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Fundraising without a website is not only possible, but it’s also a great way to see donations right away. If you're part of a small or early-stage nonprofit, you’ve probably heard it before: “You need a website to look legitimate” or “You can’t collect donations without one.”
That’s why many organizations stall their fundraising efforts by waiting until they have the time and money to invest in a fully functioning website. Nonprofit donation pages can be 100% free and set up in under an hour to give donors a smooth and secure experience.
While a strong web presence can be helpful, let’s be honest: It can also feel totally overwhelming, expensive, and time-consuming, especially when your priority is getting your mission off the ground. Whether your website is outdated, you’ve been putting off creating one, or tech tools make your head spin, life just got a whole lot easier.
We’ll show you how to start collecting donations today using Zeffy's free donation pages and finally bust this myth that you need a “perfect” website to fundraise.
Building and maintaining a website costs time and money
Starting a charity doesn’t automatically come with a marketing team, a web developer, or a budget for online donation tools for nonprofits. For many strapped founders, it makes sense that getting a website up and running takes a backseat to the immediate work of serving their communities.
Even a basic website requires:
Registering for a domain name (between $10 and $20 a year)
Website hosting (monthly or annual fees)
A website builder (like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress)
Time to learn the platform, or money to pay someone who already knows it
A brand kit (logo, colors, messaging, and photos that reflect your brand)
Clear copy for your mission, programs, donation ask, and contact info
A donation form or button that integrates securely with a payment processor
Mobile optimization (since many donors give on their phones)
Ongoing updates and quality checks
You don’t need to wait for a website to collect donations online
Nonprofit websites offer many benefits, so we’re not saying to skip this entirely, but you don’t need to wait for a website to collect donations online. Sometimes, holding out for the “perfect” website can unintentionally stall your ability to raise the funds you need now.
When Stacey Horn, founder of Next Chapter Homes TN reflects on what she would change about how her organization operates, she shared, “We didn’t fundraise before opening—I wish we had." Her experience is common among founders who wait to launch campaigns until their website is 'ready,' not realizing they’re missing valuable opportunities to engage supporters early on.
Instead, you can create a free donation form and share the link quickly with donors to start fundraising. When (or if) you decide to create a website in the future, it will only enhance the momentum you’ve already established.
Donors care about security and transparency, not fancy websites
A big reason nonprofits stress over a website design or branding before they launch a donation page is the opinion of their donors. It’s easy to assume supporters want to see a fully functioning website before they give to a cause.
While learning about your organization online is vital in building donor relationships, it doesn’t mean donors won’t give without a website. Today’s charitable individuals aren’t looking for perfection, and connecting with them is much more straightforward than you may think.
A clear mission: They want to understand what you do and why it matters.
An easy and secure way to give: Especially on mobile, where more and more donations are happening.
Trust and transparency: They want to know their money is going to the cause, not overhead or fees.
Luckily, you can achieve all of this from a free donation page builder that allows you to tell your story and add personal touches that donors see all on the same page they’ll complete their gift.
What doesn’t matter as much:
A full-blown website
Fancy design or branding
A custom domain
Professional photos or video
Sometimes those raw and real videos or photos you take on your phone, or a message from the heart that’s not perfectly polished, stand out more to donors who are trying to get a feel for who you are. Beyond visuals and design, donors are looking for clarity on their gift's impact and simple way to donate when and where they feel like it.
How to start fundraising fast without a website: 3 ideas
Still wondering how to pull off fundraising without a website? Here are three simple, proven ways to collect donations without touching a single line of code or hiring a web designer.
These options are easy to launch, cost nothing, and create a professional, trustworthy donor experience. Let’s dive in!
1. Create a fast and easy Zeffy donation page
Zeffy offers 100% free donation forms (among many other campaigns and online donation tools for nonprofits!) built specifically for nonprofits who need a quick, no-fuss solution. That means in under an hour, you can have a professional-looking link to share with donors from any online channel or in person through a simple QR code.
Beyond the look and feel of your donation form, donors want to see how much of their money is going to the cause, so paying attention to fees is essential to gaining their trust. We found that 82% of donors are more likely to give when 100% of their donation goes directly to the organization.
That’s where Zeffy makes a major difference. Unlike other platforms, Zeffy
Eliminates transaction fees, so you won’t see money taken from donations
Skips platform fees, so setting up a donation form or other campaigns remains free
Offers a plug-and-play design to add your visuals, colors, and content easily
Automates tax receipts for every donation to help you stay compliant
Tracks donation data and trends in a simple donation management dashboard
2. Attract donations on social media by adding a link in your bio
If you’re already on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, you have everything you need to fundraise without a website. Your bio, stories, posts, and online engagement are a great way to showcase your cause and tell your story and drive action.
