5 Best Social Media Tools For Nonprofits (And Why They Are Great)

Social media has become remarkably sophisticated, dynamic, and just plain fun over the last decade, and we’re here for it.

It is easy to get nostalgic about the simpler days of social media, of course. (Who doesn’t miss Myspace profile songs and sepia-saturated-everything!?)

Still, advancements in social media have created new ways for nonprofit organizations to humanize their brands, generate new leads, and connect with people in meaningful ways.

In Ancient Greece, philosophers, politicians, and merchants used to achieve these same goals in the public square. They would gather together to exchange ideas and products, treating the marketplace like a hub of connection and cultural advancement.

In the same way, social media has established itself as the “public square” of the 21st century. Thus, rather than asking if nonprofits should have social media, we need to continue to ask how we can best engage with social media.

Luckily, the evolution of social media has also led to the development of several social media tools that make it much easier to optimize your social platforms.

And trust me on this – optimizing your social platforms is something that you definitely want to do!

With that in mind, here are five impressive social media tools for nonprofits that will help you majorly upgrade your social media marketing.

Planoly - organizing + planning

As the name indicates, Planoly is designed to help you plan out your social media content and schedule it in advance.

Because certain plans allow for multiple users, Planoly is also ideal for coordinating a team of social media planners. 

In my opinion, this is the crème de la crème of social media tools.

Planoly’s app and web dashboard allow you to visualize your content before posting it live on Instagram via a simple drag-and-drop system.

Because of this, Planoly is a favorite for social media managers who are looking to create a specific aesthetic. 

This social media tool also allows for auto-posting of Instagram carousels, Reels, and more with paid monthly subscriptions.

Notably, while Planoly does allow posting to Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok, it is primarily geared toward Instagram. 

At the very least, I recommend checking out the free version of Planoly and upgrading from there as you see fit.

The most advanced plan sits at about $36.50 per month – a small price to pay for a headache-free social media tool!

If Planoly does not turn out to be your jam, there are plenty of competitors out there that have solid social media tools.

Check out Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Later for other options.

Topic Mojo - content inspiration + research

Before creating content, it is vital to research which questions your audience is currently asking and what type of content will best serve them.

After all, half of the battle with content creation is determining what kind of content will be beneficial and interesting to your followers!

Once you know the questions your audience is asking, you can answer them via social media and establish credibility and expertise in the eyes of your followers.

One of my favorite social media tools for content inspiration and research is Topic Mojo.

This online tool allows you to search keywords and see what kind of questions are being asked about those keywords across Google, Reddit, and Quora.

Once you have narrowed down the top questions, you can begin creating content accordingly.

The free version of Topic Mojo will do the trick, but monthly plans with access to even more research information start at just $10 per month.

Canva - designing + branding

I mean this wholeheartedly: Canva does not get nearly enough credit!

Most social media managers are not full-time graphic designers, but graphics are a necessary component of social media content.

This is where Canva comes to the rescue, making graphic design accessible and easy for the novice and expert alike.

This social media tool allows you to select from thousands of pre-made templates for graphics of any dimension and edit using your own colors, images, or any of Canva’s graphics, icons, and fonts.

This will make it easy for you to incorporate branding elements and colors throughout your social platforms.

If your nonprofit does not have an established logo yet, Canva even offers a free logo maker to help you develop your brand identity!

While the basic version of Canva is free to use, Canva Pro (which is ideal for nonprofit social media managers) begins at $12.99 per month.

And here is the great news: Canva offers nonprofit organizations free account subscriptions, so you can access this impressive social media tool for free if you work for a nonprofit.

Unfold - stories + animated templates

While Instagram has made strides to improve its story-building platform, it is still relatively limited regarding colors, fonts, and graphic design.

Luckily, there are several social media tools that specialize in stories, and Unfold is easily my favorite.

When it comes to professional, clean, and attractive post templates, Unfold takes the cake for several reasons.

First, Unfold is aesthetically attractive.

Even the free and basic templates look great, and they each come with a wide array of fonts, colors, and images to ensure a beautiful, customized design. You can also upload your own images and videos if you prefer.

If you choose to pay for Unfold+, you will have access to an even greater array of templates and themes that are continuously being updated. Unfold Pro, the most advanced Unfold plan, even allows you to upload custom fonts and colors to help strengthen your branding.

Next, Unfold’s animated templates are great for Reels, TikTok videos, or stories!

Because video has become a standard component of social media content, animated templates will help you create videos that stand out and increase views and click rates.

Lastly, One of my favorite things about Unfold is how truly affordable it is.

Unfold+ is only $19.99 annually, while Unfold Pro is only $99.99 annually. For a social media tool with this kind of power, these low prices are incredibly impressive.

Capcut - video editing + captions

If video editing intimidates you, you are not alone!

That is why I am so grateful for CapCut, a free digital video editor that is designed for the user with limited editing experience.

CapCut has a large library of music, sound effects, and special effects and filters to add to your videos, and it is truly an all-in-one video editor that makes attractive and professional social media videos.

My favorite way to use CapCut is for subtitles and text overlay. It is essential that you include subtitles on social media videos for several reasons.

First, subtitles provide a way for those who are hard of hearing to engage with your content.

Second, subtitles help social media users who are scrolling with the sound off to catch your main points and be drawn into your video.

And because social media tools like CapCut make it so fast and easy to incorporate captions into your videos, there really is no reason not to take this extra step.

If you are looking for a video editing platform to help you with video marketing, CapCut is a great place to start!

Use social media tools to your advantage

While social media is always growing and evolving, advancements in technology have made it easy for the everyday user to keep up with the trends and utilize social media in powerful and effective ways.

From scheduling platforms to template builders to video editors, there are countless social media tools available to help your nonprofit proclaim its message in the public square of the 21st century.

To learn more social media tips for your nonprofit, check out our blog post on 6 Social Media Marketing Tips for Nonprofits.

To get connected with our team and learn how you can increase donor engagement while saving time and money, click here.