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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.
Choosing a fundraising platform for your nonprofit can feel overwhelming. With so many options available, how do you know which one will truly work for you?
In this in-depth review, we’ll take a closer look at Give Lively, its strengths, weaknesses, and what real users are saying. From hidden fees to its overall user experience, we’ll explore the critical details you need to know before committing.
We’ll also compare Give Lively with leading competitors, giving you a deep dive into pricing, features, and overall ease of use on several practical fundraising solutions. This curation of user testimonials from Give Lively member nonprofits, ratings, and direct comparisons gives you everything you need to make an informed decision.
Give Lively is a tech company built to make fundraising easier and more accessible for nonprofits. We offer a comprehensive platform of digital tools—completely free of charge—to help nonprofits raise money online, engage with donors, and streamline their fundraising efforts.
Since our start in 2015, our goal has been to inspire nonprofits with powerful fundraising technology without the high costs often associated with it. Funded by philanthropists, we cover the operational costs, so nonprofits can use our platform without worrying about fees.
Many nonprofits love how easy it is to set up and customize campaigns, whether text-to-give, peer-to-peer fundraising for social and environmental justice or event ticketing to fund immigrant services through the Give Lively platform. The platform gives your donation pages a professional look and makes it simple for donors to give, which is a win for any organization.
That said, while Give Lively covers the basics beautifully, some nonprofits mention that it would be even better with a few extras like a CRM integration or more advanced donor messaging options that align to the digital age. Reporting can also be a little tricky for more complex events.
But if you're looking for a solid, no-cost solution that helps you raise funds efficiently while keeping things user-friendly, Give Lively is a solid choice to consider. It's particularly useful for smaller organizations or anyone wanting to streamline their fundraising without the hefty price tag.
Key features include:
Responsive Table
Feature category
Key features
Fundraising options
- Recurring donations
- Online appeals (can be shared through QR codes)
- Custom fundraising goals
- Multi-channel fundraising (campaign pages, event ticketing, peer-to-peer, and text-to-donate)
Payment flexibility
- Flexible payment options (credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, digital wallets, ACH transfers)
- Donors covering processing fees
User experience
- User portal for donors
- Customizable branding and design
- Easy-to-share social/email/SMS options
- Unlimited access to real-time donor data and on-demand exports
Event fundraising
- Event ticketing with customizable options (ticket tiers, sale periods, complimentary tickets)
- Live donation tracking and integration with event pages
It’s one thing to see advanced features laid out, and another to hear from real users. Let’s dive into honest reviews over the last few years to answer some common questions or a request you might be thinking about as you evaluate what’s best for your organization.
Give Lively pros and cons: What do users say?
Give Lively pros
Text-to-give feature
The text-to-give and Give Lively mobile features are standouts for nonprofits seeking a simple, efficient way to engage donors right on their phones or other mobile devices. Users love the app's customization, which helps align it with specific fundraising campaigns and target different segments of a donor base.
As more donors are increasingly reliant on their cell phones, having these options like text messages can be a great way to attract new generations, too. Any way to mobile-optimize the giving experience can pay off, and Give Lively phone capabilities help.
“I love the text to give an option that is customizable and tied into a campaign and the ability to have multiple campaigns is awesome.” - Ellie B.
Easy set up
Give Lively offers a quick and straightforward way to start with Give Lively. The platform’s professional look means even small teams can create polished, user-friendly donation pages quickly.
Fundraising software should be simple to get started with, as a proven way to create real impact and kicking things into motion faster. Being unable to work with features or understand your fundraising site (especially if customer service reps don’t always respond) can impact your entire strategy.
“The platform is super easy to use and set up. It makes your giving page look professional and user-friendly.” - Svetlana I.
Great for small nonprofits
Give Lively is ideal for spotlighting nonprofits making a difference who operate with a lean team, offering low fees and no yearly charges. Plus, its easy integration with your website makes it simple to launch campaigns without much tech hassle.
When you’re working with a lean team, it can help to emphasize ease of use in your fundraising platform. Any learning curves or complex systems may slow down processes and take time away from engaging your community.
“It's perfect for our small non-profit. It's great that they take only a small percentage of our donations and don't charge huge yearly fees. The donation campaigns you can design with this software look great and it's easy to connect to our website!” - Maya L.
The platform does not charge a monthly fee or activation fee which many users enjoy compared to pricey alternatives that may increase in price as a nonprofit scales. It’s important to note there are transaction fees to consider, but the low cost is a pro you can enjoy.
Fees add up, and you want to be sure that as you grow and fundraise more, all features are still available at no cost. That means more donations going directly to your mission!
“It's pretty great to not have to pay a monthly or annual fee for a fundraising product where you can text to give and support a peer to peer fundraiser.” - Ellie B.
What are the limitations of Give Lively?
Reporting
Running detailed reports can be a bit tricky, and some integrations don’t work as seamlessly as hoped. This might feel like an uncomfortable hurdle if your nonprofit relies heavily on data.
Analytics are essential to a strategic fundraising plan. Data is gold when it comes to making decisions based on your unique supporter base, goals, and growth.
“I did not like that it was a bit difficult to run reports and the integration for our walk could have been a little smoother allowing for more people to have access to their team information.” - Jon B.
Customer support can be hard to access when you need it most, and responses sometimes feel a bit underwhelming. If a quick assist is a must for you, this could be a frustrating experience.
You want your fundraising software to be your partner and never have to worry about what might happen if you can’t get in touch. This is especially important to consider when you think about how it impacts the experience you’re offering donors.
