The Top 19 Fundraising Platforms to Grow Donations Fast
Whether you’re ramping up your virtual fundraising efforts or rehauling your fundraising strategy, you need robust online fundraising tools to succeed.
Q4 2024 Fundraising Effectiveness Project data found that total fundraising dollars increased by 3.5% year-over-year, driven by major gifts. However, the report explains that “this growth masks significant declines in grassroots contributions and underscores the importance of diversifying donor strategies to ensure sustainability.”
A robust online fundraising platform allows your organization to reach a broader range of everyday donors through the digital channels they use daily. You can also create multiple types of digital giving campaigns, ensuring greater revenue diversification and sustainability.
For your nonprofit or school to exceed its virtual fundraising goals, you need to find the right platform that suits your unique needs.
To make the search easier, we’ve created a list of top online fundraising platforms that we think might be a good fit for your nonprofit or school. Here’s what to expect:
- Key features of online fundraising platforms
- 14 of the best online fundraising tools for nonprofits
- 5 top school fundraising platforms
Key features of online fundraising platforms
What are fundraising apps or tools?
Fundraising tools, also known as online fundraising platforms, are software solutions that help nonprofits easily manage their fundraising campaigns. These solutions bring all fundraising activities under one roof, making the giving process more convenient for donors and staff.
According to the 2023 Nonprofit Tech for Good Report, 93% of nonprofits that conduct online fundraising collect donations via their websites, and 70% use a fundraising tool that sends automatic donation receipts via email. Online giving platforms offer other essential features, such as customized donation pages, recurring giving options, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, and more.
10 key features of online fundraising platforms
There are a few specific features and capabilities to look for when researching fundraising tools. These features will help you fulfill different nonprofit needs and maximize your fundraising efforts:
- Donor database. Donor database solutions, also known as donor management software or a nonprofit CRM, help nonprofits track donor data and information about supporter relationships. This includes donors’ contact information, giving history, previous interactions with staff members, and other involvement information. You can use these details to build authentic relationships and personalize your donor outreach.
- Branded donation pages. Your fundraising tool should enable you to create branded, customized donation pages, accept online gifts (including one-time and recurring donations), and transfer donor information into your CRM.
- Peer-to-peer fundraising tools. These tools make it easier to manage peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Nonprofits can create a central campaign page and give supporters the tools they need to design personal fundraising pages. Leverage additional features such as fundraising leaderboards and thermometers to inspire friendly competition and keep campaign momentum high.
- Text-to-give platform. Nonprofit revenue from text messages increased by 14% from 2022 to 2023. Using a text-to-give or text-to-donate platform, nonprofits can launch text fundraising campaigns to gather donations via SMS messaging.
- Prospect research tools. These solutions include wealth screening tools that assess donors for wealth markers to determine their giving capacity. This makes it easier for nonprofits to identify potential major donors.
- Marketing solutions. Email marketing platforms, graphic design tools, and social media scheduling tools can boost your online fundraising efforts as well. These tools help bring attention to online fundraising campaigns, ensuring they get the publicity they need to succeed.
- Event management. Event management tools simplify event planning, scheduling, volunteer recruitment, and marketing. Some event tools can facilitate virtual and hybrid events as well as traditional in-person experiences.
- Auction management. Auction events have unique needs compared to other nonprofit events. Many online fundraising platforms offer auction management solutions like mobile bidding, seating assignments, and streamlined check-out.
- Integrations. Your online fundraising tools should integrate with one another. Search for solutions with robust direct integrations with other leading software platforms. If your nonprofit already uses certain platforms, like MailChimp for email marketing or QuickBooks for accounting, see if your fundraising solution will directly integrate with these tools for seamless data transfers.
- Payment processing. A payment processor manages online transactions securely and quickly. Your nonprofit should leverage a payment processor that can handle multiple payment types, including credit/debit cards, digital wallet payments (Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, etc.), and ACH payments. Also, ensure your payment processor has security credentials, like PCI-DSS. These regulations protect cardholder data through access control measures, malware protection, and other safeguards.
What are the benefits of online fundraising tools?
