9 min read
Nonprofits operate on a foundation of trust, handling sensitive donor information, financial data, and beneficiary records. Maintaining effective nonprofit IT compliance is not just a regulatory requirement; it's essential for protecting your mission and reputation. Yet, organizations often face the challenge of meeting complex standards like PCI DSS for donations or HIPAA for health-related services while operating on lean budgets and with limited IT staff. A data breach or compliance failure can lead to significant fines, legal costs, and, most damagingly, a loss of donor confidence that can take years to rebuild.
Failing to manage compliance creates unacceptable risks that can directly undermine an organization's ability to serve its community. The right technology can bridge the gap between limited resources and robust security. Modern compliance tools automate evidence collection, monitor systems continuously, and simplify audit preparation, turning a complex, manual process into a manageable one. This guide provides a practical overview of the best IT compliance tools available, helping you make an informed decision that strengthens your IT infrastructure management and secures your organization's future.
For nonprofit leaders, every dollar must demonstrate a clear return on investment. Compliance software is not an operational expense but a strategic investment in risk mitigation and efficiency. These platforms provide a structured, automated approach to security, delivering tangible benefits that protect your organization's assets and reputation.
The financial and reputational costs of ignoring IT compliance are well-documented. These statistics highlight the importance of investing in a proactive security and compliance strategy to protect your nonprofit from significant threats.
We selected the following tools based on criteria that matter most to nonprofit organizations. Our evaluation prioritizes solutions that deliver robust security and operational efficiency without requiring a large, dedicated IT security team or an enterprise-level budget.
Navigating the market for compliance software can be challenging. This curated list breaks down the top platforms that can help your nonprofit automate security tasks, prepare for audits, and maintain continuous compliance, all while respecting your budget and resource constraints.
Role: Managed IT, Security, and Compliance Support
Snapshot: Cortavo delivers fully managed IT services that include not only day-to-day support, hardware, cloud services, and cybersecurity, but also assistance with maintaining a strong compliance posture. Rather than offering an automated compliance platform, Cortavo provides hands-on support to help businesses follow best practices for data protection, access control, device security, and documentation. Their team manages updates, monitors endpoints, enforces security standards, and helps ensure that systems align with common regulatory expectations. This approach allows organizations without an internal IT or security staff to demonstrate consistent, year-round compliance readiness while reducing the time spent gathering evidence or chasing down security tasks.
Core Strength: Expert-driven, fully managed IT and security practices that support ongoing compliance without needing an in-house team.
Best For: Small and mid-sized organizations that need reliable IT management, security oversight, and help maintaining compliant systems without building a dedicated department.
Pro Tip: Lean on Cortavo’s monitoring and endpoint management tools to ensure all devices, users, and cloud systems follow the same security policies — making audits and security reviews far easier.
Role: Trust Management Platform
Snapshot: Vanta helps organizations automate up to 90% of the work required for security audits. It is known for its user-friendly interface and streamlined onboarding process, which guides users through setting up controls and connecting systems. Vanta provides a centralized view of risks, tests, and documents, making it easy to track progress toward compliance for frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR. For nonprofits, its clear, actionable recommendations and pre-built policy templates reduce the complexity of getting started, allowing smaller teams to achieve and prove compliance efficiently and build trust with stakeholders.
Core Strength: A highly intuitive user experience that simplifies the path to the first audit.
Best For: Nonprofits that need a guided, straightforward solution for achieving their first security certification.
Pro Tip: Leverage Vanta's partner network to find discounted audit services from vetted firms.
Role: All-in-One Compliance Platform
Snapshot: Secureframe positions itself as a comprehensive solution for security, privacy, and compliance. The platform uses AI to streamline the process, from automated evidence collection to personnel training and vendor risk management. It supports over 100 frameworks, including PCI DSS and CCPA, making it adaptable for nonprofits with diverse compliance needs. Its integrated security awareness training helps ensure that staff and volunteers understand their role in protecting sensitive data. The platform's unified dashboard provides a complete picture of your compliance status, helping you manage multiple requirements from a single place.
