Nonprofit Software Discounts: Which Ones Accept Churches? (2026)

Every list of nonprofit software discounts on the internet is written for food banks and animal shelters. None of them answers the question a pastor or church admin actually has: will they take a church?

So we checked. On November 5, 2026, we opened 42 programs on the vendors’ own pages and read the eligibility rules line by line. Most of the big ones accept churches. Two exclude churches by name. And a church that gets turned down usually loses on paperwork, not policy.

I’m Thomas Costello. I’ve run REACHRIGHT, a marketing agency that serves only churches, since 2016, and I’m the Executive Pastor at New Hope Hawaii Kai, a Foursquare church covered by our denomination’s group exemption. That setup is the one most likely to confuse a software company’s verification partner, so I wrote this guide with it in mind.

Bookmark this page. Use the matrix to see who will take your church, then follow the start order further down so you don’t waste an afternoon on an application that was never going to clear.

Do churches qualify for nonprofit software discounts?

Yes. Most major nonprofit software programs accept churches, including Google for Nonprofits, Microsoft 365, Canva Nonprofits, Adobe, Claude and ChatGPT, as of November 2026. The catch is proof: nearly every program wants IRS recognition of 501(c)(3) status, and many churches have never asked the IRS for it.

The IRS treats churches as tax exempt automatically, so most never file for a determination letter. That’s fine for your donors. It’s a problem for a software vendor, because the vendor’s checker looks your church up in the IRS database and finds nothing. Google’s own help article spells it out: churches “are automatically considered tax exempt,” but organizations not listed in the IRS’s online publication of exempt organizations “aren’t eligible” (Google for Nonprofits Help, read November 5, 2026).

Of the 42 programs in our matrix, 17 accept churches on the same terms as any 501(c)(3), 18 add a real condition, 2 exclude churches outright, 3 have no nonprofit program at all, and 2 publish a discount with no eligibility rules.

The eligibility matrix: every program, checked for churches

The matrix below lists 42 nonprofit software programs, what a church gets from each, the price as of November 5, 2026, whether churches qualify, and who checks your paperwork. Verdicts come from the eligibility page of each vendor, read in a live browser that day. Where we have a full step-by-step guide, it’s linked in the last column.

How to read the verdicts:

• Accepts churches The vendor’s page sets a 501(c)(3) test and names no religious exclusion. A church with proof qualifies.
• Conditional A real extra test: a budget cap, a donation-share rule, one specific document, TechSoup’s church rules, a nondiscrimination clause, or a vague definition of “nonprofit.”
• Excludes churches The vendor names churches as ineligible.
• No program No nonprofit discount exists.
• Rules not published The discount is on the vendor’s page; eligibility rules are not. Ask before you pay.

Sources: each vendor's nonprofit or eligibility page, read November 5, 2026. Google Ad Grants appears in the count with Google for Nonprofits as two rows because you activate them separately. DocuSign's percentages come from Goodstack's DocuSign offer page; Salesforce's verdict comes from its Power of Us eligibility guidelines, which list religious nonprofits among those considered. Prices change often; confirm on the vendor's page before you budget.

Two patterns jump out of that table. First, the programs that matter most to a church staff (email, documents, design and AI) all accept churches. Second, the gatekeeper matters more than the vendor: Goodstack checks for Google, Canva, Claude, ChatGPT, Zoom, Atlassian, Asana, DocuSign and Hootsuite, and TechSoup checks for QuickBooks, Adobe Creative Cloud, Wix and Slack. Pass those two and most of the matrix follows.

What changed in 2025-2026?

Nonprofit software programs changed more in the last 18 months than in the five years before. Microsoft ended its free Business Premium grant, Zoom left TechSoup, and three companies dropped or disavowed religious restrictions after legal pressure in 2025. If you read a guide written before mid-2025, some of what it told you is now wrong.

