Complete Resource Guide for Nonprofits + Helping Organizations
⚙️ Tech & Software
🤝 Skilled Volunteers
🎨 Design + Marketing
💰 Fundraising
⚖️ Legal
📊 Financial + HR
📚 Training
☁️ Cloud + IT
🌿 Wellness
📢 Communications
🏆 Grant Finding
⚙️ Tech & Software 🤝 Skilled Volunteers 🎨 Design + Marketing 💰 Fundraising ⚖️ Legal 📊 Financial + HR 📚 Training ☁️ Cloud + IT 🌿 Wellness 📢 Communications 🏆 Grant Finding
A comprehensive directory of free or discounted services spanning every operational need.
We know, plain and simple, that bolstering your workforce requires money - whether it’s rounding out teams with more staff, higher salaries, or better benefits. And in your line of work, money is either tight or needs to prioritize the mission. For these reasons, we have created this resource hub, to highlight free or low-cost services spanning every operational need - so that more operating dollars can shift to support the people supporting your mission.
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This hub is intentionally comprehensive to cover as many opportunities as possible. Because of this, many resources offer the same or overlapping services. Use your discretion and needs to determine what resources may best serve your organization.
All resources are either free, discounted, or low-cost, and will be designated as such in their description.
Most programs require 501(c)(3) status. Any resources also available to for-profit orgs will be designated with the tag “Open to All).
Costs and availability may change - always verify directly with the provider.
Leeward has no affiliation or sponsorship with any of the listed providers.
For non-profits, start with TechSoup to get verified nonprofit status, as many programs use TechSoup verification to confirm eligibility.
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LOW COST/FREE VIA FUNDERS
The top skills-based volunteering platform. Matches nonprofits with professionals in marketing, web design, accounting, social media, writing, and strategy. Many community foundations fund free access for local nonprofits - check if yours qualifies before paying.
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FREE
Completely free for nonprofits. Connects orgs with skilled pro bono volunteers for HR, marketing, finance, tech, and strategy projects - from 1-hour consultations to multi-month engagements. U.S., U.K., EU, Canada, and India eligible.
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FREE
Post volunteer, internship, and job opportunities for free. Massive community of mission-driven professionals actively looking to give their skills to organizations they believe in.
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FREE
Long-term strategic consulting engagements (multi-month) matched with vetted volunteer consultants. Particularly valuable for organizational development, strategy, and capacity-building challenges. Application process is competitive.
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FREE
Managed by Points of Light, this aggregates volunteer opportunities from multiple platforms - a one-stop shop for reaching diverse volunteers. Strong for community-based organizations.
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FREE
AmeriCorps-focused platform connecting organizations with full-year service members (AmeriCorps, VISTA, etc.) who provide capacity in exchange for a living stipend and education award - heavily subsidized staffing.
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DISCOUNTED
Discount on Xero cloud accounting. Strong for smaller nonprofits who need clean bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting without a full-time bookkeeper.
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FREE
Completely free invoicing, accounting, and receipt scanning for small organizations. No transaction fees. Good for very small nonprofits or those just getting started before needing QuickBooks-level features.
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LOW COST
Nonprofit-specific unemployment insurance alternative that can save organizations significant money. Also provides HR Workplace tools: live HR experts, 300+ employee training courses, handbook builder, and compliance forms.
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DISCOUNTED
Popular HR platform with nonprofit pricing. Tracks employee data, PTO, performance reviews, onboarding workflows, and org charts - replacing the spreadsheet chaos that many small nonprofit HR teams live in.
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LOW COST
Affordable payroll, benefits, and HR management. Nonprofit-friendly pricing. Handles tax filings, direct deposit, W-2s, and benefits administration - critical for small orgs without a dedicated payroll person.
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FREE TEMPLATES
Free HR templates, job description samples, policy templates, and compliance guides from the Society for Human Resource Management. Paid membership unlocks more - but the free tier is substantial.
