11 Best Donation Websites (free & paid) for Fundraising [2025]

The number of online donor websites for nonprofits and individuals is always growing, and most small and medium-sized nonprofits have limited time and resources to research all available fundraising tools. That's where we can help. 

We've researched, used, and read reviews on donation websites to provide you with comprehensive comparisons and recommendations, helping you maximize contributions and minimize fees. 

In this article, we will share tips on what to look for in a donation website and provide in-depth information on 11 top donation websites for nonprofits and individuals.

As you learn more about each of these online fundraising solutions tools, keep in mind your organization's fundraising goals and donors' primary interests to make the biggest impact on your nonprofit community. 

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11 Best Fundraising Websites

• ‍1. Zeffy – A 100% free fundraising for your nonprofit organization

• 2. Givebutter – free comprehensive event fundraising website

• ‍3. Give Lively – flexible and affordable fundraising tool for nonprofits 

• ‍4. GoFundMe – free individual crowdfunding tool

• ‍5. Fundly – easiest individual fundraising site

• ‍6. Patreon – membership platform for individuals and nonprofits

• ‍7. Donor Perfect – best major donor management and fundraising tool 

• ‍8. Donorbox – affordable fundraising tool with integrations to help charities grow

• ‍9. Double the Donation – comprehensive matching gift donation tool

• ‍10. Donors Choose – best fundraising website for teachers 

• ‍11. RallyUp – easy and impactful fundraising tool for charities   

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Our articles on the best donation websites are written by humans who've spent their careers working on fundraisers.

We spend dozens of hours researching and testing websites to determine which one is best suited for the goal for which it's used. We have not received payment for placement in our articles from any website or company.

Our goal is to be as transparent as possible with readers to ensure their trust. 

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Key Features to Consider when Choosing the Best Charity Donation Websites

Most donation platforms let organizations and individuals create donation forms and web pages to raise money online. Many donation websites also focus on events, major donor prospecting, and product sales. 

You may be looking for a simple donation website or need a complete fundraising platform. We will cover several options below to suit your needs.

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The following list includes various fundraising features your nonprofit can utilize to raise money:

• Recurring donations 

• Event ticketing 

• Raffles 

• Peer-to-peer and crowdfunding 

• Auction bidding 

• Donor databases 

• Text-to-give 

• Memberships 

• T-party integrations 

• Mobile giving 

• eCommerce 

• Customized donation pages

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The Full Breakdown: Top 11 Donation Sites 

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1. Zeffy - The only 100% free donation website for nonprofits 

Pros: 

• 100% free (no platform, transaction, or processing fees) - All the money goes to your organization.

• Easy to use 

• Customizable donation form, page, and tickets 

• Donor database to collect online and offline donor information 

• Helpful customer service 

• Peer-to-peer fundraising campaign tool 

• ‍Ticket selling for events and raffles 

• Mobile-friendly 

• Multiple payment methods for donors (and recurring giving options) 

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Con: 

Only available for registered nonprofits in the US and Canada 

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Zeffy was started in Canada by two college students who wanted to ensure that nonprofits can keep all the funds they raised. This easy-to-use tool is the only 100% free donation website. Zeffy's sole source of revenue is voluntary donor tips.  

This fundraising solution is excellent for new and smaller nonprofits. With all the tools you need, including event and raffle ticketing, team fundraising, peer-to-peer campaigns, eCommerce, and memberships, organizations can explore various fundraising strategies and grow their organization at no cost.

Zeffy's donor management system automatically imports donor information when purchases and gifts are made. Nonprofits can also manually import donor information and past transactions, add notes, and segment donors to send personal communications.   

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Pricing: 

100% free — no hidden fees

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User feedback: 

“Zeffy was amazing! It truly was under friendly, exceptionally easy to use on both the set up and user side and made for an incredibly smooth fundraising process on our end. The data it provided as well as the clear and concise formatting was lovely and so helpful! We saved a ton and made a ton which was a really meaningful win on all sides. Sending this resource to all my non-profit connections!” - Hannah B.

