7 Best LMS for Nonprofits in 2024 for Mass Education & Awareness Programs

An LMS for nonprofits can act as a shot in the arm.

Here’s how – nonprofits have a lot of volunteers and employees who need to be trained so they follow certain policies and procedures to remain safe and compliant.

A nonprofit LMS can help you offer mass education at scale, including onboarding, awareness programs, and training on procedures. It simplifies training and makes record-keeping easy.

In this article, I’ve shared the top 7 LMS for nonprofit organizations.

List of the Top LMS for Nonprofits 

I’ve curated this list of the top learning management systems for nonprofits by drawing on my own experiences, extensive research, and collecting feedback from my peers. Additionally, I have collected inputs from happy customers.

1. ProProfs Training Maker – Best for Employee Training 

The first tool I recommend is ProProfs, which is perfectly suited for government agencies, non-profit organizations, and associations engaged in mass education efforts.

This LMS simplifies every aspect of managing online training courses, from their creation and distribution to tracking and assessment.

The best part is that it equips you with a robust set of features to streamline onboarding and ongoing training & evaluations of your employees, volunteers, or members. You can easily deliver mass education and awareness programs to anyone, any time, anywhere.

Whether you prefer prebuilt courses and templates or want to convert your existing materials like PDFs, presentations, and videos into engaging online courses, ProProfs makes it easy.

The tool also excels in compliance training, covering essential areas like OSHA and sexual harassment prevention, ensuring your organization stays aligned with regulatory requirements.

What You Will Like:

• Organize learners into groups, assign courses, and delegate administration effortlessly
• With over 100 customization options, you can tailor the LMS to your specific needs
• A mobile-friendly tool that enables self-paced learning
• Provides multilingual support including English and Spanish

What You May Not Like:

• The free plan is limited to 10 users and does not include the course library
• Clean white interface. Some users find dark mode more comfortable.

Pricing:

Free for up to 10 learners. The paid plan starts at $1.97/learner/month for large teams. No hidden costs. 15-day money-back guarantee.

2. Absorb LMS – Best for Learner Engagement 

I recently delved into Absorb LMS, an impressive LMS that caters exceptionally well to both business and nonprofit organizations.

What truly sets it apart is its Multi-Portal mode, a game-changer for organizations like nonprofits that need to deliver training to external learners such as dealers, partners, or donors while maintaining a distinct brand identity for each group.

One notable feature is Absorb’s interactive features, such as gamification, discussion boards, and social learning tools, enhancing learner engagement.

What You Will Like:

• Easily sell courses to generate revenue, a significant advantage for nonprofits seeking additional funding sources
• Provides comprehensive reporting and analytics tools to track learner progress
• Build learning paths based on the learner’s needs, preferences, and goals
• Automated administration feature to simplify the management of learners, courses, and enrollments

What You May Not Like:

• Certain functionalities are missing in the tool. These include duplicating courses or lessons, rearranging the sequence of lessons, etc.
• Those seeking to develop more interactive or intricate assessments may need to rely on external tools or integrate third-party solutions

Pricing:

Paid plans start at $800/month

3. Tovuti –  Best for Virtual Classroom

Tovuti’s nonprofit LMS has transformed our training efforts, making them more efficient, engaging, and effective.

With Tovuti, I’ve been able to centralize and automate our training for staff, volunteers, community members, and even donors, all from one convenient virtual classroom.

It’s incredibly efficient and user-friendly, making it easy for me to provide tailored training experiences to all our stakeholders.

Plus, the ability to customize the platform to reflect our brand has been a significant asset in creating a cohesive learning experience.

The automation capabilities have eliminated manual tasks, and the virtual classroom functionality has been invaluable for hosting interactive events.

What You Will Like:

• Has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and customize
• Offers a variety of features, such as gamification, automation, and analytics
• Has a large library of pre-built courses and content that can be used for upskilling and professional development
• Supports multiple languages, currencies, and payment methods

What You May Not Like: 

• Require a lot of bandwidth and storage space for hosting videos and other media files
• May have some limitations in terms of integrations with other platforms or tools

Pricing: 

Paid plan starts at $775/month

4. Docebo – Best for AI-Powered Learning 

Another nonprofit LMS tool that I would highly recommend is Docebo, the ultimate choice for organizations seeking to leverage AI-powered learning.

