ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a nonprofit with limited funds, I’d prioritize deliverability, ease of use, donor-focused templates, and how long you can stay on the free plan. The best fit depends on your list size and how often you email. www.capterra.com

www.capterra.com

My recommendation for most small nonprofits: start with MailerLite. It tends to offer the best balance of:

• professional-looking fundraising/newsletter templates
• easy drag-and-drop editing for volunteers or small teams
• donor segmentation (e.g., monthly donors vs. event attendees)
• automation for welcome emails and donor follow-ups

www.mailerlite.com

A few deliverability practices matter more than the platform:

1. Use a verified sending domain (your nonprofit’s website domain if possible).
2. Only email people who opted in.
3. Remove inactive addresses periodically.
4. Avoid sending only donation asks—mix in impact stories, updates, and gratitude.
5. Keep donation links and calls-to-action clear and mobile-friendly.

If your nonprofit has under ~1,000 subscribers, I’d compare MailerLite vs. Mailchimp first. If you have several thousand donors but limited budget, I’d look closely at Brevo. www.capterra.com

If you tell me your approximate donor list size (e.g., 300, 2,000, 10,000+) and whether you send weekly/monthly appeals, I can narrow it down.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d put MailerLite first, with Brevo as the best alternative if your donor list is large.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite is particularly compelling for nonprofits because its free plan includes campaigns, automations, landing pages, signup forms, A/B testing and a drag-and-drop editor. Its nonprofit program also gives qualifying organizations 30% off paid plans once you outgrow the free tier. MailerLite MailerLite MailerLite

One important catch: the current free plan is limited to 250 active subscribers. Also, its pre-made campaign templates are now a paid feature after the 14-day trial, although you can still build emails with the editors. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

If you have more than 250 donors, Brevo's free plan is much more generous on contacts: it allows up to 100,000 contacts, with 300 email sends per day, plus a drag-and-drop editor and custom/reusable templates. Brevo Help Brevo Help

The downside is the 300-per-day sending cap. For example, a 1,500-person donor newsletter would have to be spread over multiple days, which isn't ideal for a time-sensitive fundraising appeal. Brevo Help

brevo.com

For deliverability

I'd prioritize authenticated sending (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), a clean opt-in donor list, low bounce rates, and avoiding purchased lists over small differences in platform reputation. Those practices matter enormously for getting fundraising emails into inboxes.

Bottom line:

• ≤250 donors: MailerLite is my choice.
• 250–several thousand donors: Brevo is more practical while you're staying free.
• Growing nonprofit: MailerLite becomes especially attractive because of its 30% nonprofit discount when you need to upgrade. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many donors are on your list and how often you email them, I can narrow this to the best free option for your specific situation.

MailerLite is particularly compelling for nonprofits because its free plan includes campaigns, automations, landing pages, signup forms, A/B testing and a drag-and-drop editor. Its nonprofit program also gives qualifying organizations 30% off paid plans once you outgrow the free tier. MailerLite MailerLite MailerLite

One important catch: the current free plan is limited to 250 active subscribers. Also, its pre-made campaign templates are now a paid feature after the 14-day trial, although you can still build emails with the editors. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

If you have more than 250 donors, Brevo's free plan is much more generous on contacts: it allows up to 100,000 contacts, with 300 email sends per day, plus a drag-and-drop editor and custom/reusable templates. help.brevo.com help.brevo.com

The downside is the 300-per-day sending cap. For example, a 1,500-person donor newsletter would have to be spread over multiple days, which isn't ideal for a time-sensitive fundraising appeal. help.brevo.com

brevo.com

For deliverability

For a nonprofit with limited funds, I’d prioritize deliverability reputation, simple donor-focused templates, list growth limits, and ease of use over advanced marketing features. The best free choice depends on your donor list size and how often you email. Capterra

Best free options for nonprofits

Capterra GrowthTech Spotlight## My recommendation by nonprofit size

• Under ~1,000 donors/supporters: Start with MailerLite. It tends to offer the best balance of attractive donor templates and enough free capacity for a small organization. Capterra
• Several thousand contacts but limited budget: Consider Brevo because its free structure is less focused on charging for every stored contact. Capterra
• You need lots of integrations (donation forms, event tools, CRMs): Mailchimp may be worth the familiarity, even if you eventually outgrow the free tier. Fullstaxx

