ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a small nonprofit with volunteers and donors, I’d usually recommend starting with MailerLite or Brevo, with Mailchimp as the “easy default” if your team values familiarity over lowest cost. Capterra Toolstack DB

My top picks

1. Best overall for a small volunteer-run nonprofit: mailerlite.com

• Very easy drag-and-drop editor
• Good for newsletters, volunteer updates, donor thank-yous, and simple automations
• Free plan is often enough for small lists (commonly up to about 1,000 subscribers, depending on current terms)
• A good fit when the person sending emails is not a marketing specialist Capterra
• Best value if your donor list may grow: brevo.com

• Pricing is based more on emails sent rather than just number of contacts, which can work well for nonprofits with many supporters who only receive occasional updates
• Free tier is attractive for budget-conscious organizations
• Includes email plus optional SMS tools Capterra Toolstack DB
• Best “everyone has heard of it” option: mailchimp.com

• Easiest to find volunteers or staff who already know how to use it
• Lots of templates and integrations
• Good reporting and segmentation
• The downside: costs can rise as your contact list grows, so watch the pricing model Capterra Groupmail

What I’d choose by nonprofit size

• Under ~1,000 contacts, mostly newsletters and updates: MailerLite
• Several thousand donors/volunteers but only monthly or occasional emails: Brevo
• You want the most familiar tool and may need lots of integrations: Mailchimp
• You need donor management, receipts, and fundraising workflows: consider pairing email software with a nonprofit CRM rather than expecting the email tool to do everything

For a typical small nonprofit with a volunteer communications coordinator, I’d start with MailerLite unless you already have a large donor list. It’s simple enough that a volunteer can take over without much training. Capterra

A couple of questions would change the recommendation:

• Roughly how many people are on your email list now (500, 5,000, 20,000+)?
• Are you mainly sending newsletters, or do you need fundraising campaigns and donor tracking too?

For a small nonprofit with volunteers and donors, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall fit.

My picks

• mailerlite.com — Best overall for your situation. It’s relatively inexpensive, has a straightforward drag-and-drop editor, and is easy enough that volunteers can take over without much training. Current comparisons report a free tier and a 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans. SaaS Scored EmailTooltester.com
• brevo.com — Best if you have a large donor list. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day, so you aren't punished simply for having lots of inactive or occasional supporters. Brevo Help
• mailchimp.com — Best if familiarity matters. It's very established and has lots of integrations, but its contact-based pricing can become less attractive as your donor list grows. Mailchimp currently advertises a 15% nonprofit discount. Mailchimp Mailchimp
• constantcontact.com — Best for maximum hand-holding. It's particularly friendly to less-technical volunteers and offers phone/chat support, but it's more expensive and its nonprofit discount requires prepayment. Constant Contact

If it were my nonprofit: I'd start with MailerLite unless you already have several thousand contacts. It's the sweet spot between cheap, simple, professional-looking, and capable enough for donor/volunteer segmentation.

If you tell me roughly how many donors/volunteers are on your email list and how often you send, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option for you.

For a small nonprofit run largely by volunteers, I’d recommend brevo.com as the best balance of easy + inexpensive + room to grow.

My picks

• 🥇 Brevo — best overall value. The free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day, so you aren't punished just for having a large donor/volunteer list. The drag-and-drop editor is designed for beginners, and paid plans start at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo
• 🥈 MailerLite — best for simplicity. I'd choose this if your main job is sending attractive newsletters and occasional donor/volunteer updates. It's particularly friendly for nontechnical volunteers, though its free-tier limits are tighter.
• 🥉 mailchimp.com — best-known/easiest to find help for. It's a very polished option and has a 15% verified nonprofit discount, but its pricing is based on the number of contacts you store, including unsubscribed contacts, so it can become less budget-friendly as your list grows. Mailchimp Mailchimp

What I'd choose for your situation

If you have something like 200–2,000 donors, volunteers, and supporters and send a newsletter once or twice a month:

Start with Brevo. You can have separate lists for donors, volunteers, board, and general supporters without needing a complicated CRM. You can also start at $0 and only pay when your sending volume requires it.

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have and how many emails you send per month, I can narrow it down to the cheapest/best option for your nonprofit.

For a small nonprofit run partly by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall fit.

My shortlist

Why MailerLite: For volunteers, I'd prioritize simplicity over sophistication. You want someone who has never used an email-marketing system to be able to create a newsletter, import a list, add a photo, and send it without needing a training session.