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2. Givebutter - Customizable tools to increase excitement and funds raised at your event

Pros: 

• Nonprofits and Individuals can raise funds 

• Affordable thanks to the “tip” option 

• Easy to integrate with third-party websites  

• Helpful customer service 

• Live event display to inspire attendees 

• Mobile-friendly fundraising and ticket scanning  

• Multiple payment options 

• Customizable donation forms, pages, and tickets 

• Mobile auction bidding for online and in-person events  

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Cons: 

• Not a 100% free fundraising tool 

• Campaign and reporting tools can be complicated and need updating 

• Can't send individual emails to specific donors 

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Givebutter is an online  donation platform that advertises itself as a free fundraising tool, but this website has two payment models that nonprofits can choose from. Givebutter does offer several fundraising options for nonprofits and individuals, including donation forms and pages, event ticketing, online auction bidding, donor management, and more.

A unique feature that can help nonprofits excite donors at fundraising events is their Live Display. Organizations can use this to share donations coming in and promote QR and text-giving during events.

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Pricing: 

Givebutter’s basic option is affordable but not entirely free. The standard platform fee (1–5%) can be waived if you enable optional tips from donors; otherwise, the fee applies. Additionally, a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee per transaction is always applied, but donors have the option to cover it. If donors do not cover the processing fee, it is deducted from the donation amount.

The latest offering of Givebutter Plus charges a monthly fee based on the number of supporters you manage or plan to manage in the future. In addition to the contact-based pricing, nonprofits will be charged the 2.9% + 30¢ processing fee per transaction. Monthly fees range from $29 to custom pricing.

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User feedback: 

“Givebutter's comprehensive tools have been easy to learn and fun to use. Our onboarding team, further supported by the free Givebutter Academy course and live Bootcamp webinars, really helped set us up for success. The Givebutter team and business model have been genuine, sincere, and transparent.”

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3. Give Lively - Donor-centric and customizable designs for nonprofit donation pages and fundraising campaigns

Pros: 

• No platform or transaction fees 

• Simple set-up 

• Text-to-give 

• Event ticketing 

• Peer-to-peer fundraising 

• 3rd-party integrations 

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Cons: 

• Only available for 501(c)(3) charities 

• As a nonprofit themself, Give Lively screens all applications manually  

• It can take up to 10 days 

• Give Lively does not accept organizations that don't meet their values (this can be a pro or con depending on your organization) 

• Limited database and reporting features 

• Not as customizable as other websites 

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Philanthropists founded Give Lively in 2015 to level the playing field for nonprofits of all sizes. Give Lively is another 100% free donation website. They can do this because of funding by the founders and their “pay free forward” option for donors to leave voluntary tips when checking out.   

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Pricing: 

Give Lively has no platform or transaction fees. Nonprofits will still pay fees from Paypal, Stripe, and Lob processing fees, and fees from other third-party integrations with Salesforce and Double the Donation.

User feedback: 

“The platform is super easy to use and set up. It makes your giving page look professional and user-friendly.” - Svetlana I.

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4. GoFundMe - individuals and nonprofits can reach a larger audience with this powerful crowdfunding campaign tool

Pros: 

• Available in several countries 

• You don't have to meet your fundraising goal to withdraw funds 

• Campaigns are easy to set up 

• You don't have to meet your goal to collect funds 

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Cons: 

• Fees model with 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

• You must use Facebook to upload a profile picture 

• Transparency issues with where they're using funds 

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GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform that was founded in 2010 and became popular because it was the first of its kind. GoFundMe campaigns have helped raise over $15 billion. Since its founding, GoFundMe has made changes to its website, allowing fundraisers to collect funds even if they don't meet their fundraising goals.  

There are issues surrounding GoFundMe campaigns that have led people to question using the website. Recent reviews have highlighted problems with transparency, unaccounted funds, and inadequate practical support. GoFundMe remains popular due to its ability to connect with donors. 

Campaigns are automatically made public and can be found on GoFundMe's search directory or you can make it private. 

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Pricing: 

2.9% + $0.30 transaction fees on each donation

User feedback:

“You meet your goals quickly and it’s useful for those that are really in hardship it is a great way to reach goal for much needed service”  - Angelique M.

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5. Fundly - this crowdfunding tool makes it easier to raise money for your next campaign

Pros: 

• Easy to set up 

• Mobile optimized 

• No minimum fundraising amount to keep your funds  

• All “likes” and comments from social media sites are automatically shown on your activity feed 

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Cons: 

• Transaction fees with 2.9% + 30 cents/transaction

• Limited customization 

• No recurring donations 

• Not as much exposure to external donors as GoFundMe 

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Fundly was founded in 2009, but didn't gain the same level of brand recognition. Earlier reviews complained about high fees, but they now have the same fee structure as other similar websites. Fundly offers similar fundraising options to GoFundMe and provides slightly better customer service. 