For better donor email deliverability, whichever platform you choose:

• Use your nonprofit’s own domain email (for example, name@yourorganization.org) rather than a free Gmail/Yahoo address.
• Authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
• Send consistently (a monthly newsletter is better than disappearing for six months and then sending a huge appeal).
• Remove inactive subscribers periodically.
• Segment donors: new donors, recurring donors, volunteers, and event attendees should not all receive identical messages.

For many small nonprofits, a practical starting setup is:

1. MailerLite for newsletters and donor updates.
2. A separate donation platform or donor CRM.
3. A simple monthly impact email plus occasional fundraising campaigns.

If you share your approximate number of contacts (e.g., 500, 5,000, 20,000) and whether you mainly send newsletters or fundraising appeals, I can narrow this down further.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d shortlist these three:

My pick: Brevo

Brevo's free plan is probably the strongest fit if your nonprofit has more than a few hundred donors/subscribers. It allows 300 sends per day and stores up to 100,000 contacts, while including a drag-and-drop editor, custom templates, reusable sections, and basic analytics. help.brevo.comwww.brevo.commailchimp.com

For deliverability, Brevo says its infrastructure supports SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication, bounce handling, suppression lists, and reputation monitoring. www.brevo.com That doesn't guarantee inbox placement—your list hygiene, authentication, engagement, and sending practices matter enormously—but the platform has the fundamentals I'd want for donor communications.

When I'd choose the others

MailerLite is attractive if you're under 250 active subscribers. Its free plan gives you 2,500 monthly emails and two users, but the free tier was changed in 2026 and now has more limited access to pre-made templates. www.mailerlite.com It does offer nonprofits 30% off paid plans, which makes it worth considering once you outgrow free. www.mailerlite.com

Mailchimp has an excellent template library—more than 130 templates—and is particularly polished for newsletters and fundraising communications. mailchimp.com But its current free plan is capped at 250 contacts, making it less attractive if your donor list is already sizable. It does offer verified nonprofits a 15% discount on paid plans. mailchimp.com

Bottom line:

• <250 donors: MailerLite if simplicity matters; Mailchimp if templates matter most.
• 250–several thousand donors: Brevo.
• Large list + very limited budget: Brevo is particularly compelling because its free tier's contact-storage limit is much higher, though the 300/day sending ceiling can still matter for a large campaign. help.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many donors you have and how often you email them (e.g., 1,000 donors × 2 newsletters/month), I can calculate which free tier will actually work without hitting sending limits.

For a nonprofit with very limited funds, I’d put Brevo at the top of the list right now.

Why Brevo: Its current free plan is genuinely $0, supports unlimited stored contacts, and includes a drag-and-drop editor, custom templates, reusable sections, and reporting. The main catch is the 300-email-per-day sending limit. help.brevo.com

MailerLite would normally be a strong recommendation for nonprofits because of its clean templates and usability, but its free plan was changed in June 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with the new limits being enforced from August 13. www.mailerlite.com

What I'd choose

• Under ~250 donors: MailerLite is worth considering if beautiful, simple fundraising emails are your priority.
• 250+ donors: Brevo is more compelling because you aren't forced to pay simply because your donor database grows.
• Large list + occasional appeals: Brevo is particularly attractive because its pricing is based more on sending volume than contact storage. www.mailerlite.comwww.capterra.com
• If you need a donor CRM, donation processing, and email together: I'd look beyond traditional email platforms; a nonprofit-specific system can sometimes eliminate several separate tools.

One important caveat: deliverability isn't determined just by the platform. Authenticate your nonprofit's sending domain with SPF/DKIM (and ideally DMARC), don't upload purchased lists, regularly remove inactive addresses, and keep donor emails useful rather than overly promotional. Those practices can matter more than whether you choose Brevo or MailerLite.

