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How is Zeffy free?
How is Zeffy free?
Zeffy relies entirely on optional contributions from donors. At the payment confirmation step - we ask donors to leave an optional contribution to Zeffy.
Fundraising software is a type of technology designed to assist nonprofits and charities in efficiently managing and executing their fundraising efforts.
Most donation software streamlines various aspects of the fundraising process to help nonprofit organizations make the greatest impact.
Though every fundraising software is different, most help organizations with:
Donor management: Tools for maintaining a database of donors, including contact information, donation history, and communication preferences. Donor management can help nonprofits find new donors and retain existing donors.
Online donation processing: Secure and user-friendly interfaces to collect donations online, with customizable donation forms or online donation pages that can be embedded on a website.
Campaign management: Functionality for creating, organizing, and tracking fundraising campaigns, events, and initiatives. This includes peer-to-peer and peer fundraising pages, crowdfunding, and more.
Custom reports and analytics: Reporting tools that provide insights into donation trends, campaign performance, and other relevant metrics.
Communication and marketing: Features for communicating with donors through email campaigns, newsletters, and other channels like social media (or even direct mail).
Event management: Tools to plan, manage, and promote fundraising events, including ticketing, registration, and tracking attendee participation.
What to look for in fundraising software for nonprofits
Choosing the platform is a crucial decision for nonprofits. When shopping around for the best online fundraising software options your organization, consider whether the platform offers some of these features:
Event and ticketing tools: For a lot of organizations, events—like galas and auctions —are pretty essential to fundraising for nonprofits. Great nonprofit fundraising too often has tools for running events and selling tickets.
Customizable donation forms: Nonprofits should be able to add their brand logos, colors, and fonts to their donation forms. Plus, the forms should accept multiple payment methods, send automated receipts, and integrate with a CRM.
Customer support: It’s inevitable that a nonprofit will face some challenges when fundraising. Great donation software offers unlimited and free customer support to help when you’re in a pinch.
Donor management: Your chosen fundraising tool should offer filtering and segmentation, easy contact importing and exporting, and custom list creation for emailing.
P2P campaigns: Peer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful way to expand your reach and bring more donations through the door. Your chosen nonprofit fundraising tools should include team and fundraising pages, gamification tools, and easy reporting.
User-friendliness: Clunky and hard-to-navigate software is tiresome for busy organizations. Make sure that your donation software is simple and easy to use.
Cost: Be sure to choose a platform that works for your budget—most nonprofit fundraising software solutions charge platform, processing, and even monthly and annual fees. Some—like Zeffy—are 100% free.
Security: Nonprofits not only handle their own confidential information, but they’re often privy to donor information, too. Select an online fundraising software software that's secure and trustworthy option to collect online donations.
Integrations: Check for compatibility and integration capabilities with other tools your organization uses, such as CRM systems, email marketing platforms, or accounting software to streamline workflows and data management.
Recurring giving: Regular giving is crucial for nonprofit stability, long-term planning, and donor retention. Your fundraising platform should offer options for donors to give however often they’d like.
Flexible giving: Your donation pages should offer a matching gift option or matching gift programs or an integration with matching gift software like double the donation.
Extra bells and whistles: The best online fundraising softwares offers lots of extra tools and gadgets, so you never have to leave the platform. Consider using a solution that offers online raffle software, membership management, and even an online store for nonprofits.
It’s often easy to think a solid fundraising team full of change-makers can keep track of donations and donor information on a spreadsheet. But in truth, handling campaigns, donor information, and more, by hand makes the information prone to error, and quite limited.
Nonprofit fundraising software streamlines and automates various aspects of the fundraising process, from the ability to collect donations to donor management, saving time and reducing administrative burdens.
Plus, the best online fundraising solutions often offer event registration forms, the ability to process matching gifts, and organize prospect research.
Online fundraising platforms enable organizations to reach more donors. Supporters can easily share campaigns on social media, via email, and sometimes even through text, expanding the reach of fundraising efforts beyond traditional networks.
Accessibility
Robust fundraising software provides a convenient and accessible way for donors to contribute and for you to raise money. Online donation forms, mobile-friendly interfaces, and various payment options make it easier for people to support causes from anywhere, at any time.
Plus, online fundraising software creates an accessible database for your nonprofit staff to share and house important information.