Sources: Microsoft nonprofit pricing and eligibility pages; TechSoup Help Center, "Zoom for Nonprofits No Longer Available"; OpenAI Help Center; Alliance Defending Freedom case pages (Holy Sexuality v. OpenAI and v. Asana); Asana nonprofit page; Bloomberg, November 14, 2025; TechSoup "Discontinued QuickBooks Desktop"; Atlassian and monday.com nonprofit pages; Adobe nonprofit pages. Live pages read November 5, 2026.

The Asana, OpenAI and Microsoft changes all came out of legal pressure from Alliance Defending Freedom: lawsuits on behalf of a Christian ministry against Asana and OpenAI, and a shareholder agreement with Microsoft (Bloomberg, November 14, 2025).

Which software companies exclude churches from their nonprofit programs?

Two programs exclude churches by name as of November 5, 2026: Slack and Airtable. Both use nearly identical wording that rules out “a church, association of churches, or other religious organization.” Square isn’t an exclusion; it has no nonprofit rate for anyone.

Slack’s help center lists churches among the organizations its nonprofit program won’t serve. It also excludes groups that promote “a particular religious affiliation, dogma, or doctrine as part of its mission,” while noting that being affiliated with a religious organization isn’t disqualifying by itself. A ministry with a secular community mission might clear that bar. A church won’t.

Airtable’s nonprofit FAQ says an eligible organization “isn’t a church, association of churches, or other religious/evangelical organization.” The discount it’s withholding is 50% off Team plans.

I’m not going to tell you to be angry about it. Slack and Airtable are private companies and they get to set their terms. The point is to save you the afternoon you’d spend applying. Here’s what to use instead.

A word on Atlassian, because you’ll see it listed as a church excluder elsewhere. Our own earlier research said the same thing. On November 5, 2026, Atlassian’s “list of non-eligible organization types” covered associations, fraternities, hospitals, government, schools, pro sports and endowment funds. No place-of-worship or religious category appeared.

A few smaller caveats belong here. Hootsuite won’t serve organizations with a policy of discrimination in hiring based on religion, among other categories, so a church that hires only believers could get flagged. LinkedIn makes you attest to its anti-discrimination policy, with an exception for religious organizations that are exempt from the laws prohibiting that discrimination. HubSpot won’t discount an organization whose mission promotes opposition to protected groups, and Asana warns that groups outside its verifiers’ anti-discrimination policies “may not be eligible.” None of these is a church ban, but all are worth knowing before you apply.

Do churches qualify without a 501(c)(3) letter?

Usually not. Google for Nonprofits, TechSoup and Goodstack all need proof that the IRS recognizes your church, and an automatically exempt church with no letter can’t show that. A church under a denomination’s group exemption can still qualify by using the denomination’s group exemption letter plus proof that the church is covered.

Here is how each gatekeeper puts it, in its own words:

• Google: “organizations must obtain recognition of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS.” A group-exempt church “must supply their own EIN,” plus documents showing the group exemption number and its tie to the central organization.
• TechSoup: “Places of worship that are automatically tax-exempt, or self declare, are not eligible.” A group exemption letter must come from an officer of your national denomination, on its letterhead, and TechSoup uses the parent denomination’s EIN.
• Goodstack: if your nonprofit “does not require registration to operate,” Goodstack says it “will not be able to verify your nonprofit status.”

Notice the EIN split. Google wants your church’s own EIN with the group documents. TechSoup wants your denomination’s EIN. Mix those up and you’ll get a rejection that makes no sense until you see it.

So a church sits in one of three places. If you have your own IRS determination letter, you’re in the easy lane. If you’re covered by a denomination’s group exemption (Foursquare, Assemblies of God, many Baptist and Methodist bodies), you need the group letter plus a letter from the denomination naming your church. If you’re independent with no letter, the clean fix is filing Form 1023 with the IRS; churches can’t use the shorter 1023-EZ.

Our foundation guide, how to prove your church is a nonprofit, walks through all three paths with a document checklist. If your board is still deciding whether to pursue IRS recognition at all, start with our 501(c)(3) church guide.

What is the difference between TechSoup and Goodstack?

