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You’re not alone if you’re a grassroots nonprofit trying to grow through online donations without a big budget, team, or time to invest right now. Luckily, donation apps are a cost-effective fundraising tool that meet today’s donors where they are– their phones and tablets.
Over half of nonprofit website traffic comes from a mobile device, and as more people make purchases through social media, shopping apps, and shoppable QR codes, a donation app can quickly capture their attention. It’s also one of the simplest ways for small nonprofits to collect donations without a complex tech setup.
This guide is built specifically for small nonprofits and community-led causes that are tired of platform fees, clunky tech, and donor drop-off. We’ll walk you through the best donation apps in 2025, with a spotlight on platforms like Zeffy, the only 100% free fundraising tool that lets you keep every dollar raised.
What is a donation app, and what types of donation apps are there?
Donation apps boost awareness and offer a seamless mobile giving experience. With most nonprofit traffic from mobile and users spending 4+ hours daily on phones, apps provide the convenience people love.
Donation apps, available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Shopify, offer flexible, fast mobile giving with just a few clicks. They simplify fundraising and increase impact.
Learn how to choose the right donation app for your organization as you begin to review the top options below in-depth. Take your time and see what users say alongside what sticks out for you and your team.
Every dollar matters for a small nonprofit. Unfortunately, many donation platforms and apps that can take 5–7% in processing and transaction fees from every gift.
These fees add up fast for grassroots teams with limited budgets, staff, or tech capacity. That’s why Zeffy is a game changer, offering simple online giving that’s fast to use, from anywhere, without compromising your bottom line.
Zeffy is the only 100% free donation platform. There are no platform fees, credit card processing costs, or monthly charges. You raise $100, and you keep $100—plain and simple.
See how fees add up (even on “low-fee” platforms)
Responsive Table
Donation App
Payment processing fee
What you take home for every $5,000 raised
Zeffy
$0
$5,000
Venmo
1.9% plus $0.10
~$4,895.00
Cash App
2.75%
~$4,862.50
Fundly
2.75%
~$4,862.50
Small budgets still deserve to make a big impact
When you’re a lean team trying to increase donor support, cover program costs, or fund your next significant initiative, paying hundreds in fees is unsustainable.
Launch donation forms, events, raffles, and more in minutes
Accept mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit card, ACH)
Manage donor data without needing extra software
Raise more and keep it all
So, before you “absorb the cost” or increase your ask to make up for fees, why not choose the tool that ensures you get to see 100% of your donation dollars?
Let’s dive into a detailed donation apps comparison for grassroots nonprofits in 2025. These apps can expand beyond just donations and also offer features like event management, volunteer management, and powerful tools to track progress across various fundraising campaigns.
Responsive Table
Charity Donation App
Cost
Rating (Capterra)
Best for
Zeffy
$0
4.8/5
Zero-fee fundraising that’s simple for nonprofits and donors
Venmo
1.9% plus $0.10
4.7/5
Engaging younger donors already using Venmo for payments
Cash App
2.75%
4.2/5
On-the-go mobile giving with a simple and familiar interface
Fundly
2.75%
3.8/5
Social media-based fundraising and crowdfunding campaigns
1. Zeffy: Only zero-fee donation app for nonprofits
App type:
Nonprofit fundraising apps, free donation app, donation apps for nonprofits
Zeffy is the only zero-fee fundraising platform built for nonprofit organizations. Over 50,000 nonprofits use Zeffy to collect donations on mobile phones, engage new donor audiences, host creative campaigns, and save on fees.
Zeffy is also a recurring donation app that allows donors to give on a regular basis for more reliable income and relationship building, without the complexity.
Donation app features:
Online donations
POS & in-person donations
Events ticketing
Raffles & lotteries
Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns
Donor management and data
Donor engagement
Memberships for charity organizations
eCommerce and online store
Mobile-device friendly
Secure payment information
Pricing:
Zeffy is 100% free without hidden fees. They give you $100, you get $100.
Best for:
Grassroots nonprofit organizations who want to prioritize a seamless mobile giving experience that helps them increase donations, strong donation data to make informed decisions, and complete assurance that every dollar goes to their mission.
