Free software for nonprofits, and the discounts worth claiming

The big nonprofit tech programs

1. Google for Nonprofits

   If you're a 501(c)(3), you can get Google Workspace for Nonprofits (email, docs, shared drives) at no cost. Here is how to get Google Workspace for Nonprofits, step by step. You can also get the Google Ad Grant: up to $10,000 a month in Google search ads (Google, 2026). Schools, hospitals, government agencies and groups under a fiscal sponsor without their own 501(c)(3) can't join. But a foundation that raises money for a school or hospital can still qualify.

2. TechSoup

   TechSoup offers donated and discounted software from Microsoft, Adobe, Dell, Intuit and others. Joining TechSoup Core costs nothing. You pay an admin fee instead of the full price, and the fee depends on the product. A $200-a-year Plus membership lowers or waives the fee on some products (TechSoup, 2026; see its waived-fee list). It's worth a look before you buy other tools.

3. Microsoft for Nonprofits

   Microsoft 365 Business Basic is free for up to 300 users. It gives you Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams on the web and phone, Copilot Chat, and 1 TB of storage each. Business Premium costs $5.50 per user a month, paid yearly (Microsoft, 2026). Microsoft ended its free Business Premium grant in 2025, so older guides that promise it are out of date.

4. Canva Nonprofits

   Eligible nonprofits get Canva Pro free, plus team tools, for one team of up to 50 people (Canva, 2026). In the US, Canva asks for 501(c)(3) status, and schools and government agencies can't join. It's a real help for flyers, social posts and simple reports when you have no designer.

Free tools you can use without paying anything

The big programs above want proof of 501(c)(3) status first. These don't, and none of them asks for a credit card.

1. Ember's free tier (that's us)

   If your annual budget is under $50K, Ember's Starter tier costs $0. You get every app and unlimited users: grants, volunteers, programs, compliance deadlines, budgets, board meetings and staff time. You don't need 501(c)(3) status. Grassroots groups, all-volunteer teams, fiscally sponsored projects and founders still getting set up can all use it. Above $50K, it's a flat monthly price by budget, and Ember doesn't do bookkeeping or take donations (Ember pricing, 2026).

2. Free calculators

   The software cost calculator adds up what your paid tools cost each year. The volunteer hour value calculator puts a dollar figure on volunteer time. And the startup cost calculator estimates what it takes to start a nonprofit in your state.

3. Free templates and finders

   A board meeting agenda, a volunteer sign-up sheet, a time and effort certification for federal grants, and a finder that tells you which Form 990 you file. You'll find them all in the free Ember toolkit.

Free fundraising tools

A few donation platforms charge your nonprofit nothing, and they get paid another way, usually through an optional tip your donors can add. Check how each one earns its money before you choose. Our free fundraising software comparison adds Donorbox and CiviCRM, with fees read 7 October 2026.

1. Zeffy

   Zeffy charges no platform fees and no card fees, so every dollar a donor pays reaches your nonprofit. It runs on tips instead: when someone pays through a Zeffy form, they can add a contribution to Zeffy or skip it (Zeffy, 2026). That ask is the catch, since your donors see it at checkout. You don't need 501(c)(3) status, but a US group needs an EIN and a bank account in the organization's name. Zeffy works in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and Germany (Zeffy, 2026).

2. Givebutter

   Givebutter is free for you as long as donor tips stay on: no platform fee and no processing fees. Turn tips off and you pay a flat 3% platform fee plus standard card processing of 2.9% + 30¢ a gift (Givebutter, 2026).

3. Ember Giving

   Ember doesn't collect donations. It isn't a payment processor and never touches the money. Ember Giving picks up after the gift: you record it however it came in, and Ember helps you thank the person who gave it. Your public page can carry a Donate button that points to wherever you already take gifts, and Giving is part of Ember's free tier for budgets under $50K (Ember Giving, 2026).

Free volunteer scheduling tools

Most volunteer programs start with a sign-up sheet, and the good news is that several are free. Here's what each free version gives you, and what it keeps for paying customers. The free volunteer management software comparison adds Zelos and a side-by-side table.

1. SignUpGenius

   The free version costs $0 and gives you unlimited sign-up pages with automatic confirmation and reminder emails. The catch is ads. The cheapest paid plan, Silver, is $8.99 a month paid yearly, and it takes the ads off one sign-up (SignUpGenius, 2026).

2. SignUp.com

   Basic is free, with unlimited sign-ups, participants and emails, but only one organizer and one custom question. Paid plans start at $99.99 a year (SignUp.com, 2026). The free version shows ads, and you pay to remove them (SignUp.com, 2026).

3. Ember Volunteers

   You post your shifts and share one link, and volunteers sign up with just a name and an email, with no account or password. Each program emails a reminder 3 days before a shift, and hours record when you check people in. Your first 25 public sign-ups need nothing more from you; confirm your EIN to raise that limit. It's part of Ember's free tier for budgets under $50K (Ember Volunteers, 2026).

How to claim them

1. Have your 501(c)(3) details ready

   Each program checks your status before it gives you anything. Google uses a partner called Goodstack, Microsoft uses its own validation partner, and Canva asks for proof you're registered. Have your EIN (your IRS tax ID number) and IRS determination letter handy.

2. Pick one home for email and files

   Choose Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, not both, so your team has one place to look. Then look at TechSoup before you buy other tools.

3. Re-check yearly

   Programs and eligibility change. What wasn't available last year might be now, and vice versa.

The catch with "free"

Free is wonderful, but watch two things. Free tiers can shrink or move behind paywalls, so don't build a must-have workflow on one you can't replace. And "free" isn't always cheapest once you count your time. A paid tool that saves you hours can beat a free one that costs you a weekend. Choose for fit, not just price.

Your next step

Start with what you pay now. Put your current tools into the nonprofit software cost calculator and see the yearly total next to the free options above. If your budget is under $50K a year, Ember's free tier gives you every app, with unlimited users, for $0.