Church Software Discounts: The Programs Your Ministry Can Actually Use

Most major nonprofit software programs accept churches, but two notable ones don't, and many want paperwork that a church may not have. As of October 2026, our research shows Slack and Airtable exclude religious organizations. Google, Microsoft, Canva, QuickBooks (through TechSoup) and others don't list churches as excluded, but most ask for proof of 501(c)(3) status. Churches are tax-exempt automatically, so not every church holds an IRS letter.

This page lists which programs a church can use, which it can't, and what a small church can expect to save. The paperwork question has its own guide: does your church qualify?

Programs that accept churches

None of these programs lists churches or religious organizations among its excluded organization types in our records. An empty exclusion list means we didn't find one on the vendor's page, not that the vendor guarantees approval. Confirm with each vendor.

Program	What a church gets (as of October 2026)	What you'll need
Google Workspace	Free edition, or Business Standard at $3.50/user/month	IRS 501(c)(3) registration or proven group-exemption affiliation; Goodstack verification
Microsoft 365	Business Basic free for up to 300 users; Business Premium $5.50/user/month	Recognized charitable status; Microsoft Nonprofits registration
Canva	Free for one team of up to 50	Proof of registration and your affiliation
QuickBooks Online	Plus for $80/year through TechSoup	TechSoup validation; new company file
Zoom	50% off annual plans	501(c)(3); budget of $10 million or less
Adobe Acrobat Pro	$15/year per user, up to 10	IRS-recognized 501(c)(3)
Salesforce	10 free Enterprise Edition licenses	Tax ID and legal documentation, such as a 501(c)(3) letter
Mailchimp	15% off	EIN on the account; Mailchimp may ask for the 501(c)(3) letter
Constant Contact	30% off with a 12-month prepay	IRS Letter of Determination
Kinsta	15% off WordPress hosting	Names churches as eligible; send a 501(c)(3) or equivalent
Atlassian	Jira, Confluence and Loom free for up to 25 seats	Goodstack verification
Google Ad Grants	$10,000/month in search ads	Google for Nonprofits enrollment; qualifying website

Kinsta is the only vendor in our records whose eligibility text names churches outright.

Programs that exclude churches

Slack. Slack for Nonprofits makes Pro free for workspaces of 250 or fewer members, but its eligibility rules exclude "churches, associations of churches, or other religious organizations". They also require that an organization not promote a religious affiliation as part of its mission. A church pays list price: $7.25/user/month billed annually, or $8.75 monthly.

Airtable. Airtable's nonprofit plan excludes religious organizations, along with government offices, hospitals, private foundations and political organizations.

What about a church's separately incorporated ministry, such as a food pantry with its own 501(c)(3)? Slack's wording turns on mission and religious affiliation, so the answer isn't obvious. Ask Slack before you assume either way.

If you rely on Slack, check the chat tools you may already have. Google Workspace includes Google Chat, and Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes Teams. Both are free for eligible nonprofits.

What a small church can save

Take a church with 5 staff, 3 people on paid Canva Pro accounts, QuickBooks Online Plus at list price, and a 15-member Slack Pro workspace. All figures are list prices from our records as of October 2026:

Tool	Current annual cost	With nonprofit pricing	Saving
Google Workspace Business Standard, 5 users	5 × $14 × 12 = $840	Free edition $0 (or 5 × $42 = $210 on Business Standard)	$840 (or $630)
Canva Pro, 3 people	3 × $144 = $432	$0	$432
QuickBooks Online Plus	$140 × 12 = $1,680	$80	$1,600
Slack Pro, 15 members (annual)	15 × $87 = $1,305	Not eligible; Google Chat $0	$1,305 if you switch
Total	$4,257	$80	$4,177

The total assumes the church qualifies for each program, uses Google's free edition, and replaces Slack with Google Chat. Without the Slack switch, the saving is $2,872. Subtract staff time for the QuickBooks migration, which our records estimate at about 8 hours. Run your own numbers with the free audit.

The paperwork question

Under IRS Publication 1828, churches that meet the 501(c)(3) requirements are automatically considered tax-exempt and don't have to apply for recognition. Many software programs, though, verify status by checking for an IRS determination letter or a listing in the IRS search tool. Publication 1828 notes that churches that haven't applied for recognition aren't included in that listing.

Your options are usually:

• Use your own IRS determination letter, if your church has applied for recognition.
• Use your denomination's group exemption. Google, for example, accepts group-exempt chapters with proven affiliation to a 501(c)(3) central organization. Ask your denomination for a copy of the group ruling and confirmation that your church is listed.
• Choose tools that ask only for an EIN. Zeffy, a free donation platform, requires an EIN and a bank account in the organization's name, not 501(c)(3) status.

The details, including which documents each program accepts, are in church eligibility for nonprofit discounts. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your status with a CPA or attorney.

Other church costs to check

Software subscriptions are only part of the bill. Giving platforms and card fees often cost more:

• Church giving platform fees compares the giving apps churches commonly use.
• Nonprofit payment processing fees covers PayPal's charity rate and Stripe's nonprofit rate.
• Church accounting software pricing compares bookkeeping costs by church size.

For every program, including ones not listed here, see the nonprofit software discounts hub.