The fundamental issues with this website stem from its limitations in accepting recurring donations and customizing campaigns, but it will still meet your basic fundraising needs. 

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Pricing: 

2.9% + $0.30 transaction fees on each donation

User feedback:

“I appreciate the amount of information it holds and how it helps companies to stay organized, give tasks, hold employee data, etc.” - Verified User

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6. Patreon - build and strengthen relationships with your audience using this membership program

Pros: 

• Use anywhere 

• Share exclusive content in exchange for paid membership 

• Predictable and reliable revenue streams 

• You can sell media products too  

• Members are sent reminders for expired cards and when payments are declined 

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Cons: 

• Only useful for content creators 

• Not build for non-profits

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Patreon is the newest on our list of individual fundraising tools. It was founded in 2013, and instead of focusing on charitable causes, the target market was content creators seeking additional income. 

Since its founding, it has become a primary source of revenue for content creators worldwide. They have helped raise over $3.5 billion for creators, but they take a commission of between 5% and 12% of their earnings. 

While nonprofits can create Patreon pages, the fees and outreach limitations make it less useful than other donation websites. If you don't already have a popular blog post or YouTube channel, we recommend you look elsewhere. 

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Pricing: 

Patreon is free to sign up, but its fees are higher than those of other individual donation websites. Patreon's Lite plan has a 5% commission for workshops, communication tools, and a hosted webpage. 

Content creators can join the Pro plan and pay an 8% fee for additional features, including membership tiers, analytics, unlimited integrations, and promotional tools. Patreon also has a Premium plan for 12% fees and a dedicated partner manager.

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User feedback:

“Patreon treats its content creators very well I feel and the creators get to ask for donations to help them with creating more content and maintaining their channels on Pateron. I feel like Pateron puts content creators in the drivers seat when it comes to controlling what they choose to produce compared to other platforms which are not as friendly to content creators of which I won't mention.” - Lindsay H.

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7. Donor Perfect - Use this fundraising tool to unlock and get more use from your donor data

Pros: 

• Customizable donor database to meet specific needs 

• Ability to track team goals 

• Comprehensive fundraising and financial reporting  

• Integrates with third-party websites to provide tools like major donor prospecting 

• Excellent customer service 

• Easy to import data, track donor connections, and pull reports 

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Cons: 

• It can be challenging to figure out 

• Costly 

• Missing ways to search for donors and doesn't include information like whether the donation was in memory or honor of 

• Doesn't include a simple way to record and report on volunteer hours 

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As we all know, relationship building is the most crucial part of fundraising. Donor Perfect is an excellent tool for that purpose. This fundraising website develops in-depth reporting for major donors, grants, and financial requirements. It also allows nonprofits to tag donors and pull reports to send personal appeals. 

The integration with Donor Search enables users to gain a deeper understanding of a donor's past giving history and interests. Donor Perfect also allows users to upload a photo of the donor so staff and volunteers can easily find them and connect during events. 

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Pricing: 

To obtain a quote for your ideal donation website needs, please contact Donor Perfect. However, please note that the more comprehensive your requirements, the higher the cost will be.

User feedback:

“We have used DonorSearch in our Advancement shop since 2017, and have been very happy with the prompt delivery of results as well as the intuitive platform they have provided for all of our batch screening needs. The customer service has always been polite and timely, and they have been more than willing to provide training and extra explanations of their tools whenever it has been required.” - Aubrey H.

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8. Donorbox - make it easier for donors to give to your nonprofit

Pros:  

• Donors can pay with Stripe, PayPal, ACH, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo 

• Donors can cover all fees 

• Nonprofits can collect donor information on the backend and segment donors based on numerous factors 

• Customizable donation forms and pages 

• Integrates well with several third-party fundraising tools 

• QuickDonate makes it easy for donors to set up their own recurring donations and make regular gifts without needing to import contact information. 

• Live Kiosk lets nonprofits collect credit card donations with only a tablet 

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Cons: 

• Everything is kept in Donorbox. If a donor wants to manage their information, they must create a Donorbox account. 

• Complex pricing model. Their fee structure is constantly changing  

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Donorbox started as a basic fundraising tool for small to medium-sized organizations. Since then, they have added many features and increased the cost. These added features and integrations with other third-party websites enable nonprofits to collect vital donor information and develop a customized system tailored to their specific needs.

Donorbox also makes it easy for nonprofits to segment donors based on their program interests and ability to pay. Donorbox is an excellent tool for growing your organization, but if cost is your primary concern, it is no longer as affordable as other fundraising websites.  

