Nonprofits should evaluate the tools and software they’ll be using, even if they’re starting, to ensure the most cost-effective products and resources to fit their team’s current and future needs. Most online tools and software companies offer discounts and special pricing to nonprofits. Installing multiple types of software can be time-consuming and costly. Your organization’s best interest is to save resources where you can and take advantage of the discounts, special deals, and donated software. While there are free versions of many online tools and programs, some have limited features that won’t meet your organization's needs, especially as you scale and grow. Take note of the features at the various price points and ensure you choose the best fit for your organization.
Typical Requirements
These are the usual information and requirements you’ll need to prepare before applying for nonprofit discounts.
- Registered organization name
- Organization URL
- Form 990 (US nonprofits) and other relevant 501(c)(3) documentation like the IRS 501(c)(3) Certification letter
This is not a definitive list of software and online tools, but the most popular among nonprofits to aid in organization, project management, client management, sales, team communication, and more.
Airtable
- Airtable offers 50% off the monthly cost of Plus or Pro licenses.
- Eligibility criteria can be found here
- Application form can be accessed here
- Decisions are given after 10 business days
Salesforce
There are two ways you can avail of Salesforce’s nonprofit pricing.
- Nonprofit Cloud Pricing
- Enterprise Edition - $60/user/month
- Unlimited Edition - $100/user/month
- The Power of Us Program
- When you qualify for the program, you get to avail of discounted Salesforce technology, which includes 10 free subscriptions to the Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise Edition
- Eligibility criteria can be found here
- Processing time takes 2 to 3 weeks.
Google Workspace
- You can use a Google Nonprofit account offering at least 70% off pricing.
- List of available products can be found here
- Eligibility criteria can be found here
Zoom
- You can avail of a 50% discount on Pro and Business licenses through TechSoup
- This can be availed once per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), valid for 12 months.
- More information can be found here
Asana
- Nonprofits can avail of a 50% discount on Premium or Business plans.
- Application form can be accessed here
Slack
- The Slack for Nonprofits program offers free or discounted plan upgrades to nonprofits who already have a workspace on Slack.
- Pro Plan - Free upgrade for workspaces with up to 250 members, 85% discount for more than 250
- Business+ Plan - 85% discount on workspaces of any size with this plan
- Enterprise Grid: Qualifying workspaces with more than 1,000+ members can contact Slack to inquire
- A Workspace owner can submit an application here
- Slack partners with TechSoup to review and validate applications
Microsoft
- Nonprofit accounts can avail of granted or discounted licenses on products.
- Granted licenses - For paid employees and unpaid executive staff if the organization is eligible
- Discounted licenses - For all staff, including volunteers and temporary staff. Discounted pricing on commercial cloud offers and some on-premise offers
- The person who will register must be an employee or strategic volunteer of the nonprofit. Nonprofit beneficiaries, donors, and members are not eligible.
- Eligibility criteria can be found here
- You can register through this link
- Processing and review takes 7 days
Dropbox
- Nonprofits can avail of discounts on Dropbox team account subscriptions
- You will need to contact the admin of your Dropbox team to learn more about nonprofit pricing.
- For more information, you can read here
Coda
- Nonprofits can get 50% off
- Eligibility criteria can be found here
- Application form can be found here
ClickUp
- You can claim your nonprofit discount here
- Alternatively, you can also email help@clickup.com to talk about receiving customized pricing for your nonprofit
Zapier
- Nonprofits can avail 15% off on a single plan
- Application form can be found here
- More information can be found here
Xero
- You can get 25% off Xero accounting software as a nonprofit
- Check out the different plans and pricing here
- You can sign up for a free 30-day trial first. Then, contact support to inquire about the nonprofit discount. They will ask you to submit documentation to validate your nonprofit status.
Discount Retailers and Donation Programs
There are organizations and even tech nonprofits that offer discounted or donated software. Ensure they are authorized nonprofit software resellers before engaging with any you find online.
Here are some verified nonprofits that resell tech and software you can contact.
TechSoup
- TechSoup provides software solutions and hardware to nonprofits, which includes discounted or donated licenses to Microsoft, Adobe, Symantec and Intuit.
- Sign up for free here. During registration, you can upload your documents proving your nonprofit status with the IRS.
- You can also check your eligibility for a software’s donation program here
Genesis Technologies
- Genesis Technologies provides technology solutions for nonprofits (including churches), educational, and government institutions as a marketplace.
- You can find their product catalog here.