One important distinction: If you're talking about email newsletters to donors/volunteers (e.g., “monthly updates,” fundraising appeals, event announcements), these are the right kinds of tools. If you mean individual organizational email addresses like jane@yournonprofit.org, that's a different product category.

If you tell me roughly how many donors/volunteers are on your list (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you send weekly or monthly, I can tell you which one I'd pick and what it would likely cost.

For a small nonprofit with volunteers and donors, I’d prioritize easy setup, low cost, simple list management, and the ability to separate audiences (donors, volunteers, event attendees, newsletter readers). My top recommendations:

🥇 Best overall value: MailerLite

Best for: small teams that want something simple and affordable

• Very easy drag-and-drop email builder
• Good-looking newsletters without design skills
• Useful automations (welcome emails, donor follow-ups, volunteer onboarding)
• Generous free tier for small lists (commonly cited as up to around 1,000 subscribers, though plans can change) www.capterra.com
• Often a strong fit for volunteer-run organizations because it doesn’t feel overly “marketing-heavy” toolstackdb.com

My pick if: you have a few hundred to a few thousand contacts and mainly send newsletters, updates, and campaigns.

🥈 Easiest for beginners: Mailchimp

Best for: nonprofits where volunteers may already know the tool

• Very common, so it’s easy to find tutorials and volunteers familiar with it
• Lots of templates and integrations
• Good reporting (opens, clicks, engagement)
• Free options exist, but pricing can become less attractive as your list grows www.capterra.com

My pick if: you want the “everyone has heard of it” option and expect many different volunteers to help.

🥉 Best budget choice for larger lists: Brevo

Best for: nonprofits with many contacts but fewer monthly sends

• Free plan structure is based more on number of emails sent rather than just contacts, which can be helpful for growing lists www.capterra.com
• Includes email and SMS options
• Good if you need occasional mass announcements (fundraisers, urgent volunteer needs)

My pick if: you have 5,000+ contacts but only email occasionally.

Consider: Constant Contact

Best for: event-heavy nonprofits

• Strong event invitation and RSVP features
• Known for ease of use and support
• Usually costs more than the budget-focused options, though nonprofit discounts may help www.constantcontact.com

My pick if: your nonprofit runs lots of galas, workshops, classes, or community events.

My simple recommendation:

• Under 1,000 contacts: MailerLite
• 1,000–5,000 contacts: MailerLite or Brevo
• Lots of volunteers helping manage emails: Mailchimp
• Events are a major part of fundraising: Constant Contact

One setup tip: don’t keep donors and volunteers in one giant list. Use tags or groups like:

• Donors
• Monthly donors
• Volunteers
• Event attendees
• Former supporters
• Newsletter subscribers

That lets you send more relevant messages without annoying people.

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have, how often you email, and whether you need donations/event registration built in, I can narrow it down to one choice.

For a small nonprofit run partly or mostly by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall balance of easy + inexpensive + capable.

My shortlist

Why MailerLite: Its interface is relatively straightforward for volunteers, and you get drag-and-drop emails, signup forms, automations, segmentation, and landing pages without needing someone who knows marketing technology. It also offers 30% off paid plans to verified nonprofits. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

One caveat: MailerLite's current free plan is smaller than some comparisons online suggest—its official pricing page currently says 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com So I'd check your list size before deciding.

Brevo is my second choice if you have a larger donor/volunteer list. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts, although you're limited to 300 emails per day; paid plans also have a nonprofit discount. www.capterra.com

I wouldn't automatically choose Mailchimp just because it's famous. It's easy enough, but its free tier is limited to 500 contacts, and the pricing becomes less attractive as a nonprofit's list grows. www.capterra.com

What I'd choose for your situation

If you tell me roughly (1) number of donors/volunteers, (2) how many emails you send per month, and (3) whether you need donation forms or just email newsletters, I can tell you which one I'd pick—and what it would likely cost you.

For a small nonprofit run by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall balance of easy + inexpensive.

MailerLite nonprofit plans

My shortlist

Why MailerLite is my pick: volunteers can generally learn it quickly, and it gives you the things a small nonprofit actually needs—newsletter templates, signup forms, groups/segments, basic automation, and reporting—without making you manage a complicated marketing system. Its nonprofit program currently offers 30% off every paid plan. www.mailerlite.com

One important distinction: if by "email tool" you mean a shared inbox for volunteers (e.g., info@yournonprofit.org) rather than sending newsletters to donors, I'd recommend something different.

