HubSpot for Nonprofits: How It Works, Key Benefits, and Best Practices

If your nonprofit is growing and looking for a smarter way to manage outreach, organize data, and stay connected with donors and volunteers, HubSpot might be the tool you didn’t know you needed. Built as a powerful customer relationship management (CRM) platform, HubSpot offers features that can help nonprofits streamline communication, track results, and grow more strategically. 

Whether you want to use HubSpot for charities, foundations, associations, or another type of nonprofit, this guide will walk you through what the platform does, how it can help, and how to make the most of it.

What Is HubSpot for Nonprofits?

HubSpot for Nonprofits is a CRM platform that helps you manage donor relationships, automate communications, and track fundraising progress, all in one place. It’s sometimes also called “HubSpot not-for-profit,” and it's used by organizations of all sizes. 

One of the best parts? The nonprofit HubSpot CRM has a free version that includes core features for managing up to 1 million contacts. That gives nonprofits a solid starting point to organize data and run more efficient outreach efforts—without the need for expensive software right away.

Key Benefits of HubSpot for Nonprofits

HubSpot makes it easier for nonprofits to do more with less. Here’s why so many organizations use it to manage and expand their impact:

• Save time with automation and easy-to-use tools: Manual tasks like follow-up emails, event reminders, or list updates can eat up your day. HubSpot for Nonprofits helps you automate those jobs so your team can focus on building relationships and growing programs.
• Build stronger donor relationships: When you have detailed contact records and email tools, you can personalize your outreach and follow up at the right time. That helps you build better donor relations and stay connected over time.
• Drive more donations: With clear calls to action, targeted online fundraising campaigns, and built-in reporting, you can see what works and double down on it. HubSpot for Nonprofits helps you turn interest into action and reach your fundraising goals faster.
• Increase your campaign ROI: Marketing and outreach cost time and money—HubSpot helps you do both more efficiently. When you can track engagement and test what’s working, you waste less and get more out of every campaign.
• Improve visibility and make better decisions: Dashboards and reports give you a clear view of what’s happening across your organization. Whether you're tracking donor retention or campaign performance, you’ll have the data you need to grow with confidence.

Top Features and Uses of HubSpot for Nonprofits

Now let’s take a closer look at the features and uses that make HubSpot such a powerful platform for nonprofits. Each of these tools helps you do something important, like connect with donors, run campaigns, or track your progress.

Donor Tracking and Segmentation

Keeping track of who’s giving and how often is essential for healthy fundraising. The HubSpot CRM for nonprofits lets you store every donor’s contact details, past donations, and activity history in one easy-to-use database. You can then group donors by common traits—like giving frequency, event attendance, or location—to create more targeted and meaningful outreach.

Social Media Management

HubSpot for Nonprofits gives you a built-in calendar to plan and schedule posts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also track how each post performs, looking at metrics like clicks, shares, and engagement. For nonprofits trying to grow their following and increase visibility, this tool saves time and helps you stay consistent.

Email Tools

HubSpot’s email tools let you send the right message to the right person at the right time. You can use pre-built templates or create your own with personalization tokens that pull in names, donation history, or location. A/B testing lets you test different subject lines or layouts, and automation features help you follow up with welcome emails, thank-you notes, or campaign updates without lifting a finger.

Marketing Automation

Once you set up a workflow in HubSpot, the platform does the heavy lifting. For example, you can trigger an email series when someone signs up for your newsletter or donates for the first time. You can also schedule entire campaigns to run annually, for example during Giving Tuesday or your organization’s anniversary, without rebuilding them from scratch each year.

Custom Dashboards and Reporting

Data only matters if you can use it. Nonprofit HubSpot’s dashboards let you see the big picture and the fine details, all at once. You can build custom views to track campaign performance, donor retention rates, volunteer engagement, or anything else that matters to your goals—and update them in real time.

Volunteer Coordination

Volunteers need clear communication too, and HubSpot helps you manage it all. Just like with donors and sponsors, you can store volunteer profiles, group them by role or location, and set up workflows to guide them through applications, onboarding, and shift reminders. Plus, tracking volunteer attendance or activity levels gives you insight into who’s engaged and ready for more responsibility.