Its cutting-edge AI capabilities enable us to provide personalized educational experiences, tailoring content to the specific needs of our beneficiaries.

This not only fosters increased engagement but also optimizes our resource allocation efficiently.

Docebo’s AI-driven upskilling and reskilling capabilities eliminate the guesswork from employee development. The system automatically tailors personalized learning experiences that adapt in real-time to align with both individual employee growth and your objectives.

With Docebo’s intuitive interface and robust analytics, you can gain invaluable insights into learners’ progress, allowing us to fine-tune our programs for maximum impact.

What You Will Like:

• Docebo’s intuitive interface ensures easy navigation and a positive user experience
• The platform effortlessly scales to accommodate organizational growth and changing training needs
• Offers a wide range of powerful features to enhance the learning experience
• Organizations can create tailored learning paths to meet specific training objectives

What You May Not Like:

• Can be a challenge for organizations that are new to LMS or that have limited IT resources
• Docebo has been known to have bugs, which can disrupt the learning process

Pricing:

Paid plans start at $25,000/year

5. Moodle – Best for Customized Learning

Moodle is one of the best open-source LMS systems for nonprofits that is known for its flexibility and customization capabilities. It is a popular choice for organizations of all sizes, as it can be tailored to meet the specific needs of learners and instructors.

I recommend this tool mainly for its customization capabilities. Users can change the look and feel of the system, add new features, and develop their own learning modules.

You can also create personalized learning paths by tailoring content, assignments, and assessments to individual needs. The tool helps users with learning design, course setup, curriculum development, instructional design, training, and competency development.

What I particularly like about this tool is that it allows users to create and manage courses, track student progress, and deliver content in a variety of formats.

It also supports a variety of learning activities, such as discussion forums, quizzes, and assignments.

What You Will Like:

• Create courses based on real scenarios for a better explanation of concepts
• Engage your learners with a wide range of activities and tools such as forums, wikis, blogs, quizzes
• Control who can access your courses and resources and protect your data with encryption and backups
• Can be scaled to meet the needs of any organization, regardless of its size or number of learners

What You May Not Like:

• Not suitable for everyone. Some learners may prefer a more structured and guided approach to learning rather than a self-paced and learner-centered one
• Has a steep learning curve. It may take some time and effort to learn how to use Moodle effectively, especially for beginners

Pricing:

Paid plans start at $180 AUD

6. Canvas – Best for Mobile Learning 

Canvas LMS for nonprofits has been my go-to choice for over a year now, and it’s the ultimate choice for mobile learning. Here’s why.

The tool is accessible anytime, anywhere, across devices. No software installations, updates, or server management hassles – it handles it all, allowing me to focus on creating quality courses.

The mobile app is a game-changer, letting my learners and me access content effortlessly via smartphones or tablets.

I can tailor courses precisely, using a rich content editor and modules to organize content logically.

Lastly, it provides robust support with rubrics, speed grades, outcomes, and analytics to guide and evaluate learners effectively.

What You Will Like:

• Integrate Canvas with other external tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, YouTube, Zoom, etc.
• Provide them with opportunities to practice skills, receive immediate feedback, and communicate effectively
• The tool is flexible, and you can design courses that suit the needs and preferences of your learners
• Canvas is user-friendly and intuitive. You can navigate the site with ease

What You May Not Like:

• It can be a bit buggy and glitchy. Sometimes, the system does something unexpected or changes back to older versions of a document
• Not accessible without an internet connection. You need a stable and fast internet connection to access Canvas

Pricing:

Custom pricing

7. Blackboard Learn – Best for Content Management 

The final tool on this list is Blackboard Learn, and I think it is one of the best non-profit LMS for content management.

The tool lets me create and customize courses, modules, and learning activities that fit our organization’s unique goals.

It’s super flexible, and I can import/export content from various sources, like publishers and open educational resources, which keeps things hassle-free.