Compliance and reporting
Fundraising software helps organizations comply with relevant regulations and provides features for generating reports required for auditing, transparency, and accountability.
The best fundraising software solutions at a glance
Fundraising software
Best for
Best feature
Price
G2 rating
Zeffy
All fundraising activities
100% free (no platform fee - no transaction fee)
100% free
4.9/5
Classy
Feature access
Robust event management
Custom quote required
4.4/5
DonorPerfect
Donor management
Donor data collection
Custom quote required, starting at $99/month
4.4/5
QGiv
Flexible fundraising
Customizable forms and event capabilities
$0 - $259/month and up to $0.95 - 4.95% in processing fees
4.7/5
GoFundMe
Crowdfunding
Easy social sharing
Up to 2.9% + $0.30 in processing fees
4.6/5
Bloomerang
Donor retention
CRM
$79–$1299+ /month, 1% platform fee, and processing fees up to 2.2% + $0.30
4.7/5
Fundly
Social media fundraising
Peer-to-peer fundraising
0% platform fee, 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee
2.9/5
DonorBox
Recurring donations
Flexible payment options
$0–$139+/month, 1.5% platform fee, up to 2.2% + $0.49 in processing fees
4.6/5
CauseVox
P2P campaigns
Engaging, customized P2P pages
$0 - $315 /month, and up to 4.25% + $0.30 in processing fees
4.3/5
Blackbaud
Scalability
AI-powered tools
Custom quote required
3.5/5
BetterWorld
Raffles
Text-to-donate
$0 + 0% platform fee, and up to 2.9% + $0.30 processing fees
5/5
OneCause
Event fundraising
Auction management
Custom quote required
4.7/5
Givebutter
Social fundraising
Peer-to-peer fundraising
0% platform fee plus up to 2.9% + $0.30 in processing fees
4.7/5
Fundrazr
School fundraising
Coaching and support
0%-5% platform fee, plus standard processing fees
4.2/5
Charity Auctions today
Auction management
Robust item features
$0 -$1500, 0% to 5% platform fees, and up to 3% + $0.30 processing fees
4.5/5
1. Zeffy - Best free fundraising platform for nonprofits
Zeffy is a 100% free online fundraising platform—built by change-makers, for change-makers. Unlike other fundraising software, Zeffy is a true all-in-one solution that offers a full suite of tools. From event ticketing to membership management, Zeffy is the only platform that helps you raise money for charity and reach more donors without taking a cent of what you earn.
Pros:
Raffle management
Customizable donation forms
Peer-to-peer campaign management
Donor management
Tap to pay
E-commerce tools
Membership management
100% free
Online forms for ticketing and events
Unlimited customer service
Top-rated security
Cons:
Only available for registered nonprofits in the US and Canada
Pricing:
100% free (no platform fee - no transaction fee)
When someone makes a donation on your online fundraising form, they have the option (but are never obliged) to give to Zeffy. Not everyone gives every time and that's okay. Enough donors leave a contribution to cover every fee—so nonprofits aren’t charged a cent.
What Zeffy users are saying:
“Besides being free, Zeffy has become an invaluable tool as it provides a way for our donors to give knowing that 100% of their donation will be received by our organization. Besides that, it is very user-friendly. Easy to set up and customer support is amazing!” —John W.
2. Classy -Best nonprofit fundraising software for feature access
Classy offers a range of features, including customizable donation pages, peer-to-peer virtual fundraising capabilities, and event management tools. Additionally, Classy's robust analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights, allowing organizations to track their success and refine their strategies for maximum impact.
Pros:
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Campaign and donation pages
Third-party integrations
Matching gifts
Customer support
Flexible payment methods
Auction software and mobile bidding
Events and ticketing
International online fundraising
Cons:
Price
Fees
Limited customization of certain features
Can be clunky
Pricing:
Custom quote required
What Classy users are saying:
“Classy is a one-stop shop for our mid-size, national nonprofit organization. We use Classy for our main donation page, for peer-to-peer online fundraising, and their new Classy Live product for our live events. They are always available to help and provide truly excellent customer service.” — Elise R.
3. DonorPerfect - Best fundraising software for donor management
DonorPerfect is a comprehensive donor management solution that helps nonprofits organize and cultivate donor relationships. With intuitive dashboards and even some online fundraising event capabilities, it’s a great choice for nonprofits whose primary need is donor management.