Core Strength: AI-powered automation and broad framework support in a single, unified platform.
Best For: Organizations managing multiple compliance frameworks that want a consolidated, tech-forward solution.
Pro Tip: Use the integrated vendor risk management to ensure your partners meet your security standards.
Role: Compliance and Audit Solution
Snapshot: Formerly known as Laika, Thoropass combines compliance automation software with in-house audit expertise. This unique model provides a seamless experience, from readiness assessment to final audit report, eliminating the need to find and manage a separate auditing firm. The platform supports key frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. For nonprofits, this integrated approach can simplify procurement and reduce the administrative burden of the audit process. Thoropass provides continuous monitoring and expert guidance, ensuring your controls are designed correctly and operating effectively throughout the year, not just at audit time.
Core Strength: An integrated solution that combines compliance software with in-house audit services.
Best For: Nonprofits that want a single partner to handle both compliance automation and the final audit.
Pro Tip: Take advantage of their compliance experts for guidance on scoping your audit effectively.
Role: InfoSec Assurance Platform
Snapshot: Tugboat Logic, now part of OneTrust, focuses on helping organizations build and prove their security programs. Its platform automates the process of creating security policies, collecting evidence, and responding to security questionnaires. The "Audit Readiness" module provides a clear project plan for achieving certifications like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. For nonprofits, its ability to quickly generate security documentation and respond to due diligence requests from grantors or corporate partners is a major time-saver. The platform’s risk assessment tools also help organizations prioritize their security efforts based on potential impact.
Core Strength: Streamlining the creation of security policies and responding to security questionnaires.
Best For: Nonprofits that frequently need to demonstrate their security posture to partners and funders.
Pro Tip: Use the questionnaire response module to save answers and automate future requests.
Role: Security Compliance Automation
Snapshot: Scytale specializes in helping cloud-native organizations achieve compliance with frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. The platform automates evidence collection from cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) and SaaS tools, providing continuous visibility into your security controls. Scytale’s approach is collaborative, with dedicated compliance experts who guide you through the entire process, from scoping to audit. This hands-on support can be invaluable for nonprofit teams that may lack in-house security expertise. The platform focuses on making compliance a straightforward, achievable goal rather than a complex technical hurdle.
Core Strength: Deep expertise in SOC 2 and ISO 27001, combined with hands-on expert support.
Best For: Cloud-based nonprofits that need expert guidance to navigate complex compliance frameworks.
Pro Tip: Schedule regular check-ins with your assigned expert to stay on track for your audit.
:
Role: Compliance Automation for Cloud Companies
Snapshot: Sprinto is designed to make security compliance fast and efficient for organizations running on cloud infrastructure. It integrates deeply with your tech stack to automate control monitoring and evidence collection in real-time. The platform provides a clear, checklist-based approach to implementing controls, breaking down complex requirements into manageable tasks. Sprinto's dashboard visualizes compliance health, highlighting any failing controls for immediate attention. For tech-savvy nonprofits, Sprinto can significantly accelerate the audit readiness process and embed security practices directly into their existing workflows, ensuring compliance becomes a continuous, automated habit.
Core Strength: Real-time, automated control monitoring that is deeply integrated with cloud services.
Best For: Tech-forward nonprofits with a cloud-native infrastructure seeking rapid compliance.
Pro Tip: Use the entity-level checks to ensure consistent compliance across different departments or programs.
Role: Integrated Risk Management Platform
Snapshot: AuditBoard is a more comprehensive platform aimed at managing risk across the entire organization, including SOX, operational audits, and IT compliance. While it may be more robust than what a small nonprofit needs, it is an excellent fit for larger, more complex organizations that must manage multiple types of risk and compliance simultaneously. Its CrossComply module helps map controls across different frameworks, so you don't have to duplicate work. This integrated approach provides leadership with a unified view of risk, helping to align IT security efforts with broader organizational goals and strategic planning.