Third-Party Integrations

One of the most powerful things about HubSpot for Nonprofits is how well it connects with the tools you already use. From Salesforce to Eventbrite to Zapier, HubSpot plays nicely with others. The Donately integration is especially valuable because you can sync your donation campaigns directly into your CRM to see donor activity, campaign results, and outreach performance in one place. Because we work directly with HubSpot, this integration is smooth and intuitive.

Customer Support

Getting started with new software can feel overwhelming, especially for a nonprofit, but HubSpot gives you a head start with HubSpot Academy. You’ll find step-by-step video tutorials, templates, and best practices for every feature. Plus, onboarding help and a large support community make it easier to find answers when you need them.

HubSpot for Nonprofits Pricing and Discount Options

The HubSpot Nonprofit discount is 40% for eligible organizations. However, your total HubSpot nonprofit pricing will depend on the paid plan you choose: If you’re a small organization, you might find that the free plan includes everything you need to get started. There are also varying levels of paid plans. Think about the number of users, the number of contacts in your database, and which tools you need access to when choosing your plan. 

How to Set Up and Use HubSpot for a Nonprofit Organization

Getting started with HubSpot for Nonprofits is easier when you break the process into steps. Here’s what to do first—and how each piece helps your nonprofit make the most of the platform.

Apply for the Program

To access nonprofit pricing, you’ll need to verify your organization’s eligibility. Visit HubSpot’s nonprofit page and complete a quick application. Once approved, you can choose the plan that fits your needs and get started with onboarding support.

Import and Categorize Contacts

After you’ve signed up, start by importing your donor list, email subscribers, volunteers, and partners. Use tags and custom properties to categorize them into groups like recurring donors, first-time givers, or volunteers. This helps you organize your outreach later and sets the foundation for engagement.

Integrate with Your Website

Connecting HubSpot to your website lets you track who’s visiting your donation page, blog, or event listings. You can also embed forms, pop-ups, and CTAs directly into your site and tie them to specific campaigns. This makes it easier to track what actions website visitors are taking and convert them into members or donors.

Connect Your Social Media Accounts

Once you’ve connected your social accounts, you can create and schedule posts from inside HubSpot. This helps you keep your messaging aligned and consistent across platforms. You’ll also get analytics that show you which posts get the most engagement, helping you refine your content strategy.

Customize Your Dashboards

Now it’s time to set up dashboards that reflect your goals. Maybe you want to track donations by campaign, newsletter open rates, or volunteer hours. Custom widgets and filters make it easy to view exactly what you need—and share those results with your team or board.

Get to Know Your Reports

HubSpot for Nonprofits has reporting capabilities to help you spot trends and make better decisions. You can see which emails bring in donations, which sources drive traffic to your site, or when donors are most likely to give. Once you’re familiar with the reporting tools, you can use these insights to fine-tune your strategy and grow more efficiently.

Set Up an Email Campaign

Pick a goal—like donor retention or event attendance—and build a campaign around it. Use templates and personalization tools to make your emails feel timely and relevant. Then schedule them to go out over a few days or weeks, tracking engagement metrics along the way.

Experiment with Workflows

Workflows are one of the most powerful features of HubSpot for Nonprofits. They let you automate the tasks you repeat most often—like welcoming new donors or reminding volunteers about events. Try starting with a simple three-email welcome series, then add branching logic to customize the path based on what people click or do. Over time, you can build more complex journeys that save time and boost results.

Donately + HubSpot for Nonprofits: Better Together

Using HubSpot for Nonprofits can make a big difference in how you connect, organize, and grow. But pairing it with Donately gives you something even better: a CRM built just for fundraising, with the flexibility to grow with you. Donately’s native integration with HubSpot means your donor data, campaign results, and marketing tools all live in one place—without being boxed in by an all-in-one system that doesn’t scale.

If you’re moving from spreadsheets or starter tools, Donately CRM is intuitive and completely free. You can easily start organizing your donor base, segmenting audiences, and sending targeted outreach. If you're already using HubSpot’s paid CRM, you can plug in your Donately campaigns and instantly see the results reflected in your dashboards. 

Nonprofits using the Donately CRM powered by HubSpot have reported up to a 25% increase in engagement and donor retention within the first three months. Try Donately today and get the flexibility, insight, and control you need to grow your impact with confidence.