Giving Tuesday platforms: Features to look for & 5 popular options

Every year on Giving Tuesday, people around the globe donate billions of dollars to changemakers working to make the world a better place. Whether you're fundraising as an individual or an established nonprofit, it's a special day teeming with the potential to raise a whole lot of funds for good. 

Even if it feels like you're planning at the last minute, you can still pull off a solid campaign this Giving Tuesday. We’ve got the spread on the top features you need for success and five online fundraising platforms you should consider making your Giving Tuesday hub. 

What to look for in a fundraising platform

• Low cost 💸 We recommend choosing a platform that either offers a free trial or won't break the bank—especially if this is your first time using fundraising software. After Giving Tuesday is over, you can decide if you'd like to keep using the platform and invest in it more fully. View Giving Tuesday as a pilot period for you to test out a platform's capabilities and see if it meets your organization's needs.‍
• Quick setup time 🗓 Giving Tuesday is just around the corner. You don't want a platform that takes weeks to set up or requires several onboarding calls to create an account. Prioritize platforms that let you get started right away, offer self-service help center guides, and have a support team known for its quick response time.‍
• Customizable fundraising pages 💥 Branded campaigns are the ones that stand out from the crowd on Giving Tuesday—and boy, is it crowded! Make sure that the fundraising platform you choose gives you the option to match both your organization's branding and the hype of Giving Tuesday. ‍
• Easy embeds 💻 You'll want to capture donations wherever your donors find you this Giving Tuesday. Choose a fundraising platform that makes it easy to add your fundraising form or a donate button that links to your Giving Tuesday campaign to your website. ‍
• Thoughtful donor data collection 📈  Most nonprofits see a huge influx of new donors on Giving Tuesday. Find a fundraising platform that either integrates with your existing donor database (CRM) or seamlessly tracks donations and gathers important donor contact information. That way, you can follow up with supporters to say thank you and steward those new relationships.‍
• Modern engagement tools that meet donors where they're at 🤝 At the very least, you want a fundraising platform that offers a variety of payment methods, is optimized for mobile devices, allows you to thank donors directly, and send donation receipts easily. Other real-time engagement tools like supporter feeds, livestreaming, and social sharing are definitely a plus. 

5 popular fundraising platforms for Giving Tuesday

There are lots of fundraising platforms out there that offer a wide range of tools, price points, and levels of user-friendliness, making it hard to know which is right for you this Giving Tuesday. That’s why we've narrowed down your choices to a list of five popular options based on the features outlined above.

1. Givebutter

💸 Price: Givebutter is free, thanks to optional tips from donors. Givebutter also offers industry-low payment processing fees, which donors can choose to cover—and most do! The average Givebutter campaign keeps 99.5% of all funds raised.

⏰ Onboarding process: You can create a free account and start fundraising in less than 5 minutes.

⭐ Best for: Organizations of all sizes that want one place to raise funds, track progress, host events and auctions, and engage with donors in real-time—without making a dent in their budget.

🔥 Our take: There's a reason Givebutter consistently receives user-review awards and higher-than-average marks on Capterra and G2. Givebutter offers everything from text-To-donate and peer-to-peer fundraising to personalized emails and fun social media integrations that empower and support changemakers every step of the way. It’s risk-free to try, easy to sign up, and Givebutter's award-winning support team is available to help if you need anything. Plus, Givebutter is giving away $35K to verified nonprofits on Giving Tuesday!

2. GoFundMe 

💸 Price: GoFundMe doesn't charge a platform fee but does ask for tips from donors—an option that users cannot turn off. Standard payment processing fees also apply to every transaction, which donors do not have the option of covering.

⏰ Onboarding process: Minimal. Anyone can get a campaign page up and running in minutes. 

⭐ Best for: Individuals who want to host a crowdfunding campaign for a personal cause or on behalf of a nonprofit organization.

🔥 Our take: GoFundMe makes it easy to create a streamlined crowdfunding campaign and costs you less than most platforms. GoFundMe does, however, lack certain features nonprofits might want to prioritize for Giving Tuesday, including website embeds or the option to accept recurring donations. 

3. BetterWorld

💸 Price: BetterWorld does not charge a platform fee, but it does include a suggested donor contribution on each transaction—which you can only turn off by upgrading to the Partner Plan for $950/year. Standard payment processing fees also apply. There is also an à la carte option to add concierge-level support for $275/event.

⏰ Onboarding process: BetterWorld boasts a user-friendly platform that does not require training to implement and only a 5-minute setup before you’re ready to start accepting donations.

⭐ Best for: Nonprofits looking for a way to add unique fundraising elements like a raffle, giveaway, or online storefront to their Giving Tuesday campaign.

🔥 Our take: BetterWorld offers a simple fundraising solution, unlimited back-end team members, and free access to all its features. Many user reviews highlight its customer service, intuitive interface, and budget-friendly price point. However, some donors report being caught off guard by BetterWorld's suggested contributions and were charged more than they were expecting.

4. Donorbox

💸 Price: Donorbox is free to set up and won't lock you into an annual subscription; however, Donorbox does charge a platform fee of 1.5–2.95% for every donation. Advanced features like text-to-donate are available for additional monthly fees or through Donorbox Premium. Standard payment processing fees also apply. 

⏰ Onboarding process: Donorbox claims an average set-up time of 15 minutes.

⭐ Best for: International organizations looking to create a Giving Tuesday campaign that's available in several different languages and accepts a variety of currencies.

🔥 Our take: Donorbox offers powerful fundraising tools and supports 44+ currencies and 11 languages. Many of the fundraising features nonprofits are looking for are available through the Donorbox Standard plan, but you will have to pay extra to utilize text-to-donate, advanced page customization, and employee matching this Giving Tuesday.

5. Fundly 

💸 Price: Fundly does not charge you anything to create or share your fundraising campaign, but they do take a 4.9% fee from every donation, in addition to standard payment processing fees. Donors do not have the option to cover these fees.

⏰ Onboarding process: Users can start creating a fundraising page right away—no demo calls or other barriers to entry. 

⭐ Best for: Individuals, nonprofits, or schools that want a simple yet customizable crowdfunding campaign page for Giving Tuesday. 

🔥 Our take: Fundly offers standard fundraising features and the ability to integrate donation forms right onto your organization's Facebook page, but many users report that Fundly’s fundraising pages feel a bit outdated. 

Givebutter lets you raise funds better, faster, and for free

Givebutter has all the tools and resources you need—including free fundraising guides, hands-on workshops, and a downloadable playbook available in our Giving Tuesday hub—to help you plan and execute a legen-dairy campaign this Giving Tuesday. 

Create a free Givebutter account and get your Giving Tuesday campaign started today! It’s risk-free to try and easy to switch from another fundraising platform if Givebutter wasn’t your first choice. 

Regardless of what platform you choose to run with, we're raising a toast to you for being part of this global generosity movement. Happy fundraising! 

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Still not convinced? Compare more fundraising platforms to find the best one for you! ​​👀

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