If you tell me roughly how many donors/subscribers you have and how often you email them (e.g. 500 donors, 2 newsletters + 3 appeals/month), I can recommend the cheapest option and estimate when you'd hit its limits.

For a nonprofit with very limited funds, I’d put MailerLite at the top of the list, with Brevo as the best alternative.

Current comparisons consistently highlight MailerLite's combination of a generous free tier, polished templates, and strong deliverability. www.capterra.com

My recommendation: MailerLite

For a typical small nonprofit sending monthly newsletters, donor updates, event invitations, and fundraising appeals, MailerLite is probably the sweet spot.

Why:

• Generous free allowance: roughly 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month in current comparisons. www.capterra.com
• Good-looking templates: particularly useful when you don't have a designer.
• Easy drag-and-drop editor: volunteers or staff can produce professional donor communications without much training.
• Strong deliverability reputation: more important than having dozens of fancy marketing features.
• Nonprofit pricing: current sources report a nonprofit discount on paid plans, so there's a reasonable path forward if your list grows. www.capterra.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Choose Brevo if you have a large donor/contact database but don't email everyone very often. Its free model is unusually favorable for storing lots of contacts, but the 300-email-per-day sending limit can be a major problem for a large simultaneous fundraising appeal. www.capterra.com

One important caveat about deliverability

No platform can guarantee that donor emails reach the inbox. Your nonprofit's sender reputation, authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), list hygiene, engagement, and avoiding purchased lists matter enormously.

So if I were choosing for a cash-strapped nonprofit:

1. MailerLite — best overall
2. Brevo — best for a large list with modest sending volume
3. Mailchimp — best if integrations/familiarity matter more than maximizing the free tier

I would not choose solely based on the number of free contacts; a platform with beautiful donor templates and good deliverability is worth more than a technically larger free allowance.

If you tell me roughly how many donors you have and how often you email them, I can narrow this to the best free option for your specific situation.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d choose MailerLite first, with Sender as a strong alternative.

\*Free-plan limits have changed recently, so check the provider before committing.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite for nonprofits is particularly attractive because it explicitly supports nonprofits, offers customizable templates and automation, and provides a 30% nonprofit discount when you eventually need to upgrade. www.mailerlite.com

One important catch: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026. It now allows 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, rather than the much larger limits you'll still see on some comparison sites. www.mailerlite.com

If fundraising templates are the priority: Sender

Sender's nonprofit offering is worth a serious look. It specifically advertises 100+ free templates, including donation appeals and supporter newsletters, plus segmentation, A/B testing, and campaign analytics. It also offers a 25% nonprofit discount on paid plans. www.sender.net

If you have a big donor list: Brevo

Brevo has a fundamentally different free-plan structure: you can store a very large number of contacts, but you're limited to 300 emails per day. It supports drag-and-drop templates and SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication, which are important for deliverability. www.brevo.com

Bottom line:

• Under ~250 donors: MailerLite
• Want the best fundraising-specific templates: Sender
• Thousands of contacts but relatively small daily sends: Brevo
• Want the most familiar interface: Mailchimp

One caveat: no platform can guarantee inbox placement. For a nonprofit, proper domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), permission-based lists, removing inactive addresses, and consistent sending habits matter at least as much as which platform you choose.

If you tell me roughly how many donors you have and how often you send, I can narrow this to the cheapest option that won't force you to upgrade unexpectedly.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d put Brevo at the top of the list if you need a genuinely free platform.

Brevo's current free plan includes 300 sends per day, a drag-and-drop editor, custom templates, reusable sections, analytics, and up to 100,000 stored contacts. It also explicitly supports SPF, DKIM and DMARC and automated bounce/suppression handling—important for deliverability. help.brevo.com

My recommendation

Choose Brevo if your priority is $0 cost + dependable delivery + professional donor emails. The biggest catch is the 300-email-per-day ceiling; a 2,000-person donor newsletter would require sending over multiple days or upgrading. help.brevo.comhelp.brevo.com

If your list is relatively small and design quality is more important than maximum free volume, I'd also seriously consider MailerLite. Independent 2026 comparisons specifically highlight it as one of the strongest free options for nonprofits, including its template/editor experience. www.capterra.com

Mailchimp is no longer my first choice for a nonprofit with very limited funds. It remains capable and offers verified nonprofits a 15% discount, but its free-plan restrictions and contact-based pricing make it less attractive as your donor list grows. mailchimp.com

One important point: the platform alone doesn't guarantee inbox placement. For donor emails, make sure your nonprofit's sending domain has SPF, DKIM and DMARC configured, use a confirmed/permission-based list, and regularly remove bounced or chronically inactive addresses.

