Inside Emily's Toolbox: Free Design Resources for Nonprofits and Creatives
- Emily Willson
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
On any given Tuesday, you’ll find me leading a brand strategy session, fine-tuning a logo, or giving feedback on a campaign—all driven by a relentless focus on intentional, human-centered design. While nothing can replace professional designers, photographers, and brand specialists, there are times when it just isn't in the budget.
Whether you’re a small nonprofit without a dedicated designer, a solo entrepreneur wearing all the hats, or a seasoned creative looking for a toolkit refresh, I’ve got you covered. Snag my favorite free branding and design resources below!
Stock Photos & Video
As any nonprofit marketer knows, searching through thousands of cringeworthy stock images because there’s no budget for a professional shoot can be a nightmare. Beyond being "cheesy," many libraries lack diversity across race, ethnicity, gender, ability, and age—or worse, they reinforce harmful stereotypes. But many small organizations simply can’t afford to hire a photographer yet, or don’t have enough time and resources to plan a shoot. So, until you can write a check to a talented human who can reduce your reliance on stock photography and elevate your brand and credibility, here are a few free options that prioritize diversity and authenticity:
From our friends at Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, this collection is packed with vibrant photos of real people living their lives in Western PA, shot by local photographers. 👉 Usage Guidelines
Two options for free general stock photos and video with crystal clear, easy-to-follow terms of use. 👉 Pexels Guidelines, Unsplash Guidelines.
Honorable mention: Canva
While we can’t say Canva’s selection of images and videos is particularly authentic (and its search function leaves much to be desired), it does offer a free Pro account for nonprofits if you sign up. 👉 Usage Guidelines
Image Usage 101: Understanding the Fine Print
Before you download a font, photo, or other creative asset, it’s important to read the fine print: i.e., terms of use. Just because something is labeled "free" doesn’t mean there aren’t rules. We are a far cry from legal experts (see the US Chamber of Commerce’s guide for that), but here are a few terms to know:
Copyright: This is the legal right of the creator (photographer, illustrator, or designer) to control how their work is used. Unless a work is in the "Public Domain," someone owns it.
Licensing: This is the permission granted to you by the copyright holder.
Personal vs. Commercial Use: Personal Use means you're using it for a private project (like a birthday card for a friend). Commercial usually applies to anything that promotes a business, brand, or non-profit—including social media posts, newsletters, and websites.
Attribution: Some free licenses require you to give credit (e.g., "Photo by Jane Doe").
Illustrations & Fonts
This one is not free, but if you have a budget, skip the stock and hire real, live, local humans to create something unique! I have sourced several illustrators from this site.
Offers curated, hand-edited vintage illustrations that are 100% free for both private and commercial projects.
A beautiful, clutter-free interface with 100 fonts free for both personal and commercial use, plus 59 expertly curated font pairings.
Features over 160,000+ fonts. Filter your search by "Commercial Use" to ensure you're covered.
Offers totally tubular fonts and design resources, including a variety of freebies.
Color & Brand Tools
Color Palette Studio
Use their free contrast checker to test up to 2 colors at a time (we pay for the pro version so we can test more extensive brand palettes). Note: An AA rating is the baseline for accessibility, but AAA is even better.
Use their free “color buddy” Google Chrome extension to keep your brand colors on hand at all times
This tool lets you see your brand palette in different settings and styles before you commit.
Branded E-Signatures
Use HubSpot’s free tool to amp up your digital mail with custom on-brand email signatures.
Additional Reading for Brand Nerds
Learn the psychology behind how your brand’s "personality" is the key to connecting with your audience.
(Human) Hand-Illustrations for the Win
Tired of the overly glossy designs produced by AI tools, luxury brand Hermès has redesigned its website with oodles of beautiful, hand-drawn decorations. While we don’t love Fast Company’s framing of hand-drawn artwork as exclusive, we do love seeing a human artist’s work being celebrated.
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