A view into the user experience:
“The forms are very easy to use and worked perfectly for our fundraising event. We are using a combination of ticketed event forms and donation forms. I love that they have options for automatic tax receipts, thank you emails, reminder emails, the ability to add and even require short answer questions with specific purchases, and options to add notes to any order.” Jennifer T.
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Absolutely zero fees for nonprofits, so every dollar goes to your cause
• Tailored nonprofit features that cover the entire donor experience
• Simple mobile experience and options for customization
• Helps nonprofits raise money through various campaign types
Venmo is an app for transferring money to friends and family, companies, and nonprofits. Users link their bank accounts and credit and debit cards to the app to make purchases quickly.
Nonprofits and 501(c)(3) organizations can create Venmo charity profiles to accept donations and raise funds.
Key features:
Accepts Venmo balance and major credit cards
Blue checkmark badge to build trust with supporters
Reporting on donation history
Same-day transfer funds
Mobile payments
QR code for in-person donations or livestream fundraising events
Nonprofit organizations that want to appeal to younger generations of donors who already use the Venmo app. Venmo is great for donating directly to a cause but needs to support features like marketing or the ability to engage and manage donors.
A view into the user experience:
“Great experience, from initially setting up a business account to receiving customer payments. The consumer trust people have for Venmo is also a huge plus, in comparison to other payment apps or using a card.” - Olivia G.
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Familiar app trusted by younger donors
• Easy mobile payments and social sharing
• Instant transfers and QR code functionality
• Charges donation fees
• Fees exist to transfer funds instantly
• Limited donor engagement
• Not built for nonprofits specifically
Cash App is a financial services platform that makes collecting donations on any device effortless and quick. The app has many social components like $cashtags that link to a shareable URL and help people enhance marketing to donors.
Key features:
Shareable QR codes
Ability to share $cashtags for payments
Instant deposit of money
Mobile-friendly design
Payment verification options
Pricing:
Cash App charges a 2.75% processing fee for purchases.
Best for:
Nonprofit organizations who want to give donors a simple path to donate with a familiar interface and quick ways to share between mobile devices. Cash App lacks nonprofit-specific functionality for in-depth campaigns but can support direct giving.
A view into the user experience:
“We have been using Cash App in our church for a year now and our people seem to like it. Especially the younger crowd” - Fred P.
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Simple to set up and recognize among younger users
• Great for quick mobile giving
• Instant money deposits with QR and $cashtag options
• Transaction fees apply to all donations
• Lacks advanced features for donor tracking or events
• Not designed for nonprofits specifically
Fundly is an iOS app for nonprofits to raise money and accept donations from mobile devices or online. Individuals can also use Fundly to donate through Facebook, which contributes 25% of all Fundly donations.
Key features:
Facebook integration
Secure payments
Fundraising guides for donors
Custom donation page
Mobile optimized
Payment verification options
Pricing:
Fundly charges a 2.75% processing fee for purchases.
Best for:
Nonprofit organizations that want to build awareness, gain more donors, and share crowdfunding campaigns online. Fundly's integration with Facebook makes it easy to share with new donor audiences with a mobile donation option.
A view into the user experience:
“As a nonprofit, CRM software is critical to managing and keeping donors and members. We started using Fundly about a year and a half ago, and it has greatly improved our donor and member management.” - Alissa M.
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Strong social sharing tools and Facebook integration
• Mobile optimized
• Custom donation pages
• User ratings are lower compared to other apps
• Payment processing fees apply
• Features for donor management are not as in depth as other tools
If donors aren’t sure where to give, what causes to focus on, or how to get involved, a charity app can help. These apps can help users find organizations looking for support or find creative ways to give back.
5. ShareTheMeal: Best to provide meals to those in need
ShareTheMeal is an app created for fundraising in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme. The app allows users to donate meals to those facing food insecurity worldwide.
To date, ShareTheMeal has shared over 212,000,000 meals to fight global hunger.
Key features:
Tax-deductible monthly/one-time donations
Change or cancel donations anytime
Set up ‘Challenges’ to fight hunger
Secure payments via Braintree (PayPal)
Track donations and their impact
Pricing:
Minimum donation amount of $0.80 to begin.
Best for:
Individuals looking to serve the hungry population worldwide from their phones.
