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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.
We live in an online world, which has shaped how a nonprofit organization thinks about engaging supporters and donors. 94% of consumers/donors say that their first impression of a brand is based on its website's design. For nonprofits, this means leveraging effective website builders that offer strong online visibility, donation form functionality, and affordability.
But for small, grassroots organizations with limited budgets and time, creating a website can be daunting.
In this article, we’ll cover all your questions about the necessity of a website, as well as compare the top nine free or low-cost website builders, highlighting features, pricing, and more.
Does your nonprofit actually need a website?
If you’re running a small or grassroots nonprofit, building a traditional website might sound like the first step, but it’s often not the most effective use of your time or budget. Between web design, domain hosting, ongoing updates, and security, a full website can quickly become a financial and logistical burden, especially when your real focus should be on building a community and raising funds.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a full-blown website to start making an impact.
Platforms like Zeffy are designed specifically for nonprofits, giving you everything you need to fundraise, manage events, collect donations, send emails, and communicate with your supporters—all in one place. Instead of juggling multiple tools (or investing in custom website development), you can use Zeffy to:
Launch branded donation pages and ticketed events in minutes
Immediately collect donations
Send email campaigns and updates to donors
Automate receipts and thank-you messages
Track donations and donor info from one simple dashboard
And unlike many website builders or fundraising platforms, Zeffy doesn’t charge you platform or transaction fees—meaning 100% of every donation goes toward your mission.
1. Zeffy – Best nonprofit website builder for accepting donations online
Unlike other website builders, Zeffy offers features like a free online store, donation pages, and lots of other free donation tools. These features may eliminate the need for a separate website for nonprofits.
This is especially powerful for grassroots and small nonprofits, many of which operate solely through a social media presence. These organizations often don’t have the time, budget, or technical skills to create and maintain a full-fledged website—yet they still need professional tools to fundraise effectively.
Zeffy bridges that gap. In just minutes, you can launch a branded donation page, start selling tickets to your next fundraiser, or even open an online store for merch—all without a website and all completely free.
What makes Zeffy a great nonprofit website builder?
Zeffy is an all-in-one fundraising platform that allows nonprofits to easily:
Nonprofits can’t build a fully fledged website with Zeffy. Instead, they can publish unlimited branded donation and campaign pages, run events, track donations, and more.
“Creating and adding the giving form on our website was easy and well laid out, integration with our bank accounts and options for when deposits happen are ok. Really have not had to spend much time managing” -Mark C.
2. Wix – Easiest option to create a nonprofit website in minutes
Wix makes website development simple with a simple interface and templates. You can add numerous web pages and an e-commerce store to your nonprofit organization's website.
What makes Wix a great website builder for your nonprofit?
Drag and drop editor
Mobile optimized
Event registration
A basic donation form is available
Apps available
Customized colors and fonts
Easily connect third-party integrations
Con:
Customer service is difficult to reach
Templates:
Multiple templates to create a beautiful website for nonprofits
Pricing:
The Wix website builder has paid plans that start at $17 a month when billed annually (includes a free one-year domain)
Review
“I've designed about two dozen websites for clients using Wix. Very easy to use. Templates are excellent. New features are cutting edge. Customer service is a bit more difficult to reach, but once you've got them, they are top-notch. Shop app is more than adequate. Follow up features and automations are more than adequate. Very satisfied. I use it basically every day. Integrations with other software programs seems adequate so far.” -Cathy G.
Wix nonprofit FAQs
TechSoup members can purchase a one-year Premium plan for 70% off and a free one-year domain registration.
Wix integrates with PayPal and other online donation tools to collect donations. Donation forms are only available using old Wix Forms and require a Premium plan, which does not offer many nonprofit-specific features.
Yes. While Wix lets you build a website and accept payments with certain paid plans, it doesn’t come with built-in nonprofit fundraising tools like peer-to-peer fundraising, event ticketing, or donation receipts tailored for tax purposes.
