The 10+ Best LMSs for Nonprofits to Remain Compliant and Inspire Action

According to statistics, 25% of adult Americans volunteer. What a huge eLearning audience!

Just imagine what they are all capable of with proper training and purposeful skills development. Actually, nonprofit organizations can equip volunteers, staff members, donors, and even corporate sponsors with knowledge in a streamlined and cost-effective manner. All it takes is finding the right LMS for nonprofits.

To make an informed decision, explore this overview of the 10+ top learning management systems for nonprofits:

For your convenience, each of the LMS solutions in the list is supplemented with an actual customer review from the nonprofit sector published on Software Advice. Check them out to find the one that best meets your goals and budget. But first, let’s see what an LMS is and how you can benefit from it.

Why Use an LMS for Nonprofit Work? 

An LMS is a learning platform where you can upload online courses and assessments, enroll learners, and track their progress. It can be a kind of online university for your organization that runs like clockwork and keeps your team prepared for their work.

This is a short list of things that you can do with the right LMS for nonprofits. To learn more, check out this comprehensive material on eLearning for nonprofit organizations.

Also read: The Top 9 Learning Management System Features Each LMS Must Have in 2023

Train and develop your team

With an LMS, you can launch any number of separate training programs for your diverse audience in any part of the world, be they staff members, volunteers, or donors. It will help you ensure compliance and deliver the same training experience to people who will be joining your organization. With training courses published in the LMS, everyone is on the same page.

Bypass financial constraints 

It’s nothing new that nonprofits are budget conscious. With an LMS, your training initiatives are no longer restricted by the costs of travel, accommodation, venues, or printed materials. You can invest once in the purchase of software and save a lot in the long run. Some of the LMSs even base their pricing on the number of active users, which is cost-effective if you deal with fluctuating numbers of learners.

Reduce training time

The skills and knowledge of your team should be put into practice as soon as possible. While excessive face-to-face training can eat up a lot of time, training in the LMS is much more flexible and time saving. It empowers your learners to access needed materials anytime and anywhere from their devices and get a proper induction even before they encounter their job tasks. It’s especially helpful for part-time staff and dispersed teams from different time zones.

Now let’s examine and compare the best LMS software for nonprofits to run online training that can be a lifesaver.

1. iSpring Learn

iSpring Learn LMS is a white-label platform that mirrors the organizational structure and runs like clockwork for burden-free in-house eLearning. It is a robust system of training creation, delivery, and monitoring that can be deployed in a single day. With iSpring Learn, you can provide separate learning tracks for your beneficiaries, volunteers, and donors, launch unified compliance training for different committees and local offices, assign role-specific courses depending on a program area, and streamline volunteer onboarding with the iSpring Learn mobile app.

The iSpring Learn LMS is also notable for its integration with the PowerPoint-based authoring tool iSpring Suite. Using them in a bundle, you can speed up training content creation several times over and build full-fledged online courses out of ordinary presentations. Both apps come with extra fast and friendly tech support service that’s available 24/7 via email, live chat, and call.

Best suited for: Nonprofits who need to launch online or blended training in the short time.

Pricing: from $2.99 per user a month (50 users). 

Try for free for 30 days →

What do customers say?

2. Absorb LMS

Absorb is an LMS with vast capabilities, which makes it equally good for business and nonprofit organizations. Its key differentiator is Multi-Portal mode, which enables the creation of separate training portals to deliver training for external learners, like dealers, partners, or donors with their own branding. Also, Absorb has an eCommerce functionality that’s helpful if you do fundraising and would like to sell some courses.

Best suited for: Nonprofits with a big partnership network and experience in eLearning.

Pricing: Upon request.

What do customers say?

3. Tovuti LMS

Tovuti LMS is a learning platform that incorporates virtual classroom activities. It puts engaging learning experiences first and makes it possible to create and deliver highly interactive content on the same platform. The LMS can be particularly helpful for planning in-person training sessions and event management. It enables self-registration, wait-listing, automatic reminders, and charging for events, which is great for fundraising initiatives.

Best suited for: Nonprofit educational organizations that leverage virtual classrooms.

Pricing: from $775/month.

What do customers say?

4. LearnUpon

LearnUpon is another prominent LMS solution that suits the needs of modern companies, especially larger ones. It’s relatively affordable and comes with the eCommerce mode as well as powerful blended learning capabilities. For the Premium plan, LearnUpon allows for integration with several most popular webinar tools. Nonprofits can use it to hold webinars both to train staff and educate the public.

Best suited for: Big nonprofits that rely heavily on instructor-led training.

Pricing: Available features depend on the pricing plan. The basic plan starts at $599.00/month. Nonprofits can request a discount.

What do customers say?

5. SAP Litmos

SAP Litmos is an LMS platform that covers all the bases for training in the not-for-profit sector. It’s notable for the fairly extensive library of off-the-shelf courses, and nonprofits might find them very useful for volunteer and leadership training. SAP Litmos also has a powerful social learning feature and allows for live chats and learner uploads.