A view into the user experience:
“A very easy and simple way to help people during crisis, so many countries who need help” - Samantha Hutton
• Focuses on global hunger relief (less flexible for other causes)
• Limited customization for individuals
• Not built as a donation platform for nonprofits
6. RoundUp App: Ideal for easily finding and donating to nonprofits
App type:
Charitable giving apps, donation apps for fundraising
RoundUp App is a fundraising tool for donors to find nonprofits and donate their change to make a difference. Individuals can manage one-time and recurring donations to various nonprofits from the RoundUp app.
Key features:
Discover new causes
Link multiple cards
Round up purchases for monthly donations
Pause or restart donations anytime
Set monthly donation limits
Available on all devices
Make donations as gifts
Tax-deductible donations
Pricing:
RoundUp App is free for all donors.
Best for:
Individuals who want to find new causes and nonprofits to give to at once while tracking it all from a single user-friendly RoundUp app.
A view into the user experience:
“We are a newer nonprofit and so our start with this was slow, but that was all on us. The staff at the Roundup app have been extremely helpful and encouraging and have given us all we need to succeed with this platform. The interface is simple and easy to navigate and it is any easy avenue for additional revenue from donors who are just getting to know your organization.” - Jantzev
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Users can give small change effortlessly
• Great to discover new causes
• Works well for recurring micro donations
• Donation growth may be slower depending on spending volume
• Setup requires quite a few steps (linking cards, adjusting spend limits)
7. Charity Miles: Best running app to donate to charity through movement
Charity Miles is a donation app that tracks exercise and turns miles into donations. You can donate to your favorite charities every time you run, walk, or bike ride and share your fundraising efforts with friends and family through the app.
Donation incentives like supporting a friend and being able to give in just a few minutes can increase engagement.
Key features:
Activity tracking with phone pedometer & GPS
Strava, Apple Health, and Apple Watch integrations
Pledge Pages to gain support
Social media updates to secure pledges
Pricing:
Charity Miles is free for all users.
Best for:
Active individuals who want to turn their passions and hobbies into a way to give back through simple mobile tracking on their phones.
A view into the user experience:
“I tried a few exercise charity apps that’s available on the App Store and this is the best one. You have so so many different charities you can choose from, I immediately chose the charity called Binx’s Home for Black Cats and I click circle with the dot at the bottom center, clicked on whatever type of exercise you’re going to do, wait a couple of seconds for the miles you’re walking/ how fast you’re going, etc to show up.” - Scarlet3311
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Ideal for active users who give through movement
• Wide charity selection
• Fitness app integrations
• Required physical activity to maximize impact
• Donation process is tied to sponsors and user engagement
Makua is a fundraising app that helps you find nonprofits that align with your values and make donations. You also benefit from learning about causes, from education and healthcare to the environment and animal rights.
Makua Communities also allow you to contribute recurring donations to the causes you want to build closer relationships with.
Key features:
User-friendly interface
Nonprofit community discovery
Social giving to follow and connect with other givers
One-time and monthly donations
Manage multiple donations from a single profile
Pricing:
You can use Makua by donating a minimum of $1 to a nonprofit's community.
Best for:
Individuals seeking to engage with causes on a deeper level and connect with like-minded individuals who share similar charitable values.
A view into the user experience:
“The app is so easy to navigate and within minutes you are able to find a cause you are passionate about. Provides easy to digest information on the non-profit/services you are choosing to support and then breaks down the donation categories for you. I was impressed that the app even categorizes the activities or materials you are supporting depending on the donation amount. Very easy and hassle free.” - Catalina
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Well-designed user interface
• Focused on community and values
• In-depth cause information
• Minimum donation is required to use the app
• Still growing in name recognition and features for donations
Best donation apps for businesses and eCommerce
Many businesses may add a donation or charitable contribution to purchases as a way to help out communities in need or partner with a nonprofit as a corporate sponsor. These donation apps will help make the process simple and easily integrate into the existing customer experience.
9. Givz: Ideal for stores to collect donations for nonprofits through Shopify
Givz is a Shopify app that helps eCommerce stores collect donations on a charity's behalf. Businesses and companies can set a flat-rate donation amount for purchases of a certain total or apply a donation to any purchase.
You can also use Givz charity donation promotions without a Shopify store.
Businesses with a Shopify store that want to increase revenue and charitable contributions to boost brand reputation.