Not really. First, you’ll need to set up your Wix site, choose a pricing plan that supports payments, and connect a payment provider (like Stripe or PayPal). Then, you'll need to embed a donation form or install a fundraising app. This setup takes time—so it’s not ideal for grassroots or small nonprofits that need to start quickly.
Somewhat. Wix offers templates and a drag-and-drop editor, but designing a professional-looking donation page or nonprofit site can still be overwhelming if you don’t have web design experience. Without design skills, it’s easy to end up with a cluttered or ineffective site, especially when trying to add fundraising elements.
3. Squarespace – Best nonprofit website builder for e-commerce integration and community-building services
Squarespace is one of the top website builders with robust capabilities. It also supports e-commerce integration and community-building services.
What makes Squarespace a great website builder for nonprofits?
Online store options
Membership site
Website builder's dashboard
Blogs
Numerous mobile-responsive templates
Analytics for website performance
Built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tools
Con:
Costly service may be unaffordable for some nonprofits
Templates
Multiple templates for a mobile-optimized website are available for nonprofits
Pricing:
Paid plans start at $16 when billed annually (includes a free custom domain)
Review
“The functionality is so intuitive—so much better than WordPress which is what we used before. We made the switch because we wanted things to look modernized, streamlined, and we all know that people judge "books by their cover" or "businesses by their website." If you don't have a good looking website, you won't be taken seriously, and now we do, and that's the best part about it.” -Alyssa N.
Squarespace nonprofit FAQs
No, but there is a nonprofit discount. Nonprofit organizations can get 10% off their first payment.
Use coupon code PARTNER10
Squarespace has an advanced feature that allows nonprofits to receive donations online. Using a donation form on Squarespace requires a Business, Commerce, Professional, or Premium plan.
Yes. Squarespace is a website builder first—it doesn’t offer built-in nonprofit fundraising features like donation receipts, peer-to-peer fundraising, or donor management.
No. You’ll need to set up your Squarespace website, choose a paid plan that includes commerce features, and connect a payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, or Square). Only then can you embed a donation form or fundraising tool, so it’s not instant—and likely too time-consuming for small or grassroots nonprofits.
To some extent. Squarespace is known for beautiful templates, but customizing them (especially for fundraising needs) can be tricky without design experience. Even minor layout changes or embedding third-party donation tools may require a learning curve or tech support, especially for busy nonprofits without a web designer.
4. Shopify – Best e-commerce platform for nonprofits
Shopify is well known in the website building world as a user-friendly e-commerce platform. There are many features that smaller organizations and small business owners love to build an online store.
What makes Shopify a great website builder for your nonprofit?
Custom branding
How-to guides
Sell online and in person
Sell internationally
Email marketing
Social media integrations
Custom domain name
Email marketing
Nonprofit logo design
Con:
While Shopify does offer a 3-month $1 plan, the cost goes up to $39 a month and may be too much for many nonprofits.
Templates:
Shopify offers 12 free template themes, but none specifically for nonprofits
Pricing:
Shopify offers a nonprofit discount with the NPO Lite and NPO Full plans. Plans start at $29 monthly when billed annually plus 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Review
“Our fundraising events for our nonprofit, the Young Survival Coalition, are bike rides that span across three days. With this moving event, we have moving merchandise as well and having a laptop accessible at all times is difficult. Shopify has the easiest navigating and helpful app on your phone to make events on the go possible. The app allows us to let riders purchase merchandise wherever we are. We also enjoy how you can add products on-site to the app to then begin to sell. For example, one of our finale days was getting rain and we decided to start selling one of our incentives, the raincoat. Having this feature allowed us to keep track of what was sold as well as take credit cards. We love how you can take a picture of the credit card without always having to have a card swipe.” -Danielle A.
Shopify nonprofit FAQs
Yes. Shopify offers NPO Lite and NPO Full for $29 and $99 monthly plus transaction fees.
Yes. Nonprofits in the US and Canada can accept donations through Shopify Payments. Instead of a robust donation form, users will use a Shopify form.
