As a nonprofit executive director, you know that generating donations from your donors is a big challenge. In fact, there is a very small percentage of donors who will actually give an organization a donation if asked to do so in person or over the phone. Even in a world surrounded by technology, most individuals still prefer taking time to send a check with their donation. And while social media can work for you when trying to generate donations from your donor pool, social media doesn’t generate actual cash value for your organization.
The Adobe Creative Cloud has opened a lot of doors for Nonprofits in the last couple years. The powerful tools have allowed Nonprofits to be more creative and innovative when communicating their message.
Adobe Acrobat Pro BEST FOR NONPROFIT
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Collaborative PDF creating and editing tool
Adobe Acrobat Pro is used to create, edit, organize, share or sign PDS files at your fingertips. It enables you to edit your scanned documents, create protected PDFs, and export PDFs to Microsoft Office files. Cloud storage enables you to access your Acrobat files anywhere, anytime. It is available as both desktop software and mobile app. It runs on Windows, MAC, and iPad.Learn More
Adobe InDesign
Layout and page design software
Adobe InDesign is the go-to app for millions of digital designers for layout and page designing. The application can be used to create interactive PDFs, digital magazines, books, eBooks, and posters among others with audio, video, animations, and slideshows to create more impactful files. Some of the salient features of the app include Subject-aware text wrapping, Easy color location, Adobe Fonts auto-activation, HSB support, etc,Learn More
Photoshop BEST DESIGN FOR NONPROFIT
Adobe Photoshop has been, for some time now, the most widely used raster graphics editor software in the world. Released in 1990, it includes new features and improvements with each update.
Photoshop, allows you to do anything when it comes to digital art — from the creation of designs to complex photo montages and blends.
Its toolbox is so vast that it’s virtually impossible to completely know all the features that the program offers.
Among the main disadvantages of Photoshop, we can mention the long learning curve, which requires a lot of user practice, in addition to not focusing on the editing and treatment of photo batches.
Lightroom
Deriving from Adobe Camera RAW, a Photoshop plugin for the treatment of RAW images, Lightroom is the main photo editing software used by photographers around the world.
It focuses on its capacity to read, organize and facilitate the editing (choice of photos) and treatment (corrections and the application of effects) processes.
It’s currently considered indispensable for any self-respecting photographer, offering cutting-edge features with each update.
Compared to the darkroom of analog photography, Lightroom is the program that handles the developing process of RAW files, the digital equivalents of the negatives of the past.
Within Adobe CC you can also purchase a plan for photographers containing Lightroom and Photoshop.
This option is very useful for those who work with the editing and treatment of images, because the programs are complementary.
Lightroom excels in practically everything that Photoshop cannot cover.
It’s easier to understand, works directly with RAW files, allows the sorting of photos by various aspects and focuses on productivity and workflow.
Its major drawback is that Lightroom isn’t as accurate as Photoshop for small image corrections, despite the constant updating of its tools.
At this current pace, Lightroom tends to become more used than Photoshop over the next few years.
Illustrator
Unlike other Adobe CC programs that work directly with images, either photos, videos or print materials, Illustrator has one specific goal: create and manipulate vectors.
Older than Photoshop, this software is much more accurate than its closest competitor, Corel Draw.
Focused on vector creation, instead of working with pixel maps, Illustrator creates drawings based on curves that are nothing more than mathematical equations.
This is precisely why Illustrator allows images to have their sizes manipulated freely, without any type of quality loss.
Therefore, it’s widely used for the creation of visual identities, websites, advertising pieces, and even for the development of mobile apps.
InDesign
Used for layout tasks, InDesign came to meet the demand for the creation of documents, albums, flyers and other printed products.
With it, these types of pieces accurately and easily be formatted.
It’s one of the most widely used programs by graphic design professionals, allowing the creation, layout and visualization of materials, such as magazines, ads, proposals, packages, etc.
Although most design pieces are focused on virtual display nowadays, InDesign is also the best choice for those who need to create layouts for those to be printed.
With it, you can create matrices for pre-printing and final documents for any existing type of print shop.
Premiere Pro
Premiere is, hands down, the most famous video editing software among professionals. It’s ideal for those who are looking for a complete tool packed with features, it works with a timeline system and real-time editing.
Professional filmmakers use the program to edit several videos at the same time, adding effects, working with soundtracks and even manipulating 3D elements.
