The affordable AI answering service for nonprofits

Upfirst's plans are based on monthly calls, not minutes: 30 calls for $24.95, 90 calls for $59.95, 300 calls for $159.95, and 600 calls for $299.95. There is no setup fee or contract, every plan includes every feature, and spam calls and calls under 15 seconds don't count. To see how answering service pricing compares across providers, read our comparison. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

Upfirst doesn't have a separate nonprofit rate. Plans start at $24.95 a month for every organization, and annual plans are 20% off. Every plan includes every feature, so a small nonprofit gets the same service as a large one.

Unused calls do not roll over. Instead, we make it easy to upgrade or downgrade your plan. If your calls peak around an event or season, an annual plan gives you one bucket of calls for the whole year, with no monthly overages and 20% off.

Yes. In our experience, older callers have a good experience because the AI is endlessly patient. They don't have to navigate "press 1" menus. They can just say what they need. You can also slow its speaking pace and have it wait longer for callers who pause.

Yes. Instead of a phone tree, callers say why they're calling, and Upfirst sends them to the right department or staff member by name. If someone doesn't know who they need, it asks a question or two and routes them from there.

You decide which calls need a person right away and who gets them. Upfirst can transfer those calls at any hour and try backup numbers one by one until someone answers. If no one picks up, it takes a message and alerts your team by text or email. Upfirst is a receptionist, not a crisis line, so it gets urgent callers to your people instead of handling the crisis itself.

Yes. Upfirst speaks English, Spanish, and 30+ other languages, and switches when a caller does. You don't need a bilingual volunteer on the phone to serve callers who only speak Spanish.

Yes. You can forward calls from your VoIP system, such as Nextiva or Spectrum, as well as from your landline or cell phone, to Upfirst. You don't need to switch providers, and people keep dialing the number they already know. It also works as a nonprofit call forwarding service that only picks up when your team can't.

Upfirst can text callers a link to your website to make a donation or register for an event. It can transfer high-value donors to a person. It can also collect the caller's information and send it to your team.

Some nonprofit organizations use Upfirst as their main line 24/7 after losing a front desk receptionist. Others use it when staff and volunteers can't pick up, or after hours and on weekends. It also runs event registration lines, appointment lines for free tax programs, and staff call-out lines. Charities, churches, associations, and community organizations all set it up the same way.

Nonprofit call center services and outsourced live answering services bill by the minute and read from a script. An AI answering service like Upfirst answers every call at once, knows your programs, hours, and eligibility rules, and sends you a summary, transcript, and recording after every call.

No. Upfirst detects and blocks spam calls, and you aren't charged for spam or for calls under 15 seconds.

Yes. Everyone gets live support and a free 30-minute onboarding call. For larger organizations that receive more than 1,000 calls per month, we offer white-glove onboarding, integration help, and ongoing optimization.