Best suited for: Nonprofits looking for ready-made online courses.

Pricing: $3 per user/month (150-500 users)

What do customers say?

6. 360Learning

360Learning is an LMS that positions itself as a platform for collaborative learning. It provides a ‘grassroots’ approach by involving in-house experts and trainers, or employees and volunteers, in forming a learning environment together. 360Learning enables you to curate learning content seamlessly, collaborate on courses, and exchange feedback. Learners can share their opinions within a course or submit video pitches if the Coaching mode is activated.

Best suited for: Nonprofits that base their training on coaching and mentoring.

Pricing: Features available depend on the pricing plan. The basic plan starts at $8 per user/month.

What do customers say?

Also read: Mentorship Program: All You Should to Know in 2023 [Expert Insights]

7. Docebo

Docebo is an LMS solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI). It comprises an ecosystem of products, with each one designed for specific needs. The most notable features of Docebo include AI-driven content recommendations, extensive customization, access to off-the-shelf courses from world-renowned providers, and user-generated content.

Best suited for: Nonprofits that prioritize informal learning.

Pricing: On request.

What do customers say?

8. Cornerstone

Cornerstone LMS is another learning platform that leverages AI technology. The LMS enables organizations to provide learners with curated web-sourced content and automatically compiled playlists of recommended podcasts, videos, articles, etc. It also prepares unique skill profiles and suggests developmental steps. In Cornerstone, learners can have personal profiles, choose course interests, and join training event waitlists, which helps market training activities.

Best suited for: Major volunteer training centers.

Pricing: On request.

What do customers say?

9. Thinkific

Thinkific is a software solution that combines the qualities of an LMS and a course marketplace, but can be a good option for nonprofits as well. It allows for the creation of online courses, conducting workshops and live QA sessions, issuing certificates, and building learning communities – all on the same platform. Other notable features include an online store to sell courses for fundraising and web hosting to market a nonprofit brand.

Best suited for: Nonprofits aiming to build a strong online presence and sell courses for fundraising.

Pricing:  Available features depend on the pricing plan, starting at $36/month. Nonprofits can apply for a 50% discount.

What do customers say?

10. Blackboard

Blackboard Learn is a widely recognized LMS for the education sector, but it can also be a good fit for nonprofit organizations. It’s fully loaded with features that help trainers and instructors manage online courses, grade learners, and interact with them in live chats or discussion boards effectively. A highlight is that Blackboard Learn features learner dashboards to monitor personal progress, a built-in plagiarism checker, and streamlined workflows for both instructors and learners.

Best suited for: Nonprofit organizations that provide educational services for a broad audience.

Pricing: from $9,500 per year.

What do customers say?

11. Canvas

Canvas is a learning platform that’s related to Blackboard in many ways, but provides more customization options. Plus, it has a comprehensive set of integrations that can significantly diversify user experience and address specific needs. Canvas is also a complete virtual classroom platform –there’s a lively community of educators, teachers, and instructors gathered under its auspices. Try iSpring Suite as an excellent tool to create courses for Canvas.

Best suited for: Nonprofits that support teachers, students, and parents.

Pricing: There are free and paid plans (available on request)

What do customers say?

12. Moodle

Moodle is the most famous open-source LMS in the world. Organizations of any kind can use it license free and customize its technology to their needs, or supplement it with diverse plug-ins to add extra functionality. As Moodle comes for free, it’s a good option for nonprofits, but it does require solid IT deployment. On the bright side, you can host your website on Moodle, build a community of learners around it, and hold virtual meetings here as a part of your blended learning program.

Also read: How to Create a Moodle Quiz: Step-by-Step Guide

Best suited for: Nonprofits with a hefty budget that have an IT team and tech-savvy personnel.

Pricing: The self-hosted version is free. The SaaS version is available from $110/month for up to 50 users.

What do customers say?

13. Totara Learn

Totara Learn is an LMS solution that can be regarded as an offshoot of Moodle. It’s open-source and thus provides great flexibility to adapt the technique to the particular needs of talent development. Totara supports multitenancy and allows for customized training delivery for partners, donors, etc. Its differentiator is single sign-on via Microsoft, Google, or Facebook accounts. This simplifies the login process greatly and makes learning more accessible.

Best suited for: Nonprofits that aim for scalability and are technically prepared for open innovation.

Pricing: Starts at $3,500 per year.

What do customers say?

Final Thoughts

We hope this list will help you choose your best LMS for nonprofits. Just remember that, with a robust eLearning platform, you can stay up to date with all tasks while staying focused on accomplishing your mission. To make a balanced decision, book a free live demo of iSpring Learn. Our experts will show you the most effective scenarios for the use of iSpring Learn in your nonprofit organization.

Also read: The 11 Best HR Tools for Streamlining Your Workflow in 2023