Yes. Shopify is designed for e-commerce, not nonprofit fundraising. While you can sell merchandise, you’ll need third-party apps to accept donations, track donors, or create donation forms.
No. Setting up a Shopify store takes time—you'll need to create product listings, customize your theme, and integrate donation apps. It also requires a paid plan and payment setup before you can begin collecting funds. It’s not ideal for nonprofits that need a fast, plug-and-play donation setup.
Generally, yes. While Shopify offers templates, customizing them for nonprofit purposes—like showcasing campaigns or adding donation options—often requires some design skill or help from a developer. Managing apps and modifying layouts can also get complicated for teams without technical support.
5. GoDaddy – Best domain registrar and professional-looking website for nonprofits
GoDaddy is the world's largest domain registrar and hosting provider. GoDaddy also offers e-commerce solutions, email marketing, and website building.
What makes GoDaddy a great website builder for your nonprofit?
AI website builder
Email and social media marketing
24/7 customer support
Branded content creation
Share educational resources
Mobile-friendly
Performance tracking
Payment processing
SEO tools
Con:
There are limited customizing options
Templates:
Over 11 nonprofit templates
Pricing:
Go Daddy has a free basic plan includes email and social media marketing, online payments, and branded content creation. Premium plans start at $10.99 a month when purchasing annually. These plans offer more features like:
Custom domain names
SEO
Online store
Email and text reminders
Accept online payments
List products for free on Google Shopping
Review
“Godaddy is a popular choice among small and medium-scale enterprises. Its affordable plans bundled with offers and features attract many. Godaddy has a great resource library of tutorials for beginners. Godaddy provides customer support 24x7. Godaddy's domain search tool and domain name generator tool etc come in handy at needy times. Godaddy has its own website builders tool and it can be used to develop professional-looking websites in no time. Godaddy's ready-to-launch websites templates are another good feature. Godaddy also allows WordPress hosting. Godaddy has reliable and affordable WordPress hosting plans. Godaddy's setup is very easy and you can get your site online in under 1 hour.” -Samuel J.
GoDaddy nonprofit FAQs
While GoDaddy's prices are lower than most (limited free plan), they do not offer nonprofit discounts.
You can use GoDaddy forms and a donation button to fundraise however, the functionality is limited.
Yes. GoDaddy is primarily a website builder and hosting platform, so it lacks dedicated fundraising features for nonprofits.
No. GoDaddy allows you to build a website quickly, but setting up donation functionality takes additional steps. You’ll need to integrate external tools (e.g., PayPal buttons or a third-party donation form) to begin accepting donations, which means it’s not instant.
Not necessarily, but helpful. GoDaddy provides templates that are easy to customize without much design experience. However, if you want a more personalized look or need to integrate donation features smoothly, some basic design knowledge or assistance may be required.
6. WordPress – Best free open source website builder for nonprofits
WordPress for nonprofits is a free, open-source website builder. It is also one of the most popular website builders.
What makes WordPress a great website builder for your nonprofit?
Free website builder
Flexible and customizable
SEO tools
Various plugins for monetization, event registration, e-commerce, and more
Create a membership site
Include ads
Con:
While you won't need coding knowledge, Wordpress.org is open source;it can get complicated and is not necessarily a beginner's tool.
Templates:
Over 29 nonprofit templates
Pricing:
WordPress went from being a free website builder to $4/month, and you must purchase a domain and hosting with a third-party vendor
Review
“WordPress is a simple enough platform, especially for first-time users who may not be used to navigating the backend of websites. WordPress also pairs well with most plugins, allowing users to solve a number of business goals using this platform. There is a learning curve with WordPress; however, there is a large online community of blogs and discussion boards. The few issues that I have had thus far in more than four years of using this platform I have been able to resolve independently using this community of online help.” -Anna I.
Wordpress nonprofit FAQs
You can collect donations through WordPress using their donation form widget, which uses Stripe to process payments and may be subject to transaction fees. Many popular nonprofit tools may integrate with WordPress at an additional cost.
