Relay.app for Nonprofits
Automate repetitive workflows while keeping human judgment where it matters most. Relay.app combines powerful AI automation with approval gates, data input requests, and manual checkpoints—so you can confidently automate onboarding, sales handoffs, and HR processes without losing control.
What It Does
Tired of babysitting automation workflows that need human approval at critical steps? Relay.app solves the automation dilemma nonprofits face: you want to automate repetitive work, but you also need oversight for decisions involving budgets, sensitive data, or strategic choices.
Unlike traditional automation tools that are "all or nothing," Relay.app lets you insert approval checkpoints anywhere in your workflows. Your Executive Director can approve budget requests via Slack before they process. Your HR team can review donor data before it syncs to your CRM. Your program manager can choose which path a workflow should take based on real-world context.
The result: automation that saves hours of manual work while preserving the human judgment that makes your nonprofit effective. No more choosing between efficiency and control—you get both.
Best For
Organization Size
Small to mid-sized nonprofits (5-50 staff) with collaborative teams that need shared automation with oversight
Best Use Cases
- HR onboarding with approval gates
- Grant review processes requiring human decision-making
- Sales to customer service handoffs
- Budget approval workflows
Ideal For
Operations Managers, Executive Directors, HR teams, and anyone managing processes that need automation with human checkpoints
Key Features for Nonprofits
Approval Gates
Insert checkpoints anywhere in workflows where you need approval to continue. Your ED can review and approve budget requests via email or Slack before they process—no spreadsheet chasing required.
Data Input Requests
Need information from a teammate mid-workflow? Send a simple form via email or Slack, and the workflow pauses until they respond. Perfect for collecting details that only humans know (like donor relationship context).
Path Selection
Let teammates make intentional decisions about which direction a workflow should take. Your program manager can choose to send a major donor to the personalized cultivation path or the standard stewardship sequence based on context AI can't capture.
Multiple AI Models
Access GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Google Gemini 1.5 Pro for AI-powered data extraction, summarization, and classification. Use AI to analyze grant applications, summarize donor communications, or extract key details from lengthy documents—then route to humans for final decisions.
Dynamic Role Assignment
Use "Roles" to dynamically assign steps to different people depending on workflow context. Automatically route budget approvals to the right department head, or assign onboarding tasks to the appropriate team member based on the new hire's role.
100+ Integrations
Connect with Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Asana, Stripe, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and more. While fewer integrations than Zapier (8,000+), Relay covers the essential tools most nonprofits use daily with thoughtfully chosen connections.
How This Tool Uses AI
Relay.app integrates AI as an optional capability within workflows, not as the core automation engine. Here's what that means in practice:
What's Actually AI-Powered
Multi-Model AI Actions
Type of AI: Access to three leading AI models—GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Google Gemini 1.5 Pro
What it does: You can add AI-powered actions to workflows that analyze text, extract data, summarize documents, transcribe audio, or classify information. For example, AI can read a grant application PDF and extract applicant name, requested amount, program area, and urgency level into structured fields.
How it learns: These are pre-trained models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. They don't learn from your specific nonprofit's data—you're using the general AI capabilities of these models within your workflows.
Practical impact: Instead of manually copying donor information from emails into your CRM, AI can extract key details (donation amount, program interest, contact preferences) and populate your database automatically—then route to a human for approval before the data syncs.
What's NOT AI (But Still Useful)
- •Workflow Triggers: "When a new row is added to Google Sheets" is event-based automation, not AI
- •Approval Gates: Human-in-the-loop features are conditional logic, not AI decision-making
- •Data Routing: Sending information from one app to another is standard integration, not intelligent routing
- •Role Assignment: Dynamic person assignment based on variables is logic-based, not AI prediction
AI Transparency & Limitations
Data Requirements
AI credits are usage-based: Free tier includes 500 AI credits/month (enough for ~50-100 AI actions depending on complexity). Paid plans include 5,000 credits/month.
No minimum data needed: AI actions work from the first use since they're using pre-trained models, not learning from your data.
Human Oversight Still Required
AI extraction isn't perfect: When AI extracts data from documents, expect 85-95% accuracy. Always add an approval step to review AI-extracted data before it updates your CRM or triggers critical actions.