If you tell me roughly how many donors/volunteers you have and how often you email them, I can narrow this to the cheapest option that will work well.

For a small nonprofit run partly by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall choice.

🥇 My pick: MailerLite

Why it fits your situation:

• Easy drag-and-drop editor — volunteers can learn it quickly.
• Free plan for very small lists: currently up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.com
• 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans once your nonprofit status is verified. www.mailerlite.com
• Includes newsletters, signup forms, basic automations, landing pages, and reporting. www.mailerlite.com
• Multiple users can work on the account, which is useful when volunteers rotate. Paid plans have more generous user access. www.mailerlite.com

MailerLite nonprofit information

Two good alternatives

Mailchimp is particularly familiar and has good integrations, but its pricing can become less attractive as your contact list grows. It currently offers verified nonprofits 15% off marketing plans. mailchimp.com

Brevo's free tier is interesting for nonprofits with lots of contacts because it doesn't impose the same contact ceiling, although the 300-emails-per-day limit can matter for large campaigns. help.brevo.com

Bottom line: If you're starting from scratch, I'd choose MailerLite. It's inexpensive, volunteer-friendly, and the 30% nonprofit discount makes it particularly compelling.

If you tell me roughly how many donors/volunteers you have (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you need donation receipts, newsletters, event reminders, or fundraising campaigns, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option for your exact situation.

For a small nonprofit run largely by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall balance of easy + inexpensive.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite

Why I’d choose it:

• Very easy to use — good drag-and-drop editor and templates, so volunteers don't need much training.
• Good for both donors and volunteers — you can create separate groups/segments for donors, volunteers, event attendees, etc.
• 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans with nonprofit verification. www.mailerlite.com
• It has enough automation to handle things like welcome emails and volunteer/donor follow-ups without becoming a complicated marketing system.
• It is generally a better value for a small organization than paying for a more sophisticated CRM/email platform.

Two alternatives I'd consider

Brevo's free plan is particularly interesting if you have lots of contacts but send relatively infrequently, because it allows unlimited contacts with a daily sending limit. www.capterra.com

One important distinction: email marketing software isn't the same thing as donor management software. If you need to track donations, donor history, receipts, volunteer records, etc., I'd look at an inexpensive nonprofit CRM/all-in-one platform instead of making MailerLite your donor database.

Bottom line: For something like “We have 500–3,000 donors/volunteers, a few volunteers need to send newsletters, and we want to spend as little as possible”, I'd start with MailerLite.

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have and how often you email them, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option and estimate what you'd actually pay per month.

For a small nonprofit run by volunteers, I’d usually recommend starting with MailerLite or Brevo rather than jumping straight to the biggest names. They tend to give small organizations a good balance of simplicity, cost, and useful features. www.capterra.com

My shortlist:

www.capterra.comonehundrednights.com

My practical recommendations by situation:

• Under ~1,000 contacts, monthly newsletter, mostly volunteers: Start with MailerLite.
• Several thousand donors/volunteers but only a few emails per month: Look at Brevo.
• You need lots of integrations (website, forms, donation tools, CRM): Consider Mailchimp.
• You run frequent galas, fundraisers, registrations, or community events: Consider Constant Contact. www.capterra.comonehundrednights.com

For a typical small nonprofit, I’d set it up with:

1. One newsletter list (donors + supporters)
2. One volunteer list
3. Signup forms on the website
4. A simple welcome email series for new subscribers
5. Monthly impact updates (“what your support made possible”)

If you tell me:

• approximate number of donors/volunteers,
• how often you email,
• whether you collect donations online,
• and whether you’re a registered 501(c)(3),

I can narrow it down to one or two choices.

For a small nonprofit run largely by volunteers, I’d recommend Mailchimp as the safest overall choice.

My shortlist

1. Mailchimp — best overall for simplicity

• Very easy for volunteers to learn.
• Good-looking newsletter templates and drag-and-drop editing.
• Handles donor/volunteer lists, signup forms, segmentation, and basic automation.
• Mailchimp currently offers verified nonprofits a 15% discount on paid plans. mailchimp.com
• Biggest downside: pricing can become less attractive as your contact list grows.