Yes. While WordPress is a versatile website builder, it doesn’t have native fundraising tools. You’ll need to install plugins to provide customizable donation forms, recurring donations, and other nonprofit features.
No. Setting up a WordPress site and integrating a donation plugin requires some setup time. You’ll need to install WordPress, choose a theme, customize it, and configure a donation plugin to start accepting funds.
Not necessarily, but they can be helpful. WordPress offers both free and premium themes that make it easy to build a site without extensive design skills. However, customizing a theme or donation form may require some technical know-how.
7. Duda – Best website builder for simple nonprofit websites
Duda is an excellent tool for website design and building. You don't have to know coding to create a simple website for your nonprofit.
What makes Duda a great website builder for your nonprofit?
Drag and drop editor
Built in features for an e-commerce store
Online payments and donations (includes recurring payments)
Event management
Members only pages
Con:
Only for simple websites
Templates:
Several nonprofit templates
Pricing:
Basic plans start at $19 a month when purchased annually (includes one site and hosting)
Review
“I have been using Duda for approximately 3 years for small business and non-profit websites and I absolutely LOVE it! What I love most is the customer focus and support. Duda clearly cares about their clients and they have an outstanding support system, something I feel is greatly lacking on competitor platforms. I also love that they are focused on always improving the platform and seek feedback and ideas from developers and agency owners.” -Lori O.
Duda nonprofit FAQs
There is a free trial, but no discounts for nonprofits
It is challenging to create a donation form on Duda without integrations. However, several options exist for nonprofits looking to build online fundraising capabilities with third-party tools.
Yes. While Duda provides excellent website building capabilities, it doesn’t include native fundraising tools.
No. Setting up fundraising on Duda requires some configuration. You’ll need to design your site, select a template, integrate third-party donation tools, and customize donation forms.
No, but they help. Duda is known for its intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, and offers pre-built templates that are easy to customize. However, for advanced customization or if you want a unique design, some design knowledge or assistance from a developer might be necessary.
8. SITE123 – User-friendly website builder for small nonprofits
SITE123 is user friendly and free. This site includes an intuitive website editor, free web hosting, and tools to support search engine rankings.
What makes SITE123 a great website builder for your nonprofit?
Drag and drop editor
Variety of templates
Several free features
Easy to set up
E-commerce store
Mobile responsiveness
SEO tools
Con:
Limited customization options
Templates:
Over 29 free templates could be used for your nonprofit website, but they are not specifically for nonprofits
Pricing:
SITE123 offers a free plan and a paid plan that costs $12.80 a month and offers a free domain for one year and an e-commerce store
Review
“It is very easy to use, the predesigned templates are nice and adapt to most small businesses. It has a library of free images pretty good. It has basic SEO options and allows you to customize the language and regional settings successfully. You can use it for free for simple websites, with payment plans you can add more functionality, hosting space, bandwidth and custom domain. The website that is built automatically adjusts to mobile devices.” - Ana H.
SITE123 nonprofit FAQs
There is a free plan and a 40% discount on paid plans for nonprofits.
Yes. To raise funds, you can create a donation order form and customize it to your fundraising campaign or donation page.
Yes. SITE123 provides an easy-to-use website builder but lacks built-in fundraising tools. To start fundraising, you'll need to integrate external platforms.
No. You'll need to set up and connect donation forms, payment gateways, and any additional fundraising tools, which can take time to configure.
No. SITE123 is designed to be user-friendly, with a drag-and-drop builder and pre-made templates that require no design skills.
9. Morweb - website builder designed specifically for nonprofits
Morweb is a simple CMS platform that allows nonprofits to build beautiful, functional websites with the right tools and designs to inspire donors.
What makes Morweb a great website builder for your nonprofit?
"I liked the flexibility to customize our needs and wants into a clean, fresh, and easy-to-navigate website. We were able to share our mission, services, impact, and story with our community in an easy-to-navigate website. They worked with us to clean up things from our old site and helped guide us through using best practices." -Nathan S.