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Pricing: 

Donorbox's Standard Package is free to set up and has no monthly fees. For a 1.75% platform fee plus processing fees, nonprofits can create donation forms and pages and use Donorbox's QuickDonate and Donorbox Live features. A higher platform fee of 2.95% allows nonprofits to use Donorbox's events, memberships, and peer-to-peer campaigns. 

Donorbox's Pro Package is $139 per month and includes a 1.5% flat-rate platform fee for all features. It integrates with Zapier and API for better donor database collection, tracking, and analytics.

User feedback:

“This software package is so affordable, easy to install and use and get all of its benefits in a short time and once it is done, it keeps going on without any further effort to keep and maintain it. It integrates payment processers and gets immediate and timely information about the donors, transaction number, amounts donated and a monthly cumulative report on total donations. This feature of details of donations is the most invaluable together with periodical deposits by Stripe to our bank account, so that we have money to spend.” - Ahmad M.

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9. Double the Donation - Double your organization's income with matching gifts

Pros: 

• Best matching gift tool available 

• Integrates with many other fundraising websites 

• Email appeal templates 

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Cons: 

• No simple list of companies that match donations 

• Costly with licence cost

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Double the Donation stands out on this list and in the nonprofit donation website world because it dominates one specific fundraising category: matching gifts. Nonprofits seeking to secure matching gifts from their donor base will significantly benefit from utilizing this donation website. Many donation websites integrate with this website to better serve their donor base.  

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Pricing: 

• An Essentials plan is available for organizations with under $500,000 in total annual revenue, ranging from $300 to $1,200, depending on the amount matched.

• Standard plan starts at $999/year 

• Customizable plans start at $30,000/year 

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User feedback:

“Double the Donation helped us easily earn extra money and double our impact. It was easy to set up, and they helped our agency integrate with both Qgiv and OneCause. Their customer support is fantastic, both onboarding and ongoing support. We use it everyday!” -Bethany G.

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10. Donors Choose - Support teachers nationwide with the tools they need

Pros: 

• Free for teachers 

• Easy to set up an account and start a campaign for classroom projects 

• Offers donation matching opportunities 

• Individuals can support teachers and classrooms nationwide 

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Cons: 

• Higher prices – Donors Choose adds an automatic fee 

• Can only use approved vendors 

• Teachers only receive funds if they meet their fundraising goals 

• No live support 

• Shipments can take a while 

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DonorsChoose is a donation website specifically for teachers. Teachers can set up a campaign for their classroom and request specific tools to support their efforts. Donors from anywhere can contribute to the project, and DonorsChoose will purchase the necessary products.

Resources are only for the classrooms for which they were requested, so teachers cannot take them if they transfer schools. While this can be frustrating for teachers, it does provide the schools with more resources. 

Campaigns like this are tricky. If you have a unique idea that will catch people's attention, a website like this can be ideal. According to their website, 75% of donations come from donors with no connection to the school or teacher.  

If you simply need funds to cover a shortfall of pencils or paper, it's probably best to stay local and try to find more affordable resources.

Still, this donation website has funded over two million classroom projects. 

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Pricing: 

A 1.5% processing fee applies to every donation.

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User feedback:

“My students rely on visual supports to help them navigate our schedule each day. The large color display and audible reminder will help my students remain focused on their task. They will know exactly how long they have to complete an activity, and when they are permitted to take a break. The timers will also help the many adults in my classroom follow our daily schedule.” - Teacher

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11. RallyUp - Run multiple raffles and auctions at once with this easy-to-use fundraising tool

Pros: 

• Easy to use and customizable 

• Excellent customer service 

• Can run multiple raffles and silent auctions in an event 

• Can include several pictures in your silent auction 

• Online and offline ticket management 

Cons: 

• Limited contact with people who buy tickets 

• Limited reporting 

• Must pay more for donation pages, forms, and CRM 

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RallyUp is a donation website that specializes in helping you collect donations through raffles and auctions, offering additional fundraising tools for Premium users. The RallyUp system is easy to set up and use, and they have helpful support staff to answer questions. 

The primary issue nonprofits may have with this website is that their free package does not allow for the collection of in-depth donor information. This means relationships with raffle and auction winners are limited. In the short term, the ease of use for this website is excellent; however, to grow your nonprofit, you will need to sign up for Premium services.  

