Most digital tools were never chosen, they just accumulated
Most nonprofits are overpaying for digital tools that were never really chosen, just accumulated: a subscription added here, a free trial nobody canceled there. In a tighter funding environment, that overhead is a real cost to your programs. We review what you have, cut what isn't working, and build something lean.
What a working digital foundation looks like
Every organization's exact tools will be a little different. These are the areas we address in every engagement, and we'll scope yours based on what you already have.
Email & Collaboration
Professional email addresses, shared calendars, and team communication tools, all under your organization's domain. Includes newsletter platform setup with proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) so your messages reach inboxes, not spam folders. Many nonprofits qualify for free or deeply discounted access through sector-specific programs.
Project Management
A shared space for tasks, deadlines, and project tracking, clear enough that a new volunteer can understand where things stand without asking anyone. No technical background required to use or maintain it.
Internal Knowledge Base
A searchable home for your policies, procedures, program guides, and the institutional knowledge that usually lives in one person's head. Built to survive staff turnover and grow with your organization.
Website & Hosting
A fast, secure, accessible website you own outright, hosted in a way that's reliable, easy to update, and never going to surprise you with an invoice. No lock-in. No ongoing dependency on us.
What working with us changes
We built this service because the organizations we were leading couldn't get the digital setup they actually needed. Here's what we change.
- Tools your staff work around instead of with
- A monthly subscription that auto-renewed and nobody knows what it's for
- A spreadsheet doing the job that software should be doing
- No documentation of what's set up, where it lives, or who can access it
- A short list of tools your whole team actually uses
- Written documentation any board member or new hire can follow
- Ongoing digital costs typically under $20 a month, sometimes zero
- Full control, with no dependency on us to keep things running
Real numbers from real nonprofit tool stacks
These scenarios are built from actual tools nonprofits commonly pay for. Plug in your own setup to see your exact number.
Enter your own tools and team size
Select exactly what your organization is currently paying. See what you'd pay with a leaner stack, and whether the savings justify making the switch now.
Three tiers, matched to your organization's size
Every engagement starts with a conversation, but published prices help you know whether this fits your budget before we talk. The goal is always the same: get your ongoing monthly digital costs as low as possible.
Essentials Setup
Core tools selected and configured for a small organization starting from scratch or replacing a patchwork of personal accounts. Includes newsletter platform setup and full email authentication so your communications land where they should.
- Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits setup
- Newsletter platform selected and configured
- Email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration
- One project management tool selected and configured
- Data migration from existing setup
- Recorded walkthroughs for each tool
- 30 days of follow-up support
Full Infrastructure Setup
A complete tool stack for a growing organization. We spend time understanding how your team actually works: your workflows, your existing tools, what's causing friction. Then we build a setup that fits your organization, not a standard template.
- Everything in Tier 1
- Full tool stack: productivity suite, project management, knowledge base
- File governance baseline and folder structure
- Data migration and account consolidation
- Custom recorded training series per tool
- Two live check-in calls during the follow-up period
- Written governance documentation (acceptable use policy, data retention basics)
Complex & Enterprise Setup
For larger organizations, or those with complex existing vendor relationships, a donor CRM, or regulatory requirements. Scoped in consultation; typically $8,000–12,000 depending on size and complexity.
- Everything in Tier 2
- Privacy documentation (PIPEDA-adjacent)
- Staff security onboarding
- Vendor contract review
- Donor CRM or case management system integration
- Optional transition to ongoing support retainer
- Custom deliverables scoped in consultation
30-day follow-up support
Async support via a dedicated email thread for 30 days after handoff. Covers configuration questions, troubleshooting issues from the setup, and up to two 30-minute video calls. Excludes new tool configuration, additional training beyond what was recorded, or changes to tool selection.
Tier 2 also includes two live check-in calls during the active setup period, separate from the follow-up window.
Book a free call
We'll look at what you have and give you an honest assessment of which tier fits. No commitment required.
Everything you need to go from scattered to sorted
Our engagement covers the full setup: not just the tools, but the training and documentation that make them stick.
- Discovery conversation and assessment of your current tools and spending
- Tool selection matched to your organization's size, structure, and needs
- Setup and configuration of every tool we introduce
- Data migration where applicable
- Team training: recorded walkthroughs and written guides
- Documentation written for board members and non-technical staff
- 30 days of follow-up support after handoff
What board members and EDs usually ask us
What if we already use some of these tools?
That's common, and it's fine. We start with what you have and work from there. If a tool is already serving you well, we keep it. We only add what's missing or replace what isn't working.
Do we have to switch everything at once?
No. We'll build a phased plan that fits your organization's pace and capacity. Some clients move everything in two weeks. Others take a few months. Both are fine.
What does 'zero cost' actually mean?
Two things drive it down. First, sector-specific programs: many commercial tools your organization is likely already paying for are available free to registered nonprofits; most organizations already qualify and just haven't applied. Second, open-source alternatives: for nearly every paid category, there are mature open-source tools with no per-seat fees and no vendor lock-in. When the right mix of nonprofit programs and open-source tools is properly set up, your ongoing monthly cost can genuinely be zero.
How long does setup take?
Typically two to four weeks, depending on your organization's size, what's already in place, and how much your team can participate in onboarding sessions. We'll give you a realistic timeline in our first conversation.
Not sure where to start?
Book a free call. We'll look at what you have, tell you what we'd change, and give you an honest assessment. No commitment required.