Morweb nonprofit FAQs
Morweb supports secure and branded donation forms that help donors give back on any device. The fundraising module can support general donations, campaigns, and special events.
Yes, with Morweb, you can accept donations directly.
No. Morweb is a nonprofit website builder that includes integrated fundraising features. Nonprofits can accept donations directly on their websites without the need for additional platforms.
Yes. Morweb allows nonprofits to set up donation pages quickly using customizable templates. You can start fundraising almost immediately once your website is up and running.
No. Morweb is designed with nonprofits in mind and offers an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop website builder. Its templates are customizable without needing any coding or design skills.
Characteristics of excellent nonprofit website builders
While the perfect nonprofit website builder looks different for every organization, a few key features can distinguish the best. The following areas of research and asking the right questions will help you establish your nonprofit's online presence.
Pricing
Cost is often a primary concern for nonprofit organizations. An affordable website builder and online fundraising tools are critical for nonprofits. If you can't find a free website builder, look for ones that offer nonprofit discounts to get your money's worth.
Ease of Use
Most nonprofits are volunteer-run and lack IT staff or technical expertise. Therefore, it's essential to find website builders that are user-friendly and don't require you to dig into your website's code. Overly complicated website builder software may require freelancers or agency support to help set up.
Number of Templates
Nonprofit website builders should offer various visually appealing templates for website design. Within these templates, you'll need additional plugins like event calendars, online fundraising forms, etc.
Domain Name
Custom domain names for your nonprofit website are crucial for SEO, branding, and trustworthiness. Credibility is a critical factor for donors. Your organization's domain name helps donors trust your brand and eliminates roadblocks for collecting donations.
Accepts nonprofit donations
Speaking of nonprofit donations, you'll need a website builder that offers its online donation platform or integrates with third-party tools like Zeffy. Online donations have become a significant funding source for nonprofits. This includes both one-time and recurring donations.
In 2022, online donations dropped from the highest point in 2020, but recurring donations jumped by 11%, making up 28% of online revenue. So, if your nonprofit website does not include an online donation page to collect one-time and recurring donations, you're missing out on significant funds.
How to create a nonprofit website that stands out
Authentic storytelling
Nonprofits have more stories at their fingertips than most organizations. Your nonprofit can develop a storytelling culture and collect stories from donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries that share your nonprofit's impact.
Make sure your nonprofit website shares these stories with text and videos whenever possible.
Personalized Content
Your website's content is more than stories. Content includes text on your home pages, about pages, landing pages, images, videos, infographics, calls to action, testimonials, and blogs or newsletters. Effective content is not just about having these features but how they're presented, organized, and tailored to your target audience.
Creative design
Website design is the first thing visitors notice. Your chosen website builder should offer unique templates for nonprofits that can help you meet your site visitors' expectations and inspire them to give.
Beyond what design looks like, a good website builder provides accessibility features that support mobile responsiveness, make it easy to navigate in just a few clicks, and align to anyone with disabilities.
Innovative features
The addition of AI has created several innovative features you can add to your website, including:
Chatbots
Personalization Tools based on user behavior
Recommended articles and campaigns
Voice search
Volunteer matching platforms
Impact calculators
These and other traditional tools like surveys can help you personalize your website visitors' experience.
Strong Community Engagement
Community engagement is another tool that inspires donors to give. Including a discussion board, community groups, membership opportunities, or donor testimonials on your website and donation forms will help supporters feel like partners in your mission.
Highlight Collaborations and Partnerships
Another way to excite donors and sponsors is by highlighting collaborations with corporations and other nonprofits on your website. Use your website to promote matching gift campaigns, events, and joint projects with these organizations.
Highlight Donor Impact
Donors give because they want to make a difference. Highlighting your donors' influence and impact on your programs and beneficiaries will strengthen their support. You can do this with storytelling, statistics, infographics, and impact reports.
Pro Tip: Nonprofits should provide supporters with annual reports that share details on their impact and how your programs will help fulfill your mission. You can embed your annual report on a dedicated web page, add a PDF download, create a mobile-friendly format for your app, or add it to your newsletter.