Online fundraising platforms help nonprofits facilitate one of the most important stages of the donor cultivation process—the decision phase. This is the stage of the journey when supporters decide whether to donate to your nonprofit. Knowing they can submit a donation in seconds with the help of your online fundraising platform can make all the difference in helping donors choose to give.
Here are a few additional benefits of online fundraising platforms:
- They allow you to expand your nonprofit’s potential donor pool. Online fundraising platforms let anyone in the world who has an internet connection engage with and donate to your organization. This can help you grow your donor base beyond just individuals in your local area.
- They allow donors to give from anywhere, at any time. Donors can pull out their phones, laptops, or tablets and give whenever they feel inspired. Plus, they can create donor profiles where they can take control of their involvement and update their payment method, track their giving history, and adjust their recurring donation amounts.
- They help you easily track donor, fundraising, and accounting data. When your online fundraising platform integrates with your CRM, you’ll benefit from seamless donor data transfers between platforms. Your team can save time by automating data tracking processes, such as transferring donors’ names and contact information to your CRM. Donors will benefit when you use their information to personalize your outreach and engagement opportunities that resonate with their interests. Plus, when your online fundraising platform integrates with your accounting software, you can easily keep track of your finances and the impact of your fundraising efforts on your financial situation.
- They make it easier for volunteer teams to manage fundraisers. This is especially useful for schools with parents or teachers who volunteer to help raise funds. Investing in a user-friendly fundraising platform empowers your fundraising team to drive revenue effectively, even if they don’t have much fundraising experience.
What costs are involved with online fundraising solutions?
Before exploring our top providers list, it’s important to know exactly what goes into the cost of online fundraising software. Here are a few terms you might see and what they mean:
- The platform fee is the price you will pay to use the online fundraising platform or tool. This is also sometimes called the monthly or yearly fee.
- The transaction or processing fee is the price you pay each time your donors use a credit card to submit a donation to you or one of your fundraisers. This is usually calculated as a percentage of the transaction plus a small fixed fee.
Are there free online fundraising apps?
As a nonprofit professional, you’re probably always thinking about reducing costs at your organization to direct most of your funding toward mission-essential projects and programs.
However, even seemingly free platforms can often come with unexpected startup costs, such as having to hire a consultant to help set up the system.
Further, the largest issue most nonprofits face with free fundraising software is that they quickly outgrow the systems and have to migrate to a paid platform. Additionally, the transaction and processing fees are often higher with “free” software. You usually have the option to pass on these fees to donors, but they may decline to cover them in the cost of their donation, meaning your nonprofit will have to cover more of these fees.
On the other hand, investing in a paid solution designed for nonprofits ensures that your organization has access to all of the fundraising features you need right away. Review Bloomerang’s guide to free fundraising software for more information about why it’s recommended to seek out a paid fundraising platform.
14 best online fundraising platforms for nonprofits
Without further ado, here are 14 of the best online fundraising platforms to consider as you ramp up your virtual fundraising:
Online Fundraising Software Comparison
| Fundraising Software | Recommended for | Favorite feature | Pricing starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomerang | Donor database | Engagement and donor retention tools | $125 monthly fee for donor database access, 2.2% + $0.30 transaction fee |
| Qgiv | Donation form flexibility | Giving kiosks | $0 monthly fee and 3.95% + $0.30 transaction fee |
| Fundraise Up | Data-driven online giving | Machine learning AI | 4% transaction fee |
| GoFundMe Pro | Supporter-led fundraising | Donation pages | Transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 |
| PayPal | Trust & affordability | Customized donation experience | 1.99% + $0.49 per transaction |
| Handbid | Events & auctions | Integrated tools | 3.5% + $0.30 transaction fee |
| RaiseDonors | Unique donor insights | Giving dashboard | Contact for custom pricing, 1.5% platform fee |
| GivingFuel | Simple user interface | Conditional logic | The starter plan is free to use but has a 2% platform fee and a 2.9% +$0.30 credit card fee per donation |
| Shopify | eCommerce fundraising | Customizable online store creation | Starts at $29 per month, with credit card rates of 2.9% +$0.30 for online donations |
| Donorbox | Website fundraising | UltraSwift checkout | The free plan has fees between 2.95% and 3.95% |
| Donately | Customizable giving forms | Embeddable, branded forms | The free plan starts at a 4% platform fee; advanced plans and custom pricing are available for larger organizations. |
| Bonfire | T-shirt fundraising | User-friendly design platform | 3.5% processing fee |
| OneCause | Mobile bidding | Resources and educational materials | Contact for pricing |
| Mightycause | Customization capabilities | Fundraising dashboard | $79 monthly fee and 0.95% and $0.29 processing fee |
1. Bloomerang: Best Unified Donor Management Tool
Online fundraising platform overview: Bloomerang is a donor management system equipped with online giving tools for nonprofits, a robust donor database, marketing and engagement tools, and integrations with other popular software platforms.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking to upgrade their CRM platform to a seamless, all-in-one system.