A view into the user experience:
“An amazing team that is friendly and helpful. The app is easy to use and worked well with the incentives that aligned with my brand. Givz makes doing good seamless! Thank you” - User review
Easy Donation is a Shopify app designed for businesses and companies seeking to find charities to support and provide an easy way for customers to make donations. Donations are added as part of the checkout process on Shopify stores while keeping purchases swift and easy.
Shopify store merchants looking to integrate a donation feature into their shop and customize the experience to collect donations.
A view into the user experience:
“We are a non profit and use this app so that people purchasing merchandise from our online store have the option to give a donation with their purchase. The donation widget sits on the shopping cart page and has done well for us. Easy to set up and has not given us any issues. Support is also quick to respond. Highly recommend.” - Mighty Oaks
Responsive Table
Pros
Cons
• Easy to integrate in WordPress sites
• Highly customizable donation forms
• Limited to PayPal transactions (that come with fees)
• Fewer built-in analytics
• No donor management or in-depth analytics
11. Tip Cup: Ideal to collect donations and tips or upsells at checkout
Tip Cup (formerly known as Tip Jar) is a Shopify app that encourages customers to offer a donation as a tip for a purchase. You can choose where to place custom upcharges on your website or at checkout.
Key features:
Compatible with PayPal, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay
Cashless tips are available through a custom button on Shopify storefront
Flexible wording to either accept donations or make an upsell
Pricing:
Tip Cup costs $9.99 per month.
Best for:
eCommerce stores that want to offer multiple avenues to donate various interaction points throughout a customer's experience on their site. Tip Cup may require your business to facilitate the transfer of donation money to a nonprofit or cause.
A view into the user experience:
“This gets a full 5 stars just from the support from the Tip Jar team alone. Joe is outstanding and got it working with our very finicky situation, leading to a bunch of happy artists and easier accounting on my end. He was extremely patient and revisited our site several times as various things broke. Tip Jar itself is easy to install and use, and our vendors really like it.” - User review
How Farzana uses Zeffy to raise more than $80,500 for Childhood Education
The Farzana Naeem Foundation raised over $80,500 using Zeffy’s mobile donation websites to collect donations and build awareness. Website visitors can access the mobile-optimized donation form from the nonprofit’s website with an easy-to-find donate button.
Fundraising features that made it happen
Mobile-optimized donation form
Monthly/one-time donation options
Secure payments: ACH, cards, Apple/Google Pay
Suggested impactful donation amounts
Corporate sponsors and donation support
100% of gift goes to cause
Quick share: link, email, Facebook, LinkedIn, X
Pop-out info: builds trust without long forms
Zeffy's 100% free cost structure additionally saved the Farzana Naeem Foundation $4,025 in fees. That kind of money makes a huge difference to fund their mission instead of payment processors.
FAQ: Giving and collecting donations through an app
To create a donation app, you can develop software or customize an existing one. Read how to create donation apps from scratch.
Several apps on the market take the guesswork out of connecting with causes with the experience you’re looking for.
Nonprofits can also offer a mobile-optimized donation experience with a tool like Zeffy, which makes it seamless to donate from your phone with a few clicks.
You can add a donation form to your website to set up an online donation process and accept donations online as a nonprofit. Zeffy makes it easy to do this for free, handling your payment processing and donor management without hidden fees.
Zeffy is the best 100% free donation tool for nonprofits. Unlike most tools, Zeffy covers all transaction fees, so your organization receives the full donation amount with no hidden charges, even on credit card payments.
It’s designed for small nonprofits, making it easy to start collecting donations, manage events, and grow your donor base without a large budget or tech team.
Zeffy is the only zero-fee fundraising platform, which sets it apart from other options. It charges $0 in platform and transaction fees, which is rare in the nonprofit tech space.
Other platforms often take a percentage of each donation or charge monthly fees, which can add up for small teams. Zeffy is supported by optional donor tips, which means your nonprofit keeps every dollar given.
The best donation app for small nonprofits is Zeffy, especially if you:
Don’t have a dedicated fundraising team
Need something simple to use
Want to avoid platform and processing fees
Are just starting out and want room to grow
It offers everything you need to collect donations online absolutely free, all without needing a big CRM or extra integrations.
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Keep reading :
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