Active Communication
Active communication can help you foster donor engagement, build trust and credibility, strengthen your community, and gather feedback from supporters. You can add a blog or newsletter to increase active communication on your website. You should also provide a contact page where visitors can ask questions and quickly receive a response.
Essential checklist for creating a nonprofit website and encouraging donations
Compelling mission and vision statements
It's crucial to articulate your nonprofit's mission and goals clearly. A compelling mission statement communicating who you help, why, and how will help donors understand your organization's purpose and excite them enough to learn more.
Exciting content
Remember to add impactful stories and testimonials throughout your website to inspire trustworthiness and commitment to your organization's mission.
Call to action buttons
You must also have brightly colored and eye-catching Call to Action buttons on your web pages to make them user-friendly for donors.
Various ways to give
Another important donation feature is to give supporters several ways to support your organization on a professional-looking website. You can do this by accepting various payment methods, volunteer opportunities, and ways to fundraise for your organization with peer-to-peer and crowdfunding campaigns.
Transparency and accountability
Trust is essential for donor support. You can build and strengthen trust and transparency with impact reports, trust badges from third-party reviewers, and by adding your IRS 501(c)3 employer identification number (EIN).
SEO
Search engines like Google are where you'll find most new donors. This is why SEO tools are so critical to your organization's marketing and website. Ensure your website content includes relevant keywords to improve visibility on search engines. You must also provide internal and external links to improve your Google ranking.
Social Media Integration
Your nonprofit should have social media accounts on tools like Google, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Your website should include social media sharing buttons so supporters can share your cause with friends and family.
Regular Maintenance
Before going live, you must test your website to ensure there are no broken links or misspellings. It's also important to provide continued maintenance and regularly update your website based on behavior and supporters' feedback.
How much does it cost to create a website for nonprofit organizations?
The cost of website development and management can vary based on several factors.
Size and Complexity
The size and complexity of your website will play a significant role in price. A simple website with complex features like donation portals, user accounts, and interactive tools will cost less than one.
Design and Customization
Depending on the website builder, custom designs, templates, and branding elements may cost more.
Functionality
Online payment processing, event management, volunteer sign-ups, and management can all add to your website costs unless you can find free tools for nonprofits like Zeffy.
Content Creation:
You can develop content for your website or hire a freelancer or agency to help create a professional site with compelling content that drives donations.
External help can cost more initially, but they are often cheaper than full-time staff.
Third-party integrations
A good nonprofit website needs several complex features to collect donations, support volunteer management, and collect donor data. Third-party services can be extra expensive, but free tools like Zeffy can make these additions possible for smaller organizations.
Wrapping up: Choosing your nonprofit website builder
If you're a nonprofit looking to start raising funds immediately, Zeffy offers a completely free, easy-to-use platform that allows you to start accepting donations in seconds — no website required. Whether you’re a grassroots organization with just a social media presence or a small nonprofit looking to maximize your resources, Zeffy provides free donation pages, ticket sales, and even a free online store to help you raise funds right away.
For those nonprofits that want a more elaborate website, Zeffy’s donation forms integrate seamlessly into any existing site, allowing you to raise funds for free with no fees on donations or transactions.
Few website builders are free, but several options exist for nonprofits and small organizations. While these platforms are limited in features and scope, they can help organizations build professional-looking websites and support fundraising efforts.
Other website builders don't offer a free solution to accept donations online, but you can integrate third-party platforms like Zeffy. Zeffy is a 100% free online fundraising tool allowing nonprofits to create donation forms and pages, sell event and raffle tickets, and run peer-to-peer campaigns.
Check out the best nonprofit website examples and best practices to make yours stand out. Learn what to include on your site, what to leave out, and creative ideas.
Webinar- Online Fundraising: How to Raise the Most on Your Website, Social Media, and More
Watch a free webinar all about online fundraising through your nonprofit website, social media, and email strategy. Learn tangible tips and hacks to reach more donors and raise more for your cause.
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