Favorite features:
With Bloomerang’s donor management software, your nonprofit can build relationships to support fundraising with the following features:
- Generosity Scores that help identify prospective major donors based on giving capacity.
- An Engagement Meter to assess each donor’s or prospect’s relative engagement levels and identify the most engaged supporters to continue building relationships with.
- A marketing and engagement platform to build relationships through personalized communications.
- Bloomerang Payments, a best-in-class payment processing platform that keeps donor information secure with PCI compliance and industry-leading fraud detection.
Bloomerang’s platform prioritizes donor retention. As a result, the top 20% of nonprofits using Bloomerang CRM have an average donor retention rate of 64%, 22 points higher than the industry average of 42%.
Pricing: Bloomerang’s pricing starts at $125 per month.
2. Qgiv: Best Fundraising App for Flexible Giving
Online fundraising platform overview: Qgiv by Bloomerang, also known as Bloomerang + Qgiv, is an online fundraising platform that’s part of the Bloomerang software ecosystem.
Recommended for: Nonprofits that want a flexible, all-in-one online fundraising suite.
Favorite features:
Bloomerang + Qgiv emphasizes a stress-free experience for fundraisers and donors. Our favorite features include:
- Donation form builder
- Recurring giving
- Peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities
- Text-to-give
- In-person and virtual event management
- Auction tools
- Donor portals
- Fraud monitoring tools
Plus, Qgiv’s Giving Kiosks allow you to accept donations and registrations from any location using a tablet. It’s a great way to accept donations on the go and at events.
Pricing: $0 monthly fee and 3.95% + $0.30 transaction fee
3. Fundraise Up: Best Fundraising Tool for Increasing Conversions
Online fundraising platform overview: Fundraise Up is a fundraising platform that uses AI-based technology to help nonprofits optimize their online donation processes. The platform’s features include recurring giving, peer-to-peer fundraising, donor portals, automated emails, cryptocurrency donations, and more.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking for innovative online donation technology to boost online fundraising revenue.
Favorite feature: Fundraise Up’s state-of-the-art machine learning AI analyzes your website visitors and tailors the suggested giving amount for each person helping you achieve your goals faster.
Pros: Ability to reach donors globally with multi-country fundraising and 23 language options.
Cons: Higher fees and steeper learning curve compared to other fundraising platforms.
Pricing: 4% transaction fee
4. GoFundMe Pro: Best Fundraising Platform for Donation Websites
Online fundraising platform overview: GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) is an online fundraising platform that helps nonprofits create donation websites, set up recurring giving programs, sell fundraising event tickets, and more.
Recommended for: Nonprofits that are ready to invest in a robust and comprehensive online fundraising platform. With GoFundMe Pro, you get fundraising solutions for website donations, fundraising, events, peer-to-peer, crowdfunding, and more.
Favorite feature: The platform’s online donation pages are mobile-friendly and customizable.
Pros: The supporter-led peer-to-peer fundraising functionality is very user-friendly and easy to get started with.
Cons: The user interface tends to have more glitches/bugs that can become clunky or cumbersome to deal with.