Goodstack (formerly Percent) is a verification service that software companies hire to check whether you’re a real nonprofit; it doesn’t sell anything. TechSoup is a nonprofit marketplace that verifies you and then sells donated or discounted products for an admin fee. Both apply stricter proof rules than the IRS applies to churches.

Sources: Goodstack Help Center; TechSoup Help Center; Google for Nonprofits Help; Claude for Nonprofits page. Read November 5, 2026.

One more Goodstack rule worth knowing: the eligibility decision belongs to the vendor, not Goodstack. In Goodstack’s words, “Eligibility guidelines are set by the partner and are specific to their program.” Passing Goodstack for Google doesn’t guarantee a yes from Zoom.

Our guides to what Goodstack is and TechSoup for churches cover each process step by step, including the rejection reasons and fixes.

Where should a church start?

Start with your paperwork, then Google, then everything else. Google for Nonprofits is free, it runs on Goodstack, and it’s the gate to the two most valuable programs in the matrix: Google Workspace and the $10,000-a-month Google Ad Grant. Once your documents work there, they tend to work elsewhere.

1. Prove your status. Find your IRS determination letter, or ask your denomination for its group exemption letter and a letter naming your church. Gather your IRS EIN letter and a bank statement in the church’s legal name (Goodstack wants documents dated more than 30 days before you apply). Use the checklist in how to prove your church is a nonprofit.
2. Get through Goodstack once. You’ll meet it inside Google’s sign-up. Use a church email address, not a personal Gmail, and enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your IRS documents. Our Goodstack guide shows each screen.
3. Apply for Google for Nonprofits. Follow our Google for Nonprofits guide, then activate Google Workspace for Nonprofits and the Ad Grant. If your church already runs on Microsoft, apply for Microsoft 365 nonprofit pricing instead.
4. Add the design and AI tools. Canva Nonprofits, Adobe Express and Acrobat, and one AI tool: Claude for Nonprofits or ChatGPT for Nonprofits.
5. Join TechSoup if you need QuickBooks or Creative Cloud. Our TechSoup guide and QuickBooks for Nonprofits guide cover the admin fees and the one-subscription-per-organization rule.
6. Pick up the rest as you need them. Zoom Cares, email and social media discounts, and payment processing rates.

The Ad Grant deserves its own sentence. It’s $10,000 a month in search ads, and Google has its own rules for keeping it. Our Google Ad Grant guide covers them, and if you’d rather not run the account yourself, that’s what our Google Grant management service does.

How much can a 10-staff church save with nonprofit software programs?

A 10-staff church can save about $3,600 a year with five common programs, based on list prices and nonprofit prices published on the vendors’ own pages on November 5, 2026. That’s an estimate. Your number depends on seat counts, which tools you’d actually buy, and whether a vendor is running a promotion.

I priced like for like, tool by tool: the same plan at list price versus nonprofit price, with every list price read on the vendor’s own page on November 5, 2026.

Estimate. List prices: Google Workspace pricing page (Business Standard, $14 per user/month, not counting any introductory promo); Intuit's QuickBooks nonprofit page (Plus, $140/month, before its public 3-month promo); Claude pricing page (Team standard seat, $20 per user/month billed annually); Adobe Acrobat pricing page (Acrobat Pro individual, $239.88 annual prepaid); Zoom Cares page (Workplace Pro, $14.16 per user/month annual). Nonprofit prices: each vendor's nonprofit page and TechSoup. All read November 5, 2026.

A few things that number leaves out, on purpose:

• Canva Nonprofits and Adobe Express Premium are free for qualifying churches, but I couldn’t confirm either list price on the vendor’s own pricing page, so they add $0 to the total. Your real savings are higher.
• The $0 Google Workspace edition. Many churches can run on it. If yours can, you’d pay nothing for Google, but I compared Business Standard to Business Standard to keep the math honest.
• The Google Ad Grant. $10,000 a month in ads is worth far more than everything in this table, but it’s advertising, not a software bill you’d otherwise pay. I didn’t count it.

If your church already pays for any of these at list price, that’s money you can move back into ministry this year.

What if your church can’t qualify yet?

