Best Email Marketing for Nonprofits (2026): Plans and Nonprofit Discounts
We compare Constant Contact, MailerLite, Brevo and Mailchimp for nonprofits, including free plans and nonprofit discounts of 15% to 30%.
Email is still where most nonprofit fundraising happens: the appeal that goes out in December, the monthly newsletter that keeps donors close, the welcome series that turns a first gift into a second one. The good news is that almost every major email platform discounts its plans for nonprofits. The catch is that the discounts work differently, and some only apply if you ask before you buy.
We compared four popular platforms on what a small nonprofit communications team needs, and on what each one actually costs after the nonprofit discount.
Our picks at a glance
4 tools compared- ★ Best overall for nonprofits
Constant Contact
Up to 30% off, live phone support and event tools on every plan.
From $12/moVisit - Best value
MailerLite
Full feature set on every paid plan, plus 30% off for nonprofits.
From $12/moVisit - Best free plan
Brevo
Free forever with 300 emails a day and 20% off paid plans.
Free planVisit - Best-known name
Mailchimp
Huge integration library and a 15% nonprofit discount.
Free up to 250 contactsVisit
Quick comparison
| Software | Starting price | Nonprofit discount | Free option | Support | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constant Contact | $12/mo (Lite) | 20% (6-mo prepay), 30% (12-mo prepay) | Free trial, 30-day money-back | Phone and chat, every plan | Visit ↗ |
| MailerLite | $12/mo (Comfort) | 30% on paid plans | Free up to 250 subscribers | Email 24/7; live chat on Power | Visit ↗ |
| Brevo | Paid plans from about $9/mo | 20% on paid plans | Free, 300 emails/day | Email; phone on Professional | Visit ↗ |
| Mailchimp | Priced by contacts | 15% for verified nonprofits | Free up to 250 contacts | Varies by plan | Visit ↗ |
How we chose
A nonprofit’s email platform needs to:
- Send appeals and newsletters that look good without a designer.
- Automate the basics: a welcome series for new supporters and a thank-you after each gift.
- Segment the list, so lapsed donors, monthly givers and volunteers get different messages.
- Stay affordable as the list grows, ideally with a real nonprofit discount.
- Offer help when it matters, because the year-end appeal cannot wait for a ticket reply.
We checked each vendor’s pricing page and nonprofit discount terms. Where a price depends on list size, we give the starting price and note it. Read more about how we review.
The best email marketing for nonprofits
Constant Contact
Best for small nonprofit teams that want hands-on support and event tools
What we like
- Nonprofits save up to 30% with a 12-month prepay
- Live phone and chat support on every plan
- Tools to host events and take payments
- Free trial with no credit card, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee
Watch out for
- The nonprofit discount only applies to prepaid plans, not monthly billing
- Lite includes only 1 user and 1 automation template
- Sends above your monthly limit are billed at $0.002 each
- Lite
- $12/mo, 1 user
- Standard
- $35/mo, 3 users
- Premium
- $80/mo, unlimited users
- Nonprofit discount
- Up to 30%
Constant Contact is built for people who are not full-time marketers, which describes most nonprofit communications staff. Every plan includes a drag-and-drop editor, templates, social posting, sign-up forms and, importantly, live phone and chat support. It can also host events and take payments, which covers a lot of smaller fundraisers and galas.
How the nonprofit discount works: 20% off when you prepay six months, 30% off when you prepay twelve. There is no discount on monthly billing. Constant Contact asks new customers to call and have their nonprofit status confirmed before buying a prepaid plan, with a US IRS determination letter or an equivalent document outside the US.
Which plan to pick: Standard at $35 per month is the sweet spot for most nonprofits. It adds 3 users, scheduling, subject line A/B testing, automatic resend to non-openers and reporting on who opened and clicked. Prices rise with the size of your list.
MailerLite
Best for budget-conscious nonprofits that want strong automation and landing pages
What we like
- 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans
- Every paid plan gets the full feature set; you pay for list size and sending
- Websites, landing pages and forms included
- 14-day free trial of premium features, no credit card
Watch out for
- Free plan is capped at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month
- Comfort plan limits you to 3 seats and 10x your subscriber tier in monthly sends
- Live chat support is only on the Power plan
- Free
- 250 subscribers
- Comfort
- From $12/mo, 3 seats
- Power
- From $25/mo, unlimited seats
- Nonprofit discount
- 30%
MailerLite’s pricing philosophy suits nonprofits: you pay for the size of your list and how much you send, not for access to features. The Comfort plan starts at $12 per month and includes automation, landing pages, a subscriber preference center and an AI writing assistant. Power, from $25 per month, adds unlimited seats, unlimited sending and 24/7 live chat.