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FREE/DISCOUNTED
Millions of free icons and stock photos for nonprofit communications and design. The free tier requires attribution. The affordable Pro plan (nonprofit discount available) removes attribution requirements.
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FREE
Free podcast creation and hosting. Many nonprofits use podcasts to share stories, educate communities, and build donor relationships. No technical expertise needed to launch.
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DISCOUNTED
Discount on email marketing when prepaying. Good for nonprofits who need event registration + email together in one platform.
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DISCOUNTED
Discount on paid plans for email newsletters, donor communication, and campaign management. The free tier (up to 250 contacts) covers small orgs. Integrates with most CRM and donation platforms.
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DISCOUNTED
Discounted CRM, email marketing, and donor-communication tools. Free CRM forever with unlimited contacts. The discounted paid plans add automation, reporting, and pipeline tracking.
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FREE
Official U.S. federal government grant database. Free to search and apply. Covers every federal agency's open funding opportunities. Required for nonprofits pursuing any government grants.
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FREE VIA LIBRARIES
Candid (formerly Foundation Center) is the gold standard for foundation grant research. Full access is paid, but free access is available at public libraries and Funding Information Network locations nationwide.
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LOW COST
Affordable grant listing database for nonprofits, individuals, and small businesses. Regularly updated with federal, state, foundation, and corporate grant opportunities. One of the more affordable grant finders.
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LOW COST
Searchable grant database plus grant writing training resources. Pairs well with TechSoup's grant writing courses. Their PathFinder free resource library covers grant proposal development at no cost.
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LOW COST
AI-powered grant discovery that matches your org's profile to relevant opportunities. Significantly reduces research time. Particularly useful for small teams who may not have a development officer.
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FREE
Local United Ways and community foundations are often the most accessible funders for small nonprofits. They also frequently fund free Catchafire access, technical assistance, and capacity-building for grantees.
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FREE
Small Business Administration grant resources include some programs accessible to small nonprofits and social enterprises. The SBA also connects orgs with SCORE mentors - free expert business advice.
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FREE
The only truly 0% fee fundraising platform. Donation forms, ticketing, peer-to-peer fundraising, donor management, and email tools - all free with no platform fees and no Stripe fees charged to the org. Covers most small/mid-size nonprofit needs.
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FREE TIER AVAILABLE
Free Standard plan for basic donation forms. Recurring giving, goal meters, and donor portals.
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FREE
Create and sell branded merch directly on Bonfire’s platform. They tackle printing, shipping, payments, and customer support, while your org earns passive funding.
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LOW COST
Corporate matching gift tools. Double the Donation helps donors identify and request employer matches - potentially doubling every donation. Low monthly fee that typically pays for itself.
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LOW COST
All-in-one fundraising CRM with donor management, email, and donation tools. Nonprofit-focused (they're a nonprofit themselves). Pricing is accessible and includes a coaching program for small orgs.
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FREE TO LOW COST
Donor-retention-focused CRM. Free for orgs with under 250 contacts. Very small nonprofits can start free and grow. Includes donor engagement tracking, email, and reporting.
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FREE
600,000+ nonprofit professionals use this platform. Hundreds of free online courses, videos, and guides spanning fundraising, governance, accounting, marketing, volunteer management, and program management.
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FREE/DISCOUNTED
Discounted and free access to thousands of courses from top universities. Staff can get certificates in data analytics, project management, communications, and more. Audit most courses for free.
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DISCOUNTED
Discounted team plans for nonprofits. Thousands of courses on leadership, communication, software skills, and management. Certificates display on LinkedIn profiles, supporting staff career development.
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FREE
Audit thousands of university courses for free - nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, data literacy, communications, and more. Pay only if a certificate is needed.
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FREE/LOW COST
Microsoft 365 Business Basic free for up to 10 users, then $3/user/mo. Includes Teams, SharePoint, Exchange, and Word/Excel/PowerPoint online. Azure credits and Dynamics 365 discounts also available.