Plus, the user interface is a breeze. It adapts easily to different devices and screen sizes so that I can access all courses and content on the go.

Blackboard Learn for nonprofits also offers discussion boards, blogs, and even video-conferencing with Blackboard Collaborate. It’s like having a virtual classroom at your fingertips.

What You Will Like:

• Powerful analytics to keep track of learner’s progress
• Huge customization capabilities in terms of layout and branding elements
• Supports self-paced learning as learners can access the courses anytime and anywhere
• Interface is easy to navigate and has a nice background theme

What You May Not Like:

• Some users may experience slow loading times, crashes, errors, or glitches that disrupt their learning experience
• You may encounter compatibility issues when using Blackboard with other learning technologies

Pricing:

Paid plans start at $9,500/year

Which LMS for Nonprofits Is the Right One for You?

When choosing an LMS for nonprofits, several factors come into play. Consider factors like ease of use, customization options, compliance features, and learner engagement tools.

My top picks would be:

Option A: ProProfs Training Maker

ProProfs Training Maker is an excellent choice for nonprofits engaged in mass education. It simplifies course management, offers prebuilt courses, and facilitates the conversion of existing materials into online courses. It excels in compliance training, ensuring regulatory alignment.

Option B: Absorb LMS

Absorb LMS is ideal for learner engagement, suiting both business and nonprofit organizations. Its Multi-Portal mode enables separate branding for different learner groups, a valuable feature for nonprofits catering to various external audiences. Interactive tools like gamification and social learning enhance engagement.

Option C: Tovuti

Tovuti is the go-to LMS for virtual classrooms, streamlining training for staff, volunteers, donors, and community members. Its user-friendly platform allows tailored training experiences while customization options reflect your brand. Automation features reduce manual tasks, and the virtual classroom functionality is invaluable for interactive events.

While all options have their merits, ProProfs Training Maker emerges as the top choice for its suitability in mass education efforts, user-centric nature, and robust compliance training capabilities, making it the best LMS for nonprofits.

Learn More About LMS for Nonprofits

What is an LMS for nonprofits?

An LMS for nonprofits is a software tool designed to assist nonprofit organizations in managing, delivering, and monitoring their training and educational programs. It streamlines course management, content creation, and user administration, making it valuable for nonprofits offering educational services to beneficiaries, volunteers, staff, and donors. This technology is scalable, allowing nonprofits to adapt to changing needs by efficiently accommodating more courses and users.

Watch: What is a Cloud-Based Learning Management System?

What are the key features to look for in a LMS for nonprofits?

Well, the choice of the features will depend on your personal requirements. However, there are some common features that you must take a look at. This includes a user-friendly interface, content creation tools, scalability, user management, reporting and analytics, integration capabilities, mobile accessibility, security and compliance measures, customization options, support and training resources, cost-effectiveness, and community and social learning features. Check out this LMS features list.

How to choose the right LMS for nonprofits?

To choose the right LMS for your nonprofit, start by defining your educational goals and budget. Identify the key people who will use it and what features they need. Think about scalability for future growth and integration with existing tools. Pay attention to content creation options and assess whether the LMS supports various content types. Make sure it’s user-friendly and offers strong support and training resources. Lastly, consider customization options and any potential discounts for nonprofits. By following these steps, you’ll find an LMS that aligns with your nonprofit’s mission and enhances your educational initiatives without breaking the bank.

Watch: How to Choose the Best LMS for Government, Non-Profits & Associations

Is the nonprofit LMS easy to use, even for non-technical staff and volunteers?

Absolutely! Nonprofit LMS platforms are designed with user-friendliness in mind, making them accessible even for non-technical staff and volunteers. These systems typically offer intuitive interfaces and straightforward navigation, so you won’t need extensive technical expertise to use them effectively.

Can the nonprofit LMS integrate with my existing CRM or donor management system?

Many nonprofit LMS platforms are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and donor management systems. This integration is valuable as it allows you to streamline your operations by syncing learner data, engagement information, and donor records. This means you can maintain a comprehensive view of your constituents, track their interactions with your educational programs, and potentially identify increased engagement or fundraising opportunities.