Pros:
Advanced data import
Highly rated security
Reporting and analytics
Donor filtering and segmentation
Donation forms
Online fundraising events
Cons:
Not user-friendly
Pricing
Pricing:
Custom quote required, starting at $99/month
What DonorPerfect users are saying:
“Your software provides great insight into donor activity. The reporting makes it easier for me to share with the board our fundraising successes and even areas where we need to focus more efforts.” — Kelly H.
4. QGiv - Best fundraising software for flexible fundraising campaigns
QGiv stands out as a versatile donation software for its range of features: online donations, event coordination, and peer-to-peer campaigns. Plus, QGiv offers a host of third-party integrations, too, so nonprofits can sync up with some of their other favorite tools.
Pros:
Custom online donation form
Auctions
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Event management
Text fundraising
Third-party integrations
Cons:
Lack of customization
Price
Steep learning curve
Not intuitive
Pricing:
$0 - $259/month and up to $0.95 - 4.95% in processing fees
What QGiv users are saying:
“We have integrated Qgiv into our website for donations, utilized it for Peer to Peer, and Auctions, as well as used it for fundraising pages for board members and integration directly into our Donor management software and our accounting software, meaning it is used daily in our offices. The ability to pay for different features of Qgiv monthly or quarterly is also helpful and so convenient!” —Tiffany S.
5. GoFundMe - The best online fundraising software for crowdfunding
GoFundMe is a popular, user-friendly platform that allows individuals and organizations to create compelling fundraising campaigns on behalf of nonprofit organizations—or even for themselves. The platform's ease of use, coupled with its expansive network, makes GoFundMe an accessible and impactful fundraising software solution.
“I have used GoFundMe numerous times throughout the years and it has allowed me to share a link all over the world for people to donate to numerous causes, including personal causes. With the easy ability to share your personal GoFundMe account, you can allow people from all over to help support your cause or donate to a tragedy.” — Lily G.
6. Bloomerang - Best nonprofit fundraising software for donor retention
Bloomerang, a trusted fundraising and donor management platform, offers a host of tools for understanding donor data, preferences, and engagement patterns. Through robust reporting and analytics, Bloomerang empowers nonprofits to tailor their outreach strategies, ensuring that each interaction is personalized and meaningful.
Pros:
Constituent timeline
Engagement meter
Wealth screening
Data segmentation
Software integrations
Membership tracking
Volunteer management
Cons:
Limited fundraising features
Additional fees for add-on features/support
Pricing
Learning curve
Pricing:
$79–$1299+ /month, 1% platform fee, and processing fees up to 2.2% + $0.30
What Bloomerang users are saying:
“Bloomerang really helped to organize our donor relationships. All of us knew who spoke to whom and the financial background of the donors. We didn't have to have the donor repeat information because everything was logged in the system. We could also put our efforts into those who had a connection to our cause and the financial means to donate more if asked.” — Suzanne C.
7. Fundly - Best fundraising software for social media fundraising
Fundly is a user-friendly crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals, nonprofits, and organizations to easily create and manage online fundraising campaigns. The platform supports a wide range of fundraising goals, from personal causes to nonprofit initiatives, providing tools for campaigns such as medical expenses, education, and charitable projects. Fundly's features include customizable donation pages, social sharing options, and the ability to track contributions in real time.
Pros:
Social media integrations
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Donors can cover fees
No startup fees
Personalized domains
Cons:
Limited customization options
Limited payment options
Slow customer support
Pricing:
0% platform fee, 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee
What Fundly users are saying:
“It was really easy for me to figure out how to use Fundly and navigate all of the aspects of the website. I like how easy it was to find and connect with others.” — Vivian M.
8. Donorbox - Best fundraising software for recurring donation forms
Donorbox stands out as an accessible and user-friendly fundraising software for small nonprofits, designed to cater to the needs of startup to medium-sized nonprofits. The platform's simplicity extends to its creation of online fundraising tools, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience for both nonprofits and their supporters.