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$3,500/YEAR CREDITS
$3,500 in annual Azure cloud credits for eligible nonprofits. Microsoft also provides deep discounts on Azure services beyond the grant amount. Good for orgs running their own apps or databases.
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FREE
Free Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, Calendar) for teams. Also includes Google Ad Grants ($10,000/mo in free search ads), YouTube Nonprofit Program, and Google Maps credits.
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FREE CREDITS
Free Google Cloud credits for nonprofits via the Google for Nonprofits program. Covers compute, storage, BigQuery data analysis, and Maps API usage. Apply through the main Google for Nonprofits portal.
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FREE/DISCOUNTED
Cisco donates networking equipment and provides free cybersecurity and networking training through TechSoup. NetHope coordinates tech support for nonprofits including IT consulting and infrastructure help.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/csr/community/nonprofits.html
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FREE
Free cybersecurity resources and training for nonprofits from the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Data security is often neglected in small nonprofits - this helps teams build basic practices for those who may not have a dedicated IT person.
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DISCOUNTED
Significant discounts on Dropbox Business through TechSoup. Cloud storage and file sharing for teams that need organized, accessible document management without Google Drive.
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FREE
Free upgrade to the Pro Plan for nonprofits with 250 or fewer users - includes more integrations, app workflows, and extended message history. Apply through Slack's discount program.
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UP TO 50% OFF
Zoom offers significant discounts on Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans for nonprofits. Apply through the TechSoup marketplace or directly through Zoom's nonprofit program page.
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FREE
National network connecting nonprofits and low-income individuals with free legal help. Their LawHelp platform connects organizations with local legal aid providers and pro bono attorneys.
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FREE
The American Bar Association and every state bar association maintain pro bono referral programs. Contact your state bar's pro bono coordinator to find attorneys who work with nonprofits for free.
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FREE RESOURCES
Free templates, compliance guides, sample policies, and articles on nonprofit law, governance, HR, and finance. Their state-by-state network of nonprofit associations often provides direct free consulting.
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FREE ARTICLES
Free library of plain-language articles on nonprofit formation, governance, employment law, contracts, and intellectual property. A useful first stop before engaging an attorney.
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LOW COST
Low-cost legal document creation and attorney consultations. Useful for bylaws templates, employment agreements, contractor agreements, and board-related documents when full pro bono isn't available.
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FREE
Free 990 filing tools, compliance guides, and tax-exempt status resources. The IRS also provides free EIN registration and has a Taxpayer Advocate Service for orgs facing complex issues.
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FREE/70% OFF
Free for small teams (10 seats). Larger teams get 70% off - project management, fundraising campaigns, volunteer coordination, resource tracking, and automated task workflows.
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50% OFF
50% discount on Asana Premium or Business plans for verified nonprofits. Task management, timelines, goal-tracking, and automation to keep teams coordinated without expensive project managers.
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50% OFF
50% discount on Business plans - simple, beloved task management for teams who need something lighter than Monday or Asana. Great for small staff teams.
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FREE
Basecamp offers a completely free plan to nonprofits and charities. All-in-one project management: to-dos, file storage, messaging, schedules, and automatic check-ins. Apply via their discount page.
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FREE
Full Canva Pro free for 501(c)(3)s. Social media graphics, flyers, reports, presentations, email headers, and more. The brand kit ensures visual consistency across all materials.
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DISCOUNTED
Schedule and analyze social media posts across all major platforms. The free plan allows 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts - workable for small orgs.
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DISCOUNTED
For social media management and scheduling. Manage multiple platforms, schedule content, monitor mentions, and track performance - all from one dashboard.
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FREE
$10,000 per month in free Google Search advertising. Drive traffic to your website, donation pages, volunteer sign-ups, and programs. One of the highest-value free resources available - many nonprofits don't claim it.
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FREE
Completely free, high-quality stock photography with no attribution required. Eliminates expensive stock photo subscriptions.
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DISCOUNTED
Nonprofits can get Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere, etc.) at deep discounts through TechSoup. Qualifying orgs may pay as little as $5–$11/month per license.
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