Context limitations: AI can't understand your nonprofit's specific relationship history with donors, internal politics, or strategic priorities. Use AI for data processing, but keep humans in the loop for decisions requiring organizational knowledge.
Data Privacy
AI model data handling: When you use AI actions, data is sent to the respective AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google) for processing. Review each provider's data retention policies.
Your control: You choose which data flows through AI actions. Sensitive donor information can bypass AI steps entirely—only use AI where appropriate for your data privacy requirements.
When AI Adds Real Value vs. When It's Overkill
✅ Genuinely Useful AI
- Extracting structured data from unstructured text (emails, PDFs, applications)
- Summarizing lengthy documents for quick human review
- Categorizing or tagging content that would take hours manually
❌ AI You Don't Need
- Simple data routing (use standard workflow steps instead)
- Structured data that's already in consistent format
- Very small volumes where manual review is faster (under 10 items/month)
Bottom Line: Relay.app's AI capabilities are optional tools you add to workflows where they make sense—not the core automation engine. The platform's real differentiation is human-in-the-loop features, not AI. Use AI when it genuinely saves time or improves accuracy, and keep humans involved for the judgment calls.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
A regional environmental nonprofit with a 3-person operations team was drowning in manual grant application review. Each application arrived via email, and staff had to:
- Read the entire PDF application (15-30 minutes per application)
- Extract key information into their grants management spreadsheet
- Route to the appropriate program manager based on project type
- Wait for the program manager to review and provide feedback
- Schedule follow-up meetings for promising applications
With 80-100 applications per quarter, this consumed 40-50 hours of staff time before the real evaluation work even began.
After implementing Relay.app:
- AI extracts application details: GPT-4o automatically reads each PDF and extracts applicant name, organization, requested amount, project type, geographic focus, and urgency into structured fields (90-95% accuracy)
- Human approval gate: The Operations Manager receives a summary via Slack and approves the AI-extracted data before it's added to their grants spreadsheet
- Dynamic role assignment: Relay automatically routes the application to the appropriate program manager (Forest Conservation, Water Quality, or Climate Adaptation) based on project type
- Path selection: Program managers receive the application summary via email and choose to either "Schedule Interview" (for strong candidates) or "Send Feedback Request" (for applications needing clarification)
- Automated follow-up: Based on the manager's choice, Relay either creates a calendar invite or sends a templated feedback request email
Results: The team reduced initial application processing time from 40-50 hours to 8-10 hours per quarter—an 80% time savings. The Operations Manager spends 5-10 minutes per application reviewing AI extractions (catching the occasional error), and program managers receive pre-digested summaries instead of raw PDFs. They're now able to review 30% more applications with the same team size.
Pricing
Relay.app uses step-based pricing where each numbered action in your workflow consumes one step when successfully completed. Failed actions don't count as steps.
Free
For individuals testing automation
- 200 automated steps per month
- 500 AI credits per month
- 1 user (no collaboration)
- All 100+ integrations
Professional
For solo professionals and small teams
- 750 automated steps per month
- 5,000 AI credits per month
- 1 user
- All features
Team
For collaborative teams
- 2,000 automated steps per month
- 5,000 AI credits per month
- Up to 10 teammates
- All features
Enterprise
For large organizations
- Custom usage limits
- Custom integrations
- Automation consulting
- Dedicated Slack channel
- Unlimited users
Note: Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing directly with Relay.app.
Nonprofit Discount
No Specific Nonprofit Discount Available
Relay.app does not currently offer a nonprofit-specific discount program. As of August 2025, the vendor confirmed that education and nonprofit discounts are not available.
Available Savings:
- 20% annual billing discount: Pay annually instead of monthly to save 20% (Professional: $19/month vs $38/month; annual savings of ~$228/year)
- Free tier: Test with 200 steps/month before committing to paid plan
Enterprise pricing: If you're a larger nonprofit with significant automation needs, consider reaching out to Relay.app sales to discuss custom pricing options through the Enterprise plan.