Pros :
Self-managed recurring donations
Recurring donation management
Custom donation forms
Third-party integrations
Donor data/activity notifications
Flexible payment methods
Cons:
Poor customer support
Additional monthly fees for add-ons
Difficult set up
Pricing
Interface
Pricing:
$0–$139+/month, 1.5% platform fee, up to 2.2% + $0.49 in processing fees
What Donorbox users are saying:
“We have used it to successfully launch multiple campaigns and even for a photo contest. It has greatly increased donations made through our website and social media and the reporting tools help us to keep our accounting in order. It is extremely easy to integrate with our Wordpress website and is very versatile. It makes managing our donation campaigns very quick and simple.” — Kimberly W.
9. CauseVox - Best fundraising software for P2P campaigns
CauseVox empowers organizations to craft compelling stories that resonate with their audience to help enhance their fundraising. The platform's versatility, which primarily focuses on peer-to-peer campaigns and crowdfunding initiatives, helps nonprofits leverage the emotional impact of storytelling to create meaningful connections with supporters.
Pros:
Individual and team fundraising
Custom fundraising pages
Progress bar
Donation tracking
Offline donations
Optional donor tipping
Cons:
Lacks customization
User interface
Pricing
Limited free plan
Pricing:
$0 - $315 /month, and up to 4.25% + $0.30 in processing fees
What Causevox users are saying:
“Causevox is so supportive and friendly. They helped us strategize our peer-to-peer, which turned out so successful! “ — Sara E.
10. Blackbaud - Best fundraising software for scalability
Blackbaud is a comprehensive donor management software that offers donor management and event planning capabilities. Given Blackbaud’s tools for data-driven decision-making, that platform is a great choice for nonprofits looking for a solution that will grow with them and evolve with their needs.
Pros:
P2P fundraising
Donor data
CRM
Financial management tools
Automated email engagement
Fundraising websites
AI-powered tools
Cons:
Hard to set up
Poor ease of use
Poor support
Learning curve
Pricing:
Custom quote required
What Blackbaud users are saying:
“As my office is not large, I need a product that works for us. We have a large number of donors but are looking to grow larger. We can keep the same program no matter our size.” — Laura B.
11. BetterWorld - The best fundraising software for raffles
BetterWorld, used by organizations like Make A Wish, offers online auction and raffle management, a giveaway platform, and event registration, ticketing, and crowdfunding capabilities. For nonprofits looking for simple, easy-to-use, and cheap fundraising software for events, BetterWorld is a great choice.
Pros:
Auction and raffle management
Giveaways
Event ticketing
Crowdfunding
Security features
Automated payouts
Donors can cover fees
Unlimited campaigns
Cons:
Limited features outside of events
Fees
Pricing :
$0 + 0% platform fee, and up to 2.9% + $0.30 processing fees
What BetterWorld users are saying:
“I searched high and low for an affordable software package to conduct online auctions and raffles. BetterWorld is free!” — Donna R.
12. OneCause - Best fundraising software for event fundraising
OneCause is the perfect fundraising software solution for running events, offering a comprehensive suite of tools from managing registrations to conducting successful auctions.
“OneCause has proven to be an indispensable tool for our non-profit, allowing us to seamlessly organize and execute events and auctions. Without this platform, the prospect of orchestrating a successful event would be daunting. From managing auctions and raffles.wine/bourbon pulls, overseeing check-ins, and streamlining payment processing, OneCause serves as our comprehensive solution, elevating our event coordination to new heights.” — Emily C.
13. Givebutter - Best fundraising software for social fundraising
Givebutter is a modern fundraising software solution for small nonprofits that incorporates elements of social interaction and gamification, making collecting donations fun and engaging for donors and supporters. The platform offers everything from donor management and auction tools to text giving and P2P fundraising. And, allows organizations to centralize all of their fundraising strategies in one powerful fundraising software.
Pros:
Social media style supporter feeds
Easy event registrations
Donor management
Easy social sharing
Peer-to-peer gamification tools
Donors can cover fees
Cons:
Fees
Pricing:
0% platform fee plus up to 2.9% + $0.30 in processing fees
What GiveButter users are saying:
“I work in fundraising for nonprofits, and I have used GiveButter for FIVE annual fundraisers now at three different organizations. I love the giving thermometer, I love that it has the capability to sell tickets, run a silent auction, the social media-esque news feed feature, and the gamification aspect of creating fundraising teams. Everything feels customizable and I can easily have all my data in one place when all is said and done.” — Kayla T.
