A guide to free digital tools and Apps for your group to use
- Dan Coast
- Feb 26
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 28
This resource has been designed to help support our groups by providing a guide to a range of free to use tools and apps that will help you and your group with a whole range of services that may have appeared costly or required specialised equipment.
All of these featured applications are free to use and require no more than either a computer with internet access or a modern smartphone.
Click the down arrow next to the product to read more about each of these tools.
(Please note all apps featured were free to use when this article was produced in February 2025)
Design Tools: - Images and Illustration
The digital revolution has given us all the tools and resources needed to create engaging posters and leaflets either for use online or for print. In this section were going to look at a few tools that can help you to produce these resources quickly and for free.
This free to use graphic design tool is accessed online and allows you to create a whole range of digital assets from Business cards to full page adverts even video editing software is included. Best of all Not-for-profit organisations can upgrade to the full professional package for free using this link
Here at GAVO we use the app to create posters, infographics and gif's for both social media and for use at events.
This is essentially a free to use image bank which you can both download from and add to as part of the Unsplash community. These images can then be used in other applications such as Canva to create content for your websites, social media and wider printed promotion
Design Tools: - Video is king
It's no surprize but posts on social media involving a video tend to do really well, most of us now everything needed to create great content in the palm of our hands thanks to the advancements of mobile phones.
This mobile based tool provides you with a whole host of video and image editing and enhancements to really make some great content to showcase your groups activities and work. It's a tool I've personally used for a number of years which is constantly updated and is used to create all the video case studies we use on social media.
Even if you aren't a regular user on the platform the app has a really good editing function within the stories function of the app. You can use the functions within the app to add elements to your video and images to bring them to life then simply save the content to have it downloaded to your device and you'll then be able to post your content within your preferred social media platform.
A.I Tools:
The world of AI is rapidly expanding and influencing everyone's lives. It offers applications that assist in content creation, especially for those who lack formal English language qualifications or find it challenging to tap into their creative side.
We recently published a feature on AI, which you can read through the links provided at the bottom of the page.
This free tool truly shines when you're trying to unlock your creativity or racing against a deadline. As a web-based resource, it generates a variety of text or graphics based on the information you provide. The results will continue to improve over time as more people use it. However, it's always a good idea to review and edit the content before publishing to ensure there are no spelling errors and that the message makes sense.
This web-based tool provides you with the insight into what people are currently talking about or ar searching online, let's say you run a Junior Rugby club and are looking to engage with potential new players, the tool will show you what are the most commonly asked questions about the game right now and you'll then be able to create a piece of relevant content to be used in social media. Struggling to get creative, then this is where Chat GPT can really help.
Marketing & Communication:
Social media is a crucial tool for groups to connect with their local communities. However, many of us who manage these roles worry about the time required to create and post content effectively. In this section, we'll explore the best tools to help streamline this process and maximize impact.
If your group has a presence on a host of different social media platforms then you will certainly benefit from this tool that allows you to post across multiple platforms including scheduling posts to go out at set times when you may not want to be online yourself. The tool also takes into account the settings of each platform and automatically adapts the post to fit the required format.
Although not strictly a social media tool Linktree is a great tool to work alongside your posts and a website by creating a simple and easy to monitor and tweak landing page for people wanting to find out more about your group without them getting lost along the way. These are particularly useful when you are running a campaign with a specific focus.
While your group may no longer produce a physical newsletter, the demand for a digital version has never been higher in today’s tech-driven world. Tools like MailChimp and the newer MailerLite make it easy to build and manage contact lists, helping you send targeted content to specific groups of members and partners. We've chosen to focus on MailerLite, as it allows for a larger number of contacts compared to MailChimp. The analytics from your newsletters provide valuable insights, such as which articles were most popular, click-through rates on links, and even the type of devices used to read the content. Additionally, you can track which subscribers haven’t opened the newsletter, giving you the opportunity to follow up and check in with them.
Being able to communicate to your local community is vital when looking to get the message out about your group, Helo Blod is your fast and friendly Welsh translation and advice service that's free to access and can support with up to 500 words translated each month
And best of all it's free to use.
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