1. TechSoup — register first
TechSoup is a clearinghouse for nonprofit software discounts. They verify your 501(c)(3) status once and that verification unlocks pricing on Microsoft, Adobe, Symantec, Bitdefender, Intuit, and dozens of others.
What you need: EIN, IRS determination letter (the one confirming your 501(c)(3) status), and a board-member email address. Verification typically takes 2–14 days.
Cost: Free to register. Per-product admin fees are typically $5–$50, well below retail.
2. Google Ad Grants — $10,000/month in free advertising
Google gives qualifying nonprofits up to $10,000/month in Search ad credits. It's the single largest free benefit available to small nonprofits, and most never claim it.
Steps:
- Apply for Google for Nonprofits (uses TechSoup verification).
- Activate Google Ad Grants from your nonprofit dashboard.
- Create a Google Ads account and link it.
- Build at least 2 ad groups, 3 ads per group, and target relevant keywords.
Compliance traps: Click-through rate must stay above 5%. Your account must have geo-targeting and at least one conversion tracked. If you miss compliance, the grant pauses until you fix it.
3. Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits
Free Microsoft 365 Business Basic for up to 300 users — Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint web apps, Teams, OneDrive (1 TB per user), SharePoint. Discounted desktop versions available.
Apply via Microsoft using your TechSoup validation token. Approval is usually instant once TechSoup confirms.
4. Google Workspace for Nonprofits
Free Google Workspace (Gmail on your domain, Drive, Docs, Calendar, Meet) for the standard tier. Apply through Google for Nonprofits. You can run Google and Microsoft side by side — many nonprofits do.
5. Salesforce — Power of Us Program
Salesforce's Power of Us donates 10 free Sales Cloud / Service Cloud licenses to qualifying nonprofits, plus deep discounts beyond that. Includes the Nonprofit Cloud / NPSP data model built specifically for donor and program management.
Heads up: Salesforce is the most powerful CRM in this list and the most complex. If you have less than 500 contacts, consider a simpler tool like Zeffy or Little Green Light first.
6. AWS Credits for Nonprofits
AWS offers up to $2,000 in promotional credits through their nonprofit credit program, plus access to the IMAGINE Grant program for technical projects. Useful if you're hosting a custom app or large data workloads.
7. Canva for Nonprofits
Free Canva Pro for up to 50 team members. Premium templates, brand kit, background remover, magic resize. Apply at canva.com/canva-for-nonprofits.
8. Slack for Nonprofits
85% off Pro and Business+ plans. Free plan is also workable for small teams. Apply through Slack's nonprofit program.
9. Zoom for Nonprofits
50% discount on Zoom Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans for verified 501(c)(3)s. Apply via the Zoom Nonprofit page. Free Zoom plan caps meetings at 40 minutes — the discount is worth it if you run regular board or volunteer calls.
10. 1Password for Nonprofits
Free 1Password Teams for up to 25 staff at qualifying nonprofits. Strong shared password management is non-optional once you have more than two people touching donor data. Apply at 1password.com/nonprofits.
11. Zeffy — 0% donation processing
Zeffy processes donations at literally 0% fees — they cover Stripe's processing fees and ask donors for an optional tip. For a small nonprofit raising $20K/year, this is roughly $600/year saved vs. Donorbox or Givebutter.
12. Little Green Light — donor CRM
Not free but the best price-to-feature ratio for small nonprofit CRMs. ~$45/month for under 2,500 constituents. littlegreenlight.com
13. Mailchimp for Nonprofits
15% off paid plans for nonprofits. Free tier (up to 500 contacts) is enough for many small orgs. Apply through your account billing settings after signing up.
14. Security tools (free via TechSoup)
- Bitdefender GravityZone — endpoint protection at $5–$15/seat admin fee
- Norton Small Business — similar discounted pricing
- NortonLifeLock — identity and credit monitoring credits
Recommended order of operations
- Week 1 — Register with TechSoup. Submit IRS determination letter.
- Week 2 — Apply for Google for Nonprofits + Microsoft 365 (both use TechSoup token).
- Week 3 — Activate Google Ad Grants and build your first ad group.
- Week 4 — Apply for Canva, Slack, Zoom, 1Password.
- Month 2+ — Salesforce Power of Us if your contact list is large enough to need it. AWS credits if you're hosting infrastructure.
While you're here
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