Yes. Some software for running nonprofit programs is free to keep, not just free to try. Many free options are either general task tools that don't keep track of the people you serve, or short trials of paid systems.
Advocate is free nonprofit program software. Its free plan covers up to 500 people, 2,000 emails a month, and 50 volunteers, and it stays free.
What should free program software actually do?
Free program software should run the work you do with people, not only the tasks around it. That means taking applications from a phone, keeping one record for each household, reaching people by email or text, filling volunteer shifts, and counting who you served. Advocate's free plan covers each of those.
If a free tool only does one of these jobs, you end up back in the patchwork: a form here, a spreadsheet there, and an inbox nobody can keep up with.
Why aren't free project management tools enough?
Project management tools track tasks and deadlines, not the people a program serves. They have no application with a consent step, no household record, and no count of individuals served. They work well for planning a gala, but not for running intake. Advocate is built around the people you serve instead of around tasks.
What does Advocate include for free?
Advocate's free plan includes everything a small organization needs to manage its people, for up to 500 people. You pay only for text messages ($0.02 a message) and a small fee on paid event tickets. Free events cost nothing.
- Applications and case management
- Invitations and broadcasts
- Volunteers
- Events and ticketing
- Your logo, colors, and domain
- Dashboards
- Roles and permissions
- A free Starter program for up to 50 individuals
When does a small nonprofit outgrow a free plan?
A small nonprofit outgrows a free plan when it serves more people, sends more email, or works with more volunteers than the plan allows. On Advocate, that point is 500 people, 2,000 emails a month, or 50 volunteers. The Grow plan then costs $49 a month for up to 2,500 people.
How does Advocate keep its free plan free?
Advocate keeps its free plan free because helping should never be behind a paywall. Advocate With Us, the nonprofit connected to Advocate, helps pay for it. Paid plans are for organizations that serve more people or run larger programs.
About Advocate
Advocate is nonprofit program software built by Reciprocity in Pontiac, Michigan, for nonprofits across the United States. Program managers use it to take applications, keep one record for each household, send email and texts, run volunteers and events, and run programs such as sponsorship, food pantries, and fundraisers. It counts the households and individuals each program serves while the work happens, and it is free to start.