Learning Curve
Beginner to Intermediate
User-friendly interface with intuitive design
Time to First Value:
- Initial setup: 15-30 minutes (account creation, connecting first apps)
- First simple workflow: 30-60 minutes (e.g., "When form submitted, send Slack notification, request approval")
- Proficiency with human-in-the-loop features: 2-4 hours of experimentation
- Advanced workflows with AI: 1-2 days of learning and testing
Technical Requirements:
- Comfort with web-based tools (if you can use Google Docs, you can use Relay)
- Understanding of basic workflow logic (if/then, triggers, actions)
- Admin access to apps you want to integrate
- No coding required (though developers can use advanced features if needed)
Support Available:
- Comprehensive documentation at docs.relay.app
- Template library with pre-built workflows
- Email and chat support (paid plans)
- Automation consulting (Enterprise plan)
Integration & Compatibility
Connects With 100+ Apps
Relay.app integrates with the most commonly used business and nonprofit tools. While this is fewer than Zapier's 8,000+ integrations, Relay focuses on thoughtfully chosen connections that cover essential workflows.
Productivity & Collaboration:
- • Google Workspace (Gmail, Sheets, Drive, Calendar)
- • Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Excel, OneDrive)
- • Slack
- • Notion
- • Asana
- • ClickUp
- • Todoist
CRM & Sales:
- • Salesforce
- • HubSpot
- • Pipedrive
- • Zoho CRM
Communication:
- • Twilio
- • Calendly
Finance & Payments:
- • Stripe
- • PayPal
- • QuickBooks
Marketing & Forms:
- • MailerLite
- • Typeform
- • Google Forms
- • Tally
Development & Technical:
- • GitHub
- • API/Webhooks
View all integrations: relay.app/apps
Platform Availability
- Web-based: Works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (no desktop app required)
- Mobile notifications: Approve workflows and respond to requests via mobile email or Slack
- Slack integration: Interactive notifications let you approve or provide input directly from Slack
Data Portability
- Workflow export: You can duplicate and export workflow configurations
- API access: Available for custom integrations and data extraction
- Vendor lock-in consideration: Workflows are specific to Relay's platform; migrating to another tool requires rebuilding automations
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Genuinely useful human-in-the-loop features: Approval gates, data inputs, and manual checkpoints solve the "automation without control" problem that plagues many nonprofits
- User-friendly interface: Consistently praised in reviews for intuitive design and ease of use; non-technical staff can build workflows
- Clear pricing model: Step-based pricing is easier to predict than Zapier's task-based model; only completed actions count
- Multi-model AI support: Access to GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini gives flexibility for different AI tasks
- Responsive support: Users report high satisfaction with support quality and responsiveness
Cons
- No nonprofit discount: Unlike some competitors, Relay doesn't offer nonprofit-specific pricing (though annual billing provides 20% savings)
- Limited integration library: 100+ integrations vs Zapier's 8,000+; if you need very niche tools, Zapier might be better
- Free tier very restrictive: 200 steps and 1 user makes it hard to meaningfully test with your team; most nonprofits will need to pay
- Lacks some advanced features: Users note that Relay doesn't yet support all building blocks needed for very complex workflows
- Newer platform: Founded in 2021, so less mature than Zapier (2011) or Make (2012); smaller community and fewer pre-built templates
Alternatives to Consider
If Relay.app doesn't feel like the right fit, consider these alternatives:
Better for: Nonprofits needing extensive integration support (8,000+ apps vs Relay's 100+) or a proven platform with mature features
Trade-off: No built-in human-in-the-loop features; more expensive at scale; task-based pricing can be confusing
Choose Relay instead if: You need approval gates and human oversight; you want clearer pricing; you work with common business tools (not niche apps)
Better for: Nonprofits with technical staff who want more control over complex workflows; better for visual workflow building
Trade-off: Steeper learning curve; less intuitive for non-technical users; no native human-in-the-loop features
Choose Relay instead if: Your team isn't technical; you want easy-to-implement approval workflows; you prioritize simplicity over power
Better for: Nonprofits comfortable with self-hosting and technical setup; free if self-hosted (unlimited workflows)
Trade-off: Requires server management; no built-in human-in-the-loop features; steeper learning curve
Choose Relay instead if: You don't have IT staff to manage servers; you want a cloud-based solution with no maintenance; you need approval workflows out of the box
Getting Started
Your first 48 hours with Relay.app:
1Sign up and connect your first apps (15 minutes)
Create a free account at relay.app and connect 2-3 core tools you want to automate between (e.g., Google Sheets, Slack, Gmail).
