Like it or not, money (LOTS of money) is essential for the operation of any non-profit. There are dozens of fundraising tools, many specifically for nonprofit organizations. However, the quality of solutions and associated fees (sometimes as high as 7.9%!) vary widely.
Every dollar raised is better in your hands than in a middleman’s. Here are three of the most popular options, along with basic facts that can help you can choose wisely.
Generosity.com
Why you should use it: You should use Generosity.com if you want to create a fundraising campaign with a particular purpose and you don’t mind putting it on an external website.
Why we chose Generosity.com: We suggest Generosity for two reasons. First, they’re well-known. They are the non-profit arm of IndieGoGo, which has been in the fundraising space for years. Second, Generosity.com has very low fees. They charge only a 3% + 30 cents fee per transaction. Generally, fundraising sites also charge for the platform; for instance GoFundMe’s CrowdRise charges 5% for the platform and then 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.
Are you looking to start a campaign? Let us help you. We’ve been assisting non-profits for 13 years and would be happy to help you maximize your donations.
PayPal
Why you should use it: You should use PayPal if you’re looking for a simple and cheap donation processor for your website.
Why we chose PayPal: Paypal beats the competition when it comes to fees, because it offers a 2.2% + 30 cents fee for 501c3 nonprofits. That is the cheapest that you can find. When fundraising for a nonprofit, every cent counts. Second, unlike other options such as Google Wallet and Amazon payments, your donors won’t ever have to leave your website to complete their donation. You also don’t need a PayPal account to make a donation, just a credit card number.
Do you need help integrating PayPal into your site, or do you want assistance setting up donations on your website? Let us help. We’ve been designing websites for nonprofits for 13 years and we’ve learned a lot along the way.
Philantro
Why you should use it: You should use Philantro if you want advanced features, such as a dashboard, donor analytics, event ticketing, and detailed reports, and you’re willing to pay a little extra.
Why we chose Philantro: There are dozens of competitors to Philantro that offer a similar suite of features. Unfortunately, many of them charge as much as 7 to 8 percent for each donation, in addition to a monthly fee. Philantro offers the same advanced features for only 4% + 50 cents per transaction and no monthly fee, a bargain for an organization that needs a little help analyzing its donations or setting up events. Philantro also has social media integration and support for WordPress.
Processing and analyzing donation data can be daunting, although Philantro makes it easier. Donations are the lifeblood of any nonprofit, and it’s important to get it right. If you need any nonprofit fundraising advice, or just would like a little help, please reach out.