A small nonprofit organization should choose an email marketing platform that handles most of its current communication needs without requiring several separate tools.
Your organization may need to send newsletters, promote events, communicate with volunteers, follow up with donors, and share updates about your mission. Start with the tool that can do the most for you, then build from there as your organization grows.
Non-profits typically host events for fundraising. I think event registration is a great place to start when choosing a platform. It's typical for nonprofits to use a separate service such as Eventbrite, but fee-based services may take a portion of your ticket sales.
If your email platform already includes event tools, compare the costs side by side:
Monthly or annual subscription
Event and ticket fees
Donation processing fees
Contact-based pricing
Integration costs
Time required to manage multiple systems
However chosing a platform seperate from your email platform may not be the best move. Constant Contact, for example, includes tools for promoting events, selling tickets, and communicating with attendees. It also connects with fundraising platforms such as DonorPerfect, Blackbaud, Neon CRM, and Qgiv. Learn more about Constant Contact’s nonprofit tools.
Decide what you must have
When I evaluate software, I like using the MoSCoW method which separates features into four categories:
Must have
Should have
Could have
Won’t have right now
For a nonprofit, email campaigns, contact management, event promotion, segmentation, reporting, and donor follow-up may all be important. However, you may not need advanced automation, multiple integrations, or additional users right away.
This approach can help you avoid choosing a tool because it has an impressive feature list. Choose based on what your organization needs to accomplish.
Plan for Giving Season
GivingTuesday is right around the corner. In 2026, it falls on December 1, so nonprofits should already be planning their campaign message, email schedule, donation process, and follow-up. GivingTuesday offers planning resources and campaign tools.
Year-end giving should be part of that plan. Some donors consider potential tax benefits when deciding when to make charitable contributions. Your organization can remind supporters to review deadlines and consult their tax professional, but avoid promising that a donation will be deductible. The IRS charitable contributions information provides official guidance.
Constant Contact’s Community also offers training on list growth, segmentation, automation, and event management. View the current training options.
Before choosing a platform, ask:
What must this tool do for us now, and what can wait until we grow?
ELITE Advocate | Small Business Expert
