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Launch Your Lab’s Annual Fund Drive
Create a dedicated online form to gather one-time gifts for priority research projects, from new equipment to fieldwork expeditions. It’s a straightforward way to rally support around your lab’s biggest needs.
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Empower Student Researchers Peer-to-Peer Challenge
Invite faculty and students to set up personal fundraising pages that mobilize their networks in support of lab equipment and field studies. Peer-driven outreach boosts reach and donor engagement.
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Sustain Science: Recurring Support Initiative
Encourage donors to commit monthly gifts to sustain long-term research programs, facility maintenance, and scholarship funds. Consistent income ensures uninterrupted progress.
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Host Your Annual Research Symposium
Sell tickets for your university-hosted conference or public lecture series, making it easy to track RSVP lists and collect attendee data. Ticket revenue covers venue costs and outreach.
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Silent Auction: Lab Tours & Rare Collections
Host a silent auction featuring donated scientific instruments, exclusive lab tours, or signed academic volumes to engage donors and raise funds. Bidding drives excitement and support.
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Founders Circle Membership Program
Offer tiered memberships with perks like quarterly research briefings, VIP lab visits, and early access to publications. Membership dues build a loyal community of sustained supporters.
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With Zeffy, you keep every cent.
Here’s what that $2,500 can fund instead
🧪 100 reagent kits for lab experiments
So researchers can run vital tests without pause
🔬 200 hours of advanced microscopy access
To reveal cellular details critical for breakthrough discoveries
🖥️ 250 hours of high-performance computing
Enabling complex data analysis at groundbreaking speeds
✈️ Conference travel for two scientists
To share findings and spark global collaborations
📚 50 premium journal subscriptions
Keeping teams at the forefront of emerging research
How Zeffy compares to other fundraising platforms for Research Institutions
Fees | You keep | You loose | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} | 0% platform & processing fees | $50,000 | $0 | |
 | 2.9% + $0.30/transaction | $48,400 |  -$1,600 | |
 | 2.2% + $0.30 + ~2.35% platform fees | $47,500 | -$2,500 | |
 | 2.9% + $0.30/transaction | $48,350 | -$1,650 | |
 | 3.7% + $1.79/ticket + 2.9% processing | $46,550 | -$3,450 (est.) | |
 | 1.99% + $0.49 | $48,560 | -$1,440 |
100% free, always.
Top 6 fundraising ideas for Research Institutions
🏃♂️ Summer Research Relay
Participants form teams for in-person or virtual relay runs, collecting pledges per mile to fund your summer research initiatives.
🧪 Lab Open House Fest
Invite supporters to campus for guided lab tours, demos, and Q&A sessions, with ticket sales and donation stations boosting project funding.
🍉 Community Science Picnic
Host an outdoor picnic with guest talks, poster sessions, and games; guests donate for meals and activities to support summer studies.
📱 Research Quiz Quest
Launch a social media quiz series on research facts; supporters donate to unlock new quizzes and share scores to drive peer fundraising.
🎟️ Innovation Auction Night
Auction researcher-donated artifacts, meet-the-scientist experiences, and private lab workshops online or at a summer gala to fund key studies.
🎥 Discovery Story Shorts
Release short videos highlighting breakthrough research; viewers donate per view or share to unlock matching gifts and expand your reach.
Want more inspiration?
Explore 40+ free Research Institutions fundraising ideas
Top grants for Research Institutions in 2025
Education and Broadening Participation in Earth Sciences (EAR EBP)
National Science Foundation
Not specified
Funds projects focused on education and broadening participation in Earth Sciences, with proposals accepted anytime.
Institutional Challenge Grant
William T. Grant Foundation
Not specified
Supports university-based research institutes in building research-practice partnerships to reduce inequality in youth outcomes, with a deadline of September 15, 2025.
Research Grants
The Leakey Foundation
Not specified
Supports research in human origins, with application deadlines on January 10th and July 15th.
2025 Research Grant Program
Children and Screens
Not specified
Provides funding for cutting-edge scientific research projects on children and screens, with the 2025 program open.
Top companies that donate to Research Institutions in 2025
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Walmart
Supports nonprofits through local grants and Spark Good programs.
Google.org
Accelerates scientific discovery and supports scientific progress.
Cytokinetics
Supports diversity in science through its Corporate Giving Program.
Microsoft
Supports research institutions like the Anker Research Institute, focusing on living wages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeffy really 100% free for Research Institutions? What’s the catch?
Yes, Zeffy is 100% free for research institutions! There are no platform fees, no processing fees, and no hidden costs. We maintain this model through optional tips from donors who support our goal to help research institutions keep every dollar they raise. That's truly it - no catch!
Can Research Institutions use Zeffy to collect research grants?
Absolutely! Research institutions can use Zeffy to collect research grants, manage event ticket sales, and set up recurring donations. All without paying any fees. Every dollar you receive goes directly to advancing your research initiatives.
What types of fundraising campaigns can Research Institutions run with Zeffy?
Research institutions can run a variety of fundraising campaigns using Zeffy! Whether it’s peer-to-peer fundraisers involving staff and supporters, ticketed events for research presentations, or setting up recurring donations to fund ongoing research projects, Zeffy supports it all without any fees.
What’s the best fundraising platform for Research Institutions?
Zeffy is the only genuinely 100% free fundraising platform for research institutions. While others may say they're free but charge processing fees, Zeffy does not take any portion of your donations. This means more funds for your research and complete donor trust; no fine print involved.