Pricing: Transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30
5. PayPal: Best Fundraising App for Simple Payment Processing
Online fundraising platform overview: PayPal is an online payment processing system that also offers a fundraising platform for nonprofits. Their online fundraising tools allow nonprofits to create an online donation page with the ability to suggest donation amounts, process recurring donations, and accept multiple payment methods.
Recommended for: PayPal is the ideal fundraising solution for new and smaller nonprofits because you’ll get trust and affordability in one.
Favorite feature: With PayPal, you can create a customized online giving experience with your own branding, theme, and links.
Pros: Broadly recognized and trusted by donors, with simple integrations.
Cons: Limited donor management and customization features.
Pricing: 1.99% + $0.49 per transaction
6. Handbid: Best Fundraising Tool for Auctions
Online fundraising platform overview: Handbid offers auction software and mobile bidding apps to manage in-person, hybrid, and virtual events.
Recommended for: Nonprofits that need a robust solution for auctions, events, and crowdfunding.
Favorite feature: It’s rare that you can get the best of a crowdfunding platform and the best of an auction platform together, but Handbid offers both, plus other online fundraising features like donation campaigns and text-to-give.
Pros: Great for managing mobile auctions and in-person fundraising events.
Cons: Focused primarily on auctions, making it less versatile for other fundraising types.
Pricing: Platforms fees start at $1,396 for single and multi-event packages; 3.5% + $0.30 processing fee for credit card transactions
7. RaiseDonors: Best Fundraising App for Optimized Donation Pages
Online fundraising platform overview: RaiseDonors is an affordable online fundraising platform that enables nonprofits to create and customize online donation pages, integrate with their CRM platform, and equip donors with an easy-to-use self-service portal.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking for an online giving solution that’s simple and quick to get started.
Favorite feature: RaiseDonors makes it easy to identify online giving trends and optimize your donation pages to increase revenue with their giving dashboard.
Pros: Flexible campaign page builder.
Cons: Embedded form limitations.
Pricing: Contact for custom pricing, 1.5% platform fee
8. GivingFuel: Best Fundraising Tool for Customizable Campaigns
Online fundraising platform overview: GivingFuel is an online giving software that offers all the tools nonprofits need to manage their giving in one place. In addition to a user-friendly donation-page builder, GivingFuel also provides nonprofits with text-to-give features, employer gift-matching capabilities, and even volunteer management.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking for an affordable, all-in-one solution with giving forms, text-to-give, peer-to-peer fundraising, and event registration features.
Favorite feature: With GivingFuel’s conditional logic feature, you can creatively adjust your donation page to provide different donor experiences, such as a free t-shirt with a donation above $100.
Pros: Flexible, affordable pricing and a wide array of fundraising features.
Cons: Limited customization for fundraiser pages.
Pricing: The starter plan is free to use but has a 2% platform fee and a 2.9% +$0.30 credit card fee per donation
9. Shopify: Best Fundraising App for eCommerce Fundraising
Online fundraising platform overview: Shopify is an eCommerce platform nonprofits can use for merchandise fundraising. Shopify can streamline your online sales whether you’re selling items created by your beneficiaries or selling branded merchandise to raise funds for your mission.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking to expand their eCommerce fundraising.
Favorite feature: Nonprofits can customize their own online store with a user-friendly drag-and-drop store builder.
Pros: Powerful e-commerce tools for nonprofits selling merchandise.
Cons: Not built specifically for nonprofit fundraising or donor management.
Pricing: Pricing starts at $29 per month, with credit card rates of 2.9% +$0.30 for online donations
10. DonorBox: Best Fundraising Solution for Website Integration
Online fundraising platform overview: DonorBox is an online fundraising tool that integrates seamlessly with multiple popular content management systems. This platform provides nonprofits with tools such as streamlined donation forms, customizable donation buttons, and engaging crowdfunding campaigns.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking to integrate online fundraising tools into their WordPress, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, or Webflow websites.
Favorite feature: DonorBox’s UltraSwift checkout feature allows donors to complete donations in just a few clicks without having to input any personal information.
Pros: Ease of use and user-friendly setup.
Cons: Advanced features cost extra, and donation processing fees can add up quickly.
