provides free advertising credit; targets specific audiences; offers ad optimisation options; easy to track and analyse performance. Cons: Can be complex to set up and manage; has strict guidelines and policies to follow.
3. Canva (https://www.canva.com/): Canva is a graphic design tool that helps nonprofits create professional-looking visual content for their website, social media, and other digital channels.
   Pros: Provides templates and design elements; user-friendly interface; collaboration and sharing options; integrates with various third-party platforms. Cons: Limited customisation options; premium features can be expensive.
   
4. Hootsuite (https://hootsuite.com/): Hootsuite is a social media management tool that allows nonprofits to schedule, publish, and monitor their social media posts across different platforms.
   Pros: Allows scheduling and publishing to multiple social media channels; real-time analytics and monitoring; team collaboration and approval workflows; integrates with various third-party apps and platforms. Cons: Limited features on the free plan; can be complex to set up and manage.
5. Buffer (https://buffer.com/): Buffer is another social media management tool that allows nonprofits to schedule and publish social media content, as well as analyse their performance.
   Pros: Allows scheduling and publishing to multiple social media channels; analytics and insights on post-performance; team collaboration and approval workflows; integrates with various third-party apps and platforms. Cons: Limited features on the free plan; no direct Instagram scheduling.
6. Google Analytics (https://analytics.google.com/): Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that helps nonprofits track and analyse their website traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates.
   Pros: Provides comprehensive website data and insights; segmentation and audience targeting; goal tracking and conversion optimisation; integrates with various third-party platforms. Cons: Can be complex to set up and use; requires some technical knowledge.
7. HubSpot (https://www.hubspot.com/): HubSpot is a marketing automation platform that helps nonprofits manage their email campaigns, lead generation, and website analytics.
   Pros: Provides a suite of marketing automation tools; Lead generation and nurturing options; integrates with various third-party apps and platforms; robust analytics and reporting. Cons: Costly for nonprofits with limited budgets; takes time to set up and learn.
8. Trello (https://trello.com/): Trello is a project management tool that helps nonprofits organize their tasks, projects, and collaborations.
   Pros: Provides a simple, visual project management system; collaboration and sharing options; integrates with various third-party apps and platforms; free plan with basic features. Cons: Limited customisation options; not ideal for complex project management needs.
9. SurveyMonkey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/): SurveyMonkey is an online survey tool that helps nonprofits gather feedback from their stakeholders, supporters, and beneficiaries. Pros: Variety of survey templates and question types; real-time data and analysis; integrates with various third-party apps and platforms; free plan with basic features. Cons: Limited customisation options; can be expensive for more advanced features.
10. Sprout Social (https://sproutsocial.com/): Sprout Social is a social media analytics and reporting tool that helps nonprofits measure and analyse their social media performance, as well as track their brand reputation online. Pros: Social media management, analytics, and reporting; team collaboration and approval workflows; integrates with various third-party apps and platforms; 30-day free trial. Cons: Costly for nonprofits with limited budgets; limited features on the entry-level plan.

Conclusion:

These online fundraising tools can help nonprofits engage with their supporters and raise funds for their causes. By leveraging these tools, nonprofits can create custom fundraising campaigns, provide a range of donation options, and access detailed reports and analytics. It is important for nonprofits to carefully evaluate their specific needs and select the tools that will work best for them.