2. Brevo — best if keeping costs extremely low

• Free plan allows up to 300 emails per day and up to 100,000 stored contacts. help.brevo.com
• Pricing is based more on emails sent than simply the size of your contact database, which can work well for nonprofits with lots of occasional donors.
• Interface is still fairly approachable, though I think Mailchimp is a little easier for inexperienced volunteers.

3. MailerLite — best simple alternative

• Particularly attractive if you want a clean, uncomplicated newsletter tool.
• Its free tier and nonprofit pricing make it worth considering for a small organization. www.capterra.com

What I'd choose

If you have a few hundred to a couple thousand donors/volunteers and mostly need newsletters, event announcements, volunteer updates, and fundraising appeals:

→ Start with Mailchimp.

If your overriding priority is spending as close to $0 as possible, I'd look at Brevo first.

One important distinction: if you need the email system to also function as a donor database/CRM (tracking donations, donor history, acknowledgments, etc.), I'd choose differently. In that case, tell me roughly how many contacts you have and how often you email, and I can narrow it down to the cheapest sensible option.

For a small nonprofit run partly by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite first.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite

Why it fits:

• Very easy drag-and-drop editor — volunteers can learn it quickly.
• Free plan is useful for a small donor/volunteer list.
• 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans, according to MailerLite’s current nonprofit pricing. www.mailerlite.comwww.capterra.com
• Good enough for newsletters, donor updates, event announcements, welcome emails, and basic automated sequences.
• Less complicated than platforms that try to be an entire CRM/marketing suite.

Two alternatives worth considering

Brevo — best if you have a large contact list but don't email everyone very often. Its pricing is based heavily on emails sent rather than simply the number of contacts, and its free tier allows a large number of contacts. www.capterra.com
Brevo

Mailchimp — best if having a familiar, widely used interface and lots of integrations matters. It's very approachable, but I wouldn't choose it primarily for cost; its pricing can become less attractive as your contact list grows. www.capterra.com
Mailchimp

What I'd choose by situation

Bottom line: For a small nonprofit where volunteers need to be able to take over the newsletter without much training, MailerLite is probably the best balance of simplicity, price, and nonprofit discount right now. An independent 2026 comparison also puts MailerLite among the strongest options for small nonprofits, while its own nonprofit page confirms the 30% discount. www.mailerlite.comwww.capterra.com

If you tell me roughly how many donors/volunteers you have and how often you email them, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option and estimate your monthly cost.

For a small nonprofit run partly by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall balance of easy + inexpensive + capable.

My shortlist

What I'd pick

MailerLite if you have, say, a few hundred to a few thousand donors/volunteers and mainly need:

• A monthly newsletter
• Volunteer announcements
• Donation appeals
• Event invitations/reminders
• Separate lists or groups for donors vs. volunteers
• A few automated emails, such as a welcome message
• Something a new volunteer can learn without much training

Recent nonprofit comparisons put its free tier around 1,000 contacts/12,000 emails per month, with a nonprofit discount on paid plans, although I'd verify the current terms before signing up. www.capterra.com

Brevo would be my choice if you have a large contact list but don't email everyone very often. Its contact-vs-send pricing model can be particularly attractive for nonprofits. www.capterra.comgroupmail.io

I wouldn't automatically choose Mailchimp just because it's the most famous. It's easy to use, but several 2026 comparisons note that its contact-based pricing can get expensive as a nonprofit's list grows. www.capterra.com

If you tell me roughly how many donors/volunteers you have (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000) and how often you'd email them, I can tell you which one I'd choose and what it would likely cost.

For a small nonprofit run partly by volunteers, I’d recommend MailerLite as the best overall balance of easy + inexpensive + capable.

My shortlist

MailerLite currently advertises 30% off for nonprofits, and its free plan is particularly useful for a small organization—up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month according to a current 2026 comparison. www.mailerlite.comwww.capterra.com

Why I'd pick MailerLite for you: volunteers can take over without needing much training, you can have separate groups for donors, volunteers, board members, and general supporters, and you get useful automation without paying for a complicated marketing system.

One important exception: if you have, say, 5,000–20,000 contacts but only email them once or twice a month, I'd look seriously at Brevo because its pricing model can be much more economical for large-but-infrequently-emailed lists. www.mailerlite.comwww.capterra.com

If you tell me roughly (1) number of contacts, (2) how often you email, and (3) whether you need donation forms/CRM integration, I can tell you which one I'd choose and what it would likely cost.