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Nonprofits · head to head

Canva for Nonprofits vs Sumac

Canva for Nonprofits logo

Canva for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Design tool for nonprofit marketing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumac logo

Sumac

Nonprofits

Modular nonprofit CRM that pairs donor management with client case management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Canva for Nonprofits has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Canva for Nonprofits free access covers up to 50 users; further seats are charged at 50 percent of Canva Enterprise pricing; Sumac pricing is not published at all, so a small organisation cannot compare Sumac against per contact priced competitors without committing to a sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: Canva for Nonprofits covers Design templates, Sumac covers Donor and gift management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Canva for Nonprofits and Sumac actually diverge.

Attributes where Canva for Nonprofits and Sumac differ
AttributeCanva for NonprofitsSumac
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Windows
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Canva for Nonprofits

  • Design templates
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Stock images
  • Brand kit
  • Team collaboration
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Slack

Only in Sumac

  • Donor and gift management
  • Case management module
  • Memberships and volunteers
  • Grant management
  • Role based permissions
  • Custom fields and forms

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Canva for Nonprofits

  • Design work for a registered charity at no costnot Sumac
  • Team collaboration on branded materials across up to 50 usersnot Sumac
  • Access to Canva Pro premium photo, video and graphics librariesnot Sumac
  • Brand kit management for consistent nonprofit communicationsnot Sumac

Sumac

  • A social service agency that must record client cases and donor gifts without buying two systemsnot Canva for Nonprofits
  • A charity that wants only donor and grant modules and refuses to pay for an events suite it will not usenot Canva for Nonprofits
  • A Canadian organisation wanting local support hours and receipting conventionsnot Canva for Nonprofits
  • An agency replacing a legacy Access or FileMaker database with something supportednot Canva for Nonprofits

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Canva for Nonprofits

  • Free access covers up to 50 users; further seats are charged at 50 percent of Canva Enterprise pricing
  • Government agencies, political groups, educational institutions and grant-making foundations are all excluded
  • Most 501(c) categories other than 501(c)(3) do not qualify
  • Eligibility requires registered charitable status and country-specific documentation

Sumac

  • Pricing is not published at all, so a small organisation cannot compare Sumac against per contact priced competitors without committing to a sales process.
  • The interface reflects the product's age, and staff arriving from consumer grade software find navigation and data entry slower than in newer CRMs.
  • Holding client case notes and donor records in one database makes permission design a compliance obligation, and a misconfigured role can expose confidential client material to fundraising staff.
  • The integration catalogue is small, so payment, email and accounting connections outside the listed few mean manual export or paid custom work.
  • Modular licensing means the price rises in visible steps as programmes expand, and organisations frequently discover the module they need most was not in the original quote.

Pricing, plan by plan

Canva for Nonprofits

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Design templates
    • Basic elements
  • Canva Pro Nonprofit$1/month
    • Premium templates
    • Brand kit
    • Team collaboration

Sumac

On request
  • Sumac$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module selection and organisation size
    • Case management is a separately licensed module
    • Implementation and data migration quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Canva for Nonprofits if

  • You need design templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Canva for Nonprofits review

Choose Sumac if

  • You need donor and gift management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want case management module.
Sumac review

Questions people ask

Is Canva for Nonprofits or Sumac better?
Neither clearly leads. Canva for Nonprofits starts at Free and Sumac at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Canva for Nonprofits or Sumac?
Canva for Nonprofits has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Canva for Nonprofits and On request for Sumac.
Does Canva for Nonprofits or Sumac run on more platforms?
Canva for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android. Sumac runs on Web, Windows.
Can I use Canva for Nonprofits for free?
Yes. Canva for Nonprofits has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sumac starts at On request.
What is Canva for Nonprofits best used for?
Canva for Nonprofits is most often used for design work for a registered charity at no cost, team collaboration on branded materials across up to 50 users, access to canva pro premium photo, video and graphics libraries, brand kit management for consistent nonprofit communications. Of those, design work for a registered charity at no cost and team collaboration on branded materials across up to 50 users are not what Sumac is typically brought in for.
What can Canva for Nonprofits do that Sumac cannot?
Canva for Nonprofits covers Design templates, Drag-and-drop editor, Stock images, Brand kit. Sumac covers Donor and gift management, Case management module, Memberships and volunteers, Grant management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sumac: Is Sumac the same product as Societ?

The vendor has been moving its products under the Societ brand, so you may see both names for the same platform during a sales cycle.

Sumac: Can it handle client case management?

Yes, that is its clearest differentiator among donor CRMs. It is a licensed module, not part of the base product.

Sumac: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by module and organisation size, which makes like for like comparison harder than with published per contact products.

Sumac: Does it work for US charities?

Yes, though the vendor is Canadian and its receipting and support conventions are strongest for Canadian organisations.

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