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Pricing: 

Both RallyUp’s free and flex plans give you access to all RallyUp fundraising activities and features. Free pricing allows you to use RallyUp’s platform without paying a platform fee. 

With flex pricing, RallyUp deducts a platform fee, which ranges from 2.9% to 3.9%, depending on the activity. There is also a 2.9% transaction fee, plus $0.30, for every donation made.

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User feedback:

“RallyUp is amazing! I had heard about the platform through word of mouth. I have never run a silent auction before or built a website like this and it was so user friendly and so easy to use! Everything from building the site to the support that I got from our Fundraising Specialist was incredible. She was able to answer every question that I had and hold my hand while I launched go Live!” - Jackie J.

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How Y'all Used Zeffy to Raise $17,435 with Online Fundraising 

Anyone in the nonprofit sector knows how challenging it can be to establish a nonprofit. Y'all was founded in Indiana in 2022. Their goal was to create a supportive and inclusive environment for queer individuals. 

Setting up their first fundraising event, “Fill All My Bowls,” seemed simple, but it didn't take long before they realized they needed a way to sell tickets. They decided on Zeffy because it was free, and donations would make the most impact.  

As a new nonprofit, they Y'all hadn't received their tax incorporation letter from the IRS. The fact that Zeffy allowed them to start a campaign as a nonprofit at any level made it possible to raise funds right away.  

After a successful fundraising event, Y'all decided to use Zeffy for everything. They're even planning to open an eStore with Zeffy's eCommerce site. So far, Y'all has saved $850 in fees and has raised $17,435. 

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Factors to Consider Before Choosing the Best Donation Sites

Fundraising is critical for nonprofit organizations. Online donation websites make it easier for nonprofits and individuals to raise funds for any goal. 

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Define your goals 

Before you can find the right fundraising tool for your organization, you must have detailed goals and a strategic fundraising plan.

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For example:

• How should your donation website align with marketing efforts?

• What do you need to build donor relationships?

• Do you need a donor portal?

• Will you run multiple campaigns, and which are most important?

• What are non-negotiables in your giving process?

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A fundraising strategy provides a roadmap for your board, staff, and volunteers, outlining ways to effectively communicate your organization's mission and raise the necessary funds. As you research these donation websites, keep in mind your organization's fundraising strategy and how each feature will help you manage donations.

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Consider your audience 

In addition to your nonprofit goals for fundraising success, you also have a unique donor base. Are most of your donors young professionals or senior citizens looking to retire? Do you have more families or individual donors?

The answer to these questions will determine what types of fundraisers can help you find success. Before choosing an online donation website with exciting features, ensure that these features align with your donors' interests and their ability to give. 

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Look for Scalability 

As your organization grows, you'll want a comprehensive online fundraising platform to grow with you. Many of the donation websites on this list offer customization and integration with other 3rd-party websites.

You can also look for ways to support relationships with long-term recurring donors, track fundraising goals, and continue donor engagement. These features are essential for new and smaller organizations that want to try out different campaigns to see which works best for their needs. 

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Research Fundraising Trends 

Most online donation websites offer crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising, but why has this approach become so popular, and is it worthwhile?  41% of people have donated to a crowdfunding campaign, and the popularity of these campaigns is not decreasing. 

Crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising have already raised billions of dollars for individuals and nonprofits worldwide. Campaigns that consistently update supporters receive 126% more and have a better chance of success.  

These numbers are exciting, but your organization also needs several key elements for a successful campaign.

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Check Security Measures and Tax Receipts 

Donors have numerous organizations to choose from, and they are more informed about how organizations utilize their funds and private information. You'll want to conduct due diligence to ensure that donation websites have the necessary security measures in place to protect this information. 

Security policies can change over time, so it's a good idea to review the current version before making a purchase. Remember that a primary reason donors give to charities is to receive a tax deduction. Donors can only do this with proper documentation in place.

Online donation websites can help donors and nonprofits with automatic donation receipts. In most cases, donors will receive a receipt via email after making a purchase or donating. In some cases, online donation websites also allow nonprofits to send year-end tax receipts to their entire donor base.  

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Which Donation Website Should You Use? 

Choosing an online donation website for your nonprofit can be time-consuming and confusing. We hope our list of tools and features has provided you with a good starting point for finding the right one for your organization. 

Remember to keep your nonprofit's fundraising goals in mind and look for websites that offer customization, integration, and scalability to ensure they grow with your organization. If you're looking for more, check out more articles to help you find nonprofit tools and get donations for a fundraiser. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

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