Pro tip: Start with tools your team already uses daily—don't add new apps just for automation.
2Build your first simple workflow with an approval step (30 minutes)
Create a basic workflow: "When a new row is added to this Google Sheet, send a Slack message and request approval before adding to our CRM."
Why this workflow: It's simple enough to build quickly but demonstrates Relay's unique human-in-the-loop capability. You'll immediately see how approval gates work.
3Test the workflow with real data (15 minutes)
Add a test row to your Google Sheet and watch the workflow run. You should receive a Slack notification asking for approval. Approve it and verify the data appears in your CRM.
Pro tip: Use the workflow run history to debug if something doesn't work—Relay shows exactly what happened at each step.
4Explore AI capabilities (1 hour, optional)
If you have unstructured data to process (emails, PDFs, form responses), try adding an AI step to extract information. Example: "When we receive a grant inquiry email, use GPT-4o to extract organization name, requested amount, and program area, then send to me for approval."
Pro tip: Start with GPT-4o for general tasks; use Claude 3.5 Sonnet for longer documents; use Gemini for technical content.
Need Help with Implementation?
Setting up automation workflows can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already stretched thin. If you'd like expert guidance getting started with Relay.app, designing effective approval workflows, or maximizing AI capabilities, we're here to help.
One Hundred Nights offers implementation support, from quick setup assistance to full-service workflow design and training.
Contact Us to Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Is Relay.app free for nonprofits?
Relay.app does not offer a specific nonprofit discount. The free tier includes 200 automated steps and 500 AI credits per month for 1 user with no collaboration features. Most nonprofits will need a paid plan starting at $19/month (annual billing). There's a 20% discount for annual billing vs monthly payments.
What makes Relay.app different from Zapier?
Relay.app's key differentiator is human-in-the-loop features that allow you to add approval gates, data input requests, and manual checkpoints to automated workflows. This is ideal when you need oversight and human judgment in your automation. Zapier offers 8,000+ integrations compared to Relay's 100+, but Relay provides clearer pricing and more sophisticated AI integration with multiple models (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini).
How do human-in-the-loop approvals work?
Human-in-the-loop steps pause your workflow at critical points and request input from designated team members via email or Slack. You can add approval steps (approve/reject to continue), data inputs (request form information), path selection (choose which direction to take), or manual tasks (assign work that can't be automated). This ensures automation has human oversight where needed.
What integrations does Relay.app support?
Relay.app integrates with 100+ apps including Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, ClickUp, Calendly, MailerLite, Todoist, Asana, Stripe, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and WhatsApp. All plans have access to the same integrations. While this is significantly fewer than Zapier's 8,000+, Relay focuses on the most commonly used business tools.
What AI models does Relay.app support?
Relay.app supports GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Google Gemini 1.5 Pro for AI-powered actions. You can use AI for data extraction, text summarization, transcribing audio, and other intelligent automation tasks. AI credits are included in all plans (500 credits on free tier, 5,000 credits on paid plans).
Is Relay.app suitable for small nonprofits with limited technical skills?
Yes, Relay.app is designed for non-technical users with a simple, visual interface. Users praise its intuitive design and clarity. However, the free tier is very limited (200 steps, 1 user, no collaboration), so small nonprofits should budget for at least the Professional plan ($19/month annual billing) if they need team collaboration and more than basic automation.
How does Relay.app pricing work?
Relay.app uses step-based pricing where each numbered action in your workflow consumes one step when successfully completed. Failed actions don't count as steps. Free tier: 200 steps/month. Professional: 750 steps/month ($19/month annual, $38/month monthly). Team: 2,000 steps/month for 10 users ($138/month). All plans include AI credits for GPT-4o, Claude, and Gemini.