How Aussie not-for-profits can save over $150,000 on digital marketing tools
For most not-for-profits, it can seem like the best-in-class digital marketing tools & platforms are out of reach.
The main barriers we hear are:
Budget constraints (as the best tools cost BIG money)
Unable to report on and prove the ROI of the investment to exec and board
Not having the resources and capabilities in-house to use the tools
But the great news is that great tech doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.
In fact, not-for-profits are eligible for discounts and offers on well-known, impactful and easy-to-use MarTech tools and advertising platforms.
We did the math. Your organisation can save over $250,000.
We’ve put together a list of our favorite free or discounted tech below.
1. For search: Google Ad Grants
Online search remains one of the best ways for your organisation to be found - and Google comprises over 90% of global searches. When supporters search for you, your cause, or an issue related to your mission, you want them to easily find you. Google Ads allow you to do just that, highlighting your content above organic search and leading more people to click into your site.
Enter one of the internet’s most unused offers: Google Ad Grants. Eligible nonprofits can access up to AUD $13,000/month (yes - $156,000/year!) in Google Ads.
2. For teamwork and storage: Google/Microsoft not-for-profits
Cloud storage, team collaboration and internal communications aren’t the most exciting things on the weekly agenda - but we bet they’re there. Why? Because effective teams need efficient tech tools behind them. Whether you prefer Microsoft or Google, both offer discounts on communication tools and storage for nonprofits.
Google offers their basic G Suite(including Gmail, Drive, Docs, Slides and more) for free, and higher plans at a discount. Similarly, Microsoft 365 (including Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel and more) has a free offering for up to 10 users, and a discounted rate for every extra user.
What’s the total value? That depends on your size - but a small not-for-profit can get away with paying nothing, while larger not-for-profits benefit from discounts of up to 70%. Large organisations can save thousands.
3. For design: Canva
‘If you’re on a mission to create greater impact, Canva can help.’
Canva is one of Australia’s most successful tech startups, allowing users to easily create stunning documents, presentations and social media graphics with the click of a button. It’s intuitive, clean and easily supports teamwork, with users able to collaborate, share, and export designs through the web-based platform and accompanying app. And for our designer friends out there, it’s perfect for uploading design templates anyone in your team can use!
Usually, a subscription for 10 users will set you back AUD $584.99 - but for eligible nonprofits, this fee is completely wiped.
4. For email: Campaign Monitor & MailChimp
Emails are incredibly powerful for reaching your owned audiences. Choosing the right email system can be tough, but these ongoing discounts might help to inform your choices. Not-for-profit deals on email systems can be easy to miss, so no matter what platform you’re trying, be sure to do some research.
Campaign Monitor and MailChimp are two of the most popular email management systems, and both offer a healthy 15% discount for not-for-profit organisations. For the largest organisations, this can save you thousands of dollars each year. For small not-for-profits, the little extra in your pocket can go a long way.
5. For fundraising: Raisely
Fundraising platforms are hard to choose: you need to consider fees, data storage, aesthetics, integrations…
Raisely is a free fundraising platform that helps not-for-profits process secure online donations. With an in-built email system, their platform is easy to use and seamlessly processes everything from once-off gifts to peer-to-peer fundraisers and regular giving products. Nonprofits can use a free Raisely template to build out a fundraising site, or simply embed their customisable donation form into their own website.
6. For social media: Hootsuite
Social media is one of the most valuable free digital marketing tools available.
However, the publishing, engagement, and analytics tools of a content management system will let you manage your social media efforts more effectively, and make an even bigger impact on the world.
Hootsuite offers registered nonprofit organizations up to 50% off Hootsuite Professional and Team Plans. If you manage multiple social profiles and want to dig deeper into your analytics, this option might be for you.
Other helpful (and discounted) tools
While you’re browsing, it might be worth your while looking into tools like Zapier, an automation platform that connects all your other tools together. Whether you’re looking to link accounting systems, CRM’s, email systems or donation platforms, Zapier can scrap time doing menial tasks and reduce human error. Nonprofits get a 15% discount, too. Atlassian, the software company behind project management tools Jira and Trello, offers special pricing to registered charitable non-profits. Asana, another popular project management tool, offers a 50% discount for not-for-profits.
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There are literally thousands of tech startups and digital tools on the market, so it’s important to do your research and know what’s right for you. ntegrity’s specialist team can help guide you through the process of understanding what tools will help scale your impact best - if you’d like a hand, simply reach out today!