DIY Automation on a $300 Budget
The problem with automation is it sounds expensive, complicated, and firmly in the “someday” category. Especially when you’ve got a tiny but mighty team working within very real budget constraints.
I’m here to tell you: you don’t need enterprise software or a six-figure tech stack to get meaningful relief.
With the tools you already have (or ones that cost less than your monthly phone bill), you can automate a few key workflows that save time, improve follow-up, and make your day-to-day work feel more manageable.
Start with free automation: Zapier for nonprofits
Zapier is the behind-the-scenes glue behind many of those “wait… how did that happen automatically?” moments.
Even on the free plan, Zapier can:
Notice when something changes (a donation, a form fill, a new contact)
Pass that information to another tool (like your email platform or a GoogleSheet)
Save you from copying and pasting data by hand
You don’t need dozens of zaps. One or two well-chosen connections can eliminate repetitive tasks that eat up hours over time.
Easy, high impact ways to implement Zapier for nonprofit automation
Zapier works best when it handles simple hand-offs. The kind your team shouldn’t be spending time on anyway.
Zap #1: Tags that stay in sync
One of our favorites.
Set up a trigger that applies tags in your email platform or CRM when something happens—a new donation, an event signup, a form submission.
What this replaces: Manually updating records. Managing duplicate lists. Cleaning up errors caused by juggling spreadsheets.
Zap #2: Follow-up flags.
Zapier can create a task, note, or reminder when a specific action happens— a first-time gift, an event RSVP, or a contact form submission.
What this replaces: Sticky notes. Calendar reminders you forget to check. The constant “I know I should follow up with them…” loop running in your head.
Why Zapier automation is crucial for boosting your nonprofit impact
Zapier automations replace manual labor. And manual labor is usually the most expensive line item you’re not tracking.
If you’re only using Zapier for one workflow right now, that’s fine. One good connection is better than five half-built ones.
“We got 20 hours a month back and it shows in our fundraising” - H.O.P.E., Inc
Invest in a better email platform for stronger donor relationships
Your email platform is the foundation of your donor relationships.
For small teams on a budget, we consistently recommend Mailchimp or Kit. They’re affordable, widely supported, and flexible enough to grow with you.
Best of all: they’re easy to maintain.
You don’t need to figure out how to use every feature yet. Just get the basics working well.
What Kit and Mailchimp do best for nonprofits
Both platforms are strong at reliable email delivery, easy contact management, and simple tagging and segmenting.
They’re especially well-suited for teams that want to set things up once and have them keep working without constant tweaking.
What Mailchimp and Kit replace
A well-used email platform helps small teams get consistent without adding more tasks to already full plates.
Once it’s doing its job, you can stop:
Rebuilding lists every time you send an email
Wondering who should receive what
Sending one-size-fits-all messages by default
Relying on spreadsheets to manage follow-up
Instead, Mailchimp or Kit handles the sorting, timing, and personalization, leaving your team to focus on the message itself.
Replace manual sorting with consistent donor tags
Tags are one of the most powerful, yet underused, features in CRMs and email platforms.
When they’re set up well, tags act like decision-makers in your system. They tell your tools who someone is, what they’ve done, and what should happen next. Without them, everything relies on memory, spreadsheets, or manual checks.
Start with a few basic tags to keep things simple and repeatable. Some ideas:
New donor
Recurring donor
Event attendee
What tags replace
When tags do their job, you no longer have to keep second-guessing. No more wondering whether someone has already been contacted. No more sending updates to every single person on your subscriber list “just in case.”
Most importantly: no more manually sorting contacts before every email send.
If tagging feels overwhelming, you don’t have to invent this from scratch. We’ve put together a free tag segmentation template that shows a simple, realistic starting point for small teams. [link to Email Tag resource]
Your budget-friendly automation stack
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
Free Zapier taking care of basic hand-offs between your tools
A $29–$49 email platform doing the communication work
A small, consistent set of tags organizing your contacts
Nothing fancy. Nothing fragile. Just a system that reduces manual work and supports your day-to-day operations.
Putting it all together
DIY automation works best when it’s simple, affordable, and built for real life.
Start with what’s free. Spend where it counts. Use tags to keep everything organized.
If you want a head start on segmentation, the free tag template is a good place to begin.