14. Fundrazr - Best fundraising software for schools
Fundrazr is another social fundraising platform for individuals and organizations. Well suited for schools and educational institutions looking to raise funds, Fundrazr is easy to launch and impactful for reaching a wide audience.
Pros:
Crowdfunding wishlist items
Peer-to-peer tools
Customer support
Flexibility
Functionality
Donors can cover fees
Cons:
Limited functionality outside crowdfunding
Hard to navigate
Pricing:
0%-5% platform fee, plus standard processing fees
What Fundrazr users are saying:
“As a small membership nonprofit, the pandemic made it impossible for us to hold our usual in-person events, dramatically affecting our bottom line. Fundraising to support our online transition and programs was key and Fundrazr was an amazing resource for us to make that happen.” — Cathleen O.
15. Charity Auctions Today - Best fundraising software for auctions
Charity Auctions Today streamlines the auction process, from item listings to bidding, providing nonprofits with a comprehensive toolkit to optimize their fundraising potential through engaging auction events. With features designed to save time and enhance participant experiences, Charity Auctions Today is a great choice for nonprofits seeking to leverage auctions as strategic fundraising initiatives.
Pros:
Easy registration
Popcorn bidding
Bulk item upload
Raffle software
One-click donations
Text 2 give
Event ticketing
Cons:
Pricing
Limited features outside auctions
Pricing:
$0 -$1500, 0% to 5% platform fees, and up to 3% + $0.30 processing fees
What Charity Auctions Today users are saying:
“This is the second year we have used Charity Auctions Today for our silent auction. We were impressed with the communication as we were setting up our site (it was very easy), and the whole event was a huge success. Charity Auctions Today was even easier to use than I expected! I've recommended them to others as well.” — Katie T.
More nonprofit fundraising software solutions
Givesmart: Givesmart is an all-in-one fundraising platform that streamlines event management, auctions, and donor engagement for nonprofits and schools.
Kickstarter: Kickstarter is a popular crowdfunding platform that enables creators to bring creative projects to life by connecting with a global community of backers.
Flipcause: Flipcause is a a great fundraising solution for small nonprofits offering nonprofits fundraising tools, donor management, and engagement to support their mission-driven initiatives.
Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a versatile event management platform and event registration tool that allows organizations to create, promote, and sell tickets for fundraising events of all sizes and types.
GiveCampus: GiveCampus is fundraising software for schools, providing tools for crowdfunding campaigns, alumni engagement, and donor participation.
Funraise: Funraise is a nonprofit fundraising platform offering a suite of tools, including donation processing, donor management, and campaign optimization, to empower organizations in their fundraising efforts.
Are there any free fundraising tools that doesn’t charge fees?
While every other platform takes a portion of donations in fees, Zeffy gives 100% of fundraising revenue from all donations directly to nonprofits. Donors can be reassured that the entirety of their gift is going straight to the cause.
While some fundraising software solutions have low fees, they can add up quite quickly. In fact, last year, nonprofit organizations paid around $3 billion dollars in credit card and transaction fees. To put that into perspective, that is enough to feed 1.4 million children for a year, plant 60 million trees, or build 20,000 homes.
At Zeffy, we’re trying to end these fees for nonprofits, so the money is going directly to their impact.
How Outreach360 saved $6,000 with Zeffy—the only free fundraising software
Outreach360 has operated for more than 26 years, bringing language skills and financial independence to hundreds of students across Latin America. After a global crisis forced them to move all operations online, Outreach360, previously a user of Classy, took a chance on Zeffy—the only 100% free fundraising software for nonprofits.
“The need to cut down on expenses meant replacing Classy. We found Zeffy online and thought, ‘This is too good to be true,’...I reached out and Francois [Zeffy’s founder] got back to me. He was really open and helpful getting us onboard.” —Coco and Adie, respectively the President and Academic Director of Outreach360
Since switching over to Zeffy from Classy, Outreach360 has saved $6,000 to date.
When choosing a fundraising software for your nonprofit, it’s important to consider the cost and features available—plus customer support and user-friendliness.
Unlike other software solutions, Zeffy is the only true, 100% free donation platform that lets nonprofits centralize all of their fundraising efforts into one place. With customizable donation forms, peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, and an online store for nonprofits—and so much more—Zeffy is the best fundraising software for small nonprofits, and large ones.