How the nonprofit discount works: 30% off paid plans. Tell MailerLite you are a nonprofit during account approval, then send proof of status through support, such as an IRS tax exemption letter for US organizations. MailerLite applies one discount at a time, so the nonprofit discount does not stack with an annual discount.
Watch out for: the free plan is now limited to 250 subscribers, so most active nonprofits will need a paid plan.
Brevo
Best for nonprofits with a large list and a small budget
What we like
- Free forever plan with 300 emails per day
- 20% nonprofit discount on paid monthly or yearly plans
- Unlimited segments on paid plans; unlimited automations from Standard
- Email and SMS from one account
Watch out for
- The free plan's daily cap makes big one-day appeals hard
- Brevo branding on emails until you pay to remove it
- Phone support only on the Professional plan
- Free
- 300 emails/day
- Paid plans
- From about $9/mo
- Pricing model
- Emails sent
- Nonprofit discount
- 20%
Brevo prices by the number of emails you send rather than the size of your list, which can be a big saving for a nonprofit with a large but occasionally emailed supporter base. Its free plan allows 300 emails per day with no time limit, enough for a small organization’s regular newsletter if you spread sends over a few days.
How the nonprofit discount works: registered nonprofits and charities get 20% off any monthly or yearly paid plan once they provide proof of registration, such as a nonprofit certificate or tax ID.
Watch out for: the daily cap on the free plan. A year-end appeal to 3,000 supporters would take ten days on the free plan, so plan to upgrade before your big campaigns.
Mailchimp
Best for nonprofits that rely on Mailchimp integrations or already know the tool
What we like
- 15% discount for verified nonprofits and charities
- Very large library of integrations
- Free plan and a 14-day free trial of paid plans
Watch out for
- Free plan limited to 250 contacts
- You must request the nonprofit discount before buying a paid plan
- Smallest nonprofit discount of the four
- Free plan
- 250 contacts
- Paid plans
- Essentials, Standard, Premium
- Pricing model
- Contacts
- Nonprofit discount
- 15%
Mailchimp is the name most people know, and many donation platforms, event tools and website builders connect to it out of the box. If your other tools already sync with Mailchimp, that alone can justify it.
How the nonprofit discount works: 15% for verified nonprofits. Create an account and request the discount before you purchase a plan. US organizations add their EIN to the account; international organizations provide a link to their website. Requests go through Mailchimp’s billing contact form.
Watch out for: paid plans are priced by contact count and change often, so use Mailchimp’s pricing calculator with your real list size. For many small nonprofits, MailerLite or Constant Contact with their larger discounts will cost less.
Which one should you choose?
- You want someone to call when the appeal will not send: Constant Contact, prepaid for 12 months to get 30% off.
- You want the most features per dollar: MailerLite with the 30% nonprofit discount.
- You have a big list and almost no budget: start on Brevo’s free plan.
- Your donation or event tools only integrate with Mailchimp: use Mailchimp and claim the 15% discount first.
Before you pick, check whether your donor CRM already includes email. Neon CRM and Bloomerang both do; see our nonprofit CRM guide. Keeping appeals and donor records in one system can be worth more than a better editor.
Frequently asked questions
Which email marketing platforms offer nonprofit discounts?
All four in this guide do. Constant Contact gives 20% off with a 6-month prepay and 30% off with a 12-month prepay. MailerLite gives 30% off paid plans. Brevo gives 20% off paid plans. Mailchimp gives 15% to verified nonprofits. Each requires proof of nonprofit status, and most want you to apply before you buy.
Is there a free email marketing tool for nonprofits?
Yes. Brevo has a free plan with 300 emails per day. MailerLite and Mailchimp both have free plans limited to 250 subscribers or contacts. For most nonprofits with an active list, Brevo's free plan goes furthest.
Should we use our donor CRM for email instead?
Maybe. Several nonprofit CRMs, including Neon CRM and Bloomerang, include email tools, which keeps donor data in one place. A dedicated email platform usually has better templates, automation and deliverability tools. If your CRM's email tool covers your newsletters and appeals, you may not need a second system.
How do I apply for the Mailchimp nonprofit discount?
Create a Mailchimp account and request the discount before you buy a paid plan. US nonprofits add their EIN to the account first; international nonprofits provide a link to their website. The request goes through Mailchimp's billing contact form.