Nonprofits use learning platforms in all kinds of creative ways: onboarding volunteers, offering professional development opportunities to members, delivering services, and more! A well-chosen learning management system (LMS) can make those learning experiences more engaging for learners, easier for your team to manage, and all-around smoother for everyone involved.
With so many options out there, picking the right software can feel overwhelming. It helps to know what features will help create meaningful and enjoyable learning opportunities. From flexible content delivery to progress tracking, here are five features to look for when choosing an LMS for your organization.
1. Flexible Content Delivery
Your LMS users will likely have many different learning styles. Not every learner absorbs information the same way. Some prefer reading materials while others learn better visually. Plus, some lessons work better in certain formats.
For instance, let’s say a new volunteer is preparing for their first environmental cleanup. They might learn best by watching a short video showing how to properly sort collected waste or use tools like litter grabbers and safety gloves. Seeing these steps in action can be far more helpful than reading about them!
That’s why it’s helpful to have a learning platform that supports multiple content formats, such as:
- Interactive videos with clickable elements or branching scenarios in which learners make choices that impact the path and outcome of the scenario
- Live webinars for real-time Q&A and group discussions
- Recorded sessions or replays for learners who can’t attend live
- Downloadable PDFs like checklists or site maps
- Audio recordings or podcasts for on-the-go learners
This guide to LMSs for nonprofits by TopClass suggests selecting a system that also supports eLearning standards, such as the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). This will allow you to import pre-built courses.
Ideally, your content will be available across different devices too. That way, a volunteer can review safety protocols on their phone at a cleanup site, or a member can complete a module in their certification pathway on their laptop during their lunch break.
2. Assessment Tools
Assessments help learners test what they’ve learned and give your team insight into how well your program is working. Your nonprofit might need tests to confirm a volunteer understands safety procedures, measure a student’s growth over time, or provide proof of learning for certification or compliance.
For instance, let’s say you want to use your LMS to train volunteers. Even if you don’t use it to conduct your full training, an LMS that offers assessment tools can test what volunteers have learned. eCardWidget’s volunteer retention guide recommends offering interactive quizzes after face-to-face orientations to help reinforce key information and ensure a more fulfilling volunteer experience.
Look for features that let you customize questions, so learners walk away feeling confident rather than confused. From quick quizzes to more in-depth knowledge checks, these tools support accountability. Make sure your LMS lets you create different types of questions like:
- Multiple-choice and true/false questions to reinforce essential facts
- Fill-in-the-blank prompts to test recall of key terms or steps
- Short-answer or reflection prompts to encourage deeper understanding
Thoughtful assessments can boost learner confidence and help you determine if your team needs to address any learning gaps!
3. Collaborative Learning
Learning doesn’t have to happen in isolation. In fact, many people learn better when they can discuss ideas, ask questions, and hear different perspectives. Collaborative learning can be extra valuable for building strong connections with one another, especially for volunteer-powered nonprofits and member-focused associations.
Providing opportunities for peer interaction makes learning more memorable. Plus, collaboration gives learners a chance to apply what they’re learning in conversations, deepening their understanding.
Look for LMS features that support collaboration, such as:
- Discussion boards where learners can ask questions or share insights
- Breakout sessions that encourage teamwork
- Cohort programs that involve groups of learners progressing through educational content together
Simply letting people share what they learned on a discussion board or work through a program together can foster a stronger sense of community and help learners feel more connected to your mission.
4. Progress Tracking and Reporting
Progress tracking provides vital insight into your program. Whether you’re managing volunteers, offering certifications for members, or delivering educational opportunities to your nonprofit’s beneficiaries, tracking engagement in your program allows you to see what’s working, where people are getting stuck, and how to improve the experience over time.
From an operational perspective, tracking tools help you:
- Confirm who has completed required training
- Identify gaps in participation or performance
- Report outcomes to funders, board members, or other stakeholders
- Demonstrate compliance or learning outcomes tied to your mission
From the learner’s side, tracking progress helps maintain motivation. Seeing how far they’ve come and what they have left to complete builds momentum. For example, a member of your professional technology association working toward a cybersecurity fundamentals certification might log into your association’s LMS and see a personalized dashboard. Here’s what that might look like:
They see a progress bar indicating they’re 23% of the way through their learning path. Realizing they still have a ways to go, they may be more motivated to dive back in and complete the next few modules, all because the platform made their progress clear and actionable.
To track progress, look for an LMS that provides:
- Real-time dashboards for both learners and administrators
- Downloadable or automated reports to save staff time
- Custom tracking fields to align with your learning goals (like CEUs, training hours, or milestones)
- Notifications to help learners stay on track
- Integration with your constituent relationship management (CRM) software to keep everyone’s records updated
Together, these tools support your learners and strengthen participation in your program. Clear, accessible progress tracking is one of the simplest ways to keep learning moving forward for everyone involved, so make sure your LMS offers it!
5. Secure Payment Processing
If you plan on selling learning opportunities and certification programs, you’ll need a way for learners to register and pay securely. A clunky or confusing checkout process can create friction, or worse, discourage participation altogether.
Secure payment processing protects your organization and its learners. It handles sensitive data safely and gives learners confidence to enroll in your programs. When evaluating your LMS, look for these payment processing features:
- PCI-compliant payment systems to meet data security standards
- Integrations with common, trusted payment gateways like Stripe
- Access controls that automatically unlock content after payment is completed
- Flexible pricing options such as coupons, early bird rates, or member discounts
These tools help generate revenue securely to support your organization’s mission. A smooth and secure payment experience makes it easier for learners to access your content and allows your organization to focus on delivering meaningful learning opportunities rather than managing transactions.
Final Thoughts
Creating a strong learning program backed by the right software can play a big role in powering your mission, whether you’re recruiting members or preparing your volunteers. While this list isn’t exhaustive, these features will set your learning program up for success! Finding an LMS with the right features can help you create learning experiences that are accessible, engaging, and impactful.
Before evaluating platforms, make a short list of must-have features. Use your list to guide product demos or conversations with LMS providers so you wind up with a platform that supports learning and your mission.