Whatever you’re fundraising for, there’s a fundraising platform that fits your needs. In this article, I’ll share details about nine fundraising sites to help you make an informed decision.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!With so many fundraising sites out there, choosing the right one for your nonprofit or individual fundraising goals can feel dizzying.
Below, I’ll share nine of the best fundraising websites, plus their key features, drawbacks, and who they work best for.
First, I’d like to share my methodology for choosing the nine platforms on this list. Each choice was meticulously reviewed, focusing on the following core criteria:
The nine platforms on this list met the standards for all the criteria above. Some even exceeded expectations!
Before I get into it, here’s a quick overview of the best fundraising sites:
| Platform | Best for | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Donorbox | Nonprofits of all sizes, faith-based and political organizations, and others | $0/month; 2.95% + payment processing fees; paid plans available |
| Kickstarter | Creators launching creative projects | 5% fee for successful projects; excludes payment processing fees |
| GoFundMe | Individual fundraisers and smaller nonprofits | 0% platform fee; 2.9% + $0.30 per donation + optional donor tips |
| Fundrazr | Individuals, nonprofits, and businesses using crowdfunding/peer-to-peer | 0% with donor tips enabled; or 5% platform fee; 2.9% + $0.30 processing fees |
| Crowdfunder | Individuals, organizations, and businesses seeking project funding | 0% for charities/personal causes; 5% for standard projects + optional donor tips + processing fees |
| Indiegogo | Entrepreneurs and creators launching products | 5% platform fee + payment processing fees (~3% + $0.20 for USD) |
| Patreon | Artists and creators seeking recurring income from fans | 10% platform fee + payment processing, payout, and currency fees + taxes |
| *spotfund | Individual fundraisers | 0% platform fee; 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe processing fee + optional donor tips |
| Bonfire | Nonprofits and individuals doing apparel-based fundraising | Free to launch, keep profits after base cost; 3.5 - 8% fee for donations depending on nonprofit status |
A quick note on the fees for these fundraising sites.
As you’ll see, almost all of the sites I’ve selected charge multiple fees. Here’s a quick breakdown of what those fees mean:
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the nine best fundraising sites.
Donorbox is a fast, optimized donation platform with online and in-person fundraising capabilities. It also includes an online donation form that easily integrates into your website and securely collects donations with your preferred payment processor.
Check out this Donorbox review:
Nonprofits of all sizes, social impact groups, faith-based organizations, political organizations, and others who need fundraising and donor management tools to increase their contributed income.
And more. From Crowdfunding to Peer-to-Peer fundraising, explore the full list of features here.
Hear what nonprofit leaders have to say about fundraising with Donorbox:
Raise More for Your Cause with Donorbox
Donorbox is free to start, and offers three pricing plans that align with various fundraising needs:
Donorbox works with Stripe and PayPal as payment processors, which have their own fees. Both offer nonprofits special payment processing fee discounts. Plus, Donorbox gives you the option to ask donors to cover the processing fees.
Kickstarter hosts your creative project on their website, making it visible to all visitors. Project pages include information about projects and the people behind them, and FAQs about the project.
Kickstarter requires you to set a goal and timeline so you aren’t left without the funds you need – and your donors are more incentivized to support your project.
Here’s what one reviewer had to say:
Kickstarter has many built-in tools that assist project creators through the project submission process and offer suggestions to give their projects the best chance of success. The overall process is generally straightforward….For a service that inherently has many trust and security issues, I think Kickstarter does an excellent job at keeping users informed, educating them on best practices, and continuously acting on suspected fraud.” – Anita L.
Creators who want support for a new project across various categories, ranging from journalism to publishing and tech. It empowers creators to raise funds for creative projects without worrying about the constraints of a grant or another kind of investing body.
You only pay if your project is successfully funded within your timeline. Kickstarter charges 5% of total funds raised.
They also charge the following payment processing fees:
GoFundMe lets you create your own fundraiser that’s hosted on their website. Create your fundraiser, share it with friends, and manage donations as they come in.
The following fundraiser categories are supported: medical, emergency, memorial, education, and nonprofit fundraising.
Check out this GoFundMe review:
One of the best things about GoFundMe is simply its name recognition. People are very comfortable giving through GoFundMe because they know the website.” – Nicholas S.
Individuals with personal expenses like medical bills or college tuition, and smaller nonprofits who require basic fundraising features.
Note: For more advanced features, including donor management, many nonprofits have to upgrade to GoFundMe Pro to make this platform work for them.
GoFundMe charges a 0% platform fee, but users still have to pay payment processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per donation. The platform also requests optional tips from donors, with the default tip amount set to 15%.
For additional features and functionality, you can upgrade to GoFundMe Pro. Pricing is customized for your organization.
Considering making the switch? Many nonprofits end up leaving GoFundMe when they need better customization and branding, more advanced donor management, additional fundraising functionality, or a different fee setup.
For a concise list of the best GoFundMe alternatives, check out this article.
FundRazr enables people and organizations to increase support for causes they care about via crowdfunding campaigns. Peer-to-peer fundraising is also available to raise funds through walks, runs, and virtual events.
Plus, offer donors a streamlined donation experience with one-click payment methods, including Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Here’s what one reviewer had to say:
The platform is very easy to use, secure and gives confidence to everyone involved in the crowdfunding campaigns.” – Denis T.
Individuals, nonprofits, and businesses looking for crowdfunding and online fundraising solutions.