“My biggest issue is the tech support. there was no way to find support once you are logged in. you have to go to the main page not logged in to see the chat option. I did this two different times and both times the response was the same. At one point I was told that "this was a fee product". Does that mean I am to expect it not to work?” - Jeremy W.
Hidden fees
While advertised as “free,” Give Lively’s transaction fees can catch you off guard, especially with Stripe’s transaction charges. It’s important to know that hidden costs like these could impact your bottom line, and it’s normal not to know about all costs up front.
The more you raise, the more you’ll get taken out in fees so this is a consideration as you’re budgeting and planning your fundraising activities. It’ll help to see what’s affordable and what your budget is for a fundraising software purchase to locate the best option.
“Free with no catch? NO! Give Lively requires the user to have a stripe.com account which charges for every transaction. Stripe.com has a nonprofit discount but, and i find this just amazing, they will not tell you what the discount is unless you first set up an account with them!” - Richard Y.
Give Lively doesn’t have as many integrations that support the donor management and relationship-building side of fundraising. This is an important consideration as personalized outreach and tailored campaigns are becoming essential to donor acquisition and retention.
“There are a few add ons that I think would be helpful, like a CRM integration or the ability to message out from this platform. The offerings are basic but FREE so I'm really not complaining.” - Ellie B.
Give Lively pricing
Give Lively is advertised as a free fundraising platform and does not charge a platform fee. However, costs still add up as you raise more for your critical work with the platform.
How do Give Lively fees work?
Be aware that Give Lively does charge nonprofits for every transaction through processing fees that are deducted from your donation totals:
ACH/Bank transfers: 0.8% (capped at $5 per transaction)
- Low cost (no platform fee)
- User-friendly with customizable donation pages
- Limited integrations and advanced fundraising features
- Basic reporting tools
Zeffy
- It is a completely free platform with no setup or transaction fees
- Easy-to-use interface with integrated fundraising tools and more resources available for free to advance your mission
- Fewer integrations
- Donor-covered tips may confuse people
Givebutter
- Premium features are available, and strong peer-to-peer fundraising tools
- Flexible payment options (credit cards, PayPal, Venmo)
- Platform fee (1.5%) on top of transaction fees + additional cost for premium plan
- Limited customization without premium upgrades which can increase complex issues
Classy
- Extensive fundraising tools, including peer-to-peer, recurring donations, and event management
- Advanced reporting and analytics features
- Complexity that may not suit smaller nonprofits.
- Platform and transaction fees can add up
How does Give Lively compare to other fundraising platforms?
1. Zeffy
Give Lively vs Zeffy: Which is better?
Zeffy is the top alternative to Give Lively not only because it’s truly 100% free (without transaction fees) but also because of its robust functionality and customer service team to help maximize nonprofit success.
It’s a great option for a feature-packed platform for organizations focusing on everything from reproductive health and domestic violence to racial equality and animal shelters without the cost, while maintaining simple set up and user experiences.
Zeffy’s key features include:
Mobile giving
Point-of-sale tool for in-person donations
Event management and raffles
E-commerce
Crowdfunding campaigns
Peer-to-peer fundraising with family, co-workers, friends, and loved ones
Membership management
Auctions
Email automation
Recurring donations
Fundraising thermometer
User feedback
“0% processing fees is huge. What makes the service stellar is that everyone and everything (platform, set up, forms, etc) I have worked with has been a breeze to interact with. The “pay to play” companies need to take some notes from Zeffy.” - Lance N.
Which is easier to use: Give Lively or Givebutter?
Givebutter is another Give Lively alternative that offers a broader range of modernized online giving tools. The platform has no fees, but payment processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 apply, with an option to allow donors to cover this expense.
Key features of Givebutter:
Multi-channel fundraising
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Event management
User feedback
“Super easy verification and startup - found all of the educational videos super helpful. The on-going improvements keep me on my toes and seems almost intuitive.” - Kristina N.
Classy is an alternative that larger organizations with a budget for fundraising software might prefer. Classy offers a variety of features for managing the donor experience from start to finish, and custom quotes are required to determine the exact price for your organization.
Key features of Classy:
Authentic storytelling and visuals
Donor engagement
Seamless giving experience
User feedback
“We have been using Classy for many years now, and have raised tens of thousands of dollars from our growing community of donors. Classy is incredibly easy to use, and has amazing support, even though we're on a completely different time zone to the support team!” - Claire B.
Give Lively provides nonprofits with tools for digital fundraising, for causes spanning from education to the niche of preserving biodiversity in healthcare in the future. Their platform allows organizations to create campaign pages, accept donations, sell event tickets, and run peer-to-peer fundraising while helping communities reconnect to tackle tough challenges.
Key features that have people pulled into the Give Lively effect include customizable designs, recurring donation options, and secure payment processing through various channels like credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, and ACH transfers.
Yes, Give Lively takes security seriously with all gifts that users contribute. The platform employs end-to-end encryption and SSL-protected pages to maintain a commitment to the safety of all donor and transaction data.
Additionally, it is PCI Level 1 compliant, the highest level of certification for payment card security, and uses secure payment processing through Stripe, a trusted leader in payment solutions. This means your data and your donors' data are well protected at all times.
While Give Lively’s platform is free for nonprofits, transaction fees apply on each donation made, which comes at a cost. A deeper understanding of hidden Give Lively fees and costs is guiding nonprofits to make informed decisions.
The Give Lively Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization collecting donations to allocate to other public charities and private foundations across the United States. The Give Lively Foundation works with Give Lively LLC, fueling fundraising solutions for nonprofits.