Core Strength: A unified platform for managing IT compliance alongside broader enterprise risk management.
Best For: Larger nonprofits or foundations with complex operations and multiple compliance obligations.
Pro Tip: Leverage its control mapping feature to satisfy multiple frameworks with a single piece of evidence.
Role: Compliance Operations Software
Snapshot: Hyperproof is built to be a flexible and scalable compliance operations platform. It helps teams manage not only standard frameworks like PCI and SOC 2 but also custom internal control programs. The software acts as a central system of record for all compliance activities, from risk assessments to control testing and audit management. Its standout feature is the ability to link controls to evidence once and reuse it across multiple frameworks, saving immense time. For nonprofits with unique operational requirements, Hyperproof provides the structure to manage compliance without forcing them into a rigid, one-size-fits-all process.
Core Strength: Flexibility to manage both standard and custom control frameworks efficiently.
Best For: Nonprofits with unique operational models that need a customizable compliance management solution.
Pro Tip: Start with one framework and use its templates to expand your compliance program over time.
Role: Trust Management Platform
Snapshot: Kintent's Trust Cloud platform helps organizations not only achieve compliance but also proactively communicate their security posture to stakeholders. It automates evidence collection and control testing for frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. A key differentiator is its ability to create a public-facing Trust Center, where nonprofits can share security documents, certifications, and policies with donors, partners, and grantors. This focus on transparency helps build confidence and can be a powerful tool for fundraising and partnership development, turning compliance from a back-office function into a public-facing asset.
Core Strength: Building a shareable Trust Center to transparently communicate security and compliance status.
Best For: Nonprofits focused on building donor and partner trust through proactive transparency.
Pro Tip: Curate your Trust Center to answer the most common security questions from grant applications.
Cortavo provides a straightforward path to comprehensive, managed IT that supports your compliance and security goals.
We deliver a complete IT solution designed to give you peace of mind and let you focus on your mission.
For nonprofits, maintaining data security is fundamental to preserving donor trust and ensuring operational stability. The challenge lies in achieving robust compliance with limited staff and financial resources. Modern compliance tools transform this challenge into a manageable process, automating manual tasks and providing clear visibility into your security posture. Choosing the right platform is an investment in your mission's longevity and credibility. A managed IT services partner can help you select, implement, and manage these tools, ensuring your approach to nonprofit IT compliance is both effective and affordable. Let's talk!
The answer depends on the type of data you handle. Any nonprofit processing card-based donations must follow PCI DSS. If your work involves health-related information, HIPAA may apply. Organizations collecting or storing data from individuals in the EU must consider GDPR as well.
It’s possible for very small teams, but it becomes time-consuming and error-prone quickly. Without structured monitoring, documentation, and consistent security controls, gaps are more likely — and those gaps increase your risk during an audit or after a security incident.
Many providers offer discounted or tiered pricing for nonprofits. Even at full cost, a compliance solution is usually far less expensive than recovering from a breach, paying fines, or managing the fallout from lost donor trust.
Most platforms provide starter templates, integrations, and onboarding guidance that help organizations get operational within weeks rather than months. Partnering with an IT provider like Cortavo can streamline the process even more by ensuring systems, devices, and security controls are set up properly from the start.
.png?width=30&name=MKT%20Email%20Marketing%20300x300px%20(18).png){kind=small}
Team Cortavo : Oct 13, 2025 1:04:27 PM
Insurance companies operate on a foundation of trust, handling a high volume of sensitive client data, from personal identifiable information (PII)...
In the fast-paced real estate market, technology is the engine that drives transactions, from initial client contact to closing. Finding the right IT...
Selecting the right cloud services for business is a critical decision that directly impacts operational efficiency, security, and your bottom line....