If you tell me roughly how many donors you have and how often you email them (e.g., 500 donors monthly vs. 5,000 weekly), I can narrow this to the best free option for your specific situation.

For a nonprofit with very limited funds, I’d put MailerLite at the top of the list—especially if your donor list is under about 1,000 people.

My recommendation: MailerLite

MailerLite is particularly attractive because it has nonprofit-specific pricing: 30% off paid plans, so you have a relatively gentle path when you outgrow the free tier. It also emphasizes customizable newsletter templates and automation specifically for nonprofits. www.mailerlite.com

For donor communications, I'd favor its clean, mobile-friendly templates over something that looks overly commercial. You can build newsletters around impact stories, donor updates, event announcements, and calls to action without needing a designer.

MailerLite nonprofit plans

When I'd choose Brevo instead

If you have, say, 3,000–10,000 donors but only email them once or twice a month, Brevo may actually be the better zero-dollar choice. Its free plan currently allows up to 100,000 contacts, but limits sending to 300 emails per day. That means a 5,000-person newsletter would have to be spread over multiple days. help.brevo.commailchimp.com

Brevo also provides a drag-and-drop editor and responsive email templates. Its published deliverability infrastructure includes SPF/DKIM/DMARC support, bounce handling, suppression management, and reputation monitoring. www.brevo.com

Brevo email marketing

One important caveat about deliverability

No platform can guarantee that your donor emails reach the inbox. Your sending practices matter enormously: authenticate your domain with SPF/DKIM/DMARC, only email people who opted in, remove bounced/unengaged addresses, and avoid buying donor lists.

Bottom line:

• ≤1,000 donors: MailerLite — my first choice.
• Several thousand donors + occasional newsletters: Brevo.
• You already depend heavily on Mailchimp integrations: consider Mailchimp, but its current free tier is considerably less attractive than it used to be. Mailchimp's own current documentation shows its free tier at 250 contacts/500 sends, so I wouldn't choose it purely for the free plan. mailchimp.com

If you tell me roughly how many donors you have and how often you email them, I can narrow this to the cheapest option for your actual situation.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d put MailerLite at the top of the list.

Why I'd choose MailerLite

• Its free plan currently supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, plus automations, signup forms, landing pages, A/B testing, and reporting. www.mailerlite.com
• It has templates specifically suited to nonprofits, including fundraising appeals, donation thank-yous, impact reports, and monthly-donor communications. www.mailerlite.com
• MailerLite emphasizes deliverability and says its platform has received strong independent deliverability ratings. www.mailerlite.com
• If you outgrow the free tier, verified nonprofits receive 30% off paid plans, which makes the transition less painful. www.mailerlite.com

One important caveat: 250 subscribers is a fairly tight free-plan limit. If your donor/supporter list is already several hundred or more, I'd look at Brevo before committing.

My recommendation: start with MailerLite if you're under 250 active subscribers and want polished donor communications without spending anything. If you tell me roughly how many donors/subscribers you have and how often you email them, I can narrow it down to the best free option for your specific situation.