FundRazr charges a $0 platform fee when optional donor tips are enabled, plus a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee per transaction. The default optional tip amount is 15%. When optional tips are disabled, Fundrazr charges a 5% platform fee per donation for campaign pages, along with payment processing fees.
Donors have the option to cover both payment processing and platform fees.
Based in the U.K., Crowdfunder offers a platform for securing funding. Create a unique page for your project with information about you, the idea, and your needs.
See what this reviewer had to say about the platform:
Amazing platform that’s super easy to use and create a crowdfunding page. They are very transparent with fees and every option available to you. Payout happened in the time frame they gave with no issues.” – Caitlin
Individuals, organizations, and businesses looking to increase community-wide support for projects.
Crowdfunder’s fees depend on what you’re fundraising for. The platform relies on donor tips, set at a 10-20% default tip amount. They don’t charge a platform fee for charity fundraisers or personal causes. However, they charge a 5% fee for standard projects.
Pricing excludes payment processing fees, which vary depending on if you’re a charity, personal cause, or for-profit business.
Indiegogo is a platform for entrepreneurs to secure funding for innovative ideas. They also connect entrepreneurs with industry-specific experts to kickstart their business and guide them through the crowdfunding process with various resources.
This platform lets you choose between an all-or-nothing or a keep-what-you-raise model, providing added fundraising flexibility.
Read this review of the platform:
Indiegogo is not as strict as its competitors, which I think is great as it gives the individual more room to explore and create. I love that people can also use Indiegogo for fundraisers as well.” – Brittany W.
Entrepreneurs with a new product or creators with a new project. They focus on innovative technology and products designed to be the next big thing.
Indiegogo charges a 5% platform fee on all funds raised. Payment processing fees vary depending on your location and your currency. For USD with a U.S. bank account, the fees are 3% + $0.20.
Founded by a musician in 2013, Patreon allows fans to directly support the content their favorite artists make through monthly subscriptions. Artists get to connect with their audience and learn more about what they’re looking for while gaining a steady income.
Check out this Patreon review:
Patreon treats its content creators very well I feel, and the creators get to ask for donations to help them with creating more content and maintaining their channels on Patreon.” – Lindsay H.
Artists and other creatives who are looking for a steady income to support their creative endeavors.
Patreon is free to start. Once you start earning, Patreon takes a 10% commission on membership and product sales. You’ll also need to cover payment processing, currency conversion fees, payout fees, and any applicable taxes.
*spotfund offers tools to build crowdfunding pages with text, pictures, and video. They have responsive customer service and boast a quick payout schedule of the next business day.
Here’s what one user had to say:
Spotfund is a good platform if you want to be able to ensure your fundraiser runs smoothly, and that you can reach a support agent if there are any challenges with your account or payouts.” – Sadi
Individuals looking to raise money to support medical, emergency, memorial, educational, and personal expenses. Individuals also use *spotfund to raise funds for charity, but few nonprofits use *spotfund for their main fundraising needs.
*spotfund doesn’t charge a platform fee. They solicit optional donor tips starting at 15%. Users must pay a 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe payment processing fee.
Bonfire gives you the tools to design custom apparel for your campaign. Once your design is live, share the design page containing details about your campaign.
They also have a special suite of fundraising materials if you verify your nonprofit status – which includes benefits like reduced donation fees and customizable organization pages.
Check out this Bonfire review:
I like that Bonfire is streamlined, relatively frictionless across tools, and acts as a ‘one stop stop’ solution to our internal cloud, contract, vendor, and sourcing operations.” – Verified User
Nonprofits of any size and/or individuals who want to try their hand at apparel fundraising to increase campaign success. Individuals can even launch a campaign on behalf of a nonprofit with their own design.
Selling through Bonfire campaigns is free. Once the base cost of the apparel is covered, you receive all the profits and can price your items however you’d like (although they recommend using the suggested pricing).
If your organization wants to take donations through Bonfire, there is an 8% fee to cover credit card fees and administrative expenses. This fee drops to 3.5% for verified nonprofits.
Now that I’ve reviewed the options, you might be wondering how to narrow this list down to your best option.
Here’s a quick checklist to help you decide.
Ask yourself these questions. Does this platform:
For small nonprofits, you’ll also need to consider setup time and complexity to ensure your team is able to start fundraising immediately. Budget, scalability, and donor management are also crucial considerations as you continue to grow.
The best fundraising website should serve all your fundraising needs. Whether you’re looking for a platform that streamlines your nonprofit’s online and in-person fundraising efforts or something to help support a personal project or expense, there’s a site that will work hard to bring you the donations you need.
With its competitive fee structure, robust suite of fundraising features, and ease of use, Donorbox works for all kinds of fundraisers and campaigns. To get started, sign up for a free account here.
For more fundraising advice and tips, check out the rest of the Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter to receive exclusive content sent to your inbox.
Make sure the fundraising website you choose makes getting set up easy, provides tools to build social proof, offers various features to scale your fundraising, and supports plenty of payment methods.
Some of the top fundraising websites for nonprofits to raise mission-critical funds include Donorbox and Fundrazr.
The best sites for personal fundraisers include GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and *spotfund.
Lindsey Bower is a writer, content strategist, and nonprofit consultant. She specializes in helping nonprofits craft compelling messaging for websites, blogs, social media, and email marketing, with a strong focus on SEO and AEO strategy. With a background in fundraising and membership management, she knows firsthand what it's like to juggle priorities and wear many hats in the fast-paced nonprofit world.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!