As the main video editing tool on the market, Premiere supports high-resolution files, allowing the manipulation of up to 8K, which of course requires a proportionally powerful computer.
With various built-in filters and effects, Premiere also allows the creation of introductions, transition editing, color correction and other aspects, such as inserting subtitles.
With the growth of YouTube’s popularity over the last decade, Premiere has become an indispensable tool for content producers and for any video-based marketing strategy. Nowadays, it’s one of the most sought after program in Adobe CC.
After Effects
Those who work with video editing might notice the absence of certain advanced featured in Premiere, especially when they want to add more elaborate visual effects.
After Effects is to Premiere what Lightroom is to Photoshop, if such a parallel can be made.
Widely used in the movie industry, After Effects is one of the main tools on the market for the manipulation of scenes, allowing the addition of professional-level objects, motion graphics and animations.
Like Premiere, After Effects has a timeline, in addition to being organized in layers, which make the tool much more complex and complete.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Leading video editing software
Premiere Pro is a comprehensive video editing software by Adobe that helps you edit footage in any format – be it 8k or virtual reality. It is the most widely used video editor in the industry. Using native file support, lightweight proxy workflows, and the faster ProRes HDR that it offers, you can work hassle-free even on your mobile. Moreover, it integrates with other apps like Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Audition, and Adobe Stock including various third-party applications to create videos for films, TV, and web series. It is compatible with both MAC and Windows.
Adobe Fonts
Unlimited fonts for personal and commercial use
Adobe Fonts is a vast library of 1000+ fonts that comes free with every Creative Cloud subscription. You can activate the font styles of your choice from Adobe Fonts and they will be automatically synced with your creative cloud. You can access them from the font section on your application. Some of the font styles include Acumin, Cortado, Sloop Script, Masqualero among others.Learn More
Adobe Aero
Augmented reality software
Adobe Aero is every video editor’s one-stop solution to create immersive augmented reality experiences. It enables you to work on a wide array of formats including .obj, .glb, and .gltf files. Other features of the Adobe Aero include tools to create paths in space using your mobile, import and use audio assets in .wav and .mp4 format to create AR videos. It is compatible with iOS and is currently available in beta version for Mac and Windows OS. It works on iPhones and iPad.Learn More
Adobe InCopy
Collaborative word processor for copywriters and editors
A pro-level word processor by Adobe, InCopy lets copywriters and editors write, edit, and design documents. It works in collaboration with InDesign that lets editors style text, design layout, and made basic modifications. It is an interactive software where you can track changes and collaborate with your team on the same file simultaneously. It is available in 24 languages and runs on Windows and Mac OS.Learn More
Adobe Document Cloud
The world’s leading PDF and electronic signature solutions
Adobe Document Cloud helps you store PDFs on the creative cloud and access them whenever and wherever you want using an active internet connection. It enables you to sign documents electronically and turn your manual documents into digital ones. It assures flawless workflow with its pre-built integrations.
Adobe Experience Cloud
Personalized customer experience solutions from content to campaign management
A collection of integrated web analytics and online marketing products, Adobe Experience Cloud can be used directly on your desktop once you subscribe to the service. Some of its features include content and commerce, data insight and audiences, customer journey, digital enrollment among others. It is compatible with Windows, Linux OS.Learn More
Adobe Fresco
A digital drawing & painting app for your iPhone and iPad
Adobe Fresco is the best way to go for vector and raster graphics on your iPhone and iPad. Designed to be used with an Apple device, this Adobe software is amazing for digital art and could be just what you need if you’re a veteran Adobe user.
Fresco comes with a variety of built-in brushes like pixel, live, and vector that are perfect for working on illustrations and digital paintings. And with Fresco, you can easily transfer your files to Photoshop and Illustrator.Learn More
Adobe Dimension
Superb software for creating photorealistic scenes
If you’re looking for software that will be perfect for 3D product mockups and designs, look no further! Adobe Dimension lets you create renders of your product using 3D assets from Adobe Stock to help render products with your logo and design.
Adobe Dimension is perfect for any 3D design work and lets you create high-quality, 3D interactive content. So if you’re looking to try your hand at something perfect for 3D design, Adobe Dimension would be a smart choice.
Conclusion
Nonprofits today are leveraging social media, digital marketing, and even websites to network, fundraise, and spread awareness about their cause. These tools help nonprofits reach more individuals than they possibly could before. Some tools are free and others cost money. Regardless of the cost, nonprofits can utilize these tools in order to expand their reach online.