If your church has no IRS recognition and no group exemption, plenty of good software is free to everyone. You don’t need to prove anything to use a free plan. Slack and Figma both have free plans, and many church tools offer a free tier built for small congregations.

We keep a separate, regularly checked list of those in our free church software guide, with the real limits of each free plan. Use those while you work on your paperwork, then come back to this matrix when your letter arrives. For accounting specifically, our church accounting software comparison covers paid and free options side by side.

Frequently asked questions

What software discounts are available to churches?

As of November 5, 2026, churches with IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) status can get Google Workspace for Nonprofits (free edition), the $10,000-a-month Google Ad Grant, Microsoft 365 Business Basic (free up to 300 users), Canva Pro features free for 50 users, Adobe Express free, Acrobat Pro at $15 a year, and Claude or ChatGPT at $8 per user.

Is Google Workspace free for churches?

Yes, if your church qualifies for Google for Nonprofits. Google Workspace for Nonprofits has a $0 edition with 150-person Meet calls and 100 TB of shared storage. Paid upgrades cost $3.50 (Business Standard) or $6.16 (Business Plus) per user per month on a one-year commitment, per Google’s nonprofit page on November 5, 2026.

Is Microsoft 365 free for churches?

Partly. Microsoft 365 Business Basic is a free grant for up to 300 users at qualifying nonprofits, including US churches. The old free 10-seat Business Premium grant ended at renewals on or after July 1, 2025. Business Premium now costs $5.50 and Business Standard $3.50 per user per month, per Microsoft’s nonprofit pricing page in November 2026.

Which software companies exclude churches from their nonprofit programs?

Slack and Airtable are the two confirmed as of November 5, 2026. Slack names “a church, association of churches, or other religious organization” as ineligible, and Airtable uses nearly the same words. Atlassian and monday.com are often listed as excluders, but their current pages show no religious exclusion. Square isn’t an excluder: it offers no nonprofit rate to anyone.

Can a church get nonprofit discounts without an IRS determination letter?

Only through a group exemption. Google, TechSoup and Goodstack all reject churches that are only automatically exempt. A church under a denomination’s group ruling can use the denomination’s group exemption letter plus a letter naming the church. An independent church with neither should file IRS Form 1023, since churches can’t use Form 1023-EZ.

What is the difference between TechSoup and Goodstack?

Goodstack is a free verification service built into vendors’ sign-ups, used by Google, Canva, Claude, ChatGPT and Zoom. TechSoup is a membership marketplace that verifies you, then sells donated products like QuickBooks Online for an admin fee. For group-exempt churches, Google wants the church’s own EIN while TechSoup wants the denomination’s EIN.

Where should a church apply first?

Gather your proof of 501(c)(3) status first, then apply for Google for Nonprofits. Google’s application runs through Goodstack, so the documents you prepare get tested there. Approval opens Google Workspace and the $10,000-a-month Ad Grant. After that, add Canva, Adobe and an AI tool, then TechSoup if you need QuickBooks.

Every guide in this series

• How to Prove Your Church Is a Nonprofit - Step 0 for every program on this page.
• What Is Goodstack? - The verification service behind Google, Canva, Claude and Zoom.
• Google for Nonprofits - How a church applies, step by step.
• Google Workspace for Nonprofits - Tiers, prices and setup for church staff.
• TechSoup for Churches - Registration with a group exemption letter.
• Canva for Nonprofits - Canva Pro features free for up to 50 users.
• Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits - What’s free now that the Premium grant is gone.
• Adobe for Nonprofits - Express, Acrobat and Creative Cloud.
• QuickBooks for Nonprofits - The TechSoup route for churches.
• Claude for Nonprofits and ChatGPT for Nonprofits - The $8 AI plans.
• Zoom for Nonprofits - Zoom Cares after TechSoup.
• Slack for Churches - Why churches are excluded and what to use.
• Nonprofit Payment Processing Rates - PayPal, Stripe and Square.
• Email and Social Media Tool Discounts - Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Hootsuite, Buffer.
• Free Church Software - Tools that are free to everyone.