Pricing: Starts at $0 per month with fees between 2.95% and 3.95%
11. Donately: Best Tool for Simple and Customizable Giving Forms
Online fundraising platform overview: Donately is a streamlined online fundraising platform that helps nonprofits create customizable donation forms, track giving activity, and integrate with tools like HubSpot and WebFlow.
Recommended for: Nonprofits seeking a clean, simple donation form builder with flexible design options and powerful third-party integrations.
Favorite feature: You can style Donately’s embeddable donation forms to match your nonprofit’s brand and seamlessly integrate them into your website.
Pros: Easy-to-use interface, robust customization options, and powerful integrations with major CRMs and marketing tools.
Cons: Lacks built-in event fundraising and robust donor management capabilities.
Pricing: The free plan starts at a 4% platform fee; advanced plans and custom pricing are available for larger organizations.
12. Bonfire: Best Fundraising Tool for Merchandise Fundraising
Online fundraising platform overview: Bonfire is an online fundraising platform that helps nonprofits design, promote, and sell custom-branded T-shirts. Organizations can create a customized profile page to share mission information and spotlight your active campaigns.
Recommended for: Nonprofits that want to expand into online merchandise fundraising.
Favorite feature: User-friendly T-shirt design tool that makes it simple to develop custom merch with your nonprofit’s logo, colors, and fonts.
Pros: Great for selling custom t-shirts and apparel to raise funds.
Cons: Less ideal for recurring giving or long-term donor cultivation.
Pricing: Verified nonprofits can access a reduced processing fee of 3.5%.
13. OneCause: Best Fundraising Solution for Events
Online fundraising platform overview: OneCause offers an online fundraising platform with helpful tools for all aspects of fundraising, from in-person and virtual events to peer-to-peer fundraising and text-to-give.
Recommended for: Nonprofits looking to optimize their online fundraising while taking on new opportunities like auction fundraising.
Favorite feature: OneCause not only offers tools needed to manage fundraising but also resources and educational materials to execute campaigns as strategically as possible. OneCause offers eBooks, webinars, studies, and podcasts, appealing to all types of learning styles.
Pros: Robust auction and event fundraising features with mobile bidding.
Cons: May be more comprehensive than necessary for organizations not focused on events.
14. Mightycause: Best Fundraising App for Relationship-Building
Online fundraising platform overview: Mightycause’s platform also covers the fundraising basics, with CRM software, data management features, marketing tools, and more. Mightycause simplifies administrative duties for your nonprofit’s staff while providing a positive donor experience that fosters retention.
Recommended for: Nonprofits that want to prioritize relationship-building and cost-effective fundraising investments.
Favorite feature: The intuitive fundraising dashboard offers customization capabilities, reporting views, supporter information, and campaign management tools in one user-friendly interface.
Pros: Simple user experience for nonprofit team members and affordable price for smaller organizations.
Cons: Confusing donation process and limited customization for different chapters of the same organization.
Pricing: $79 monthly fee and 0.95% and $0.29 processing fee
Best school fundraising platforms
5 top school fundraising platforms
| Fundraising software | Recommended for | Favorite feature | Pricing |
| 99Pledges | Schools, PTAs, and youth groups | Dedicated fundraising pages for participants | Standard 3.49% + $0.49 transaction fee |
| Booster | School spirit fundraisers | Full-service fundraising support | Schools are charged a percentage based on how much the school raises; donors have the option to cover fees via “tips.” |
| Funds2Orgs | Shoe drive fundraising | Sustainability and positive global impact | Free |
| ShopRaise | Passive fundraising | Simple giving process | Free |
| Boost My School | Digital school fundraising | Real-time leaderboards and class competitions | Custom pricing |
1. 99Pledges: Best Fundraising Platform for A-Thon Events
Online fundraising platform overview: 99Pledges is designed to simplify fundraising for schools and youth organizations. Its pledge-based campaign tools are ideal for any “a-thon” fundraiser, such as walk-a-thons, fun runs, and read-a-thons.
Recommended for: Schools, PTAs, and youth groups running activity-based fundraising events.
Favorite feature: No upfront costs and the ability for each student or participant to have a dedicated fundraising page.
