Community foundations often operate with limited resources, aiming to maximize every dollar to support those in need.
Creating daily content for donors, producing inspiring videos about grantmaking, and sharing personal stories of the individuals your foundation supports can be challenging without breaking the bank.
Fortunately, there are several free tools available to help you achieve your marketing goals without compromising on quality.
1. Canva
You’ve likely heard of Canva, the free, template-based content creation tool. Over the past couple of years, Canva has partnered with more designers, making it easier to create even better content.
Pro tip: You don’t have to scour through thousands of options.
Here are a handful of portfolios from designers that work well for the needs of community foundations:
- Social Media Posts and Quotes: Ideal for engaging your audience with eye-catching visuals.
- Informational Videos: Great templates for creating compelling video content.
- Instagram Reels and Stories: Perfect for sharing impactful short-form content.
2. Adobe Firefly
Searching for non-copyright images can be time-consuming. That’s why AI image generation has become a reliable option for blog images or social media photos.
Adobe Firefly is currently the best free tool for image generation, though it limits the number of searches you can perform each month, so be selective with your searches.
As a backup, Craiyon offers free options, but their results can be hit or miss.
3. CapCut
While Canva is excellent for video editing on a computer, CapCut is our go-to for on-the-go video editing on your phone.
With an intuitive user interface and easy navigation for first-time users, CapCut makes video editing simple and effective, ensuring you can produce high-quality videos wherever you are.
4. Google Trends
Improving your SEO is crucial for reaching a wider audience. Google Trends is a quick and easy tool to enhance your SEO strategy.
Before publishing a blog or creating a new landing page, input your headline or topic into Google Trends. This tool helps you identify the best keywords and phrases to boost your content’s visibility.
5. Grammarly
Regardless of your writing proficiency, having someone else review your work is essential. However, in the fast-paced world of community foundations, this might not always be possible.
Grammarly can act as your virtual copy editor, ensuring your content is free of errors.
Pro tip: Always double-check donor names and proper nouns. A misspelled name can upset donors who are excited to see their names on your website.
Create Great Content
Don’t be afraid to rely on free tools to create great content.
While there might be times when spending a little is necessary to achieve your goals or when you may need to partner with an agency to develop your messaging, these free tools can significantly enhance your marketing efforts.
These recommendations will enable you to create inspiring content that motivates your community to act.
