Resources

Guides, tools, and checklists for nonprofits and small businesses navigating technology

Everything here has been reviewed and selected for organizations with small teams, limited budgets, and big missions. Use the categories below to find what's most relevant to where you are right now.

Your digital presence is more than a website. It's the full system of how your organization appears and is found online — your domain, your email, your listings, and your credibility.

Raíz Digital Guide
Guide

Understanding Digital Presence: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Leaders

Digital presence is more than a website. This paper covers what a complete digital presence actually looks like, the technical foundations behind it, and a practical path forward for small organizations.

Published April 2026 • Richard Flores, Raíz Digital

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Launch

Getting online for the first time — website, domain, and professional email.

Tool

Squarespace Paid

One of the easiest website builders for small organizations. Clean templates, built-in hosting, and no coding required.

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Tool

Google Workspace Free for Nonprofits

Professional email, documents, calendar, and storage under your domain. Free for qualifying nonprofits through Google for Nonprofits.

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Tool

Namecheap Paid

Straightforward, affordable domain registration. Transparent pricing, no surprise fees — a good starting point for registering your first domain.

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Checklist

Website Launch Checklist

Everything to verify before — and right after — you go live. DNS, email, SSL, mobile, and more.

Coming Soon

Get Found

Show up when people search for you — on Google, on maps, and in your community.

Tool

Google Business Profile Free

Your free listing on Google Search and Maps. Every organization should have one — and keep it updated. This is often the first thing someone sees when they search your name.

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Tool

Google Search Console Free

See how Google sees your website — what searches bring people to you, what errors exist, and how your pages are indexed.

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Checklist

Get Found Checklist

Is your organization showing up where it should? Run through this list to find the gaps.

Coming Soon

Communication is how your community knows you exist, what you do, and why it matters. These tools and guides help you reach people consistently — without requiring a full-time communications team.

Raíz Digital Guide
Guide

Communications & Outreach: Email, Newsletters, and Reaching Your Audience

How email actually works, what breaks it, and how to build a communication system that reaches your audience reliably — without a full-time communications staff.

Published May 2026 • Richard Flores, Raíz Digital

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Connect

Email and newsletters — the most reliable way to stay in touch with your community.

Tool

Mailchimp Free up to 500

The most widely used email newsletter platform for small organizations. Free for up to 500 contacts — a solid starting point for your first newsletter.

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Checklist

Email Deliverability Checklist

Is your email actually landing in inboxes? Verify your DNS records, sender reputation, and newsletter setup with this step-by-step checklist.

Coming Soon

Outreach

Social media and visual content — showing up where your audience already is.

Tool

Canva Free Tier

Design graphics for social media, newsletters, and flyers — no design experience required. The free tier covers most needs for small organizations.

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Tool

Buffer Free Tier

Schedule social media posts across multiple platforms in advance. The free plan covers up to 3 channels — enough for most small organizations getting started.

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Checklist

Social Media Starter Checklist

Before you post — make sure your profiles, bios, and links are set up correctly. A quick checklist to get the basics right.

Coming Soon

Most organizations are already doing the operational work — the question is whether it's digital, consistent, and owned by the organization rather than held together by one person's memory.

Raíz Digital Guide
Guide

Operations & Workflows: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Leaders

Volunteer management, event registration, scheduling, payments, intake forms, and document management — and what it takes to build operational infrastructure that holds up when your team changes.

Published June 2026 • Richard Flores, Raíz Digital

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Forms & Intake

Collect information from clients, volunteers, and participants — digitally and consistently.

Tool

Google Forms Free

Create intake forms, volunteer signups, event registrations, and surveys. Responses go directly to a Google Sheet. Free, easy to share, works on any device.

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Scheduling

Let people book time with you — without the back-and-forth.

Tool

Calendly Free Tier

Share a link and let people schedule appointments directly on your calendar. Free for one event type — covers most small organization needs.

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Payments

Accept donations, event fees, or service payments online — securely and simply.

Tool

PayPal Free to Set Up

The most widely recognized payment platform. Easy for donors and clients to use. Transaction fees apply — but no monthly cost to get started.

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Tool

PayPal Giving Fund Free for Nonprofits

Nonprofits can receive donations through PayPal Giving Fund with reduced or waived transaction fees. Requires enrollment and verification.

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Document Management

Store, share, and organize your organization's files so nothing lives only on one person's laptop.

Tool

Google Drive Free

Cloud storage and document collaboration built into Google Workspace. Real-time editing, easy sharing, and access from any device. Free with a Google account.

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Checklist

Operations Readiness Checklist

Is your organization running on manual processes that could be digital? This checklist helps you find where you're losing time and institutional knowledge.

Coming Soon

Data doesn't have to be complicated. Knowing what to measure — and what to ignore — is what separates organizations that tell their story clearly from those that are guessing.

Guide

Data & Analytics: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Leaders

What to track, what to ignore, and how to use data to tell your story and make better decisions. Part of the Raíz Digital Infrastructure Series.

Coming Soon
Tool

Tools & Resources

Curated tools for tracking website traffic, donor behavior, program outcomes, and more — coming as this section is developed.

Coming Soon

Automation and AI are not about replacing people — they're about freeing people up to do the work only they can do. These tools work across every pillar of your digital infrastructure.

Raíz Digital Guide
Guide

Feeling the Pressure to Use AI? Here's What You Need to Know

What AI actually is, what it cannot do, what it will cost you, and six practical things you can do with it today — without a technical team or a big budget.

Published July 2026 • Richard Flores, Raíz Digital

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Automate

Connect your tools and automate repetitive tasks — without writing code.

Tool

Make.com Free Tier

Connect your apps and automate workflows visually. When a form is submitted, an email sends, a spreadsheet updates — all automatically. Powerful free tier for small organizations.

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Tool

Zapier Free Tier

The most widely used automation platform. Connects 5,000+ apps. The free tier supports simple two-step automations — a good starting point.

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Checklist

Automation Readiness Checklist

Which tasks in your organization are the best candidates for automation? This checklist helps you identify and prioritize.

Coming Soon

Explore AI

Start here if you're curious about AI but not sure where it fits in your organization.

Tool

ChatGPT Free Tier

The most widely known AI assistant. Draft emails, summarize documents, brainstorm ideas. The free version is a solid starting point — no credit card required.

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Tool

Claude.ai Free Tier

Strong at writing, analysis, and longer documents. Especially useful for drafting grant narratives, reports, or communications. Free tier available.

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Tool

Google Gemini Free

Built into Google Workspace. If your team already uses Google Docs and Gmail, Gemini is already available and free to try.

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Checklist

AI Readiness Checklist

Before adopting any AI tool, run through these questions. Helps you decide whether AI is the right solution — and where to start.

Coming Soon

Not sure where to start?

We offer free 30-minute conversations for nonprofits and small businesses. Bring your situation — we'll help you figure out what makes sense.

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