For a nonprofit with limited funds, I’d prioritize inbox deliverability, ease of creating donor appeals, and how long the free plan will remain useful. The best choice depends mostly on your donor list size and sending habits. www.capterra.com

My practical picks:

• Under ~1,000 donors: MailerLite is probably the strongest balance of polished donor emails + low cost. www.capterra.com
• Several thousand donors but limited sending needs: Brevo can be more economical because the model is less focused on charging by stored contacts. www.capterra.comdonorbox.org
• You run frequent fundraising campaigns and want donor-specific features: Givebutter is worth considering. givebutter.com
• You have volunteers who need something familiar: Mailchimp remains a safe starting point. www.capterra.com

A few deliverability practices matter more than the platform:

1. Send from your nonprofit’s own domain (for example, updates@yourorg.org), not a free Gmail/Yahoo address.
2. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication.
3. Keep your donor list clean by removing bounces and inactive addresses.
4. Avoid sending every donor the same generic appeal—segment by supporters, volunteers, recurring donors, and event attendees.

For a small nonprofit starting from scratch, I would usually start with MailerLite or Brevo, then move only when your fundraising workflow requires a more specialized CRM. www.capterra.com

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d shortlist MailerLite, Brevo, and Mailchimp—but my first choice would be MailerLite if your list is under roughly 1,000 people.

Current 2026 comparisons consistently put MailerLite and Brevo among the strongest free options for nonprofits. MailerLite is particularly attractive because its free tier gives you considerably more monthly sending capacity, while Brevo's unlimited-contact model is better if your donor database is large but you don't email everyone at once. www.capterra.com

My recommendation: MailerLite

I'd choose MailerLite if you're sending things like:

• monthly donor updates
• fundraising appeals
• event invitations
• volunteer newsletters
• impact stories with a donation button

Its templates and drag-and-drop editor are well suited to a small team that doesn't have a designer, and the free allowance is generous enough for many small organizations. www.capterra.com

One caveat: free-plan limits and nonprofit discounts are changing frequently in 2026, so I'd verify the vendor's current terms before migrating your list.

If you tell me approximately how many donors/subscribers you have and how often you email them, I can narrow this to the cheapest/best option for your specific nonprofit.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d put Brevo at the top of the list if you need a genuinely free platform with a growing donor list.

My recommendation: Brevo

Brevo offers a free plan with up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day, plus a drag-and-drop editor, reusable templates, and basic reporting. help.brevo.comhelp.brevo.com

That makes it particularly attractive if you have, say, 1,000–10,000 donors but only send a newsletter or appeal periodically. The catch is the 300-send daily limit and Brevo branding on the free plan. help.brevo.comhelp.brevo.com

How I'd compare the main options

Mailchimp currently advertises 130+ email templates and a 15% nonprofit discount on paid plans. mailchimp.com

One important deliverability point

The platform itself isn't the whole story. For donor emails, use an address on your nonprofit's own domain (e.g., hello@yournonprofit.org) and authenticate the domain with SPF/DKIM. This is important for inbox placement with Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft. help.brevo.com

Bottom line: If you're sending to more than a few hundred donors, I'd choose Brevo for the free tier. If your list is small and you care more about having the most polished, recognizable newsletter templates, Mailchimp is worth considering—especially if you can use its nonprofit discount.

For a nonprofit with a tight budget, I’d choose Brevo right now.

Brevo's free plan is genuinely free with no time limit, includes custom templates and a drag-and-drop editor, and allows up to 100,000 contacts. The main drawback is the 300-email-per-day ceiling. help.brevo.com

For deliverability, the platform matters, but your setup matters just as much. Brevo specifically recommends using your nonprofit's own domain and authenticating it; sending from a generic Gmail/Yahoo address can hurt inbox placement. help.brevo.com

Why I wouldn't automatically pick Mailchimp: its free plan is now limited to fewer than 250 contacts, although nonprofits can get a 15% discount on paid plans. mailchimp.com

My recommendation

Start with Brevo if you have more than ~250 donors/subscribers or expect the list to grow. It's particularly good for a nonprofit that sends occasional newsletters, donation appeals, event announcements, and impact stories.

For donor emails, I'd keep templates simple: organization logo → compelling photo → short impact story → one prominent donation/volunteer CTA → social/contact footer. Simple, mobile-friendly emails generally serve fundraising better than overly elaborate designs.

If you tell me roughly how many donors are on your list and how many emails you send per month, I can narrow this down to the best free option for your specific nonprofit.