When supporters are already moved or inspired by your posts, all they need is a link to donate from their phone or other device.
Post stories, lives, and reels that highlight your mission
Share your impact with a direct call to action: “Support us here!”
Pro tip:
Zeffy donation forms include social sharing buttons to help donors spread the word. After donors give, you can encourage your followers to share with their community online for even more reach.
3. Build in-person momentum with QR codes on flyers, posters & event materials
You might interact more with your donors as you build your online presence. That’s still a great way to fundraise and won’t require you to collect cash or checks when you have your donation form set up and ready to go.
A built-in QR code like the one you get with Zeffy’s forms can be printed on anything. People can scan it with their phones and immediately land on your donation page to give. You can also add this link or QR code to a business card instead of a formal website, so people can return to give later.
A few ideas on where you can place QR codes:
A sign at community tabling events
Merchandise like coozies, note pads, or bookmarks
Posters you can hang in local businesses or on bulletin boards
Postcards you can mail out
You can also pair your QR code donations with Zeffy’s 100% free Tap-to-Pay app, which turns your phone into a POS to collect payment in person.
QR code fundraising in action
YWCA Lethbridge sells event tickets through Zeffy’s QR code features to give easy access to their donation forms through tables, emails, posters, and billboards. The in-person component to fundraising and Zeffy’s simple forms helped them raise $23,792 and save $1,189 in fees after switching from Eventbrite.
Zeffy was built with new and growing nonprofits in mind. If you don’t have a whole team, a design budget, or time to figure out where to begin pairing together complicated software, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice donations.
When you have tools that truly understand what a scrappy and strapped fundraiser needs, you can grow at your own pace and put more time and energy into the work at the heart of your mission.
As long as you have the following foundations, collecting donations without a website is a breeze.
Mobile-first donation pages
Fundraising transactions completed through mobile devices increased by 50% last year. People usually land on a donation form from social media or QR codes, so as long as your page is mobile-optimized, you’re in the best position to convert that traffic into donations for your cause.
Zeffy’s donation forms take mobile optimization off your plate and are easy to navigate on any device by default. We've got you covered from filling out information to paying through mobile apps like Apple Pay or Google Pay, so your supporters stay on the page until their transaction is complete.
Everything you need to fundraise without extra tools
The frustrating thing about building out a website can be finding out you have to pull together a bunch of tools just to make the donation process work. When time and money are scarce, this can stop nonprofits in their tracks.
The benefit of using a fundraising platform is that whether you’re using a simple donation form, selling merchandise online, or setting up a full event, everything works together. Your donors see a consistent look and feel as they give in various ways, and you can track and manage everything on the backend from a single dashboard.
Zeffy isn’t just a place to collect money—it handles everything you’d usually need four to five tools for without third-party software or a costly upgrade to a “pro” plan.
In-person donations
Event ticketing
Peer-to-peer campaigns
eCommerce
Raffles and lotteries
Auctions
Membership programs
Donor data tracking and export
Messaging tools to say thanks and build relationships
What if you want to build a website later?
Getting started with a donation form instead of, before, or during your website building process won’t set you back or require you to start from scratch if you want to direct donors to your main domain. In fact, you can embed your Zeffy donation form right into your website when the time comes and use the same fundraising process you’re used to.
A glimpse at using your donation form with a website:
Embed your existing donation form on your homepage or relevant campaign pages
Link your donation form from your main menu or buttons
Continue collecting donations, seeing all activity, and reporting in Zeffy
Add as many unique Zeffy campaign form links as you want over time
Rely on 100% no cost for any fundraising needs with Zeffy’s zero-fee model
Totally. You don’t need a full website to fundraise. All you need is a clear mission and a secure donation link. Zeffy pages are built for nonprofits like yours and trusted by thousands, with absolutely no cost to use the tools that help you raise money for your mission.
You can share your donation page anywhere your nonprofit engages donors. If you want to share it online, drop the link in your Instagram bio, email footer, or Facebook posts.
If you want to share in person, you can add a QR code to merchandise or print flyers where supporters can scan and access your donation page on their phones. It’s super flexible.
You can customize your donation page to help donors get a feel for who you are and what you stand for before they donate. You can add your logo, mission blurb, colors, and even custom donation amounts that guide people on what will make the most impact. Zeffy’s forms are plug-and-play, so they feel like you without design or tech experience. This way, you can customize in minutes instead of hours if that’s all you have time for to get up and running.
Zeffy’s data shows that donors trust nonprofits and give when they know their donation is going to the cause and there are no fees. They want to hear from nonprofits and understand exactly how their gifts make an impact, while also knowing that their data and payment information are secure.
Zeffy donation pages help you address all of these elements to appear professional and trustworthy and build lasting donor relationships to fund your mission.
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