Pros: Easy setup, no upfront fees, and great for encouraging peer-to-peer outreach through students and families.
Cons: Limited customization and donor management tools; not ideal for long-term or large-scale fundraising.
Pricing: There are no setup or platform fees, but organizations are responsible for the standard transaction fee of 3.49% + $0.49.
2. Booster: Best for School Spirit Fundraisers
Online fundraising platform overview: Booster helps schools raise money by designing and selling custom school spirit gear. It offers an all-in-one solution for fundraising merchandise campaigns as well as functionality for a-thon-style events and product fundraisers (like popcorn and tumblers).
Recommended for: Schools looking to engage communities through branded fundraisers focused on school spirit.
Favorite feature: Full-service fundraising support including product design, campaign setup, and delivery logistics.
Pros: No upfront costs, hands-on campaign assistance, and excellent quality merchandise.
Cons: Focused exclusively on product-based fundraising; less suitable for donation-based or recurring giving.
Pricing: No cost to the school; Booster takes a portion of sales revenue.
3. Funds2Orgs: Best for Shoe Drive Fundraising
Online fundraising platform overview: Funds2Orgs is a unique fundraising solution that helps organizations run shoe drives, collecting gently used shoes in exchange for payment from the company based on quantity.
Recommended for: Nonprofits and schools seeking a low-cost, community-driven fundraising option that doesn’t rely on financial donations.
Favorite feature: Turn gently used shoes into funds while promoting sustainability and global impact.
Pros: No financial investment needed, straightforward community involvement, and environmentally friendly. Plus, Funds2Orgs provides all collection and marketing materials with no extra cost for your organization.
Cons: Requires storage space and volunteer coordination; success depends on high participation.
Pricing: Free to participate; Funds2Orgs pays based on pounds of shoes collected.
4. ShopRaise: Top Passive Fundraising Platform
Online fundraising platform overview: ShopRaise allows supporters to raise funds for schools and nonprofits simply by shopping online at participating retailers. Your organization can earn up to 10% on every purchase, with no cost required.
Recommended for: Schools and nonprofits looking to add a passive income stream without asking supporters for extra donations.
Favorite feature: Donors shop as usual at their favorite stores, while a portion of each purchase goes to your cause.
Pros: Easy to use, no added cost to donors, and perfect for engaging supporters year-round.
Cons: Lower returns compared to direct donations—success depends on consistent supporter participation.
Pricing: Free for organizations
5. Boost My School: Best Fundraising Platform for School Advancement
Online fundraising platform overview: Boost My School is tailored to K-12 schools and colleges, offering tools to engage alumni and families through giving days, class challenges, and digital campaigns.
Recommended for: Schools aiming to boost audience participation and launch digital fundraising events.
Favorite feature: Real-time leaderboards and class competitions that drive urgency and excitement during giving days.
Pros: Built specifically for education fundraising, great donor experiences, and strong alumni engagement tools.
Cons: May be too niche for organizations outside of the K-12 or higher education space.
Pricing: Custom pricing based on school size and fundraising needs.
Additional Resources for Exploring Fundraising Apps
With the right solutions in your organization’s toolkit, you can make online fundraising a smoother process for your team and supporters.
Interested in learning more about online fundraising and how to make the most of your fundraising platform? Review these additional resources:
- 19 Incredibly Easy Online Fundraising Ideas and Expert Tips. It’s helpful to create a comprehensive online fundraising strategy to ensure you’re making the most of your online giving platform. Check out Bloomerang’s guide to learn how to build powerful strategies.
- Nonprofit CRM Software: Explore 20+ Solutions. Your nonprofit’s CRM is an essential fundraising tool for tracking and managing donor relationships. Review the top solutions here to find the right platform for your nonprofit.
- How to Set Up a Nonprofit Donation Page: 30+ Best Practices. Your online donation page is a critical tool for gathering online donations. Follow the tips in this guide to ensure that your page is effective and easy to use.
Schedule a live demo with Bloomerang, and we’ll show you how easy it is to create and automate reports, utilize online and offline fundraising tools, quickly integrate and access all your data, and ultimately create more time to engage your donors.